In Delhi or Waiting for Delhi

Being the capital of a billion plus size nation, it’s not surprising that Delhi draws a lot of attention from various quarters and spellbound the viewer who shows the concern with this vibrant city. Since the age old Delhi remains habitated and dominated by the so called outsiders; it may be a by chance phenomenon but it did happen in same manner.
In the view of top brass scholars from different fields, Delhi possessed the topnotch position due to its vibrant and consistent intellectual tradition. Off course there are many specialties in Delhi that could be found without making any hectic efforts. So, there should be no amazement if peoples across from the world are moving towards Delhi to enriched with such specialty but here my concern is towards some abnormal sort of craze towards Delhi and other metro cities of India which being arise from desperateness of rural workforce.

The prime reason of such escaping mentality is the improper consumption of workforce in rural areas because lack of proper mode of productions; so catching and utilizing best of their potential remains a distant dream so far. In my recent visits to several north Indian states I found the craze of escapement from their homeland among many peoples with whom I chatted; indeed most of them don’t do this in fantasy instead they are compelled for survival.
But among them I found some negative trend like the plan of short duration migration to cities that they alone think would enable them for bigger status in social hierarchy and street smart life. Such unplanned moves by these types of migrants are absolutely unhealthy for the prospects of their own original identity and where they fled mindlessly.
The real ironies is there living condition which still get inhuman sort of basic facilities in absence of regular income and social security in bigger cities. My real concern is with the grief of such migrants who lost both their cultural and emotional affiliation as well as the economic security.
Do only government’s facilities are inadequate so such state of affairs aroused? My reply will be partial yes because there are several factors like low investment (private as well), weak infrastructures, disguised unemployment, irregular opportunities, bandwagon effects etc are equally deteriorating their plight. Second categories of migrants are students whose rates are exceptionally high in state like Bihar; most of them have valid reason to fly in absence of proper higher educational facilities in their nearby areas in their state.

A state like Bihar must have proper and immediate university upgradation to check out the relentless exodus of their talent pool. Even though the level of governance has considerably improved in state but education sector is still lagging behind from actual paradigms.
Decentralization of central planning has immense potential for rural development, if their enactment will proceed in fair manners, many hurdles would be short; indeed which would benefit the rural hinterland most. So, with a sound rural economy Delhi would become able to welcome its new entrants in healthy manners and abundant civic facilities. We have a strong democracy with the sound constitutional base; we have to pick and make more resonant the two directive principles I. Upliftment of rural economy and II. Decentralization of power; to strengthen both the rural and urban area in equal manners. Hope we will see reverse trend in migration from urban to rural areas in next decades.

Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi, IInd July 2009
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com