Chapter III: The setting and the sample - Information …shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/2891/10/10...51 Chapter III: The setting and the sample This chapter presents geographic,

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Chapter III:

The setting and the sample

This chapter presents geographic, demographic and socio-economic characteristics of

the study area along with the profile of the respondents. It also throws light on age, education,

religion, marital status, type and size of family and size of agricultural landholding of the

respondents. This chapter also describes the characteristics of the surveyed households.

3.1 STUDY AREA

Punjab has been invaded by various invaders from time to time. That is why it has

very diverse culture and it becomes interesting to study the area. Punjab is bounded on the

west by Pakistan, on the north by Jammu and Kashmir, on the north east by Himachal

Pradesh and on the south by Haryana and Rajasthan. Physically, the state may be divided into

two parts, sub Shivalik strip and Sutlej-Ghaggar Plain. The sub-Shivalik strip covers the

upper portion of Ropar, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur districts. The Sutlej-Ghaggar Plain

embraces other districts of Punjab. The land is highly fertile as the soil has been formed by

the tributaries of the Indus, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej and Ghaggar rivers.

Etymologically, the term Punjab presents the amalgam of Punjabi word Panj,

meaning five, and Persian word Aab, meaning water; thus the word means a land of five

rivers- Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum. The term originally refers to a society having

specific features of its own and a polity, the boundaries of which have been changing with

times.

Punjab lies in the north west of India. Being in the way of invaders from the north,

Punjab has had to take a lot of battle from the invaders. Punjab emerges into history with the

coming of the Aryans into India. The Aryans in the early Vedic age apparently settled in the

Punjab and its neighbourhood. In 522 B.C. Darius of Persia conquered the territories around

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Punjab and made them a Satrapy of Persia. In 326 B.C., Alexander the Great overran Punjab.

For a time, Mecedonian governors controlled Punjab but they were defeated by Chandragupta

Maurya, who annexed the entire territory. With the decline of the Mauryan empire the

Scythians occupied north west India and after them, the Parthians. The Kushans came next.

Thereafter Punjab continued under indigenous rulers.

The Sikh faith which played a decisive role in the creation of a Punjabi-speaking state

came into being during a period of religious revival in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was

founded as a new religious order by Guru Nanak. He was followed by nine Gurus. The

subsequent 200 years witnessed the growth of Sikhism and its transformation into a militant

organization. Guru Angad modified the Gurmukhi script by combining the scripts current in

north India at that time. Guru Ram Das laid the foundation of the city of Amritsar. Guru

Arjun Dev compiled the Adi Granth. His son Guru Har Gobind started training his followers

in the military art. Guru Gobind Singh established the institution of Khalsa brotherhood in

1699 to diminish caste distinctions.

Punjab was annexed to British India by Lord Dalhousie in March, 1849. But the spirit

of Punjab remained unvanquished. Through the centuries Punjab became the sword arm of

British India. Punjab was constituted a separate province of India in 1937. With the partition

of India, Punjab was divided between India and Pakistan as East and West Punjab. On

November 1, 1956 the Princely States adjoining Punjab were formally absorbed into the

Punjab State. On November 1, 1966, Punjab was divided into three units- Punjab comprising

the predominantly Punjabi-speaking areas, Harayana made up of the Hindi-speaking districts

and Kharar tehsil and Chandigarh, the capital. Hilly areas were transferred to Himachal

Pradesh.

There are number of places of tourist interest in Punjab. It is dotted with places of

historical and cultural interest. Ropar, one of the centers of Indus Valley civilization;

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Amritsar, the city of the Golden Temple, (now renamed Harmandir Sahib), sacred to the

Sikhs, and Durgaina Temple; the ancient fort of Bhatinda; the architectural monuments of

Kapurthala, Patiala the City of Gardens, and Chandigarh, the capital designed by the French

architect Le Corbusier are among the leading tourist attractions of the state.

Punjab state covers an area of 50,362 sq.km. According to 2001 census Punjab had a

population of 24,358,999 and this constitutes 2.4 percent of India’s population. Out of this

16,096,488 persons were residing in rural areas. In other words, 66.18 percent of population

of Punjab is rural. Punjab is relatively more densely populated part of the country.

The present day Punjab is divided into three socio-cultural regions, that is, Majha,

Malwa and Doaba. The area between Ravi to Beas Rivers (from district Amritsar to

Gurdaspur) is known as Majha. Doaba region extends from Beas and Sutlej rivers (Jalandhar,

Nawanshar, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur districts). The rest of the area which extends from

Sutlej to Ghaggar is known as Malwa region. In the northern part its boundaries are up to

Himachal, in the south-eastern part uptil Haryana and in north–western part it extends to

western Pakistan. Malwa region has the highest number of districts (Ludhiana, Ferozpur,

Patiala, Bathinda, Sangrur, Mukatsar, Barnala, Fatehgarh, Moga and some parts of Ropar).

The Malwa tract of Punjab is a region which is fertile and rich and which retains a

great deal of colours. The songs and dances of the region depict romance, chivalry and

loyalty. The folk culture of Malwa has both manly heroism as well as deep feminine

tenderness. Its songs express the immortal bond of affection between all types of relations.

The dominant beliefs of village folk, their devotion and their recreational activities during

long summer afternoons and also during winter nights when by a bonfire epical and Puranic

tales get a delightful oral narration by an elderly member of the community are the distinctive

features of the cultural heritage of this region. The area of the present study is Malwa region.

