Growth, Stagnation and Decline of a Village: An Autobiographical Essay on the Socio-economic History of Tarar, Bihar (India)

This autobiographical essay tells the story of growth, stagnation and decline of a village socio-economy in Bihar (India) that the author observed during the past six decades or so. It grew with optimism and cooperation among the inhabitants. But very soon it was eclipsed by the drive to aggressive resource acquisition, transgression and group rivalry culminating to crime and gloom. Almost each family of the village became contributor as well as subject to ‘envy-barrier to development’. Envy and ill will became the very stuff of life that dominated everything else. The pleasure of malevolence became the dominant drive to social behaviour. The people there now have almost no social or even personal purpose to reckon with. They are hiding themselves in their houses; they are afraid of their own shadows. They speak cautiously and stroll cautiously. The village has lost its life force, it has lost its shine, it has lost its present and it has lost its future.