Chapter - VIII
INDUSTRIALIZATION, URBANIZATION AND CULTURE Table-8.1 List of Important Fairs & Melas ofDurgapur Region SI. Name of place where Time Local religious or Duration of Average No. Mela or Fair is held (English other occasion of the Mela or attendance (location) month when the Mela Fair (days) Mela is held) A. Ondal Police Station
(i) Mahal January Rayanti Puja 7 8,000 (ii) Pandabeswar a Siva puja 1 2,000 (iii) Kajora March Siva Gajan 3 8,000 (iv) Ramprosadpur a Siva Gajan 2 3,000
(v) Khandra Kali puja 2 3,000
(vi) Ondal South Bazar April Mahabirjhanda 3 1,500 (vii) Dakhsin Khanda >> Siva puja 4 5,000 (viii) Ukhra June Rathajatra 1 8,000 (ix) Ukhra July Jhulanjatra 4 15,000 B.& Faridpur & Durgapur
C. Police Station (i) Sagarbhanga April Gajan 2 3000 (ii) Mejidihi a Dharmaraj 2 3000
(iii) Nadiha a Siva Gajan 2 1500 (iv) Faridpur a Dharmaraj 2 1500
(v) Ichhapur May Ganga puja 3 3000
(vi) Sarpi »> Ganga puja 3 5000
(vii) Durgapur June Rathajatra 1 5000
(viii) Kataberia ” Rathajatra 1 1500
(ix) Kataberia October Gosthastami 2 1000 Mela (x) Kataberia November Gostha Mela 7 3000
(xi) Waria » Gostha Mela 3 3000
Contd.
476 Table (Contd.) SI. Name of place where Time(English Local religious or Duration of Average No. Mela or Fair is held month when other occasion of the Mela or attendance (location) Mela is held) the Mela Fair (days) D. Kaksa Police Station
(i) Babnabera January Paush Sankranti 4 3,000 (ii) Silampur Makar Sankranti 3 3,000 (hi) Gopalpur February Maghi Saptami 1 6,000 (iv) Arra March Siva Ratri Mela 1 8,000 (v) Gopalpur Chaitra Sankranti 4 6,000 [Source: - Field Survey]
Typical Hindu festival like Makar Sankranti, held on the last day of the Bengali month of Paush (Jan - Feb) on river banks though connected with the sun, can in no way be associated with the Vedic and Brahminical forms of worship to Sun. Babnabera, Silampur village of Kaksa police-station and Pandabeswar of Ondal police-station observe this occasion with related fair in those villages.
Local festival of the Mahal village of Ondal police station is Rayanti Puja.Large fair is also held on every year. The Sivaratri or Siva- Chaturdasi festival held on the fourteenth night of the new moon in Bengali month of Phalgun (Feb - March), Radheswar or Kaleswar Siva of Arra village of Kaksa police station deserves special mention, whose worship with great ceremony takes place during this time period. A large fair is held in that area every year with great joy. It is primarily a female’s festival as they perform most of the connected rituals.
Maghi-Saptami festival of Gopalpur in Kaksa police station is another important festival of Vaishnava community.
Note: [According to 1991, census previous Andal police station is divided into (a) Pandebeswar police station, (b) Ondal police station under. Ondal Community Development Block]
477 A view of the Gopinathji Temple located at Ukhra.
Deity Dharma has a great influence in the cultural life of the village Religion plays an important role in village life.
Archeological evidence proved the spread of Jainism in this Asansol-Durgapur region. station, Kataberia of Faridpur police station and in present Durgapur city limit. Fair is held in each area on the occasion of such worship of deity.
Jhulan-yatra which is another important festival related with Lord Krishna occurred in the full moon day of Srabana (July - August) is observed in Ukhra and attract large number of people from the whole region. Gopinathji’s temple of Ukhra is the main attraction of this festival. A large fair (mela) is held in every year near temple. Durga puja and Kali puja are the most important festival of Bengal. Gostha mela related with ‘Bhagabati’ (Cow) and Lord Krishna another important festival of this region occurred in the Bengali month of Aswina or Karticka (Oct -Nov) in Kateberia and Waria village of Faridpur police station.