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Three villages of Malwa region were selected randomly for the study namely Ditupur, Lang,

and Sular Gharat.

District Patiala

Patiala district is located between 29 degree 58’ North 30 degree-47’ North latitudes

and 75 degree- 58 east to 76 degree-47’ East longitudes. Spread over an area of 3627 Square

kilometers. Patiala is the fifth largest district of Punjab (area wise) after Ferozepur, Amritsar,

Sangrur and Ludhiana as per 2001 census. The district is surrounded by Fatehgarh Sahib

District of Punjab in the north, Ropar district (of Punjab) and Union Territory of Chandigarh

in the north-east, Sangrur district (of Punjab) in west, Ambala and Kurukshetra districts of the

neighboring state of Haryana in the south-east. Similarly, Kaithal and Jind districts of

Harayana form its southern boundary. Geographically, Patiala district falls in the Malwa

region which is the largest region of the state of Punjab.

Many towns and places of Malwa region, have a history going back to ancient and

medieval periods. But Patiala is relatively a young city. After the third battle of Panipat in

1761, the writ of Afghans prevailed throughout Punjab. At this stage, the ruler of Patiala

began to acquire ensigns of royalty. Ahmad Shah Abdali bestowed upon Baba Ala Singh

drum and banner. Baba Ala Singh founded the city of Patiala in 1762 A.D and made this

town his capital. The present Patiala district derives its name from this capital town which

served as headquarters of rulers of Patiala and Nabha State till independence and presently is

the headquarters of district Patiala. The successors of Baba Ala Singh were politically savvy

and they always remained in good confidence of the rising powers. Rules of Patiala helped

the British to a great extent in their empire building endeavour and earned respect from the

British Empire. It was Maharaja Bhupinder Singh who gave Patiala and Nabha State, a place

of prominence on the political map of India and in the field of sports. Most of the buildings of

splendid architectural designs were constructed during his regime (1900-1930). After

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independence the ruler of Patiala state played a very constructive role in the integration of

this princely state in Union of India. In 1948 the princely state of Patiala and Nabha were

integrated with union of India and became a part of the (Patiala and East Punjab States Union

(PEPSU)). In 1956 PEPSU was merged into Punjab and consequently Patiala became a

district of Punjab. By and large the present area of Patiala district comprises the territories of

formerly princely states of Patiala and Nabha. However, in 1992, Fatehgarh Sahib District

has been carved out of the Patiala district.

Patiala district has a unique place in the cultural and social life of Punjab. Patiala is

first town in the Malwa region where first degree college (The Mohindra College) was

established in 1875. The famous printing press of Munshi Nawal Kishore was established in

the town in the beginning of 19th century. Under the patronage of the rulers of erstwhile

princely states of Patiala and Nabha, the famous classical music school of Hindustani- The

Patiala Gharana came into existence and gained world fame. Ustad Ali Bux, Ustad Akhtar

Hussain Khan and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan are the well known artists of this gharana.

Demographic Profile:

District Patiala as per census of 2001 has a population of 18.44 lakh persons. The

average population density in the district is about 509 people per square km, which is higher

than the state average. Population of district registered an increase of 21.72 percent in the

decade of 1991-2001 which is again higher than the average rate of growth of population of

the state of Punjab. A perusal of the table given below reveals that the urban population

increased with greater pace vis-à-vis rural population. In fact, the urban population, in the

decade 1991-2001, grew almost two and half times than the rural population. Consequently,

the share of rural areas in the total population of the district has come down from 69 percent

and the share of urban population has increased from 32 percent to about 35 percent, in the

preceding decade (1991-2001). The higher growth of urban population is reflective of the,

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diversification of the economic activities in the district, which is attracting people not only

from the rural areas of the district and other parts of the state but many people have come to

district from other states to avail better opportunities of job and studies.

Table 3.1: District Patiala Rural Urban Distribution of Population, 2001

1991 2001

Area Total

Population Male Female Gender Ratio

Total Population Male Female

Gender Ratio

Decadal Growth in Percent

Rural 1050296 560206 490090 875 1200224 642633 557591 867 14.27

Urban 471672 248403 223269 899 644710 344757 299953 870 36.68

Total 1521968 808609 713359 882 1844934 987390 857544 868 21.22

Figures in parenthesis denote percentage to total population. Gender ratio-number of females to per thousand male. Source-Census of India 2001.

Patiala district is a predominantly rural district. As per the 2001 census, an

overwhelming 65 percent of the population lived in rural areas and only 35 percent lived in

urban areas. After the partition of India in 1947, a large number of refugees from west Punjab

came and settled in Patiala district. The single largest group of refugees was from

Bahawalpur. Apart from this, a sizeable number came from Gujjranwala and Sheikhpura,

which are now in Pakistan.

The Sikhs and the Hindus are the predominant religious groups in the district. The

Sikhs form 55 percent of the population while the Hindus form 42 percent, the remaining

being the Christians, the Muslims, the Jains and the Buddhists.

Patiala city is the administrative headquarters of Patiala District, and was the capital

of the premier princely state in the former Punjab Province of British India, headed by the

Sidhu dynasty. Patiala is famous for its pagri (traditional headgear), paranda (tasseled tag for

braiding hair), and jutti (traditional Punjabi footwear) and for its ‘Patailvi’ culture, essentially

a grandness of expression. A good way to absorb the flavour of Patiala is to take a walk

through the narrow lanes of Qila Bazzar a market along the fort walls .The market caters to

the all the wedding needs. A wide range of parandis, phulkaris, juutis, bangles etc. can be

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purchased from here. Other famous markets of Patiala are bhandian wala bazaar famous for

utensils, kitaban wali gali all the book shops having wide range of books.

