(December 2002, New Series 174)
There was a glimpse of life in the city, with fragments of life in the village.
* People are getting split into groups. If you sit with us, then don't sit with them.
*People lose their temper on minor issues. Sitting together is decreasing. Even those who smoke hookah fill up their hookahs and go and sit in their own homes.
* What can one do? One is not able to finish one's own work. How can one help one's brothers? One doesn't get nutritious food. Bones are visible in the youth. Trusting others is decreasing. The load of exchange is falling on women's heads. Men are falling for drinking and gambling. To meet the expenses of the house, women are facing increasing difficulties. Tensions, quarrels between husband and wife are increasing...
* Earlier more young women used to commit suicides. Now more young men have started to commit suicide. This is hardly reported to the police. Everyone gets together and performs the last rites. If you go to the police station, it creates another suicide. One can't by through farming or artisanship. There aren't any jobs. So, many people are opening shops. People are going insane. They keep telling any Tom-Dick-and Harry to secure them a job, any job.
* Lumpenization is increasing. After sunset, one does not go out of the home, afraid to come across a drunkard on the way. People are getting sucked into debts. Inability to refuse, forces one to loan money to relatives which is rarely returned. If agricultural land is mortgaged, then it is difficult to get it free. Tt gets sold.
* Hypocrisy is increasing. Superstition is increasing. People adopt ritualistic postures and take refuge in sects. Whichever sect one adopts, he or she calls it 'the best' and the rest imposters.
* Youth label the experiences of elders as 'barking'... The old, aged do not speak the truth...Falsely, they say that their time was great.
* Even only sons are living separately from their mother and father. In old age, husband and wife have started living separately. Mother with one son, and father with another son. Conversations between husband wife cease- they say they have bore it for long enough, no more now. No one takes objection to someone tying up the buffalo on the path which inconveniences everyone. When others do no object, why should I? People will change the path. People will bear the difficulty.
* One who dies is praised. The facts are not spoken of. At the time of a tragedy, everyone's sympathy bursts forth. In normal conditions, people are unconcerned.
* People are becoming strange. Even if it's not to my advantage, it should be to your disadvantage. Backbiting and pointing out others' shortcomings is an epidemic.
* People have become so weak that they hide their true opinions and intentions from everyone. In the village, many people simply go to vote so that they can tell the supporters of candidates that they voted for their leader. One talks of support, but tells a lie to the group.
* Personal occupation or control of common goods is increasing. Let common interest go to hell. Personal interests surpass everything.
* These days one is struck more by speech. Talking in very crude, vulgar terms is increasing.
Life in the city, life in the village are twins. They are copies of one another...
