The Deadly Money from Pandora's Coffers

Hdanii Hiikhani *

For millions of rural Indians, 7th September 2005 is almost equals to 15th August 1947 of patriotic Indians, when Ministry of Law and Justice, (Legislative Department) proclaimed THE NATIONAL RURAL EMPOYMENT GUARANTEE ACT, 2005 under 42 of 2005, the rural citizens of the Republic of India were spell-bound/entranced with the Hope from the Pandora coffers, overjoyed with the freeing spirit of getting financial Independence yet, not really knowing the inducing and tempting prowess of the money in endangering man's morality and religious values. Millions out of millions felt relieved as though the rural monetary Robin Hood has come to their rescue from monetary hostage. The Scheme was basically modeled as a reformative mode of fair governance, anchoring on the principles of transparency and practical exercise of grass-root democracy. The first notification for 200 districts clubbed as the first phase was notified on February 2nd 2006. By April 2007-08 the entire country was covered, except the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Unlike the common instinct of accumulating more wealth after much money and then much money after more wealth irrespective of position, profession, designation, religion, from east or west or south or north, the urgency of making easy and faster money seems to have prevailed more than the usual in a village called Lower Koide under Purul Block, Senapati District Manipur. The tendency of possessing more and more money through unfair means is manifested in the form of actual and visible corruption to the tune of double-digit lac of rupees in the tenure of 2008-09 and 2009-2010. As a result the fundamental objective of the Act to enhance the livelihood and security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household, whose adult members (adult = a person who has completed eighteen years of age) volunteer to do unskilled manual work yielded to age old but deadly hobby called Corruption at the grass-root level governance, which in other words fruited out to losing of virtue, a beauty of ancestral legacy.

So, this was the beginning of the action-cum-thrilling cinematic project called the NREGA intending to foster and promote the rural people with exclusive growth ranging from securing and recharging the rural economy to a transformative empowerment process of democracy. On initial observation it was widely well-known that the first few months were fervently proving transparent and sincere towards the Scheme and its agents whereby the beneficiaries enjoyed to the brim. No long before a year, the conduct of the district officers, block officers, panchayats, etc. took turn by turn manipulated the sarpanch or the village chairman / secretary in a way or the other. In the first place, under-aged children are belabored sometimes to represent their respective households and on the other occasion just for head counts.

Thus, the money was used negatively by violating Human Rights, and next by violating the principles of the Indian constitution by belaboring minors. Was it in a hurry-murry manner acted upon the plan / scheme? Or was it properly studied to put to implementation for a noble cause? Although the government of India is crystal enough to concern agony of the rural Adams and Eves, nevertheless it has turned into another failed system. Daily wages of an adult sometime comes up to 300-400 per day and Rs. 150-300 minor / child. It has therefore diluted and tampered mental, moral and religious status of the people. It is sorry to state but, relatively it may not be wrong to called Manipur State the state of Proxy. Because, proxy in almost every field has been practiced starting from undergrounds in collecting tax-to-educational system-to-political system-to-department of health and family welfare-to-food and civil supply department to-NREGA wherein, professionals who reside outside the village like in Senapati, Imphal, Dimapur, Delhi are paid their households share of money, because very interestingly the money meant for unskilled laborers is divided and distributed on the basis of khels / clans periodically. In this way, the money dividation works through another disguised method of proxy. Without affording to actual physical work in any form the rural citizens are making easy money out of governmental affords, what is interesting is that they have upgraded their living standard and habits superlatively.

Prior to this scheme, there were two or five or at the most ten rupee notes on their casino and after the introduction of this scheme, fifty, hundred and five hundred rupee notes lie on their gambling and dice tables. Their habits of local-made drinks have been out-of-turn promoted to, imbibing of imported and branded drinks with increased frequency and quantity. Not only causing problems to their own families, neighbors, church but to village as a whole. Farmers who once worked 6 days a week, 10 hours a day have relaxingly reduced to an average of 4-5 days a week to 7-8 hours a day. It appears that the government of India is simply unloosing its exchequer to supply some notes of money to the rural unlettered man folks for entertainment and time pass purposes.

