chapter iii: the setting and the sample - information...
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Chapter III:
The setting and the sample
This chapter presents geographic, demographic and socio-economic characteristics of
the study area along with the profile of the respondents. It also throws light on age, education,
religion, marital status, type and size of family and size of agricultural landholding of the
respondents. This chapter also describes the characteristics of the surveyed households.
3.1 STUDY AREA
Punjab has been invaded by various invaders from time to time. That is why it has
very diverse culture and it becomes interesting to study the area. Punjab is bounded on the
west by Pakistan, on the north by Jammu and Kashmir, on the north east by Himachal
Pradesh and on the south by Haryana and Rajasthan. Physically, the state may be divided into
two parts, sub Shivalik strip and Sutlej-Ghaggar Plain. The sub-Shivalik strip covers the
upper portion of Ropar, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur districts. The Sutlej-Ghaggar Plain
embraces other districts of Punjab. The land is highly fertile as the soil has been formed by
the tributaries of the Indus, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej and Ghaggar rivers.
Etymologically, the term Punjab presents the amalgam of Punjabi word Panj,
meaning five, and Persian word Aab, meaning water; thus the word means a land of five
rivers- Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum. The term originally refers to a society having
specific features of its own and a polity, the boundaries of which have been changing with
times.
Punjab lies in the north west of India. Being in the way of invaders from the north,
Punjab has had to take a lot of battle from the invaders. Punjab emerges into history with the
coming of the Aryans into India. The Aryans in the early Vedic age apparently settled in the
Punjab and its neighbourhood. In 522 B.C. Darius of Persia conquered the territories around
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Punjab and made them a Satrapy of Persia. In 326 B.C., Alexander the Great overran Punjab.
For a time, Mecedonian governors controlled Punjab but they were defeated by Chandragupta
Maurya, who annexed the entire territory. With the decline of the Mauryan empire the
Scythians occupied north west India and after them, the Parthians. The Kushans came next.
Thereafter Punjab continued under indigenous rulers.
The Sikh faith which played a decisive role in the creation of a Punjabi-speaking state
came into being during a period of religious revival in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was
founded as a new religious order by Guru Nanak. He was followed by nine Gurus. The
subsequent 200 years witnessed the growth of Sikhism and its transformation into a militant
organization. Guru Angad modified the Gurmukhi script by combining the scripts current in
north India at that time. Guru Ram Das laid the foundation of the city of Amritsar. Guru
Arjun Dev compiled the Adi Granth. His son Guru Har Gobind started training his followers
in the military art. Guru Gobind Singh established the institution of Khalsa brotherhood in
1699 to diminish caste distinctions.
Punjab was annexed to British India by Lord Dalhousie in March, 1849. But the spirit
of Punjab remained unvanquished. Through the centuries Punjab became the sword arm of
British India. Punjab was constituted a separate province of India in 1937. With the partition
of India, Punjab was divided between India and Pakistan as East and West Punjab. On
November 1, 1956 the Princely States adjoining Punjab were formally absorbed into the
Punjab State. On November 1, 1966, Punjab was divided into three units- Punjab comprising
the predominantly Punjabi-speaking areas, Harayana made up of the Hindi-speaking districts
and Kharar tehsil and Chandigarh, the capital. Hilly areas were transferred to Himachal
Pradesh.
There are number of places of tourist interest in Punjab. It is dotted with places of
historical and cultural interest. Ropar, one of the centers of Indus Valley civilization;
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Amritsar, the city of the Golden Temple, (now renamed Harmandir Sahib), sacred to the
Sikhs, and Durgaina Temple; the ancient fort of Bhatinda; the architectural monuments of
Kapurthala, Patiala the City of Gardens, and Chandigarh, the capital designed by the French
architect Le Corbusier are among the leading tourist attractions of the state.
Punjab state covers an area of 50,362 sq.km. According to 2001 census Punjab had a
population of 24,358,999 and this constitutes 2.4 percent of India’s population. Out of this
16,096,488 persons were residing in rural areas. In other words, 66.18 percent of population
of Punjab is rural. Punjab is relatively more densely populated part of the country.
The present day Punjab is divided into three socio-cultural regions, that is, Majha,
Malwa and Doaba. The area between Ravi to Beas Rivers (from district Amritsar to
Gurdaspur) is known as Majha. Doaba region extends from Beas and Sutlej rivers (Jalandhar,
Nawanshar, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur districts). The rest of the area which extends from
Sutlej to Ghaggar is known as Malwa region. In the northern part its boundaries are up to
Himachal, in the south-eastern part uptil Haryana and in north–western part it extends to
western Pakistan. Malwa region has the highest number of districts (Ludhiana, Ferozpur,
Patiala, Bathinda, Sangrur, Mukatsar, Barnala, Fatehgarh, Moga and some parts of Ropar).
The Malwa tract of Punjab is a region which is fertile and rich and which retains a
great deal of colours. The songs and dances of the region depict romance, chivalry and
loyalty. The folk culture of Malwa has both manly heroism as well as deep feminine
tenderness. Its songs express the immortal bond of affection between all types of relations.
The dominant beliefs of village folk, their devotion and their recreational activities during
long summer afternoons and also during winter nights when by a bonfire epical and Puranic
tales get a delightful oral narration by an elderly member of the community are the distinctive
features of the cultural heritage of this region. The area of the present study is Malwa region.
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Three villages of Malwa region were selected randomly for the study namely Ditupur, Lang,
and Sular Gharat.