Other important festivals of this region are worship of the goddess Chandi. Majority of Chandi praised is in village deities with their modest shrines located under shady trees. Most of these deities have representational forms installed stones serve to represent the divinities. Jaliya (Fishermen), Kaibartas, Bagdis and other untouchables and Sakta (Tantric Brahmin) take direct interest in the worship of Chandi.
The female divinity Manasa is a very influential divinity especially among the so- called untouchable and lower castes of Durgapur region. Manasa or Bishari is conceived as the Goddess of Serpents. The annual festival of Manasa celebrated with live snakes is known as ‘Jhapan Utsava’. On this particular occasion, some of the people undergo voluntary physical penance; they mostly come from the untouchable castes like Dom, Hari, Bagdi, Kaibartas, Muchi and others.
Muslim festival also observed in this study region. There are old and often derelict mosques, dargas, khanquas and astanas of the local Muslim saints spread all over the Durgapur region.
The early Muslim warrior or saints who helped to spread of Islam in the hitherto unconquered territories become in course of time deified martyrs or heroes and become
479 Pirs.There were the Sufi mystics, who by their way of life become objects of veneration during their life times and become Pirs.
In Durgapur sub-division at the village Silampur of Kaksa, police station area there is a Pir and perhaps the only Pir of some importance. Kaksa police station has by far the largest concentration of Muslims among the whole sub-division.
(b) Non-Religious Fairs (Melas): Science and industrial exhibition, book fair, cottage industry and handicraft fair, expo all are the common features like other urban centres in the place like Durgapur city. Generally, temporary offshoots of the main business area are setup at fair ground to cater to the needs of the visitors. They also attracted large number of people from the surrounding rural areas of the whole subdivision.
However, the present scenario is changing from the past. Improvement of communication, metalled road, electrification, water supply - all these amenities change slowly. Agro-based rural appeal of all this fair or mela was the main attraction.
Rapid urbanization in slow pace changes the culture of the rural people. Traditional agro-based life has slowly transformed into highly improved modem non-traditional industry based life style.
Due to improved irrigation facilities, high yielding varieties of seeds, used of ha* chemical fertilizers and other improved technology,, changed/ the mono cropping area into multiple cropping area.
In the old days, farmers and those who directly engaged with agricultural activities after harvesting the crops, from weeks to month they celebrated crop-harvesting cultural festivals including songs with music and dance. However, present day less time-consuming ready-made movie or video are much preferred by them in leisure time for entertainment purpose. Traditional folk culture is slowly sinking below the time.
480 Folk Culture: Present Durgapur city is a multiple of townships surrounded by rural villages. The region has traditional rich folk culture including various songs, dance, yatra, drama, theatre and others.
Folk songs: Generally, folk songs are not written, based mainly upon the changing face of nature and every day’s human life. Although sometimes they are based on religious matter or our epics, but the main theme of these songs is the philosophy of human life. No religious boundaries are demarcated in these songs. From the literary point of view they are less qualitative but much more hearty as it extract all its element from our daily socio cultural life and they express all theme very lucidly that it goes deep inside in our heart.
Bawool: Bawool is one of the religious community of Bengal. The main ethics of this community is the realization of eternal power in our heart through songs and dance. No written songs are in vogue among them. As there is no caste barrier both Hindu and Muslim, people are follower of the Bawool community. The annual festival of them held at Kenduli Mela of Birbhum district in West Bengal on the bank of River Ajay near the birthplace of Poet Joydeb who was famous for his literature “Geet Govinda”. He was the pioneer of this community. Large fair held in the first day of Bengali month Magha (Jan) in this place every year. Large number of people gathered here from neighboring district and some distant place also.
Present Durgapur city has great impact in this mela. In the pre-barrage period, this was nothing but only a rural mela but after rapid industrialization and consequence urbanization improved transportation and communication facilities electricity, water supply and other amenities changed the rural atmosphere of this mela. Durgapur barrage cum bridge has made possible easy communication with Bankura and other districts. Of West Bengal. Sibpur village of Kaksa police station stands just opposite of Joydeb-Kenduli village on the bank of river Ajay that is only 16 kms. away from Durgapur railway station.
