Opinion The badlands of Bundelkhand

Why all this interest? Does Buldekhand have a special identity? Is it a socially and culturally compact area? Presently,half of it is in Uttar Pradesh (Jhansi,Banda,Jalaun,Chitrakoot,Mahoba,Hamirpur and Lalitpur districts),and another half in Madhya Pradesh (Datia,Tikamgarh,Chhatarpur,Panna,Sagar and Damoh districts). This dichotomy has existed since Independence and during the past six decades,the social and political orientations of the two parts have diverged. The only common ground today between the two halves are poverty,backwardness,drought,and lack of industrialisation and development. And so,raising the identity issue to pitch for a separate state is misguided.

What about Bundelkhand’s development? The credibility of political parties has sunk so low that even genuine and serious initiatives may smack of ulterior motives. Rahul might have fine intentions,but one still wonders whether his initiative is about the development of Bundelkhand or about Dalits? Many know Bundelkhand for droughts,dacoits and lack of development,but few know about its Dalit face: its Dalit population (21-30 per cent) is higher than state average.

Bundelkhand has been on UP’s development agenda through the state planning board’s carving UP into four economic regions — western,central,eastern and Bundelkhand. There have been separate budget allocations for Bundelkhand since 1990-91. In 1970,the UP government set up Bundelkhand Divisional Development Corporation (BDDC),which was wound up in 1992 for non-performance. The Mayawati government revived BDDC in April 2008 and also formed Bundelkhand Special Area Development Authority in July that year to counter Rahul Gandhi’s demand for a separate Bundelkhand Development Authority (BDA). Madhya Pradesh also set up a BDA for development of its part of Bundelkhand in May 2007 and allocated a package of Rs.10 crores.

Agriculture is the predominant occupation in Bundelkhand. According to Census 2001,the percentage of workers engaged in agriculture,as cultivators or labourers,was higher than 60,and much higher than state and national averages,in all districts of Bundelkhand except Jhansi,Damoh and Sagar. The share of farmers with marginal holdings i.e less than one hectare is high (70.3 per cent),and productivity is low owing to the soil’s poor water retention,weather fluctuations and large amounts of wasteland. The percentage of net irrigated area to net area sown is low in Bundelkhand region (UP and MP both 50 per cent). There is acute shortage of water and women spend several hours daily to fetch potable water. There are reports of musclemen diverting irrigation water to their fields under shadow of guns. No effort is made to harness rain and flood water by digging ponds and wells. Farmers in Bundelkhand usually prefer to grow wheat (41.97 per cent) as it ensures food security. Mentha (mint) and sugarcane are other preferred crops. Recent attempts by farmers to go for Mentha farming with export potential have further aggravated the groundwater situation.

Bundelkhand also suffers from low industrialisation. There are only two major industrial units in Bundelkhand; Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited at Jhansi set up in 1970s and a cement plant of Birla Group set up at Damoh in 1980s. There are a few medium and small-sized industries but none have emerged as a major source of employment. Railways at Jhansi do provide employment to about ten thousand people but 80 per cent of them are from outside Bundelkhand. The flourishing handmade tericot clothes industry at Ranipur,Jhansi died owing to neglect by state government. Tourism can become a lucrative industry in Bundelkhand but only places like Khajuraho in Chatterpur,Orcha in Tikamgarh,Panna Tiger sanctuary and Chitrakoot have been promoted. Beedi manufacture is the single largest source of non-agricultural employment.

The National Highway Development Project makes Bundelkhand the centre of the Golden Cross as east-west and north-south corridors cross each other at Jhansi. That may facilitate development in the future. But road construction is taking a toll,destroying hills to provide filler material for elevated roads. Had there been coordination by digging fresh ponds and making roads,then road building would have been accompanied by a chain of ponds for lean periods. However,lack of development on both sides of Bundelkhand is not indicative of paucity of funds; largely,money is eaten up by the entire machinery responsible for development.

Though female literacy is high and women constitute higher percentage in workforce in Bundelkhand,they suffer from the structural backwardness of the region. But there are some positive glimmers. In the Banda-Chitrakoot area,an all-women ‘Gulabi-gang’ wearing pink sarees has come up as bulwark against domestic and social violence of all kinds. Recently,an all-woman run local fortnightly newspaper ‘Khabar Lahariya’ in Bundelkhand was given King Sejong Literacy prize by UNESCO.

Why has Bundelkhand in particular,and UP and MP in general remained backward for so long? Has governance and development ever been on the agenda? With the strengthening of the grassroots democratic institutions after the 73rd and 74th amendments of Constitution,the quantum of development money sent to grassroots functionaries has increased phenomenally leading to networking of local mafias for appropriating all the political positions directly or by proxy.

Mayawati and the BSP consider Bundelkhand a political issue,instead of focussing on a development strategy. With her national ambitions,a couple of smaller states (if UP is divided into a few states) may give her a chance to accommodate some BSP stalwarts as regional satraps,while also cutting their size and influence. Mayawati had succeeded in dislodging the Samajwadi Party from Bundelkhand during the 2007 assembly elections,and now,she does not want to lose it to Congress. In MP,Shivraj Singh Chouhan dislodged Congress and he is also keen to stabilise the BJP regime there. So,while Congress wants to stage a comeback in Bundelkhand and the entire Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh,BSP in UP and BJP in MP want to thwart that.

Bundelkhand’s real identity and development don’t appear to command attention on anyone’s agenda.

The writer teaches politics at Christ Church College,Kanpur.