Network Past Issues

Komargiri: A Village undergoing Transformation
Vikas Kunj, PRM 28

For my fieldwork segment I went to Komargiri village, which lies in the delta region of the Godavari river in Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. Until the 1980s, this village was largely cut off from the rest of the state because of the construction of the Gutten Devi canal system way back in 1929 by Sir Arthur Cotton and by the Godavari river.
Before 1929, the region suffered from water scarcity, which led to very low agricultural productivity. The construction of the canal helped in increasing paddy cultivation in the area. The farmers were able to grow more, but the British government imposed lagaan for using the canal water. Consequently, the farmers had to pay 50 per cent of their produce to the government. After independence, the Government of India lifted the lagaan. In 1956, there was a flood in the village, which deposited fertile black soil on the surface, which resulted in increased soil productivity. With increased paddy cultivation, there was a demand for transporting the produce for sale in other areas. The Amalapuram bridge was constructed in 1980 to meet the demands of the local people.
The delta region of the Godavari is known as the rice bowl of Andhra Pradesh. The village economy is agricultural, with rice being the staple crop.

There is also large-scale production of coconut. Until a few years ago, coconut farming was a highly profitable business yielding high returns (Rs 5 per piece) without much input or effort. But the good days of coconut production seem to be over. Intense competition and declining quality because of attacks by mites have led prices to plummet, hitting lows of Rs 1–2 a piece. Consequently, the villagers have lost interest in coconut farming. Big farmers are venturing into the real estate business in big cities like Hyderabad, Yanam, and Kakinada. They are leasing out their lands to agricultural labourers, thus being assured of fixed returns without risk. However, the coconut business does not end here. Besides the economic aspect, there is also a psychological aspect to it. Coconut production was a business that ensured maximum returns with little effort or risk. Even those who owned only one or two coconut trees would pick up the fallen fruits and sell them in the market. Even though returns have declined, the people—who have become accustomed to an easy and lazy life because of the coconut business—are reluctant to take up labour-intensive activities. So they are looking for new avenues of generating an easy income.
The first major event that woke up this somnolent village, and provided a stimulus to the local economy, was the construction of the Amalapuram bridge in the 1980s. Since then, Komargiri has witnessed a turnaround in its fortunes. The village was now connected to the main areas of the state from which it had so far been cut off for all practical reasons. Connectivity with the mainland provided access to information, markets, and government attention and patronage. In response to a major cyclone in 1996 that devastated the village, the government launched a number of rehabilitation packages. Many schemes, such as constructing pucca houses for the weaker sections of society and providing training to women for self-employment, were initiated. The entire village was electrified and almost every household was connected to the main road either by pitched or gravel road. The arrival of television has led to major changes in the attitudes of the villagers, who were earlier largely satisfied with their lot in life. However, they are now striving for a better standard of living.
Another milestone in the development of Komargiri village was the construction of the G.M.C. Bal Yogi Bridge in 2002 and the subsequent construction of NH 214 connecting the village to Yanam, in the union territory of Pondicherry, and Kakinada, the district headquarters of East Godavari district. This infrastructural development has led to better opportunities for the people of Komargiri, particularly the landless and marginal farmers. Now they can easily go to the nearby towns where a number of industries are proliferating. They have access to better work at much higher remuneration, Rs 120 per day instead of Rs 40–50 that they would usually get as labourers working in the paddy fields.
As a result of these rapid economic changes, traditional arts and occupations in Komargiri such as pottery, weaving, and carpentry are dying out. The practitioners of these traditional arts and crafts are now abandoning their family businesses as they are no longer profitable and also because of the lower social status attached to this kind of work. Earlier, the villagers had no choice where employment was concerned as there was no alternative livelihood, but now a whole new world of opportunities has opened up. They travel to the nearby towns in the morning for work and return in the evening with good money in their pockets. The new bridge has also revived the local economy by providing easier access to markets. The people of Komargiri are also benefiting from the different kinds of information and ideas that they are getting from urban centres. They are now better informed about how to invest their money safely to gain better dividends. This economic growth has been accompanied by both social changes as well as changes in the mindset of the villagers. Exposure to and familiarity with the urban lifestyle has made them realise the inadequacies in their own life of which they were not aware previously. Some years back, there was no shop in the village, but as the purchasing power of the villagers has increased so have their needs and desires. Within no time, five shops (grocery stores and tailoring shops) opened for business.
As economic conditions have improved, the people of Komargiri are now willing to invest more in the education of their children. The village earlier had eight primary schools but no high school. Hence, pursuing an education beyond the primary level was very difficult, especially for girls. But in 2000, one of the primary schools was upgraded to a high school. More and more children now have access to high school education. Girls’ education has also received a great fillip. A number of private schools have come up in the nearby villages and towns. Education beyond the high school level is also being promoted by private colleges in a nearby town; the colleges provide a bus to carry children from village to college. This has helped young people, especially girls, to pursue higher education. Earlier, few women studied beyond the elementary level, but now there are better avenues for girls.
Women’s lot in Komargiri, like everywhere else in the country, was unfortunate. Most women, particularly those belonging to the richer families, led restricted and confined lives. These women had access to every amenity but had no say in public affairs and played no role in the public sphere. Women from the lower-income groups had somewhat more autonomy although they led a much tougher life compared to that of their more prosperous sisters. They earned a living as field workers and spent the money on their families and on their children. A unique feature of the local economy was the migration of a few women from lower-income families to the Arab countries. These women worked abroad for four or five years and then returned home with substantial sums. They spent this money in getting their daughters, if any, married off. They also invested in the education and upbringing of their children. These women are now leading a life of dignity.
The tradition in Komargiri is to marry within the village because the people prefer to establish and strengthen relations with people and families already known to them and also to prevent the division of property with outsiders. The dowry system is prevalent in Komargiri in an ominous form. The rate of dowry is very high and is demanded in the form of land or money. But now with increasing interaction with the larger world outside the village, parents are willing to marry their daughters to government employees. As very few government employees live in Komargiri, marriages outside the village are also taking place. Marrying off girls at a young age was common earlier, but now the emphasis is on educating girls and making them self-reliant.
Based on my observation of and interaction with the people of Komargiri, I have come to the conclusion that by all counts the village is headed for major changes in the days to come. Signs of improvement in all spheres are already visible as compared to the earlier days. No doubt Komargiri will emerge as a model village in the next few years.
Vikas Kunj can be reached at p28103@irma.ac.in