481 Ferry is available at the Ajay ghat. Spontaneous song of Bawool community is available in the concrete stage at present day. Simplicity of this Kenduli Bawool Mela lost its track under artificial atmosphere influenced by urbanization.
Gajjan (Sun festival): This type of songs is used purely in religious festivals or in social function. Most important of this is Charak festival, which is held on the last day of Bengali month Chaitra (April) This type of folk songs mainly, praised the transformed form of the Sun God - Lord Shiva and Mother Nature - Parvati. Mainly farmers and their family praised both the Sun God (Shiva) and the Mother Nature (Parvati) for successful cropping year.
Although Durgapuja is the main festival of the Hindus but it is aristocratic in nature, whereas Gajjan (Sun festival) is a national festival of the agricultural land of Bengal. Generally, all these ritual functions are based on convention or customs of different villages.
Bhadu: This is derived from the Bengali month ‘Bhadra’. It is mainly a crop festival, observed in the drier part of the Bengal and this study region also. Mostly lower castes and tribal young unmarried women are collectively singing the ‘Bhadu’ song through which they express the realization of the power of eternity. They praised to the God for rain to germinate seeds.
Tusu - is also other types of crop festival like Bhadu and common in some part of the West-Bengal. The tribal people mainly observe this.
Jhumur: The tribal people to express their daily way of life use this type of song. Folk dance and music are related with these songs. At present, influenced by the Vaisnava lyric all this songs are modified. Sometimes Jhumur songs are based on Ramayana and Mahabharata.
482 Bolan: In some villages of Durgapur this type of songs are common. This narrative type of songs, are also based on our purans and epics.
Pot: This type of folk songs are practiced by potter and painter of the pot ‘Pots’ are found in some villages of the study region, through which the singer clarifies the main theme of painting based on our Puranas.
Chaitta: Western sector of the study region is mainly coal mining villages. Large number of immigrants is from the neighboring state of Bihar. Maithili culture with admixture of Bengali culture turns into a new type of culture. This type of folk songs is based on love affairs prevalent in coal mining belts.
Kirtan: Mainly devotional songs of Lord Krishna praised by Vaishnava. This type of songs found all over the study region.
Yatra, Drama, Theaters, Cinema and Video Culture: Urbanization has come to Durgapur with spectacular suddenness. Pre-barrage days the whole region was mostly covered with dense Sal forest dotted with some rural agricultural villages.
Early part of the nineteenth Century, folk songs like - Bhadu, Bolan. Jhumur, Bawool, Gajjan, Pancahli, Toppa Kirtan, Kobi-gan, Krishna yatra, Ballards, Lyrics and others were in vogue in this region. Nilkanto Mukhopadhyay of Dhabani village of present Durgapur police station was renowned folk singer of that time. After the renaissance in Bengal, all the yatra, drama and theatre were developed and greatly influenced by the western culture. At that time, several amateur yatra and drama clubs were established all over the Durgapur region, which were mainly patronized by
483 Zamindar of that particular locality. Arra, Gopalpur, Kuldiha, Ondal, Sujara, Mejdihi, Nachhan, Amrai, Kandeswar, Bhiringi, Sagarbhanga, Kaliganj, Dhandabag, Kururia, Kantaberia all these village of this region had their own yatra or drama club at that time and most of the members were belonging to the upper castes of the rural society. In this pre-industrialization period, both traditional folk culture and neo-cultural drama and theatre ; existed side by side.
Western culture based theatre was never been mass media of communication of the region, where as yatra is still a very popular and easy way of communication media within common people.
New revolution began after the invention of silent cinematography and latter transformation from silent to talking movie. Ready made and cheaper movie drawn much more interest of the common people than others.
In the pre-industrialization period most of the yatra, drama or theatre was based on our epics and mythology. However, the present trend is that, they are developed mainly based on our socio-economic life. There is no doubt that as yatra or theatre all are the reflection of our daily life; they act as an important media for mass communication. Although yatra culture is existed in this study region but it is past, glamour’s is faded. Only in the western part in coal mining sector, this culture is still able to attract large number of people from surroundings.
