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Village Uplift

  1. Introduction.
  2. Condition of the villages.
  3. Education.
  4. Cleanliness.
  5. Improvement of agriculture.
  6. Social evils.
  7. Conclusion.

Village Uplift

Nobody can deny that with the growth of cities the villages have been considerably neglected. Ever since the light of Western civilization came into our country we have been developing a craze for city life. Now-a-days the people are attracted to the cities for the hornworts and luxuries of life which they cannot enjoy in their village 1omes. Under these circumstances we must try to improve our villages.

In the Punjab, Mr. F.L. Braying was the first official to think of village uplift. While acting as the Deputy Commissioner of Gujarat, he studied villages at first hand, was grieved and shocked by the deplorable conditions obtaining in them, and set about earnestly to reconstruct them.

First of all, he emphasizes the value of education. According to him, ignorance, more than anything else, is responsible for the backwardness of the Pakistani peasant. Steeped in age-old ignorance, the peasant does not know his own Interest. If he ignores the laws of health and sanitation, runs into enormous debts, or follows ancient methods of agriculture, it is because he lacks enlightenment. The remedy suggested is that primary education should be made compulsory for both boys and girls.

The second, the villager is content with passing his days in .unhealthy surroundings. He does not care much if streets of village ire dirty or if houses have no arrangement for fresh air. He allows dirty water to collect in pits and ponds situated about the village, with the result that they attract mosquitoes in and who spread malaria and trouble. Thus the villager is to, be exhorted to keep his houses and streets clean by throwing the du.ng hills and rubbish into its.

The third thing that a peasant is required to de is to improve us agriculture. Agriculture is the main profession of the industry in his village; and, of late, it has fallen into a rut. The peasants can make it a paying profession by using scientific implements by importing bulls of excellent breed, by using better seeds, manures. And ploughs.

Lastly, the peasants are advised to shake off a number of social evils from which they suffer. It is seen that they spend money lavishly on marriages and births and are prone to be extravagant when they come by money. They are over fond of litigation. They commit murders over trifles; and resort to the court so often that they pay the best part of their income to the lawyers. The peasant, thus, is advised to get rid of all these evils.

 

There is no doubt that if the peasant acts upon these suggestions ht. is bound to prosper He would be able to lead an infinitely better Lie, if he makes whole-hearted attempts to improve his home and his farm.