MY VILLAGE, MY IDEAL A Self-Sufficient and a Self-Governing Village is the basic unit of public administration in a free India. - Mahatma Gandhi The beauty of a village lies in its simplicity. This simplicity attracts the people living a fast and colorless city life towards the village. The village life starts with the chirrup of the birds or the coo of a cuckoo. The morning fresh air roams freely around the village making the tree leaves rustle. The sky gets exploded with a multitude of hues as the dawn arrives and the blooming, colorful flowers by the river bed smile happily in the first rays of the sun. The clear and blue water of the river acts as a mirror and showcases each hue of the sky magnificently for an explorer s eye. This Village life can be aptly called a sweet escape to heaven for city people like me who runs on the tick of the clock. If not for our Villages, where would the city people living in a closed apartment would get to see the sloping roof houses whose front yard is decorated by flowers and rangolis. In the fast train of life we often forget to stop and admire the passing view. Thus our villages make us realize our rich and cultural heritage of flora and fauna. Our villages are no less than any heaven, for example, the village Munsyari in Uttarakhand is surrounded by snowcapped mountains, and the village Mawlynnong in Meghalaya has real root bridges to be crossed and is also awarded as Asia s cleanest village in 2003, the village Khonoma
in Nagaland has a scenic beauty of deep valleys. All these beautiful villages in India will surely make a tourist say, IF EVER THERE IS A HEAVEN ON EARTH, IT FALLS RIGHT HERE. But only scenic beauty is not enough to make an ideal village. An ideal village must be a culmination of modern facilities and the simplicity that enhances the village life. THE VILLAGE IS THE CELL OF THE NATIONAL BODY AND THE CELL LIFE MUST BE HEALTHY AND DEVELOPED FOR THE NATIONAL BODY TO BE HEALTHY AND WELL- DEVELOPED. - AUROBINDO My ideal village is a village with a modern twist. And this twist can be added by the following facilities- 1) Medical facilities- Healthy people are a sign of a progressing society and hence a well equipped hospital with all the required amenities must be available in every village. Regular health checkups must be carried out to ensure the well-being of the villagers. 2) Proper Sewage system- A bad drainage system can cause epidemics to spread out in the whole village and as they say, Prevention is better than cure. Hence, proper toilets should be constructed in every household with the drainage pipes a little deep in the ground, as there would be no harm of breakage. 3) Schools and Libraries Education is a necessity for today s village life and hence there should be at least two to three
schools in the village. Reading enhances imagination and opens the door to a new world of awareness and creativity. Hence it is very important that a library must be set up in every village. Many NGO foundations are leading the project A LIBRARY FOR EACH VILLAGE. 4) Proper waste disposal- Garbage disposal is a major problem, but it can be sorted out by segregating the waste as dry and wet. Plastic and paper can be recycled. Let s have a dustbin in every area so as garbage disposal never becomes a problem. By such small acts, we can make the SWACCHA BHARAT dream to come true. And the most important thing according to me that an Ideal Village must have is AWARENESS. Today lack of awareness is causing massive negative strokes on the heart on India. Such as killing of girl child, child labor, harassment of women, unemployment, improper sanitation, STD s, etc. Let us educate and create awareness in our villages the symptoms and effects of such negative strokes and then only will there be a formation of an ideal village. Besides, there are a still more issues to be handled for an ideal village. The need for wider streets is necessary so as the heavy vehicles such as trucks can be easily passed. The installation of Solar Panels can be a great help, as many of the villages suffer from a regular electricity problem. Biogas plant can help supply
natural gas for cooking purposes and there will be a conservation of fuel. The most common occupation of the village life is fishing, agriculture, animal husbandry or poultry farming. Hence proper cattle shed, seeds for farming, fodder and such amenities must be provided to the people. Also establishment of eco-friendly industries can help provide employment to many villagers. Building wells and ponds can provide the solution for scarcity of water. Many NGO s such as PAANI foundation have come up with a lot of innovative ideas to solve drinking water issue. A proper panchayat system should be maintained in the village, where the Sarpanch or the leader will give equal justice and adhere to the problems of the villagers. A weekly meeting can take place of the Sarpanch and the villagers where the problems or difficulties are discussed. The teachers should also interact in such meetings so as the proper awareness is reached to people. A village life has a vibe of helpfulness and neighborliness with everyone which cannot be obtained in closed doors of the apartments and hence this should not be taken for granted. A village which has all around development and the villagers are satisfied or contended with their lives is called an IDEAL VILLAGE. Today there are many successful villages in INDIA who enjoy the number one position in various fields, for example;
1) Dharnai village in Bihar is India s first fully Solar Panelled village. 2) Pothanikkad village in Kerala has a 100 percent literacy rate. 3) Bhilar village in Maharashtra is a first village of books in India. 4) Chatanguri village in Assam is India s first digital village, etc. Hence by slowly developing our perspective towards a more modern outlook we can definitely create an amalgamation of the cultural heritage and modern amenities. Villages have a rich history of culture and traditions; hence the modern twist should be given in a way that our heritage is not harmed. Let us start with one village today and the rest will follow soon. Let us create a harmony of ancient and Modern and make this country proud of its heritage and its people. Let us make this whole India our village and our religion to do well. ALL THE WEALTH OF THE WORLD CANNOT HELP ONE LITTLE INDIAN VILLAGE IF THE PEOPLE ARE NOT TAUGHT TO HELP THEMSELVES. OUR WORK SHOULD BE MAINLY EDUCATIONAL, BOTH MORAL AND INTELLECTUAL. - SWAMI VIVEKANAND.
( I Sincerely thank the government for allowing us such a great opportunity to showcase our talents. THANK YOU.) - By Anuja Shinge S.I.E.S College,Std. 12 th, Mumbai, Maharashtra. Phone 9561878101 Address- Indu mill No.5, Officers quarters no.4, AG Pawar lane, Byculla, Mumbai. PIN- 400027 Maharashtra.