In the post industrialization period at 1962, Youth Festival was observed in Durgapur region with great success. In 1966, Film Society of Durgapur was originated. To improve the socio-cultural environment of the steel city as well as surrounding region Durgapur Steel Plant has established its own television centre in late 80’s (DSTV.), which has greater impact on the surrounding rural villages of the study region. At present cheaper video culture is spread all over the region intensively. At the inception period of Durgapur township large number of people migrated here from different parts of the country for service, business and other purposes. They are composed of different ethnic, linguistic and religious groups. They turned Durgapur into a
484 cosmopolitan city. Same it is in the case of western coal mining sector limit. A neo - culture has developed and spread all over the region with the expansion of urbanization and improvement of transport - communication and other media.
No doubt with the increase of rural electrification and modem electric gadgets, traditional folk culture is dwindling day by day. With the advent of television and latter video culture, people of this whole region are going to lose their own traditional cultural heritage.
Recreational Facilities: Parks, playgrounds, stadiums, community-halls, auditoriums, clubs, cinema halls, video- parlors , libraries and open spaces act as recreational spots and provide amusement to the people of any residential areas with the increase of urbanization all these recreational spots -• ■ ...... played an important role in socio cultural development of any region. The parks, playgrounds in particular show a maximum humanization of natural landscape and serve as the lungs of the urban community as a whole (Singh, 1955). Open spaces are equally important for all city ands towns because a residential area without open spaces like gardens, courtyards and playgrounds is almost inconceivable. Similarly a religious place without open spaces, a shopping center without its plaza and a school without its playground cannot be imagined (Dhar, 1969).
Parks: Although all the planned industrial town ships of Durgapur have small parks and playgrounds in more or less every sector and neighborhood . But outside the planned areas such park either do not exist or quite inadequate in size which are considered essential for healthy living.
Kumar Mangalam Park Nehru Shishu Kendra and the Deer Park maintained by Asansol Durgapur Development Authority near City Center are important. Most of these
485 parks include afforestation blocks, flowering beds, lake, boathouse children’s comer, artificial hillocks miniature zoo, toy train and others.
Play Grounds: Although playgrounds are quite common in whole the study region, they are generally attached to schools and colleges but are sometime also used by the public to serve many other community needs. Such as used for public meetings, occasional gathering open-air yatra or theatre, particularly at the occasion like Durga Puja, when drama, musical arrangement and other cultural activities are made.
Except Nehru, Stadium and Sidhu Kannu Indoor Stadium in Durgapur city Bahula, Kajora and Khandra towns of Ondal police station have their own small stadium for recreation and cultural activities.
Present days cricket tournament, football match, volleyball and other competition have also great attraction in these stadiums but at the eastern sector of Durgapur in Kaksa police-station area has no such stadium or auditorium, although there are ample open spaces.
Community Halls and Auditorium: Community halls and auditorium are quite common in the planned industrial townships of Durgapur. Rabindra Bhavan, Netaji Bhavan, Deshbandhu Bhavan and Bidhan Bhavan are leading community centers of the Steel Township. Not only these centers have well maintained library but they also cater to amenities as regular film shows, drama and other cultural functions, various indoor games and out door games facilities and also have gymnasium for physical fitness. Durgapur Thermal Power Station is also helped to built some community hall and auditorium in its peripheral villages like Pursha, Angadpur, Arjunpur and Raturia whereas Eastern Coal field is also developed auditorium in Ukhra, Khandra and other towns in coal mining sector of this study region. Table - 8.2 indicates the trend of growth of various recreational centers at Durgapur sub division.
486 Stadium for local sports and recreation located at the Moira Village. Table-8.2 Growth of Recreational Centers at Durgapur Sub division Year Auditorium/Drama/Community Halls Stadium 1951 -- 1961 2 - 1971 11 1 1981 14 5 7 1991 15
2001 15 7 Source - Compiled from Census of India - District Census Handbook - Barddhaman (1951- 91) and Sub divisional Office, Durgapur 2004.
All these community halls and auditoriums are carried large number of cultural activities. They also provide the basic facilities for holding performance or staging shows and their main object is to improve the socio cultural atmosphere of the surrounding region.
Nowadays cinema hall and video parlor are the most popular and cheapest form of commercial recreations available in the study region. According to UNESCO report, in India more than ninety - five lakhs people go to the cinema hall in every day at present.