Patiala is seat of many important administrative offices of Punjab state, including

Punjab State Electricity Board, Punjab Public Service Commission, Punjab Pollution Control

Board, Excise and Taxation Commissioner Office, Chief Engineer PWD (B and R), Punjab

Languages Department, and State Bank of Patiala.

There are so many popular places to visit in and around the district of Patiala. Famous

historical monuments are: Qila Mubarak Complex, Qila Androon, Rang Mahal and Sheesh

Mahal, Darbar Hall (Divan Khana), Moti Bagh Palace, Chand Mahal, Jail Khana, Lachman

Jhoola, Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib, Mata Kali Devi Mandir etc.

The city houses the Punjabi University, Thapar University, Rajiv Gandhi National

Universioty of Law, Mohindra College, Multani Mal Modi College, Government College for

Girls, Bikram College of Commerce, Government College of Education, Government

College of Physical Education, Khalsa College, Government Medical College, Government

Ayurvedic College, Mata Sahib Kaur Education College, Jasdev Singh Sandhu Education

College, Patiala Education College, Yadavindra Public School and Netaji Subhash National

Institute of Sports. Patiala is the sports hub of Northern India.

The area size of Patiala division is 15,633 sq.km. The population of Patiala division is

8,532,087. The total rural population of Patiala division is 5,095,407. There are 12,673

villages in Punjab.

Village Profiles:

Some of the earlier sociologists and anthropologists were of the view that Indian

villages are “self contained little republics.” However, the present day social scientists do not

adhere to this view point. Even in the past the villages had to depend on outside resources. In

the present context, the villages are closely linked not only with other villages but also to the

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neighbouring urban centers. Thus no village can be viewed in isolation; rather it has to be

considered as one unit in a wider socio- economic and cultural network. Some of the villages

of Punjab are not only a part of the national network; rather they have international links as

many persons from Punjab villages have migrated to foreign countries. However, despite the

changing character of Punjab villages, the rural inequalities persist even today. According to

the All India report on agricultural census, about half of Indian cultivators had only a percent

of land and about one third of them owned land holdings below 0.5 hectares. As against this,

3.5 percent cultivators owned 30.9 percent of the land. The economically weakest section of

the villages had either no land or tiny uneconomic holdings. The marginal and small farmers

generally own poor quality land while the fertile and irrigated land is owned by the large

cultivators. Thus, while studying any Indian village the stark socio-economic inequalities

must be kept in mind.

A brief description of the historical, locational, institutional, demographic, social and

religious background of the villages selected for the present study has been presented in the

ensuing pages.

Ditupur Village

(i) Location

Village Ditupur is located in the prosperous Malwa region of Punjab. It is situated on

Patiala –Tohra road and is 20 kilometers from Patiala city. The other neighbouring smaller

cities are Nabha and Sirhind. The nearest town is Bhadson which is 7 kilometers away. It is

blessed with soil conditions that are favorable for growing a number of crops from wheat to

rice, and from vegetables to oil seeds (sunflower). As one enters the village, one can observe

the presence of rich farmers. Their houses are well up to the urban standards.

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(ii) History of the Village

Historically, the village is related to Sant Baba Dittu Ji, as per the

information provided by the elderly residents. “Baba Dittu ji ne sada pind baneya si, ohna di

jagha te aj vi jot jagai jandi hai.” (Baba Dittu Ji established this village and a permanent

light is lighted at his place). Villagers have a firm belief in Baba ji. Before any new venture

or any happy occasion in the family, his blessings are considered mandatory. Every year in

the remembrance of Baba Dittu Ji a ‘path’ and ‘langar’ is organized and homage is paid to

them.

(iii) Demographic setting

The total area covered by the village is 1500 acres. According to the 2001 census, the

total population of the village was around 1959 consisting of 1065 males and 894 females. In

this village the total number of households is 331 and number of literates is 1142. The S.C.

population of the village is 712.

(iv) Social Composition

The village is dominated by Sikh religion. Besides this it has four Muslim houses and

two Hindu houses. Both of these religious groups are not engaged in agriculture.

Jatt Sikh is the dominant caste of the village along with some other castes. The Jatts

are the largest in number and have reputation of having a high status as they own most of the

land. They are economically well off and other castes depend on them for economic

purposes. Tiwana got is dominant in the village. The other castes in the village are Ghumiars,

Chamaras, Rajbaha and scheduled castes.

(v) Religious places

A Gurdawara Jharbana Sahib has been constructed by the villagers in the memory of

‘Sant Ghatani wale’, so homage is paid to him every year by the village residents. According

to elderly villagers Sant Ghatani Wale has given them economic support for the construction

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of the building of Gurdwara in 1970 (approximately of Rs. 28 lakhs). That is, why in his

memory a Barsi (annual function) is celebrated every year. Every Tuesday and Thursday

langar is sent to Pingalwara and Fatehgarh Sahib respectively. All the land for the gurdwara

is donated by the villagers and they also believe that if you pray honestly then your pray is

heard by the God and it is fulfilled. The village has a tho mandir (temple) where annually a

religious fair is organized and yellow sweet rice is distributed as a parsad every year. People

from nearby villages also come there for blessings. The land for this temple has been given

by a big land lord Subai Singh of the village. The land around this temple is 2.5 acres which

is very fertile and every year it is given on lease to a new person. The revenue which is

generated from this land is used for the development of the temple, distribution of parsad and

rest of the money is used for the schools. If some one talks ill about this temple or place the

person and the family is fully destroyed. In addition, the village has a shrine as well, which is

called ‘Lalanwala pir’ where Scheduled Castes go and pay homage’s and Bhagat Ravidas

Jayanti is also celebrated by them every year.

