I live in an agricultural community located in a village where
people mostly earn a living through farming. The village is situated near a
river that provides enough water throughout the year, making agriculture
profitable. The villagers follow traditional farming practices and grow green
paddy in their fields, typically yielding two crops per year. Despite their
traditional lifestyle, modernity has gradually made its way into their lives.
Most of them have electricity and own radios, while their children go to the
neighboring town for education. The village is connected to the town by a bus
service and most people own bicycles. Many villagers are also politically active
and aspire to hold positions in the village council.
As agriculturists, these people are progressive and have adopted
new techniques like using good seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides
to maximize their yields. They have built a marketing federation to sell their
products and make use of bank facilities to avoid becoming pawns of village
money lenders. While paddy growing is the major occupation, some farmers have
also started growing cash crops like sugar cane. During peak seasons like
transplanting, hoeing, and harvesting, they employ casual laborers.
When not working, the villagers spend their time leisurely.
There is a tea shop where they gather for gossip and the cinema and films are
very popular. There is a small school, but most affluent villagers prefer to
send their children to convent or English schools in the neighboring town. The
village school mostly serves students from the lower strata of society. The
chapel is visited by the parish priest once a week, and the Christian community
in the village is a minority. |