Cinema Halls: The cinema halls are usually situated along important roads in the middle zone of the compact settlement so that this could attract large number of cine-goers from the surrounding region. Though cinema houses do not form a zone, theirfoosthen at convenient locations produces congestion particularly over crowding of the main though fares at the beginning and closing of different shows. Table - 8.3 indicates the trend of the development of cinema halls in Durgapur sub division. In addition, it was observed during fieldwork that most of the cinema halls are located in the urban areas.
487 Cinema-hall is another mode of entertainment.
Video-parlor located at the remote Village Gopalpur. 1 Table-8.3 Growth of Cinema Halls in Durgapur Sub division Year No of Cinema Houses Sitting Capacity 1951 - - 1961 3 1221 1971 7 3525 1981 12 9000 1991 14 10,293 2001 15 10,614
Source - Compiled from Census of India - District Census Handbook - Barddhaman (1951- 91) and Sub divisional Office - Durgapur 2004.
Video Parlour: Now video culture has spread intensively all over the study region due to its easy availability and cheaper rate. Small video parlour is growing in the convenient location in midst of five-six villages, as it is cheaper from more distant cinema halls. People gathered according to show time. Table - 8.4 shows that forty video parlours which are scattered all over the region. The villages where electricity is not available, battery set or generator is dS usec^substitute of power.
Observation reveals, as the primary cost of the video parlour is less than cinema its number is increasing day by day and this video culture has greater impact especially upon the rural areas of the study region.
Table - 8.4 Increasing of Trends of Video-Parlor Durgapur Sub-division Year Number 1981 25 No. of Video Parlour 1991 33 2001 40 Source - Sub divisional Office - Durgapur (2004).
488 Libraries and Reading Rooms: iS Library is the storehouse of knowledge and itAalso an important parameter of the socio cultural development of any region.
Except Durgapur sub divisional library at Bhiringi which previously known as Bhiringi Village Library, City Central Library and City Center Information Center library are the most important libraries of Durgapur subdivision.
There are 26 government-sponsored libraries a£,.; in Durgapur subdivision, financed and managed by the State Government. They are mainly located in the rural areas of this subdivision. Most of these libraries were established after Independence. The rural library scheme of the government; provides for the improvement and proper management of some existing village libraries with government grants. A rural library may also be started de novo, government making non-recurring grants towards building books and equipments, the local bearing a suitable matching share to supplement the government grant.
Besides the Government, managed libraries there are 20 registered libraries mostly in the rural areas and almost all of them are managed and financed by local bodies. Community Development Block wise they are distributed as follows: - Ondal-8 (serving nearly 25,650 people), Faridpur-Durgapur-6 (serving nearly 28,000 people) and Kanksa- 6(serving nearly 12,000people) as per table - 8.5.More over there are 26 free reading rooms all over Durgapur subdivision.
Table - 8.5 Libraries and Reading Rooms of Durgapur Sub division
No. Category Year-2001 1 Government Sponsored Libraries 26 2 Public Libraries 20 3 Free Reading Rooms 26
Source: - District Library Officer - Barddhaman 2001.
489 A view of City Centre Library located at Durgapur.
A rural library located in Village Andalgram Except this, there are large number of public libraries and staff library attached with most of the industries and every office of the Durgapur region.
Since 1960, Durgapur Steel Plant, the giant industrial set up of this steel city has its own public library. In addition, each of the community center of the steel township provides library facilities to the township dwellers.
The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute in Durgapur which from beginning alone added nearly 15,000 public publications to its collection and received more than 1200 current periodicals. Documentation service organized to cater for the information needs of the research of the institute.
Special mentioned should be Anurupa Debi Smriti Pathagar - the biggest public library of the Durgapur Steel Township was established in 1959. Its new building contains a spacious free reading room with a back feed of more than 18,000 books. Annual function of this library attracts thousands and quenches their cultural thirst.
Before establishment of Anurupa Debi Smriti Pathagar another mobile public libraryA;ms started its function from 1956 - Kiran Library of Durgapur Project Limited Colony. This mobile library is still in existing and maintaining its legacy with more than 4000 books in store.