Objectively to mention, however the NREGA has tremendously campaigned successfully of India's democracy to the grass-root level, probably the best and most effective means to educate all about Democracy. Because, village man folks have become uncontrollably active in the elections for Gram Panchayats, relatively and comparatively much more participative than any Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha elections, yet less extreme and less fanatic than state assembly's election though. Perhaps, this is the most effective means of promoting the meaning, functioning and values of democracy at the democratically lowest governmental governance. If present trend prevails on for another few years, Gram Panchayats election will be as expensive as municipal elections in the city.

Whatsoever may be, the utmost earnestness to be reminded here is that the security of the posterity is pressed to the mouth hungry monster. How long will the Act continue to be operational without check-and-balance? It is very much an open secret, in majority of the villages the conduct of the panchayats is too powerful in controlling and using of public money. Many prestigious leaders have become the money hunters as if there is no history or as though there will be no tomorrow. When a senior citizen was asked 'What differences have been made by the introduction of NREGA in the village?' he humbly replied, 'selling of locally produced rice is decreased but the production itself also have decreased because, young generation does not like to go to field, instead lives easy and pleasure seeking lives.' He continued, 'like some undergrounds' cadres who after getting money do not like to go back to jungle, young generation has in the real sense violated the purpose, way and means of living which affects survival itself.'

When asked another non-Christian old man,' 'what changes have been made by NREGA? He expressed, 'out of many changes brought about by NREGA, youngsters sleeping late and getting up late, changes during the rule of paganism are much better than changes when Christianity came to dominate the society.' Apparently after the failure of the Scheme, when the National Advisory Council still innocently has faith on the model of the functioning of NREGA and still endorses to apply the same mechanism to implement the Food Security program to the rural Indians, isn't it heading to commit a mistake equivalent to committing sin in spiritual sense called sin of commission? Promissory plan and policy of the government is unquestionably appreciated nevertheless, it is not unlike throwing of gold and diamond pieces in front of dogs and pigs. One practical threat is, today's fervor over easy money will transform to tomorrow's fretting and anxious society. The hundreds illiterate villagers have been just waiting with wide open-mouth to gulp the money which is distributed once or twice or thrice a month.

Tomorrow, these villagers may expect the government to feed them with monetary elixir for their survival. If not impossible it will be very difficult to bring them back into their original profession in paddy-fields. Thus, the hope of securing employment and security for survival will totally result to the new disease of laziness which will encourage to more crimes in the society. Morally speaking who is not corrupted today in one way or the other? The story called "The man that corrupted Hadleyburg" a chapter incorporated in the syllabus of Delhi University is as applicable as the sun rises from the east,' which is really working with this scheme. The fact is that, an unskilled carpenter or a mason earns average wages of Rs 400-700 per day, which is equivalent to central government group B officer's daily income.

The society is in total delusion but, what will they eat tomorrow when the scheme is withdrawn, they will be loath to profess their duties and become delinquent population in the society. Prior to this Scheme a Scheme called Jawaharlal Nehru Rojgar Yojana (JRY) too failed to an unimaginable extend. The government of India must be perplexed now what and how to reach the government's benefits to the rural Indians and what would be the most effective medium to reach the benefits to the targeted people is a question of million dollars. The money been misused or the money been properly used lies directly with the concerned government servants in co-ordination with the village authority. What have today's leaders done for tomorrow? Is the NREGA meant for present generation or is it a duty of the present generation to do something for the genext? The hierarchical system of controlling and checking may be invited to discharge the working of the NREGA, central monitoring the state, state monitoring the district, district monitoring the block and block shall finally monitor the village and also by utilizing the service of the vigilance wherever, whenever and whichever is necessary. And most significantly, by publicly disclosing the sanctioned amount on monthly basis at the District Deputy Commissioner's office, so that in principle, in letter and in spirit could be positively executed.

*** The writer is a student of Mass Communication and observes the working of NREGA. This is only the opinion and views of the writer.