District Patiala
Patiala district is located between 29 degree 58’ North 30 degree-47’ North latitudes
and 75 degree- 58 east to 76 degree-47’ East longitudes. Spread over an area of 3627 Square
kilometers. Patiala is the fifth largest district of Punjab (area wise) after Ferozepur, Amritsar,
Sangrur and Ludhiana as per 2001 census. The district is surrounded by Fatehgarh Sahib
District of Punjab in the north, Ropar district (of Punjab) and Union Territory of Chandigarh
in the north-east, Sangrur district (of Punjab) in west, Ambala and Kurukshetra districts of the
neighboring state of Haryana in the south-east. Similarly, Kaithal and Jind districts of
Harayana form its southern boundary. Geographically, Patiala district falls in the Malwa
region which is the largest region of the state of Punjab.
Many towns and places of Malwa region, have a history going back to ancient and
medieval periods. But Patiala is relatively a young city. After the third battle of Panipat in
1761, the writ of Afghans prevailed throughout Punjab. At this stage, the ruler of Patiala
began to acquire ensigns of royalty. Ahmad Shah Abdali bestowed upon Baba Ala Singh
drum and banner. Baba Ala Singh founded the city of Patiala in 1762 A.D and made this
town his capital. The present Patiala district derives its name from this capital town which
served as headquarters of rulers of Patiala and Nabha State till independence and presently is
the headquarters of district Patiala. The successors of Baba Ala Singh were politically savvy
and they always remained in good confidence of the rising powers. Rules of Patiala helped
the British to a great extent in their empire building endeavour and earned respect from the
British Empire. It was Maharaja Bhupinder Singh who gave Patiala and Nabha State, a place
of prominence on the political map of India and in the field of sports. Most of the buildings of
splendid architectural designs were constructed during his regime (1900-1930). After
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independence the ruler of Patiala state played a very constructive role in the integration of
this princely state in Union of India. In 1948 the princely state of Patiala and Nabha were
integrated with union of India and became a part of the (Patiala and East Punjab States Union
(PEPSU)). In 1956 PEPSU was merged into Punjab and consequently Patiala became a
district of Punjab. By and large the present area of Patiala district comprises the territories of
formerly princely states of Patiala and Nabha. However, in 1992, Fatehgarh Sahib District
has been carved out of the Patiala district.
Patiala district has a unique place in the cultural and social life of Punjab. Patiala is
first town in the Malwa region where first degree college (The Mohindra College) was
established in 1875. The famous printing press of Munshi Nawal Kishore was established in
the town in the beginning of 19th century. Under the patronage of the rulers of erstwhile
princely states of Patiala and Nabha, the famous classical music school of Hindustani- The
Patiala Gharana came into existence and gained world fame. Ustad Ali Bux, Ustad Akhtar
Hussain Khan and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan are the well known artists of this gharana.
Demographic Profile:
District Patiala as per census of 2001 has a population of 18.44 lakh persons. The
average population density in the district is about 509 people per square km, which is higher
than the state average. Population of district registered an increase of 21.72 percent in the
decade of 1991-2001 which is again higher than the average rate of growth of population of
the state of Punjab. A perusal of the table given below reveals that the urban population
increased with greater pace vis-à-vis rural population. In fact, the urban population, in the
decade 1991-2001, grew almost two and half times than the rural population. Consequently,
the share of rural areas in the total population of the district has come down from 69 percent
and the share of urban population has increased from 32 percent to about 35 percent, in the
preceding decade (1991-2001). The higher growth of urban population is reflective of the,
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diversification of the economic activities in the district, which is attracting people not only
from the rural areas of the district and other parts of the state but many people have come to
district from other states to avail better opportunities of job and studies.
Table 3.1: District Patiala Rural Urban Distribution of Population, 2001
1991 2001
Area Total
Population Male Female Gender Ratio
Total Population Male Female
Gender Ratio
Decadal Growth in Percent
Rural 1050296 560206 490090 875 1200224 642633 557591 867 14.27
Urban 471672 248403 223269 899 644710 344757 299953 870 36.68
Total 1521968 808609 713359 882 1844934 987390 857544 868 21.22
Figures in parenthesis denote percentage to total population. Gender ratio-number of females to per thousand male. Source-Census of India 2001.
Patiala district is a predominantly rural district. As per the 2001 census, an
overwhelming 65 percent of the population lived in rural areas and only 35 percent lived in
urban areas. After the partition of India in 1947, a large number of refugees from west Punjab
came and settled in Patiala district. The single largest group of refugees was from
Bahawalpur. Apart from this, a sizeable number came from Gujjranwala and Sheikhpura,
which are now in Pakistan.
The Sikhs and the Hindus are the predominant religious groups in the district. The
Sikhs form 55 percent of the population while the Hindus form 42 percent, the remaining
being the Christians, the Muslims, the Jains and the Buddhists.
Patiala city is the administrative headquarters of Patiala District, and was the capital
of the premier princely state in the former Punjab Province of British India, headed by the
Sidhu dynasty. Patiala is famous for its pagri (traditional headgear), paranda (tasseled tag for
braiding hair), and jutti (traditional Punjabi footwear) and for its ‘Patailvi’ culture, essentially
a grandness of expression. A good way to absorb the flavour of Patiala is to take a walk
through the narrow lanes of Qila Bazzar a market along the fort walls .The market caters to
the all the wedding needs. A wide range of parandis, phulkaris, juutis, bangles etc. can be
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purchased from here. Other famous markets of Patiala are bhandian wala bazaar famous for
utensils, kitaban wali gali all the book shops having wide range of books.