Inspired by the above libraries, large number of neighbouring villages of present Durgapur city established their own small public library mainly affiliated their own village club. viz. - Nachhan village of Faridpur - Durgapur police station, Panagah village of K^ksa police station, and Andalgram village of Ondal police station etc. They also
arranged various social and cultural functions and have some other recreational facilities.
The main objective of all these libraries is to cater the cultural needs of their own locality in various ways, which is being fulfilled gradually. Trends of library and reading room development in Durgapur sub division is shown in table - 8.6.
490 Table-8.6 Trend of Library and Reading Room Development in Durgapur Sub division Year No of Libraries Reading Room
1951 2 1 1961 4 2 1971 13 13 1981 35 21 1991 43 26 2001 47 35
Source: - i) Compiled from Census of India-Bardhaman-(1951-1991) ii) Sub divisional Office
As observed from the data presented in above table, there is gradual, increase! of libraries and reading rooms with rapid urbanization.
News Paper and Periodicals: - Before industrialization period, there had been no evidence of printing press in Durgapur region.
First published literary magazine was ‘Arghya’ in 1958 followed by ‘Swagata’ in 1959, which maintained its tradition of publication still today. The most of the newspapers and magazines were started their publication from late 60’s.
“Ispat Sramik’ main spokesman of the Hindustan Steel Employer Union, not only inspired the permanent employees, labors and casual labours of the Durgapur Steel Plant but also the farmers of the surrounding villages.
It has also greater impact on the awakening of the socio-economical consciousness of the worker and farmer class of this region.
Trend of the Newspaper and periodical published from Durgapur subdivision is reflected on the table - 8.7
491 Table-8.7 Trends of Newspapers and Periodicals Published in Durgapur Sub division Durgapur Sub Daily Weekly Fort-Nightly Monthly Casually Division [others] 1951 - -- - - 1961 -- - 1 1971 - 1 - 2 1 1981 - 3 - 2 3 1991 - 5 - 3 6 2001 - 7 1 6 6 Source: - Sub divisional Office - Durgapur.
Although above table shows, there is increase of all type of newspaper and periodical publication but no daily publication found in this study region.
Entertainment Facilities Relaxation is vital for individuals. Today cinema and video are the good attraction. Besides listening to the radio and viewing television, as its advent is comparatively new in the remote village areas of this region are good draws. The relative position of the eight forms of entertainment among the different sectors of the population can be gauged from the table - 8.8 to 8.16 presented below.
492 Table-8.8 Listen to Radio [in %] Category Within Durgapur city Nearby Slums Adjoining Near & Far & far limit towns villages nearest most Planned Outside villages villages industrial the townships planned industrial townships Urban influence Slums Ru-urban Rural Yes 48.67 57.54 68.00 76.00 81.48 84.89 85.67 (73) (187) (68) (19) (88) (382) (293)
No 51.33 42.46 32.00 24.00 18.52 15.11 14.33 (77) (138) (32) (6) (20) (68) (49)
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 (150) (325) (100) (25) (108) (450) (342) [Source - Field Survey]
Listening radio is most common entertainment (Table - 8.8) which is highest at the remote villages (85.67%), whereas it is lowest in the planned industrial township (48.67%), may be comparatively leading fast life in the urban area than rural one.
493 Table-8.9 Often go to Cinema Or Watching Video [in%] Category Within Durgapur city Nearby Slums Adjoining Near & Far & far limit towns villages nearest most Planned Outside villages villages industrial the townships planned industrial townships Urban influence Slums Ru-urban Rural Yes 64.00 52.99 58.00 84.00 75.00 68.44 57.02 (96) (172) (58) (21) (81) (308) (195)
No 36.00 47.01 42.00 16.00 25.00 31.56 42.98 (54) (153) (42) ' (4) (27) (142) (147)
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 (150) (325) (100) (25) (108) (450) (342) [Source - Field Survey]
Visiting a cinema or watching a movie in video both is popular now days in the study region. Cinema or video habit is evenly spread in Durgapur city limit and nearby towns. It is highest in slum (84%) and slightly less in adjoining villages. But the 68.44 percent people from the near villages seem to flock the cinema houses most, while 57.02 percent of people from the far villages visit to the cinema, perhaps due to distance and communication problems.
