The Report - North 24 Parganas

29. KARTIK MUNDANREGA : Boon for underemploymentKartick Munda, -Bispur, Hingalgunj the son of Biswanath Munda is around fortytwo years of age and is a farmer by occupation. He works on his own field aswell as on others’. He was born here in Bispur, Hingalgunj and does not knowwhen his father came settled in the place. The son who is the eldest amongstthree children is fourteen and has never been to school while the two youngersisters are receiving some form of education. When asked why he had not senthis son to school, Munda replies that he could not afford it. “We are very poorpeople. Before the job card system came to this village there were many dayswhen we had only one meal a day. Thinking about my children going toschool...”To feed this family of five he requires minimum one hundred rupees a day whichmakes it three thousand a month. “I own one and a half bighas of land,” he says.“I even have to buy the rice we eat because I am unable to cultivate it on mylands. There is no water for the irrigation. I can get water by pulling a water pipe.It is two kilometres away and I have to pay seventy rupees a day for the dieseland mobile expenses. It is very expensive for people like me.” But as the job cardhas given Munda some rays of hope, he says that he would be consideringplanting rice the next season if things go well. Apart from that Munda’s familyowns a few hens and two goats. There is a cow there but it does not belong tohim. He can keep it only till the time that she gives birth and starts to give milk.Then it must be returned to the owner.Talking about work, Munda gets about six months of work in the village, while forthe rest of the six months he used to work in Kolkata though nothing is fixed. Hehad been to Mumbai once and had returned six months later without havingbeen paid a paisa for his labours. He says that many of the males of the villagehave chosen to go out to work in other states like Bihar, Orissa and even AndhraPradesh. “One of the men here was in Andhra for more than six months. Hecame back without any money. They cheated him out of it. This is often the storyhere. Since my experience in Mumbai, I have stuck to the village and try to findmeans of income when the harvest season is over.” It is difficult, Munda says butthen it is better than going to other places and being cheated. Munda says thathe had worked as a mason when he used to go to Kolkata as he knows that lineof work as well and he got eighty rupees a month. Out of the eighty he wouldspend thirty on lodging and food and save fifty to bring back home. He has avery small amount put by for emergencies and old age. “I do feel that I shouldplan something for our old age but to do that we need money,” he says andadds, “I have a son to think of as well. He must be established. Let’s see what Ican do. But I do have plans.”The one and a half bighas of land that Munda owns has been partially used todig a pond to help him in fish farming. The digging involved a hundred and tenpeople including Munda. All of them had job cards. Two kathas were dug for the