Patiala is seat of many important administrative offices of Punjab state, including
Punjab State Electricity Board, Punjab Public Service Commission, Punjab Pollution Control
Board, Excise and Taxation Commissioner Office, Chief Engineer PWD (B and R), Punjab
Languages Department, and State Bank of Patiala.
There are so many popular places to visit in and around the district of Patiala. Famous
historical monuments are: Qila Mubarak Complex, Qila Androon, Rang Mahal and Sheesh
Mahal, Darbar Hall (Divan Khana), Moti Bagh Palace, Chand Mahal, Jail Khana, Lachman
Jhoola, Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib, Mata Kali Devi Mandir etc.
The city houses the Punjabi University, Thapar University, Rajiv Gandhi National
Universioty of Law, Mohindra College, Multani Mal Modi College, Government College for
Girls, Bikram College of Commerce, Government College of Education, Government
College of Physical Education, Khalsa College, Government Medical College, Government
Ayurvedic College, Mata Sahib Kaur Education College, Jasdev Singh Sandhu Education
College, Patiala Education College, Yadavindra Public School and Netaji Subhash National
Institute of Sports. Patiala is the sports hub of Northern India.
The area size of Patiala division is 15,633 sq.km. The population of Patiala division is
8,532,087. The total rural population of Patiala division is 5,095,407. There are 12,673
villages in Punjab.
Village Profiles:
Some of the earlier sociologists and anthropologists were of the view that Indian
villages are “self contained little republics.” However, the present day social scientists do not
adhere to this view point. Even in the past the villages had to depend on outside resources. In
the present context, the villages are closely linked not only with other villages but also to the
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neighbouring urban centers. Thus no village can be viewed in isolation; rather it has to be
considered as one unit in a wider socio- economic and cultural network. Some of the villages
of Punjab are not only a part of the national network; rather they have international links as
many persons from Punjab villages have migrated to foreign countries. However, despite the
changing character of Punjab villages, the rural inequalities persist even today. According to
the All India report on agricultural census, about half of Indian cultivators had only a percent
of land and about one third of them owned land holdings below 0.5 hectares. As against this,
3.5 percent cultivators owned 30.9 percent of the land. The economically weakest section of
the villages had either no land or tiny uneconomic holdings. The marginal and small farmers
generally own poor quality land while the fertile and irrigated land is owned by the large
cultivators. Thus, while studying any Indian village the stark socio-economic inequalities
must be kept in mind.
A brief description of the historical, locational, institutional, demographic, social and
religious background of the villages selected for the present study has been presented in the
ensuing pages.
Ditupur Village
(i) Location
Village Ditupur is located in the prosperous Malwa region of Punjab. It is situated on
Patiala –Tohra road and is 20 kilometers from Patiala city. The other neighbouring smaller
cities are Nabha and Sirhind. The nearest town is Bhadson which is 7 kilometers away. It is
blessed with soil conditions that are favorable for growing a number of crops from wheat to
rice, and from vegetables to oil seeds (sunflower). As one enters the village, one can observe
the presence of rich farmers. Their houses are well up to the urban standards.
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(ii) History of the Village
Historically, the village is related to Sant Baba Dittu Ji, as per the
information provided by the elderly residents. “Baba Dittu ji ne sada pind baneya si, ohna di
jagha te aj vi jot jagai jandi hai.” (Baba Dittu Ji established this village and a permanent
light is lighted at his place). Villagers have a firm belief in Baba ji. Before any new venture
or any happy occasion in the family, his blessings are considered mandatory. Every year in
the remembrance of Baba Dittu Ji a ‘path’ and ‘langar’ is organized and homage is paid to
them.
(iii) Demographic setting
The total area covered by the village is 1500 acres. According to the 2001 census, the
total population of the village was around 1959 consisting of 1065 males and 894 females. In
this village the total number of households is 331 and number of literates is 1142. The S.C.
population of the village is 712.
(iv) Social Composition
The village is dominated by Sikh religion. Besides this it has four Muslim houses and
two Hindu houses. Both of these religious groups are not engaged in agriculture.
Jatt Sikh is the dominant caste of the village along with some other castes. The Jatts
are the largest in number and have reputation of having a high status as they own most of the
land. They are economically well off and other castes depend on them for economic
purposes. Tiwana got is dominant in the village. The other castes in the village are Ghumiars,
Chamaras, Rajbaha and scheduled castes.
(v) Religious places
A Gurdawara Jharbana Sahib has been constructed by the villagers in the memory of
‘Sant Ghatani wale’, so homage is paid to him every year by the village residents. According
to elderly villagers Sant Ghatani Wale has given them economic support for the construction
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of the building of Gurdwara in 1970 (approximately of Rs. 28 lakhs). That is, why in his
memory a Barsi (annual function) is celebrated every year. Every Tuesday and Thursday
langar is sent to Pingalwara and Fatehgarh Sahib respectively. All the land for the gurdwara
is donated by the villagers and they also believe that if you pray honestly then your pray is
heard by the God and it is fulfilled. The village has a tho mandir (temple) where annually a
religious fair is organized and yellow sweet rice is distributed as a parsad every year. People
from nearby villages also come there for blessings. The land for this temple has been given
by a big land lord Subai Singh of the village. The land around this temple is 2.5 acres which
is very fertile and every year it is given on lease to a new person. The revenue which is
generated from this land is used for the development of the temple, distribution of parsad and
rest of the money is used for the schools. If some one talks ill about this temple or place the
person and the family is fully destroyed. In addition, the village has a shrine as well, which is
called ‘Lalanwala pir’ where Scheduled Castes go and pay homage’s and Bhagat Ravidas
Jayanti is also celebrated by them every year.