(vi) Educational institutions

Education up to the higher secondary level is available in the village itself as there is a

Government higher secondary school in which there are 195 boys and 115 girls studying. The

school has amenities like generator, water – cooler and desert cooler. As described earlier the

money which is left over by the leasing of land of the temple and some of the money is also

contribution by the village gurdwara to provide these kinds of facilities to the children. No

money is taken from children for the refueling of the generator. Besides this, the village has

two private schools one is up to primary level and other one is up to matriculation level.

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(vii) Institutional services

In the village there is a raised platform known as sath (place for the people to rest and

talk). It is used by the village men for informal get-together, formal meetings and ceremonial

occasions. Surrounding the village are the fields.

The village has three bus stops, one on the highway which is 1.5 km away and the

other two are within the village. There is one taxi stand also but it is not registered. Besides

this, a number of village people themselves also own their vehicles such as scooters, motor

cycles, bicycles, jeeps and cars for accessing various places in and outside the village.

Tractors are being used instead of bullock carts for agricultural purposes now-a-days and as a

means of transportation of goods and as a short distance family conveyance. Now the

villagers have a number of means of transport to commute for work, to sell their produce and

for visiting the city for shopping and other purposes.

The roads in the village are metalled. The electric supply is for 24 hours. Along with

BSNL (Bharti Sanchar Nigam Limited) telephone exchange, a number of private telecom

players too have their coverage towers.

Regarding the medical facilities, the village has its own government dispensary and

veterinary hospital.

The village has a cooperative society with 1088 members of the society. There is one

milk collection centre (dairy).

There are approximately 35 shops on the outskirts and 10 shops within the village

dealing with clothing, jewellery, grocery, hardware, electronics, maintenance and repair.

There are four chemist shops as well.

Irrigation is done from canal water. Households use tap water. The number of

agricultural implements in the village is as follows- tractors 50, threshers 15, reapers 9,

harvesters 10, electric pumps 80, and diesel pumps 50.

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(viii) Sports events

A sports mela is organized by the Tiwana sports club in the memory of S.Gurnam

Singh Tiwana and Amarjeet Kaur Tiwana. This sports event has been organized in the village

for the last 43 years every year in the months of August-September. The games organized by

the club are kabbadi, athletic meet, bullock cart race, javelin throw and cricket.

Lang Village:

(i) Location

It is located on the road connecting Patiala city with Bhadson town and is

approximately 15 kilometers away the former. The nearest town is Bhadson which is 7

kilometers away. The total area covered by the village is 5000 acres.

(ii) History of the Village

The second village selected for study was Lang. As regards the name of the village

Lang, nobody knows how the village got this name. There is one historic Gurdawara of Sri

Guru Teg Bahdur named ‘Khirni Sahib’. Its history as told by elderly residents is that when

Guru Teg Bahadur came here he was hungry and asked food from the residents of this

village, who thought him to be an imposter and nobody gave him food. Then Guru Ji uttered

these words ‘Lang de lok malang’ (means the people of this village are carefree) by saying

and left the village. When he was just half a kilometer away from the village a low caste

family reached there and asked Guru Ji to come back to the village and offered him food.

After having food Guru Ji gave them a blessing and said: ‘Eh sawah di chutki hai jithon tusi

dane kad de ho us jagah te pa dena par is gal da dhayan rakhna ke koi vi us jagah wal na

dekhe’ (Guru Ji gave them a pinch of ash and said put this wherever from you pull out the

grains but keep in mind one thing that nobody should look into it). The residents told that the

three generations followed this advice and grains came out of the whole whenever they

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needed, but the fourth generation daughter-in –law looked into it. Since then nothing came

out of that pit. The elderly villager Bant Singh told that it is also known as Ghurae da korma

earlier. There is also one temple of Shiv Ji and one Guga Madi in the village.

(iii) Demographic Setting

The total population of village is 4027 persons according to 2001 census consisting of

2138 males and 1889 females. The total numbers of families are 673. The S.C. (Schedule

Caste) population of the village is 674. Regarding the literacy rate a little more than half of

the population is literate i.e. 2258.

(iv) Social composition

Sikh religion is dominant. There are ten households of Muslim religion and

approximately 40 of Hindu religion. Jatt Sikh is the dominant caste of the village along with

other castes. Kharoud is the dominant gotra (got). Agriculture is the main occupation and

wheat and paddy are the main crops of this village. The other castes are Jheor, Rajbaha and

Ramdassia also known as Tarkhans.

(vi) Educational institutions

The village has one elementary school and one higher secondary school. A total of

163 boys and 130 girls are studying in them.

(vii) Institutional services

The village has two bus stops, one on the highway which is 2.5 kilometers away and

the other one is within the village. There is no taxi stand in the village. Some of the villagers

have their own vehicles for commuting to the city for shopping of household goods,

agricultural goods and for other purposes.

The roads in this village are metalled. The electricity supply is also for 24 hours.

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Along with BSNL (Bharti Sanchar Nagar Limited) telephone exchange a number of

private telecom players do have their coverage towers. There is one P.C.O (Public Call

Office) in the village. A large number of persons have mobile phones with them.

