Winds of change blow in sleepy Jhargaon
VIJAY DEO JHA
JHARGAON (GUMLA)
Turn left to Gumla-Lohardaga road at Toto Jhargaon village and there is a tempting halt where, since the past two years, a silent socio-economic revolution has been taking place without giving Google and the Government slightest hint about it.
Selected under National Convergence Programme a joint scheme of the Indian Government and the United Nation’s Development Project as ‘model village’ in January 2010 Jhargaon offers many reasons to wonder what, what’s it that’s happening? The village ‘something’s happening’ place.
Things are happening and changing this way. There is a village parliament having its Prime Minister Charjren Kuzur and her cabinet; ministering affairs of the village that has taken unanimous decision not to depend on government’s dole for sustenance. The village having population of 1195, 260 households mostly tribal and backward caste there was around 145 families listed in BPL category in 2010. “No fresh application was made last year. In fact we have planned to return our BPL cards to the government by the next year. We don’t need it. We want to prosper on our own,” Kuzur said.
The first stop to the school was an arresting moment. A school freshly of painted brickwork, its walls an entertaining fiasco quotes and lessons and sprawling beautiful garden. Girls and boys standing in a row for daily prayer looking like a long single-files like blue less unfurling, all neatly uniformed. They cavorting in the corridors or chanting lessons aloud in their classes or supping midday meal that served well ahead of mid-day in a swept school yard.
“Sir, two years back there were only 35 students were enrolled who never turned to the classes. But now there are 140 students. They are very brilliant sir,” a man who later introduced himself as “Myself Dipendra Kumar Chaudhary teacher of this school” said.
Asked is s it one day show or happens daily? “Happens daily. “Happens daily, Sir,” Chaudhary replies. John Joseph Benjamin Gumla district planning officer explains how this wonder happened. “We held regular meeting with the villagers to make them aware of the importance of education. Many parents resisted to send their children on the ground that their children are to graze their cattle. Village parliament then hired a person with suitable monthly payment to manage their cattle. Now they realize importance of education.”
The village where literacy rate staggered around 10 percent years back is now boasting 100 percent literacy. “At least people now can sign and write their name. Their thumbs are no more stained with ink,” observes Jolgas Kuzur, a farmer.
Happens daily? “Happens daily, Sir,” Master Dilip Singh replied. Jhargaon has been observing total prohibition with tipplers like Soma Oraon — whose habit to guzzle gallon of liquor a day made him infamous as tanker, were either counseled, criticized or canned to leave their habit.
Something’s happening that has fuelled their economic prospect. Unlettered Minjuwa Oraon (30) showed them the way that their fallow and barren field too can yield bumper crops. “Last year he obtained four and half acre of land on lease for farming and lifted water from a nearby water source. This has induced farmers into cash crops and others. Besides we took them on exposure visit. Thing is that they have tasted development and everybody wants to develop and prosper,” Subeer Kumar Das, district facilitator of the UNISEF India said. The village has recently established milk collection centre Gokul Dham to add into it.
The country is slowly getting burnished to gold with the paddy stalks ripening and the government has come with paddy collection centre LAMPS to purchase with support price. All it came with little governmental support of a total of Rs 22 lakhs. But the way Jhargaon emerged as model for another 35 villages of Gumla included in the scheme; left Ibrahim Hussain; Asia chief of the UNDP Germany to remark ‘something is happening here.’ Saplings have been planted on 56.5 acre of land under ‘National Horticulture Mission.’ When rest of Gumla submerges in darkness at night; streets and roads of Jhargaon glow by solar lamps. A couple of years back there was no road to speak of; it felt like being shoved about at the back of a tractor. Progress was slow and tortuous. The district administration has recommended the village for Rastriya Gaurab Gram Sabha award. Something’s happening.