(vi) Educational institutions
Education up to the higher secondary level is available in the village itself as there is a
Government higher secondary school in which there are 195 boys and 115 girls studying. The
school has amenities like generator, water – cooler and desert cooler. As described earlier the
money which is left over by the leasing of land of the temple and some of the money is also
contribution by the village gurdwara to provide these kinds of facilities to the children. No
money is taken from children for the refueling of the generator. Besides this, the village has
two private schools one is up to primary level and other one is up to matriculation level.
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(vii) Institutional services
In the village there is a raised platform known as sath (place for the people to rest and
talk). It is used by the village men for informal get-together, formal meetings and ceremonial
occasions. Surrounding the village are the fields.
The village has three bus stops, one on the highway which is 1.5 km away and the
other two are within the village. There is one taxi stand also but it is not registered. Besides
this, a number of village people themselves also own their vehicles such as scooters, motor
cycles, bicycles, jeeps and cars for accessing various places in and outside the village.
Tractors are being used instead of bullock carts for agricultural purposes now-a-days and as a
means of transportation of goods and as a short distance family conveyance. Now the
villagers have a number of means of transport to commute for work, to sell their produce and
for visiting the city for shopping and other purposes.
The roads in the village are metalled. The electric supply is for 24 hours. Along with
BSNL (Bharti Sanchar Nigam Limited) telephone exchange, a number of private telecom
players too have their coverage towers.
Regarding the medical facilities, the village has its own government dispensary and
veterinary hospital.
The village has a cooperative society with 1088 members of the society. There is one
milk collection centre (dairy).
There are approximately 35 shops on the outskirts and 10 shops within the village
dealing with clothing, jewellery, grocery, hardware, electronics, maintenance and repair.
There are four chemist shops as well.
Irrigation is done from canal water. Households use tap water. The number of
agricultural implements in the village is as follows- tractors 50, threshers 15, reapers 9,
harvesters 10, electric pumps 80, and diesel pumps 50.
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(viii) Sports events
A sports mela is organized by the Tiwana sports club in the memory of S.Gurnam
Singh Tiwana and Amarjeet Kaur Tiwana. This sports event has been organized in the village
for the last 43 years every year in the months of August-September. The games organized by
the club are kabbadi, athletic meet, bullock cart race, javelin throw and cricket.
Lang Village:
(i) Location
It is located on the road connecting Patiala city with Bhadson town and is
approximately 15 kilometers away the former. The nearest town is Bhadson which is 7
kilometers away. The total area covered by the village is 5000 acres.
(ii) History of the Village
The second village selected for study was Lang. As regards the name of the village
Lang, nobody knows how the village got this name. There is one historic Gurdawara of Sri
Guru Teg Bahdur named ‘Khirni Sahib’. Its history as told by elderly residents is that when
Guru Teg Bahadur came here he was hungry and asked food from the residents of this
village, who thought him to be an imposter and nobody gave him food. Then Guru Ji uttered
these words ‘Lang de lok malang’ (means the people of this village are carefree) by saying
and left the village. When he was just half a kilometer away from the village a low caste
family reached there and asked Guru Ji to come back to the village and offered him food.
After having food Guru Ji gave them a blessing and said: ‘Eh sawah di chutki hai jithon tusi
dane kad de ho us jagah te pa dena par is gal da dhayan rakhna ke koi vi us jagah wal na
dekhe’ (Guru Ji gave them a pinch of ash and said put this wherever from you pull out the
grains but keep in mind one thing that nobody should look into it). The residents told that the
three generations followed this advice and grains came out of the whole whenever they
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needed, but the fourth generation daughter-in –law looked into it. Since then nothing came
out of that pit. The elderly villager Bant Singh told that it is also known as Ghurae da korma
earlier. There is also one temple of Shiv Ji and one Guga Madi in the village.
(iii) Demographic Setting
The total population of village is 4027 persons according to 2001 census consisting of
2138 males and 1889 females. The total numbers of families are 673. The S.C. (Schedule
Caste) population of the village is 674. Regarding the literacy rate a little more than half of
the population is literate i.e. 2258.
(iv) Social composition
Sikh religion is dominant. There are ten households of Muslim religion and
approximately 40 of Hindu religion. Jatt Sikh is the dominant caste of the village along with
other castes. Kharoud is the dominant gotra (got). Agriculture is the main occupation and
wheat and paddy are the main crops of this village. The other castes are Jheor, Rajbaha and
Ramdassia also known as Tarkhans.
(vi) Educational institutions
The village has one elementary school and one higher secondary school. A total of
163 boys and 130 girls are studying in them.
(vii) Institutional services
The village has two bus stops, one on the highway which is 2.5 kilometers away and
the other one is within the village. There is no taxi stand in the village. Some of the villagers
have their own vehicles for commuting to the city for shopping of household goods,
agricultural goods and for other purposes.
The roads in this village are metalled. The electricity supply is also for 24 hours.
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Along with BSNL (Bharti Sanchar Nagar Limited) telephone exchange a number of
private telecom players do have their coverage towers. There is one P.C.O (Public Call
Office) in the village. A large number of persons have mobile phones with them.
The village has a government dispensary, veterinary dispensary, and four unregistered
medical practitioners.
