74GB, Anupgarh, India
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[edit] Location and description
"Chak" refers to village in Punjabi language. Chak Number 74 GB is a small village in northern Rajasthan, India. The village falls under the administrative unit (Tehsil) of Anupgarh in District Sriganganagar. The number 74 refers to the serial number of settlement on the canal (the Karani-ji branch of Gang Canal), number 1 being the first settlement at the origin of that particular branch of canal. The letters "GB" denote the official suffix allocated to the Karani-ji branch of Gang Canal (each settlement along this branch carries a serial number and this suffix, e.g. 1GB, 2 GB, 74GB, etc.). However, the local population generally believes that GB refers to 'Gagghar Basin'- the area irrigated by the Karani-ji branch is largely the basin of seasonal Gagghar River. Karani-ji branch originates near the town of Jaitsar and terminates near Anupgarh. Chak 74 GB is located approximately 8 kilometers northeast of the town of Anupgarh
[edit] Statistics and history
Population of 74GB is approximately 300, consisting of Sikh and Hindu families (around 50% each). All of the Sikh families are land owners, who migrated to this region from the Punjab around 1928, when the canal was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh of the former Bikaner state. Hindu families are the original inhabitants of this region; however, there were no permanent settlements in this area (except for a few towns under the old Bikaner state). Therefore, most Sikh and Hindu families settled in the villages around the same time (after permanent settlements began once canal was built). Not many Hindu families own land within the boundaries of 74GB (in fact it may be only one or two); while a few of them own land elsewhere. Predominant language of 74GB is Punjabi (the language that Sikh families brought with them from the Punjab), while the original language of Hindu families is Bagri. The State language is Hindi. Most people speak Punjabi, Bagri and Hindi fluently. Punjabi is not the common language taught at the primary school level, therefore, only a small portion of people can actually read or write Punjabi (Punjabi has a different script, called Gurumukhi). General instruction in schools is in Hindi and most people read, write and do most of their business in Hindi. Students can elect to learn (read and write) Punjabi at school only when the enter grade six.
Indian society is generally divided into caste system, with caste lines driving most social interactions. The population of 74GB can be divided into two main castes - Most of Hindu families belong to "Nayak" caste, while a handful of families belong to "Kumhar" caste. Almost all Sikh families belong to "Kamboja" caste (same as the ancient Kamboja tribe of northwest India). Inter-caste marriages are non-existent.
The village economy is entirely dependent on agricultural activities. Most of Sikh families are employed in farming activities, while most of Hindu families work as support workers within the farming. A few people commute to nearby towns and work in other areas - such as construction, tailoring, etc.
The farmland in 74GB is made up of very rich soil and produces wheat, cotton, mustard, cantaloupe and lots of vegetables. It rains very little in Rajasthan; therefore, the primary source of irrigation is canal water. Some farmers have dug up deep wells and harvest groundwater for irrigation to supplement canal water.
[edit] Education
The village has a primary school (grade 5) since 1940s. No effort has been made by villagers to get this school upgraded to a higher level. Education level among the population is very low with most people educated up to primary level, with a few to middle school level (grade 8). However, this appears to be changing over the past 20 years for families with enough resources. Some families have started sending their children to cities, near and far, for higher education. First graduates with university degrees from this village emerged in mid to late 1980s. A handful are now working outside the village in larger cities and a couple of them have even migrated abroad to pursue higher education and high paying professional careers. Even after this, the general education level among the villagers is still very low and no efforts have been made on the part of villagers or the administration to change this.