The village has a government dispensary, veterinary dispensary, and four unregistered

medical practitioners.

There is one milk collection centre also.

There are three Aganwadis and one cooperative society consisting of 398 members

and their meetings are also held within the village premises. The establishment of

cooperatives from 1952-53 onwards made available cheaper credit and assured supply of

fertilizer and other inputs to augment agricultural production.

There are two branches of banks, one is Punjab National Bank and the other one is

Co-operative Bank. There are six chemist shops. There are 5 shops on the outskirts of the

village and 10 shops within the village.

Irrigational water supply is from canal and household utility water is supplied by the

municipal corporation. The submersible pumps are also used. The number of agricultural

implements are as follows- tractors 98, threshers 33, reapers 8, harvesters 8, electric pumps

198, and diesel pumps 50.

Village Sular Gharat:

(i) Location

It is located on the road linking Sangrur and Patran. The nearest towns to the village

are Sunam which is 17 kilometers and Dirba which is 7 kilometers away. The total area

covered by the village is 700 acres.

(i)History of the Village

History of village Sular Gharat is related to Raja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. As one

of the elderly person told that,

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Aj ton kujh 150 saal pehlan Raja Bhupinder Singh ji ne Patiala de nedle pind sular

ton utha ke keha jithe tuhada ji karda hai othe ja ke pind vasa lawo. Shuru wich nedle

pind walian nal kafi jhagra reha par kuchh sama paen te rehaish ho gai sular naam

othon hi aya te gharat is lai naal lagya kyounki pind di had te paani naal 6 chakian

ikhtian chaldian han is lai pind nu sulargharat naam naal janeya jaan laga.

(About 150 years ago Raja Bhupinder Singh told us to leave our native village which

was near Patiala and to go wherever we wanted and settle down there. In early days there was

lot of conflict with the people of nearby villages but afterwards we settled down and from

there only we got the name of the village. But generally it is known as Sular Gharat because

on the entrance of the village there are six water flour mills and that is why the village got the

name of Sular Gharat)

(iii)Demographic Setting

The total population of village is approximately 932 persons. According to 2001

census there are 495 males and 437 females. The total numbers of families residing in the

village are 110. The literacy rate is very low. About 200 persons are literate.

(iv) Social Composition

Regarding the religious composition of the village Sikh is the dominant religion.

Besides this it has only one Muslim household but there is no Hindu family.

Jatt Sikh is the dominant caste of the village along with other castes. The other castes

are Tarkhans, Ghumaiars, Jheor and Rajbaha.

(v) Religious places

The Gurduwara is as old as the village. The villagers themselves have constructed the

Gurduwara. The village has some other religious places also, where people from other

villages also come and pay their obeisance. The people visit the village temple to get rid of

epidemics of animals and crops.

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A mela is organized on the eve of Shivratri and people from other villages also and

pay their obeisance then. There is one ‘talla’ of Baba Amardas. Nobody knows the history of

it but the villagers do not make use of any iron implements on the day of pooranmashi (full

moon) of every month as nobody operates bullock carts, cycle in the village or make use of

the fodder cutter etc. There is one dera established by Baba Mohanpuria and now looked

after by Baba Aditya Anand. The people of this village and the adjoining villages seek his

blessings.

(vii) Institutional services

The village has only one bus stop which is on the highway and is 4 kilometers away.

Inner roads of village are not metalled. The electricity supply for the village is 15-16 hours.

Now the position is much better than before because of the construction of grid.

There is no government or private dispensary in the village and the nearest health

facility is available at a distance of 7 kilometers from the village. The village has one small

unauthorized chemist shop run by a villager who is not a registered pharmacist.

There is only one primary school. The girls are not allowed to study after primary

level because the higher secondary schools are far from there.

A unit of cooperative society is functioning in the village which has 9-10 members.

The villagers purchase things from here.

The village lacks basic facilities like transportation system and daily need shops. Only

56 houses have modern and basic amenities.

The number of agricultural implements is as follows- tractors 44, threshers 11, reapers

15, harvesters 2, electric pumps 117, and diesel pumps 52 and 42 additional bores.

3.2 PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS

Data collected regarding the age, education level, marital status, type and size of

family and agricultural landholding size of the respondents has been presented in this section.

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As the sample consisted of equal number of male and female respondents from the three

villages, there was equal number of male and female respondents. Thus, from Ditupur, there

were 63 males and 63 females, from Lang there were 99 males and 99 females and from

Sular Gharat there were 45 male and 45 female respondents.

Religion

There are no two opinions that the state of Punjab has faced many changes from

religious point of view. Mainly there are two major religious groups in Punjab-Hindus and

Sikhs. However, the Sikhs are a majority group in most of the villages. The respondent’s

affiliation to different religious categories is shown in table 3.7.

Table 3.2: Distribution of households according to their Religion

Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Sikhs 59 (93.65%) 85 (85.85%) 45 (100%) Muslims 0 (0%) 2 (2.2%) 0 (0%) Hindus 4 (6.34%) 12 (12.12%) 0 (0%) Total 63 99 45

The data regarding the religious background of the respondents reveals that a very

high proportion of the respondents were from the Sikh religion. In case of Sular Gharat all the

respondents were Sikhs whereas in the other two villages there were a few Hindu families.

Only two Muslims families were residing in Lang.

Agricultural Land holding Size

Land is the most important resource in the rural communities. Having ownership

rights to land and other land-based resources is a crucial factor determining how people will

ensure their basic livelihood. The vast majority of the rural population relies on land and

land-based resources for their livelihood. It is also a status symbol in villages and the socio-

economic ranking of individuals is based mainly on the ownership of land.

