Interview with Jhana Singh

(Q1) INTERVIEWER: So, first would you please introduce yourself.

(A1) JNANA SINGH: Introduce myself?

(Q2) INTERVIEWER: Yes, for example who are you, your family.

(A2) JNANA SINGH: Jnana Singh, "retired assistant teacher, at present."

(Q3) INTERVIEWER: Good, thank you-and when did you come to this area.

(A3) JNANA SINGH: I came on 22 November, 1960 .

(Q4) INTERVIEWER: Ok-in connection to what or to do what?

(A4) JNANA SINGH: To teacher, I was given an appointment here.

(Q5) INTERVIEWER: Ok, ok.

(A5) JNANA SINGH: I taught science-science and mathematics.

(Q6) INTERVIEWER: What was life like back then?

(A6) JNANA SINGH: At that time, people were really poor. People couldn't read or write-they were very backward. There were no transportation facilities. As far as news was concerned, in whatever village you lived in there was only one radio.

Yes, one radio. At that time there was a war going on between India and China -they were trying to control the border. And every three to four hours, America sent us weapons and supplies for the war. So, in order to hear the news we all had to go somewhere else since we listened to the news on the radio. Ordinary people didn't have radios. Nor was there a radio in every village. In some villages there'd be a person whose family was literate. In Arampur, Ramesh Pandey's father had a radio. His brother lived in America -his family was rather advanced-he had a radio.

(Q7) INTERVIEWER: So, what did people do back then, what kind of work was there?

(A7) JNANA SINGH: Work in the fields, farming. Manual labor was available throughout the year for a couple days at a time. Most people made bidis .

(Q8) INTERVIEWER: So what was the infrastructure like-were there facilities for drinking water, for example?

(A8) JNANA SINGH: There were no facilities for drinking water-people would get water from wells. There was no piping.

(Q9) INTERVIEWER: Ok.

(A9) JNANA SINGH: People would get their water from wells-you understand what a well is?

(Q10) INTERVIEWER: Yes sir. And what was the village like? What kinds of houses did people live in?

(A10) JNANA SINGH: People lived in homes made of unfired brick and soil.

(Q11) INTERVIEWER: And the roads?

(A11) JNANA SINGH: All the roads were unpaved-and muddy. Traveling was really bothersome.

(Q12) INTERVIEWER: And today people travel around by bicycles and motorcycles.

(A12) JNANA SINGH: In those days, there was no such thing as a motorcycle. We ourselves didn't know whether motorcycles existed or not.

(Q13) INTERVIEWER: And bicycles?

(A13) JNANA SINGH: There were bicycles-I myself had one. But having to keep going back and forth from my home was a real problem.

(Q14) INTERVIEWER: And what about the rich people?

(A14) JNANA SINGH: At that time, there was no college in this area. No college but there was a high school and some people from two neighboring villages got together and collected donations to open a school. Then there was our private school-in this village there was only one school.

(Q15) INTERVIEWER: And were most people unschooled?

(A15) JNANA SINGH: Yes, unschooled or they learned some letters at home.

(Q16) INTERVIEWER: So how long were you working at the school?

(A16) JNANA SINGH: Didn't I tell you-from 22 November 1960 to July 2000 when I retired.

(Q17) INTERVIEWER: So what changes have you seen here since you came?

(A17) JNANA SINGH: There's been progress-people have gone to school, graduated and have become engineers or doctors or lawyers. The Block was established and from the Block came developmental programs-gradually roads were paved, there was a hospital, and medical facilities. Babies used to have a lot of problems-children would die. Only rich and powerful people could take their kids to hospitals. Girls and women used to have a lot of difficulties-now there are even women doctors.

(Q18) INTERVIEWER: And what other changes?

(A18) JNANA SINGH: There used to be no educational facilities for girl. Now a school for girls has opened and girls have started to go to school and have begun to pass through high school and graduate. Roads have been built-that is to say unpaved roads have been paved. In every village now you'll find some homes built of brick and concrete. In every village you'll find, one, two, three or four men with a proper job-there were no government jobs (forty years ago). Teachers used to get a salary of thirty-seven rupees a month.

(Q19) INTERVIEWER: What's the name of this neighborhood?

(A19) JNANA SINGH: This neighborhood is called "Mirzamahal," but we called it "Duniya Tola." There's a particular caste who lives here-poor people, laborers who do earth work. And for this reason, these people are called "Duniya." Check this.

(Q20) INTERVIEWER: So who lives here now?

BACKGROUD VOICE: Every clan lives here.

(A20) JNANA SINGH: Every clan-well there are Muslims here as well.

BACKGROUND VOICE: Muslims, priests, Brahmins .

(A20) JNANA SINGH: No, there aren't Brahmins here. Not in this neighborhood-you're asking about this neighborhood, right?

(Q21) INTERVIEWER: Yes, yes.

(A21) JNANA SINGH: Not in this neighborhood, but there is one type of Brahmin -a beggar who looks at your hand and asks money for telling you that you have this or that disease or habit and telling your fortune is their way of earning a living. They don't have a real knowledge of palmistry, however.