BACKWARD VILLAGE

Burning problems of two backward villages

The residents of Jaridharla and Daribash villages are Indian citizens but they have to depend almost on neighbouring Bangladesh to run their daily lives though the villages are not enclaves. These two most ordinary and remote villages are situated very close to the Bangladesh border in Gitaldaha under Dinhata sub-division in Cooch Behar.

Two rivers - Dharala and Giridhari - made both the villages separated from the mainland of India. Bangladesh is very close from here. Due to presence of the rivers the laying of barbed wire fencing was not possible here along the International border. Small country boats are the lone mode of transport of the area. Incidents of boat capsizing and drowning are routine events during the rainy season every year. As there is no specific borderline to prevent infiltration the villagers always have to carry EPICs to prove their identities to the BSF.

The name of Jaridharla was included in the list of backward villages in Cooch Behar district but the villagers got no mentionworthy benefit out of it. Both Jaridharla and Daribash villages are truly backward from all aspects. But, the authorities are yet to find out why these two villages are still suffering from huge problems. In recent a survey a local NGO pointed out the geographical position as the main cause of backwardness of these villages.

As mainland of Bangladesh is close to these villages the residents have to depend on that country to get medical aid at the health centre at Mogulhat in Lalmonirhat district. The nearest Indian health centre is at Okrabari. It is at a distance of about 12-km from the area and in any case of emergency at night it is almost impossible to carry a patient to Okrabari crossing the rivers. In such situation the villagers have to cross the border to avail medical aid, locals said.

There are two primary schools but the nearest high school is at Gitaldaha. The students have to cross two rivers and about 5-kilometre stretch of alluvial land to go there. It is hard for the students to attend the school during the monsoon and so almost all the girls of the area never get an opportunity to carry on studies beyond primary level. Due to the situation the rate of dropout and child marriage is growing here

Gitaldaha-II gram panchayat pradhan Md Abdul Majid Mian said they made appeals to the higher authorities on many occasions to launch a Madhyamik Shiksha Kendra (MSK) but that is yet to come up.

Considering the conveyance problem no candidate came up here to campaign in the recently held Lok Sabha election though there are 1,425 voters. When asked, a senior government official said that after conducting a proper survey in the area they would try to minimise the problems of the villagers.