The following table gives information about the agricultural land holding size of the

respondents of the three villages.

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Table 3.3: Table showing the agricultural land holding size of the respondents

Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat 5 acres 33 (52.38%) 57 (57.57%) 29 (64.44%) 6-15 acres 19 (30.15%) 28 (28.28%) 11 (24.4%) 16 acres and above 11 (17.46%) 14 (14.14%) 5 (11.11%) Total 63 99 45

The data presented in the foregoing table indicates that the proportion of small

farmers (up to 5 acres of land) was comparatively higher in the less developed village (Sular

Gharat) as compared to the developed and moderately developed villages (Ditupur and

Lang). There was no significant difference in the proportion of medium level farmers (6 to 15

acres of land) in the three villages. However, the proportion of large farmers (16 acres and

above) was higher in the economically developed village as compared to the other two

villages.

Types of family

It will be useful to consider the family background of the respondents. The type of

family affects gender division of labour and various aspects of one’s life. Those families

which have husband, wife and their unmarried children have been included in the category of

nuclear family and remaining in the category of joint family. The distribution of respondents

in two major types of families, that is, nuclear and joint families has been presented in table

3.2 given below.

Table 3.4: Distribution of respondents according to the type of family

Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Nuclear 48 (76.19%) 72 (72.72%) 21 (46.6%) Joint 15 (23.81%) 27 (27.27%) 24 (53.4%) Total 63 99 45

It is popularly believed that the village is the home of joint family. But the findings of

the study do not support this assumption. In fact most of the families are nuclear. Joint

families are now more in the minds than in practice. From the above table it can be seen that

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in case of Ditupur and Lang villages the higher proportion is of the nuclear families as

compared to Sular Gharat which has more joint families than Lang and Ditupur. It might be

explained in terms of its underdevelopment. There is a trend of the joint families being

replaced by nuclear families in the economically more advanced villages.

Household size

The following table gives information about the household size of the respondents of

the three villages.

Table 3.5: Table showing household size of the respondents

Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Up to 4 members 42 (66.66%) 67 (67.67%) 17 (37.77%) 5-7 members 18 (28.57%) 26 (26.26%) 19 (42.22%) 8 members & above 3 (4.76%) 6 (6.6%) 9 (20%) Total 63 99 45

The analysis of data presented above indicates that about two third of the households

in Ditupur and Lang were of smaller size (up to four members) as compared to Sular Gharat

where the proportion of smaller households was only 37.77 percent. On the other hand, the

medium sized and large sized households were significantly lesser in the two advanced

villages as compared to the less advanced village. These findings are in accordance with the

types of families found in the selected villages. In Ditupur and Lang villages majority

families are nuclear hence the size of families is also smaller. On the other hand, there is a

preponderance of joint families in Sular Gharat and that is why the proportion of medium and

large sized households in this village is much higher as compared to the other two villages.

Distribution of the respondents by age

Age is a factor that affects the opinion of the people. Persons belonging to different

age groups normally internalize different values according to the traditional roles and

changing needs of the society. This is well reflected in the process of socialization. The

outlook and the attitude of young persons towards life differ from those of the elderly

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persons. Young persons look more modern, liberal and individualistic in their orientation

towards life than the elderly persons. This is because new generation is affected to a greater

extent by the process of modernization as compared to the elders.

The following table gives information about the age structure of the respondents of

the three villages.

Table 3.6: Age structure of the respondents’ families

Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat M F M F M F 13-18 years 8

(12.6%) 6 (9.52%)

13 (13.13%)

11 (11.11%)

4 (8.8%)

5 (7.93%)

19-35 years 15 (23.8%)

18 (28.57%)

22 (22.22%)

25 (25.25%)

13 (28.8%)

14 (31.11%)

36-55 years 28 (44.41%)

25 (39.68%)

36 (36.36%)

32 (32.32%)

16 (35.5%)

13 (28.2%)

56 years & above 12 (19.04%)

14 (22.22%)

28 (28.28%)

31 (31.31%)

12 (12.6%)

13 (28.2%)

Total 63 63 99 99 45 45

The data presented in the foregoing table reveals that the highest proportion of the

respondents in all the three villages was from the age category of 36-55 years. The least

number of respondents were found in the age category of 13-18 years.

Educational level

Education is a powerful factor which brings changes in the attitudes of the

individuals. The higher level of education helps in accepting modern values in the changing

world. It is true that the opinion of people varies with their level of education in relation to

their traditional gender roles and expectation from them. Educational status of the

respondents was recorded in four categories from illiterate to the graduate level and above.

The following table gives information about the educational level of the respondents

of the three villages.

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Table 3.7: Table showing the education level of the respondents’ family members

Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat M F M F M F Illiterate 18

(28.57%) 29 (46.03%)

35 (35.35%)

54 (54.54%)

28 (62.2%)

37 (82.22%)

Upto Middle 21 (33.33%)

16 (25.39%)

23 (23.23%)

18 (18.18%)

9 (20%)

5 (11.11%)

Upto Higher Sec. 18 (28.57%)

16 (3.17%)

28 (28.28%)

22 (22.22%)

6 (13.3%)

3 (6.66%)

Graduate and above 6 (9.52%)

2 (2.17%)

13 (13.13%)

5 (5.5%)

2 (4.4%)

0 (0%)

Total 63 63 99 99 45 45

The analysis of data regarding the educational level of the respondents reveals that the

proportion of illiterate men and women keeps on increasing according to the level of

economic development of villages, that is the proportion of illiterate men and women was

much higher in the economically less developed village (Sular Gharat) as compared to the

moderately and highly developed villages (Lang and Ditupur). The situation was reverse in

case of higher educational categories.

