Sunil Kumar
There is a great difference between the rural and urban societies almost in all aspects. In cities, people are too busy in their daily life that they don’t have spare time to share their sorrows and joys with each other. In both the situations (joys and sorrows), they react with the help of money. In cities, if a member of a family dies, the neighbours have hardly any interest to visit the residence of that family and stay with the family of diseased for spending peak hours (full of horror) during night. Even, most of the residents have no knowledge about the death in their territory. Those who get the news of death just do the formality by reaching the site of cremation on the next day. They are given this news with the help of media (TV and newspapers) so that they could reach at the time of last rituals. It is only the family of diseased who remain without any meal until the cremation of the dead member of their family. If there is a birthday/marriage in a nearby family during the night of death, they enjoy it without any feelings about the family of diseased. During the moments of happiness (e.g. marriage, birthday), almost each family manages entire function itself. Neighbor families play no role. They are only invited to attend the function. Neighbors show their presence only during lunch/dinner. In urban societies, only money matters! They are following the principle of “Paisa phanko, tmaasha deikho”. The story of rural society is totally different in both the moments of sorrow and joy. In rural society, if a member of family dies, almost entire village is in sorrows. The atmosphere in each family appears so as their own family member has gone. They share the night of death with the family of diseased. Like the family of the diseased, almost entire village remains without meals until the cremation of the diseased. During this time, entire village seems to be a single family. Now, during the days of happiness, if there is a marriage in someone’s house, entire village takes the responsibility of managing the function. There is no catering and no marriage halls. No paid waiters. Here waiters are neighbours themselves. When the function is 2-3 months ahead, the neighbours go to jungle for bringing firewood (used as fuel) required for the function. There is no need of LPG. During the day of the function, they peel the vegetables themselves and prepare the dishes themselves. During the marriage of a girl, entire village remains without dinner until Baraties (members of bridegroom’s side) return. The rural people don’t have enough money but live happily. They have loveful feelings about each other. The urban people, on the other hand, have enough money but have no social ethics. But the great thing of concern is that our rural societies are changing into urban ones speedily which means end of social values.
(Writer is a teacher working at present in Govt. Middle School, Jakhar (Zone Tikri), Udhampur)
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