Stories Across India - A trip to Himachal

On my recent exploratory trip to Himachal, one day while I was out for a morning way, I saw a very graceful and beautiful lady. It was a lovely morning and she was sitting peacefully while her cows were grazing nearby. It looked like a scene from a painting. I walked up to her and told her how beautiful she was. She smiled and asked me where I was from. I told her I have come from Delhi and she smiled and said -  “aap logo ka accha hai, sheher mein aachi life hai" (Life is good in cities). I took a moment to absorb what she had said, although, this is not the first time someone had told me this. I told her I felt the same for her. She has a peaceful life. The village she lives in is one of the most beautiful villages I have visited. To which she said that life is simple here but not all the time easy. The means to earn a living are limited. The main source of income is agriculture. Although the land is fertile, a lot of people are moving to cities in search of better livelihood. 

This is not the story of just one village, but something we keep hearing all around. These experiences make me aware of the ground realities and the need to revive and sustain our village economies before everyone leaves the place they belong to.