Marital status

The marital status has been classified into two categories, that is, married and

unmarried. The distribution of the respondents in these categories is shown in table 3.6.

Table 3.8: Distribution of households according to their marital status

Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat M F M F M F Un married 15

(13.80%) 12 (19.04%)

19 (19.19%)

14 (14.14%)

8 (17.17%)

6 (13.33%)

Married 48 (76.19%)

51 (80.95%)

80 (80.80%)

85 (85.85%)

37 (82.22%)

39 (86.66%)

Total 63 63 99 99 45 45

The analysis of data regarding the marital status of the respondents does not reveal

any significant differences in the proportion of married and unmarried men and women in the

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three selected villages. However, the number of married males and females was a little higher

in the less developed village as compared to the more developed village.

3.4 Surveyed Household characteristics

Structure of houses

The information regarding the structure of houses in which the villagers lived was

also collected. They were categorized as a “kucha” (with mud walls and a thatched roof),

“semi pucca” (stone and cement walls, mud plaster and a tiled roof), “pucca” (entirely stone

or bricks and cement with a tiled roof).

The following table gives information about the structure of the houses in the selected

villages:

Table 3.9: Distribution of respondents houses in the selected villages according to their structure Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Kucha 0 (0%) 8 (8.8%) 12 (26.66%) Semi- Pucca 12 (19.04%) 22 (22.22%) 19 (42.22%) Pucca 51 (80.95%) 69 (69.69%) 14 (31.11%) Total 63 99 45

The data presented in the preceding table reveals that there were no kucha houses in

Ditupur, there were a few kucha houses in Lang and more than one fourth houses were kucha

in Sular Gharat. The proportion of pucca houses keeps on increasing with the level of

development of the villages as in the least developed village there were very few pucca

houses as compared to the moderately and highly developed villages. The number of semi-

pucca houses was also significantly higher in the less developed village as compared to the

moderately and highly developed villages.

Households by dwelling units

The following table gives information about the households by dwelling units

Table 3.10: Distribution of houses according to accommodation

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Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat One-Room 1 (1.58%) 11 (11.11%) 18 (40%) Two –Three Rooms 40 (63.49%) 63 (63.63%) 21 (46.66%) More than three 22 (34.92%) 25 (25.25%) 6 (13.33%) Bathroom 63 (100%) 99 (100%) 17 (37.37%) Kitchen 63 (100%) 99 (100%) 19 (42.22%) Toilet 63 (100%) 99 (100%) 14 (31.11%)

The data regarding the type of accommodation in the three selected villages presented

in the preceding table reveals that 40 percent of the respondents from the less developed

village were living in one room accommodation, while only one respondent’s household in

Ditupur was having one room accommodation. In the moderately developed village also only

about one tenth of the respondents’ families were living in one room accommodation. About

two third of the respondents’ families in the developed and moderately developed villages

were living in accommodation having two to three rooms whereas the proportion of such

families in the less developed village was about 46 percent. A little more than one third

families in the developed village and one fourth families in the moderately developed village

were living in houses which had more than three rooms. Only about 13 percent respondents

from the less developed villages were living in houses having more than three rooms. As

regards the facilities of bathroom, toilet and kitchen all the households of respondents from

the developed and moderately developed villages were having these facilities. On the other

hand, only about one third families of the respondents from the less developed village had

bathroom and toilet facilities while about 42 percent of the families from this village were

having a separate kitchen.

Households by source of drinking water

The following table gives information about the households by source of drinking

water they use.

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Table 3.11: Distribution of houses according to source of drinking water

Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Hand pump 0 (0%) 12 (12.12%) 21 (46.66%) Tap 63 (100%) 79 (79.79%) 13 (28.88%) Submersible 0 (0%) 8 (8.8%) 11 (24.44%)

The data presented in the previous table indicates that all families of the respondents

from Ditupur were using the taps as a source of drinking water, while about 80 percent of the

families from Lang were having the facility of tap water. On the other hand, only about 29

percent of the families from the less developed village (Sular Gharat) were having the facility

of tap water. In this village the major source of drinking water was the hand pumps as about

half of its families were using hand pumps for the supply of drinking water. In the less

developed village about one fourth of the families were also taking drinking water from the

submersibles which are not a source of safe drinking water.

Households by type of fuel used for cooking

The following table gives information about the households by type of fuel they use

for cooking

Table 3.12: Represents households by type of fuel used for cooking

Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Firewood 46 (73.01%) 80 (80.80%) 45 (100%) Dung cakes 38 (60.31%) 74 (74.74%) 45 (100%) Kerosene 12 (19.04%) 26 (26.26%) 22 (48.88%) LPG 6 (100%) 84 (84.84%) 32 (71.11%)

The analysis of data regarding the type of fuel used in the three selected villages

reveals that in the less developed village all the families were using firewood and dung cakes.

On the other hand, in the developed and moderately developed village the use of firewood

and dung cakes was to a lesser extent. In the highly developed village all the families were

having L.P.G connections, while 84 percent families from moderately developed village and

71 percent families from the less developed village were using L.P.G (Liquefied Petroleum

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Gas) as fuel. The use of kerosene as fuel was significantly higher in the less developed

village as compared to the families residing in the more and moderately developed villages.