There is one milk collection centre also.
There are three Aganwadis and one cooperative society consisting of 398 members
and their meetings are also held within the village premises. The establishment of
cooperatives from 1952-53 onwards made available cheaper credit and assured supply of
fertilizer and other inputs to augment agricultural production.
There are two branches of banks, one is Punjab National Bank and the other one is
Co-operative Bank. There are six chemist shops. There are 5 shops on the outskirts of the
village and 10 shops within the village.
Irrigational water supply is from canal and household utility water is supplied by the
municipal corporation. The submersible pumps are also used. The number of agricultural
implements are as follows- tractors 98, threshers 33, reapers 8, harvesters 8, electric pumps
198, and diesel pumps 50.
Village Sular Gharat:
(i) Location
It is located on the road linking Sangrur and Patran. The nearest towns to the village
are Sunam which is 17 kilometers and Dirba which is 7 kilometers away. The total area
covered by the village is 700 acres.
(i)History of the Village
History of village Sular Gharat is related to Raja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. As one
of the elderly person told that,
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Aj ton kujh 150 saal pehlan Raja Bhupinder Singh ji ne Patiala de nedle pind sular
ton utha ke keha jithe tuhada ji karda hai othe ja ke pind vasa lawo. Shuru wich nedle
pind walian nal kafi jhagra reha par kuchh sama paen te rehaish ho gai sular naam
othon hi aya te gharat is lai naal lagya kyounki pind di had te paani naal 6 chakian
ikhtian chaldian han is lai pind nu sulargharat naam naal janeya jaan laga.
(About 150 years ago Raja Bhupinder Singh told us to leave our native village which
was near Patiala and to go wherever we wanted and settle down there. In early days there was
lot of conflict with the people of nearby villages but afterwards we settled down and from
there only we got the name of the village. But generally it is known as Sular Gharat because
on the entrance of the village there are six water flour mills and that is why the village got the
name of Sular Gharat)
(iii)Demographic Setting
The total population of village is approximately 932 persons. According to 2001
census there are 495 males and 437 females. The total numbers of families residing in the
village are 110. The literacy rate is very low. About 200 persons are literate.
(iv) Social Composition
Regarding the religious composition of the village Sikh is the dominant religion.
Besides this it has only one Muslim household but there is no Hindu family.
Jatt Sikh is the dominant caste of the village along with other castes. The other castes
are Tarkhans, Ghumaiars, Jheor and Rajbaha.
(v) Religious places
The Gurduwara is as old as the village. The villagers themselves have constructed the
Gurduwara. The village has some other religious places also, where people from other
villages also come and pay their obeisance. The people visit the village temple to get rid of
epidemics of animals and crops.
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A mela is organized on the eve of Shivratri and people from other villages also and
pay their obeisance then. There is one ‘talla’ of Baba Amardas. Nobody knows the history of
it but the villagers do not make use of any iron implements on the day of pooranmashi (full
moon) of every month as nobody operates bullock carts, cycle in the village or make use of
the fodder cutter etc. There is one dera established by Baba Mohanpuria and now looked
after by Baba Aditya Anand. The people of this village and the adjoining villages seek his
blessings.
(vii) Institutional services
The village has only one bus stop which is on the highway and is 4 kilometers away.
Inner roads of village are not metalled. The electricity supply for the village is 15-16 hours.
Now the position is much better than before because of the construction of grid.
There is no government or private dispensary in the village and the nearest health
facility is available at a distance of 7 kilometers from the village. The village has one small
unauthorized chemist shop run by a villager who is not a registered pharmacist.
There is only one primary school. The girls are not allowed to study after primary
level because the higher secondary schools are far from there.
A unit of cooperative society is functioning in the village which has 9-10 members.
The villagers purchase things from here.
The village lacks basic facilities like transportation system and daily need shops. Only
56 houses have modern and basic amenities.
The number of agricultural implements is as follows- tractors 44, threshers 11, reapers
15, harvesters 2, electric pumps 117, and diesel pumps 52 and 42 additional bores.
3.2 PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS
Data collected regarding the age, education level, marital status, type and size of
family and agricultural landholding size of the respondents has been presented in this section.
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As the sample consisted of equal number of male and female respondents from the three
villages, there was equal number of male and female respondents. Thus, from Ditupur, there
were 63 males and 63 females, from Lang there were 99 males and 99 females and from
Sular Gharat there were 45 male and 45 female respondents.
Religion
There are no two opinions that the state of Punjab has faced many changes from
religious point of view. Mainly there are two major religious groups in Punjab-Hindus and
Sikhs. However, the Sikhs are a majority group in most of the villages. The respondent’s
affiliation to different religious categories is shown in table 3.7.
Table 3.2: Distribution of households according to their Religion
Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Sikhs 59 (93.65%) 85 (85.85%) 45 (100%) Muslims 0 (0%) 2 (2.2%) 0 (0%) Hindus 4 (6.34%) 12 (12.12%) 0 (0%) Total 63 99 45
The data regarding the religious background of the respondents reveals that a very
high proportion of the respondents were from the Sikh religion. In case of Sular Gharat all the
respondents were Sikhs whereas in the other two villages there were a few Hindu families.
Only two Muslims families were residing in Lang.
Agricultural Land holding Size
Land is the most important resource in the rural communities. Having ownership
rights to land and other land-based resources is a crucial factor determining how people will
ensure their basic livelihood. The vast majority of the rural population relies on land and
land-based resources for their livelihood. It is also a status symbol in villages and the socio-
economic ranking of individuals is based mainly on the ownership of land.
