Jaipur: Twenty years ago when the American President Bill Clinton visited a village in Rajasthan to witness the Indian culture closely, it was revamped with the combined efforts of state and central government.
Nayla, a quaint little village in Rajasthan made into headlines not only due to Clinton's visit to the village but also because of fast-paced development that took place in a short period of time in the area.
However, the village which was taken by surprise with the rapid development lies in a dilapidated state today.
The efforts of village administration to strengthen the basic amenities and connectivity in the suburban area turned fruitful when Nayla became the first panchayat in the country to access the internet.
Touched by the humility of Indians and its culture, he had put out an impromptu jig with its women in colourful saris dancing to the tune of Rajasthani folk music.
During the course of his stay at the 137-year-old haveli in the village, he made strong relations with the people of Nayla and bonded with a local resident Mohini Devi, who also tied rakhi to him.
Devi considers the American President her brother and sends him rakhi every year on the occasion of Rakshabandhan. The brother and sister duo met the second time when Clinton paid another visit to the village in 2002.
Commenting on the dire situation of the village, a local resident, Nitin Gupta said, "The situation before and after Clinton's visit is completely different. The village which witnessed fast-paced development during Clinton's visit now lies in utter neglect. With roads having potholes, there is no proper sewage system in the village and some animals have also entered the village that has made survival more difficult."
On being asked about who is responsible for the sorry state of the place, he said," The government, as well as the villagers both, are responsible for the current situation. Neither the administration is paying attention towards the village nor the villagers succeeded in maintaining a healthy environment."
Mohanlal, sarpanch of the village held the government responsible for the current situation and said, "Somewhere government lagged behind in maintaining the facilities which were provided during Clinton's visit. The government changed the face of the village in such a way that even the American President was taken away by the cleanliness and maintenance."
Regardless of setting an example of an ideal village, the government failed to stand the test of time and the changed to its previous state of dilapidation. The village witnessed its downfall at the same pace in which it was remodelled.
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