Village Conditions in Jalundhar District, Punjab

Village Mindset

One of the few homes with a door, home of Late Jagat Singh and his family

As we roamed around a few villages in the Jalundhar District, there seemed to be a disconnect between the city proper and the villages. The cities in Punjab are polluted because of the smog, lack of proper city planning, landscaping, or a practical plan. Fortunately the cities still have access to resources, technology and modern amenities. We stayed at the Radisson in Jalundhar (I did not realize there was a Radisson there until I made our booking).
Radisson in Jalundhar city

The villages, on the other hand, are the centers and homes of the farmworkers of Punjab, which is the agricultural capital of India. The farms of Punjab are beautiful with long pastures of green; it is a nice getaway from the harsh conditions of the cities. The villages are usually located in the midst of the farms. Unfortunately, the homes in villages we examined are poorly constructed and falling apart.

For instance, the central part of Khaira Majja village had about 1-2 larger homes with surrounding homes that were completely dilapidated. It was such a contrast seeing one fairly nice home with the attached surrounding homes falling apart (walls broken in, no roofs or doors). The immense amount of poverty was mind blowing to us.

The women who lived in these homes were very kind and let us in to examine the conditions. Most of the homes were 1 bedroom with about 3-5 people sleeping there, and the kitchen being directly in the bedroom.

Some of the team members gave the women money although I took a step back at that moment. I think the better way to help is through sustainable options rather than handouts. Many of the women were weeping out of pride and sadness. One woman openly greeted us and said, "Welcome to the homes of the poor. What can we do for you?"

I began looking around, examining their homes, the little alleys leading to their homes, and the general well being of the small community. The largest problem (aside from the governments lack of public assistance) lay in the mindset of the people. They are living in poverty and have allowed it to take over their lives.

They seem a depressed people who do not know how to empower themselves to get their community out of the extreme conditions. But alas, despite the depressive state, the Punjabis are an optimistic people. The potential our team saw in the community was inspiring. There were little steps being taken (ie, the addition of a small generator, the partial construction a model school for the primary children, attempts at creating s system for proper sewage disposal, etc). Many seemed to be investing in their kids in any way they could. Most of the village people shared the belief that "we've lived our life and it isn't going to change much, but maybe we could make it a little better for our children."

Pictured above is a "Narlka," which is where several families get their water source for cooking, bathing, and washing.

The state government definitely needs to help their people through more funding of the schools, better electricity and water for the residents, and access to proper health care. The villagers need to invest in their communities, lift themselves out of the "we are poor and helpless" mindset, and start making solid improvements. I believe that how you live inside is indicative of what you will produce outside. For instance, if a person is living in an extremely depressed state of mind and their home surroundings are filthy and unkempt, then the likelihood of their community being pleasant and organized is highly unlikely.

About 99% of the homes we saw in this village were breaking down, extremely tarnished and abandoned-looking although there were whole families living in them! The spiritual and practical side of me realizes that constructive change has to start from the inside, and then it can permeate outwards! Unfortunately the villagers cannot make the changes themselves; they need resources, practical tools, and assistance from external sources.

Pictured are young girls trying to keep a home clean by sweeping the floors.

Mrs. Singh, who is the Sarpanch of the village (leader of the Panchayat), stands before her husband to greet us.