The following table gives information about the agricultural land holding size of the
respondents of the three villages.
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Table 3.3: Table showing the agricultural land holding size of the respondents
Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat 5 acres 33 (52.38%) 57 (57.57%) 29 (64.44%) 6-15 acres 19 (30.15%) 28 (28.28%) 11 (24.4%) 16 acres and above 11 (17.46%) 14 (14.14%) 5 (11.11%) Total 63 99 45
The data presented in the foregoing table indicates that the proportion of small
farmers (up to 5 acres of land) was comparatively higher in the less developed village (Sular
Gharat) as compared to the developed and moderately developed villages (Ditupur and
Lang). There was no significant difference in the proportion of medium level farmers (6 to 15
acres of land) in the three villages. However, the proportion of large farmers (16 acres and
above) was higher in the economically developed village as compared to the other two
villages.
Types of family
It will be useful to consider the family background of the respondents. The type of
family affects gender division of labour and various aspects of one’s life. Those families
which have husband, wife and their unmarried children have been included in the category of
nuclear family and remaining in the category of joint family. The distribution of respondents
in two major types of families, that is, nuclear and joint families has been presented in table
3.2 given below.
Table 3.4: Distribution of respondents according to the type of family
Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Nuclear 48 (76.19%) 72 (72.72%) 21 (46.6%) Joint 15 (23.81%) 27 (27.27%) 24 (53.4%) Total 63 99 45
It is popularly believed that the village is the home of joint family. But the findings of
the study do not support this assumption. In fact most of the families are nuclear. Joint
families are now more in the minds than in practice. From the above table it can be seen that
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in case of Ditupur and Lang villages the higher proportion is of the nuclear families as
compared to Sular Gharat which has more joint families than Lang and Ditupur. It might be
explained in terms of its underdevelopment. There is a trend of the joint families being
replaced by nuclear families in the economically more advanced villages.
Household size
The following table gives information about the household size of the respondents of
the three villages.
Table 3.5: Table showing household size of the respondents
Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Up to 4 members 42 (66.66%) 67 (67.67%) 17 (37.77%) 5-7 members 18 (28.57%) 26 (26.26%) 19 (42.22%) 8 members & above 3 (4.76%) 6 (6.6%) 9 (20%) Total 63 99 45
The analysis of data presented above indicates that about two third of the households
in Ditupur and Lang were of smaller size (up to four members) as compared to Sular Gharat
where the proportion of smaller households was only 37.77 percent. On the other hand, the
medium sized and large sized households were significantly lesser in the two advanced
villages as compared to the less advanced village. These findings are in accordance with the
types of families found in the selected villages. In Ditupur and Lang villages majority
families are nuclear hence the size of families is also smaller. On the other hand, there is a
preponderance of joint families in Sular Gharat and that is why the proportion of medium and
large sized households in this village is much higher as compared to the other two villages.
Distribution of the respondents by age
Age is a factor that affects the opinion of the people. Persons belonging to different
age groups normally internalize different values according to the traditional roles and
changing needs of the society. This is well reflected in the process of socialization. The
outlook and the attitude of young persons towards life differ from those of the elderly
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persons. Young persons look more modern, liberal and individualistic in their orientation
towards life than the elderly persons. This is because new generation is affected to a greater
extent by the process of modernization as compared to the elders.
The following table gives information about the age structure of the respondents of
the three villages.
Table 3.6: Age structure of the respondents’ families
Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat M F M F M F 13-18 years 8
(12.6%) 6 (9.52%)
13 (13.13%)
11 (11.11%)
4 (8.8%)
5 (7.93%)
19-35 years 15 (23.8%)
18 (28.57%)
22 (22.22%)
25 (25.25%)
13 (28.8%)
14 (31.11%)
36-55 years 28 (44.41%)
25 (39.68%)
36 (36.36%)
32 (32.32%)
16 (35.5%)
13 (28.2%)
56 years & above 12 (19.04%)
14 (22.22%)
28 (28.28%)
31 (31.31%)
12 (12.6%)
13 (28.2%)
Total 63 63 99 99 45 45
The data presented in the foregoing table reveals that the highest proportion of the
respondents in all the three villages was from the age category of 36-55 years. The least
number of respondents were found in the age category of 13-18 years.
Educational level
Education is a powerful factor which brings changes in the attitudes of the
individuals. The higher level of education helps in accepting modern values in the changing
world. It is true that the opinion of people varies with their level of education in relation to
their traditional gender roles and expectation from them. Educational status of the
respondents was recorded in four categories from illiterate to the graduate level and above.
The following table gives information about the educational level of the respondents
of the three villages.
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Table 3.7: Table showing the education level of the respondents’ family members
Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat M F M F M F Illiterate 18
(28.57%) 29 (46.03%)
35 (35.35%)
54 (54.54%)
28 (62.2%)
37 (82.22%)
Upto Middle 21 (33.33%)
16 (25.39%)
23 (23.23%)
18 (18.18%)
9 (20%)
5 (11.11%)
Upto Higher Sec. 18 (28.57%)
16 (3.17%)
28 (28.28%)
22 (22.22%)
6 (13.3%)
3 (6.66%)
Graduate and above 6 (9.52%)
2 (2.17%)
13 (13.13%)
5 (5.5%)
2 (4.4%)
0 (0%)
Total 63 63 99 99 45 45
The analysis of data regarding the educational level of the respondents reveals that the
proportion of illiterate men and women keeps on increasing according to the level of
economic development of villages, that is the proportion of illiterate men and women was
much higher in the economically less developed village (Sular Gharat) as compared to the
moderately and highly developed villages (Lang and Ditupur). The situation was reverse in
case of higher educational categories.
