Arcadia
We have a general tendency to perceive rural communities as helpless, dependent and backward.
A perception formed as observers, and possibly blurred by our unrealistic sense of superiority.
This series of gobbets represent the values and strengths of rural and peri-urban communities in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, as told and captured by a member
Discipline
Morning at 5:00 and evening at 17:00.
No matter the weather and mood, the villagers of Vidhyachal start everyday motivated. They don’t eat before bathing and don’t work without eating.
Evenings are spent cooking and chatting at the chaupal.
Balance
“Come live with us and you will never fall sick. You city people live all day looking at screens”, said the farmer on his charpai by his fish farm.
Satisfied with his catch for the day, he decided to take his afternoon nap.
Harmony
A village with no Sarpanch, a respected crazy old woman and school exams with music. When asked what the favourite thing about their homeland is, they said ‘we fight but cant live without one another’.
This dance brought the community of Poha Khas together at the chaupal under the old Mahua tree.
Preservation
The chutney recipe to their farmland — everyday things have been passed from one generation to the next, but their essence has remained the same.
The pastel coloured homes haven’t faded away and most wooden doors with latches still don’t need locks.
Pictures and thoughts by Stuti Sareen