494 Table-8.10 View Television [in %]
Category Within Durgapur city Nearby Slums Adjoining Near & Far & far limit towns villages* nearest most Planned Outside villages villages industrial the townships planned industrial townships Urban influence Slums Ru-urban Rural Yes 92.00 83.38 71.00 32.00 30.56 43.33 37.72 (138) (271) (71) (8) (33) (195) (129)
No 8.00 16.62 29.00 68.00 69.44 56.67 62.28 (12) (54) (29) (17) (75) (255) (213)
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 (150) (325) (100) (25) (108) (450) (342) [Source - Field Survey]
Both black and white and colored televisions have the biggest attraction in this study region and are considers i as status symbol. In urban sector, number of television viewer is larger in compare to the rural area (Table - 8.10). The slums reveal 32 percent, where television antenna struts out of hutments. The percentage of television viewers is much lower in adjoining villages (30.56%) category may be lack of electrification is one of the causes. Even in far and distant villages (37.72%), television has invaded the entertainment sector.
* No electricity is available in some of the villages up to the time of the field survey.
495 Dish antennas amidst rural areas bring change to the people’s cultural life.
Watching television is another new entertainment mode in the rural area. Table-8.11 Club Mindedness [in %]
Category Within Durgapur city Nearby Slums Adjoining Near & Far & far limit towns villages nearest most Planned Outside the villages villages industrial planned townships industrial townships Urban influence Slums Ru-urban Rural Regularly 71.00 30.72 49.33 60.00 58.33 46.00 39.18 visits (107) (100) (49) (15) (63) (207) (134)
Doesn’t 29.00 69.28 50.67 40.00 41.67 54.00 60.82 visit (43) (225) (51) (10) (45) (243) (208) regularly
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 (150) (325) (100) (25) (108) (450) (342) [Source - Field Survey]
There are several unregistered different type and size of local clubs all over the Durgapur region. They cater to the recreation of members, a small clientele, and the educated elite or for the common people of the study region.
At present, there are 239 registered clubs within the city limit of Durgapur, serving more than 115,000 people approximately. Table - 8.11shows that maximum number of people is visited to the club regularly from planned industrial townships (71.00%), whereas lowest figure reached 30.72 percent, which is from outside the planned industrial townships.
496 Modern club located in Durgapur with various recreational facilities.
Zamindar house located at the Village Nadiha-remnant of past cultural heritage Table-8.12 Participate in Sports [in %] Category Within Durgapur city Nearby Slums Adjoining Near & Far & far limit towns villages nearest most Planned Outside villages villages industrial the townships planned industrial townships Urban influence Slums Ru-urban Rural Yes 31.33 28.29 68.00 72.00 48.15 39.11 47.66 (47) (91) (68) (18) (52) (176) (163)
No 68.67 71.71 32.00 28.00 51.85 60.89 52.34 (103) (234) (32) (07) (56) (274) (179)
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 (150) (325) (100) (25) (108) (450) (342) [Source - Field Survey]
Sports or physical exercise is the important part of our cultural life. It appears from the table - 8.12 highest percentages of participants in sports is from slum areas (72%). Whereas the lowest participants in physical activities are from the outside the planned industrial townships (28.29%). Others are in between this range.
497 Table-8.13 Participate in Cultural Program [in %] Category Within Durgapur city Nearby Slums Adjoining Near & Far & limit towns villages nearest far most Planned Outside the villages villages industrial planned townships industrial townships Cultural Urban influence Slums Ru-urban Rural Program: Song/Dance/ Drama/Music etc. Yes 36.67 31.08 81.00 56.00 61.11 32.00 34.80 (55) (101) (81) (14) (66) (144) (119)
No 63.33 68.92 29.00 44.00 38.89 68.09 65.20 (95) (224) (29) (ID (42) (306) (223)
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 (150) (325) (100) (25) (108) (450) (342) [Source - Field Survey]
From the fieldwork, the author came to know that the different communities, clubs, and cultural organizations hold various types of cultural programi ~ Various types of songs, dance, drama etc. are common features. According to table - 8.13 highest number of participants are found in the nearby towns 81 per cent followed by adjacent villages 61.11 percent. Lowest participants are from the outside planned industrial townships (31.08%).