Marital status
The marital status has been classified into two categories, that is, married and
unmarried. The distribution of the respondents in these categories is shown in table 3.6.
Table 3.8: Distribution of households according to their marital status
Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat M F M F M F Un married 15
(13.80%) 12 (19.04%)
19 (19.19%)
14 (14.14%)
8 (17.17%)
6 (13.33%)
Married 48 (76.19%)
51 (80.95%)
80 (80.80%)
85 (85.85%)
37 (82.22%)
39 (86.66%)
Total 63 63 99 99 45 45
The analysis of data regarding the marital status of the respondents does not reveal
any significant differences in the proportion of married and unmarried men and women in the
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three selected villages. However, the number of married males and females was a little higher
in the less developed village as compared to the more developed village.
3.4 Surveyed Household characteristics
Structure of houses
The information regarding the structure of houses in which the villagers lived was
also collected. They were categorized as a “kucha” (with mud walls and a thatched roof),
“semi pucca” (stone and cement walls, mud plaster and a tiled roof), “pucca” (entirely stone
or bricks and cement with a tiled roof).
The following table gives information about the structure of the houses in the selected
villages:
Table 3.9: Distribution of respondents houses in the selected villages according to their structure Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Kucha 0 (0%) 8 (8.8%) 12 (26.66%) Semi- Pucca 12 (19.04%) 22 (22.22%) 19 (42.22%) Pucca 51 (80.95%) 69 (69.69%) 14 (31.11%) Total 63 99 45
The data presented in the preceding table reveals that there were no kucha houses in
Ditupur, there were a few kucha houses in Lang and more than one fourth houses were kucha
in Sular Gharat. The proportion of pucca houses keeps on increasing with the level of
development of the villages as in the least developed village there were very few pucca
houses as compared to the moderately and highly developed villages. The number of semi-
pucca houses was also significantly higher in the less developed village as compared to the
moderately and highly developed villages.
Households by dwelling units
The following table gives information about the households by dwelling units
Table 3.10: Distribution of houses according to accommodation
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Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat One-Room 1 (1.58%) 11 (11.11%) 18 (40%) Two –Three Rooms 40 (63.49%) 63 (63.63%) 21 (46.66%) More than three 22 (34.92%) 25 (25.25%) 6 (13.33%) Bathroom 63 (100%) 99 (100%) 17 (37.37%) Kitchen 63 (100%) 99 (100%) 19 (42.22%) Toilet 63 (100%) 99 (100%) 14 (31.11%)
The data regarding the type of accommodation in the three selected villages presented
in the preceding table reveals that 40 percent of the respondents from the less developed
village were living in one room accommodation, while only one respondent’s household in
Ditupur was having one room accommodation. In the moderately developed village also only
about one tenth of the respondents’ families were living in one room accommodation. About
two third of the respondents’ families in the developed and moderately developed villages
were living in accommodation having two to three rooms whereas the proportion of such
families in the less developed village was about 46 percent. A little more than one third
families in the developed village and one fourth families in the moderately developed village
were living in houses which had more than three rooms. Only about 13 percent respondents
from the less developed villages were living in houses having more than three rooms. As
regards the facilities of bathroom, toilet and kitchen all the households of respondents from
the developed and moderately developed villages were having these facilities. On the other
hand, only about one third families of the respondents from the less developed village had
bathroom and toilet facilities while about 42 percent of the families from this village were
having a separate kitchen.
Households by source of drinking water
The following table gives information about the households by source of drinking
water they use.
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Table 3.11: Distribution of houses according to source of drinking water
Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Hand pump 0 (0%) 12 (12.12%) 21 (46.66%) Tap 63 (100%) 79 (79.79%) 13 (28.88%) Submersible 0 (0%) 8 (8.8%) 11 (24.44%)
The data presented in the previous table indicates that all families of the respondents
from Ditupur were using the taps as a source of drinking water, while about 80 percent of the
families from Lang were having the facility of tap water. On the other hand, only about 29
percent of the families from the less developed village (Sular Gharat) were having the facility
of tap water. In this village the major source of drinking water was the hand pumps as about
half of its families were using hand pumps for the supply of drinking water. In the less
developed village about one fourth of the families were also taking drinking water from the
submersibles which are not a source of safe drinking water.
Households by type of fuel used for cooking
The following table gives information about the households by type of fuel they use
for cooking
Table 3.12: Represents households by type of fuel used for cooking
Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Firewood 46 (73.01%) 80 (80.80%) 45 (100%) Dung cakes 38 (60.31%) 74 (74.74%) 45 (100%) Kerosene 12 (19.04%) 26 (26.26%) 22 (48.88%) LPG 6 (100%) 84 (84.84%) 32 (71.11%)
The analysis of data regarding the type of fuel used in the three selected villages
reveals that in the less developed village all the families were using firewood and dung cakes.
On the other hand, in the developed and moderately developed village the use of firewood
and dung cakes was to a lesser extent. In the highly developed village all the families were
having L.P.G connections, while 84 percent families from moderately developed village and
71 percent families from the less developed village were using L.P.G (Liquefied Petroleum
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Gas) as fuel. The use of kerosene as fuel was significantly higher in the less developed
village as compared to the families residing in the more and moderately developed villages.