Households by availability of assets

The data regarding the material possessions of households was also gathered. It was

recorded whether the household owned assets, for example bicycle, radio, television, car,

bike, inverter etc. The following table gives information about the households by availability

of assets and modern facilities.

Table 3.13: Distribution of households according to availability of assets

Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Radio, Transistor 23 (36.50%) 28 (28.28%) 32 (71.11%) Television 63 (100%) 58 (58.58%) 25 (55.55%) Landline 63 (100%) 67 (67.67%) 14 (31.11%) Mobile 48 (76.19%) 72 (72.72%) 32 (71.11%) Bicycle 38 (60.31%) 78 (78.78%) 38 (84.44%) Two wheeler 44 (69.84%) 54 (54.54%) 13 (28.88%) Four wheeler 35 (55.55%) 22 (22.22%) 7 (15.55%) Inverter/Generator 48 (76.19%) 36 (36.36%) 6 (13.33%)

Punjab occupies a much better position with regard to availability of assets as

compared to many other Indian states. The analysis of data regarding household assets

presented in the foregoing table indicates that a significantly higher proportion of the families

from the less developed village were having radio/transistor as compared to the moderately

and highly developed villages. On the other hand, all the families from the developed village

were owning television sets as compared to a little more than half of the families from the

moderately and less developed village who owned television sets. As regards, landline

phones all families of the respondents from the developed village (Ditupur) have this facility

whereas about two third respondent’s families from the moderately developed village and

about one third of families from the less developed village were having the facility of land-

line phones. However, it is interesting to note that almost the same proportion of families

from all the three villages was having mobile phones. This indicates the increasing popularity

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of mobile phones not only in the developed villages but also in the less developed villages.

As regards, the means of transport, bicycle was quite popular in all the three villages but

proportion of persons having bicycles was higher in the moderately and less developed

villages as compared to the persons from developed village. On the other hand, the proportion

of families having two wheeler vehicles was significantly higher in the developed and

moderately developed villages as compared to the respondent’s families from the less

developed village. As regards, four wheelers vehicles, a little more than half of the

respondents’ families from the developed village were having this facility as compared to 22

percent families from the moderately developed and 15 percent families from the less

developed village. Regarding the facility of inverter/generator sets, the data reveals that about

three fourth of the families from the developed village were availing this facility while 36

percent families from the moderately developed and 13 percent families from the less

developed villages were having this facility.

A brief overview of the study area and the characteristics of the respondents has been

presented in the ensuing paragraphs.

Etymologically, the term Punjab presents the amalgam of Punjabi word Panj,

meaning five, and Persian word Aab, meaning water; thus the word means a land of five

rivers- Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum. The term originally refers to a society having

specific features of its own and a polity, the boundaries of which have been changing with

times.

Patiala is the fifth largest district of Punjab (area wise) after Ferozepur, Amritsar,

Sangrur and Ludhiana as per 2001 census. The district is surrounded by Fatehgarh Sahib

District of Punjab in the north, Ropar district (of Punjab) and Union Territory of Chandigarh

in the north-east, Sangrur district (of Punjab) in west, Ambala and Kurukshetra districts of the

neighboring state of Haryana in the south-east. Similarly, Kaithal and Jind districts of

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Harayana form its southern boundary. Geographically, Patiala district falls in the Malwa

region which is the largest region of the state of Punjab.

As mentioned earlier, three villages have been selected for the present study from

district Patiala. The villages have been selected with reference to the level of their economic

development Ditupur is the most developed village. The agricultural households owning land

16 acres and above are highest in number in this village. Moreover, the village is well

connected by road, with the neighbouring towns. A number of institutions educational,

medical and commercial are available in this village. The use of agricultural machinery is

also highest in this village. The second village selected for the study (Lang) is a moderately

developed village. The size of landholdings in this village is lower than that found in Ditupur.

The village has sufficient institutional facilities but these are little lesser than those found in

Ditupur. The third village selected for the present study (Sular Gharat) is the least developed

village. The size of landholding is the lowest in this village as compared to the other two

villages. The use of agricultural machinery is also quite less as compared to Ditupur and

Lang. The institutional services available in the villages are also lesser in comparison to the

other two villages.

A very large proportion of the respondents from all the three selected villages are

from Sikh religion. The size of landholdings of the respondents is higher in Ditupur and Lang

as compared to Sular Gharat. About three –fourth of the families in Ditupur and Lang are

nuclear families whereas a little more than half of the families in Sular Gharat are joint

families. The size of families is also larger in Sular Gharat as compared to Ditupur and Lang.

A majority of the respondents from the selected villages are placed in the middle age

category of 19-55 years. The literacy rate is highest in Ditupur village followed by Lang and

Sular Gharat. A large majority of the respondents are married and few of them are unmarried.

There are no widow/widowers in the sample.

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There are no kucha houses in Ditupur, there are few such houses in Lang and a little

more than one fourth of the houses in Sular Gharat are kucha. The accommodation in the

houses is more in Ditupur and Lang as compared to Sular Gharat. All the households in

Ditupur have the facility of tap water, whereas about 80 percent of households in Lang and

only 28 percent houses in Sular Gharat have the facility of tap water. As regards the type of

fuel used, the traditional fuel like firewood and dung cakes is used by all the respondents

from Sular Gharat whereas, about three fourth of the respondents from Ditupur and Lang use

the traditional fuel. The number of assets owned by the households is much higher in case of

respondents from Ditupur and Lang as compared to Sular Gharat.