Nalbari (Assam): The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, said that villages are the backbone of the nation. While some villages are moving forward in the path of development taking a cue from Gandhi's words while other villages have been deprived of basic amenities. Some people move to cities because they cannot find employment in their native place, and some people are forced to leave the villages due to lack of basic infrastructure. An example of this situation is Bardhanara village in Nalbari district of Assam.
A village that was once teeming with people is now inhabited by a single family of five members. A few decades ago, the then Chief Minister Bishnuram Medhi inaugurated the road to Bardhanara. The road was completely damaged due to frequent floods. As the government did not lay the road again, most of the families migrated to cities.
According to the 2011 census, Bardhnara village had a population of 16 people. At present a person identified as Bhimla Deka lives in Bardhanara with his wife Anima and three children Naren, Deepali and Suti. Bardhanara is 12 km from Nalbari district headquarters. At present, the village has no road facility and no electricity facility. The roads in the village were destroyed due to the rains. Bhimla said that the roads in the village get waterlogged due to heavy rainfall, so they have to cross the village with the help of a boat.
"No matter how many times we complained about the village situation to the authorities concerned at the Zilla Parishad office, there was no response from them. If the children have to board any vehicle to go to school or college, they have to walk two kilometres from the village on a road full of water and mud. During the rainy season, we leave the children near the road with the help of a boat. Due to the lack of electricity, they had to study under kerosene lamps. Our main source of income is agriculture and animal husbandry. This situation has arisen in the village due to the negligence of the local authorities," said Anima.
Gramya Vikas Mancha, an NGO, that came to know about Bardhnara's situation, is working to convert the land in the village into agricultural land. It is expected that people will come to the village and become interested in farming. NGO representatives think that if the State government provides road and electricity facilities to the village, the people, who left the village may return.