Households by availability of assets
The data regarding the material possessions of households was also gathered. It was
recorded whether the household owned assets, for example bicycle, radio, television, car,
bike, inverter etc. The following table gives information about the households by availability
of assets and modern facilities.
Table 3.13: Distribution of households according to availability of assets
Ditupur Lang Sular Gharat Radio, Transistor 23 (36.50%) 28 (28.28%) 32 (71.11%) Television 63 (100%) 58 (58.58%) 25 (55.55%) Landline 63 (100%) 67 (67.67%) 14 (31.11%) Mobile 48 (76.19%) 72 (72.72%) 32 (71.11%) Bicycle 38 (60.31%) 78 (78.78%) 38 (84.44%) Two wheeler 44 (69.84%) 54 (54.54%) 13 (28.88%) Four wheeler 35 (55.55%) 22 (22.22%) 7 (15.55%) Inverter/Generator 48 (76.19%) 36 (36.36%) 6 (13.33%)
Punjab occupies a much better position with regard to availability of assets as
compared to many other Indian states. The analysis of data regarding household assets
presented in the foregoing table indicates that a significantly higher proportion of the families
from the less developed village were having radio/transistor as compared to the moderately
and highly developed villages. On the other hand, all the families from the developed village
were owning television sets as compared to a little more than half of the families from the
moderately and less developed village who owned television sets. As regards, landline
phones all families of the respondents from the developed village (Ditupur) have this facility
whereas about two third respondent’s families from the moderately developed village and
about one third of families from the less developed village were having the facility of land-
line phones. However, it is interesting to note that almost the same proportion of families
from all the three villages was having mobile phones. This indicates the increasing popularity
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of mobile phones not only in the developed villages but also in the less developed villages.
As regards, the means of transport, bicycle was quite popular in all the three villages but
proportion of persons having bicycles was higher in the moderately and less developed
villages as compared to the persons from developed village. On the other hand, the proportion
of families having two wheeler vehicles was significantly higher in the developed and
moderately developed villages as compared to the respondent’s families from the less
developed village. As regards, four wheelers vehicles, a little more than half of the
respondents’ families from the developed village were having this facility as compared to 22
percent families from the moderately developed and 15 percent families from the less
developed village. Regarding the facility of inverter/generator sets, the data reveals that about
three fourth of the families from the developed village were availing this facility while 36
percent families from the moderately developed and 13 percent families from the less
developed villages were having this facility.
A brief overview of the study area and the characteristics of the respondents has been
presented in the ensuing paragraphs.
Etymologically, the term Punjab presents the amalgam of Punjabi word Panj,
meaning five, and Persian word Aab, meaning water; thus the word means a land of five
rivers- Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum. The term originally refers to a society having
specific features of its own and a polity, the boundaries of which have been changing with
times.
Patiala is the fifth largest district of Punjab (area wise) after Ferozepur, Amritsar,
Sangrur and Ludhiana as per 2001 census. The district is surrounded by Fatehgarh Sahib
District of Punjab in the north, Ropar district (of Punjab) and Union Territory of Chandigarh
in the north-east, Sangrur district (of Punjab) in west, Ambala and Kurukshetra districts of the
neighboring state of Haryana in the south-east. Similarly, Kaithal and Jind districts of
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Harayana form its southern boundary. Geographically, Patiala district falls in the Malwa
region which is the largest region of the state of Punjab.
As mentioned earlier, three villages have been selected for the present study from
district Patiala. The villages have been selected with reference to the level of their economic
development Ditupur is the most developed village. The agricultural households owning land
16 acres and above are highest in number in this village. Moreover, the village is well
connected by road, with the neighbouring towns. A number of institutions educational,
medical and commercial are available in this village. The use of agricultural machinery is
also highest in this village. The second village selected for the study (Lang) is a moderately
developed village. The size of landholdings in this village is lower than that found in Ditupur.
The village has sufficient institutional facilities but these are little lesser than those found in
Ditupur. The third village selected for the present study (Sular Gharat) is the least developed
village. The size of landholding is the lowest in this village as compared to the other two
villages. The use of agricultural machinery is also quite less as compared to Ditupur and
Lang. The institutional services available in the villages are also lesser in comparison to the
other two villages.
A very large proportion of the respondents from all the three selected villages are
from Sikh religion. The size of landholdings of the respondents is higher in Ditupur and Lang
as compared to Sular Gharat. About three –fourth of the families in Ditupur and Lang are
nuclear families whereas a little more than half of the families in Sular Gharat are joint
families. The size of families is also larger in Sular Gharat as compared to Ditupur and Lang.
A majority of the respondents from the selected villages are placed in the middle age
category of 19-55 years. The literacy rate is highest in Ditupur village followed by Lang and
Sular Gharat. A large majority of the respondents are married and few of them are unmarried.
There are no widow/widowers in the sample.
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There are no kucha houses in Ditupur, there are few such houses in Lang and a little
more than one fourth of the houses in Sular Gharat are kucha. The accommodation in the
houses is more in Ditupur and Lang as compared to Sular Gharat. All the households in
Ditupur have the facility of tap water, whereas about 80 percent of households in Lang and
only 28 percent houses in Sular Gharat have the facility of tap water. As regards the type of
fuel used, the traditional fuel like firewood and dung cakes is used by all the respondents
from Sular Gharat whereas, about three fourth of the respondents from Ditupur and Lang use
the traditional fuel. The number of assets owned by the households is much higher in case of
respondents from Ditupur and Lang as compared to Sular Gharat.