498 Table - 8.14 Go to Library [in %]
Category Within Durgapur city Nearby Slums Adjoining Near & Far & far limit towns villages nearest most Planned Outside the villages villages industrial planned townships industrial townships Urban influence Slums Ru-urban Rural Regularly 60.00 40.62 54.00 8.00 46.30 22.22 12.28 visits (90) (132) (64) (2) (50) (100) (42)
Doesn’t 40.00 59.38 46.00 92.00 53.70 77.78 87.72 visit (60) (193) (46) (23) (58) (350) (300) regularly
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 (150) (325) (100) (25) (108) (450) (342) [Source - Field Survey]
Library, which is considered as a storehouse of knowledge, is getting importance in rural areas day by day. Although field survey shows percentage of readers are greater in number in urban sector than rural one. Even slum also attracted 8 percent of people in library regularly (Table - 8.14).
Observation reveals most of the libraries through detail catalogues trying to cover up to date information, records, reports current books, periodicals and magazines. Trend of social awareness is increased along the people in the study region. Even remote villages also covered 12.28 percent of regular visited readers in the nearby libraries. Adult Literacy Program also introduced in some rural libraries of this region.
499 Table-8.15 Reading Habit [in %] Category Within Durgapur city Nearby Slums Adjoining Near & Far & far limit towns villages nearest most Planned Outside the villages villages industrial planned townships industrial townships Urban influence Slums Ru-urban Rural Never 2.67 4.00 5.00 68.00 23.15 22.44 38.89 read (4) (13) (5) (17) (25) (101) (133)
Occasiona 4.00 7.69 3.00 20.00 43.52 42.89 47.08 lly read (6) (25) (3) (5) (47) (193) (161)
Regularly 44.00 53.54 48.00 8.00 25.93 33.78 13.74 read- (66) (174) (48) (2) (28) (152) (47) Bengali
Regularly 24.67 22.78 20.00 0.00 4.63 0.89 0.29 red - (37) (74) (20) (0) (5) (4) (1) English
Regularly 13.33 9.23 18.00 4.00 1.85 0.00 0.00 read- (20) (30) (18) (1) (2) (0) (0) Hindi
Regularly 8.00 2.45 5.00 0.00 0.92 0.00 0.00 read- (12) (8) (5) (0) (1) (0) (0) Other Regional languages
Read 3.33 0.31 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 other (5) (1) (1) (0) (0) (0) (0) Foreign languages
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 (150) (325) (100) (25) (108) (450) (342) [Source - Field Survey]
500 Reading Habits Reading habit is very common in some places of study region (Table - 8.15) that is 97.33 percent in the planned industrial townships. While in the other hand it is only 61.11 percent in the far and far most villages, which would be accounted for by less literacy in the rural sample. Besides reading news papers and magazines is more of an urban habit. 53.54 percent of outside planned industrial townships sample regularly read Bengali medium papers or books, and 24.67 percent of planned industrial townships, go far English papers and magazines. Both are standing for the highest percentages within urban influences and the whole region also. In compare to this figure 13.74 percent of far and far most villages of rural sector read Bengali papers or books indicating that the habit is slowly entrenched within suburban and rural population also, but only 0.29 percent of people of this rural unit read English papers or magazine daily. Other regional languages and foreign languages papers and magazines are mainly confined within the urban sector. In general, the urge to be acquainted with local and Indian news is well spread in the whole region.
Table-8.16 Newspaper Reading [in %]
Category Within Durgapur city Nearby Slums Adjoining Near & Far & far limit towns villages nearest most Planned Outside the villages villages industrial planned townships industrial townships Urban influence Slums Ru-urban Rural Regularly 67.33 31.38 39.00 8.00 29.63 22.22 17.54 read (101) (102) (39) (2) (32) (100) (60)
Occasiona 24.67 35.69 37.00 28.00 37.96 33.11 35.09 lly read (37) (116) (37) (7) (41) (149) (120)
Never 8.00 32.93 24.00 64.00 32.41 44.67 47.37 read (12) (107) (24) (16) (35) (201) (162)
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 (150) (325) (100) (25) (108) (450) (342) [Source - Field Survey]
501 Newspaper is one of the important media of communication to get news from all over the world. Although present day radio, television and latest computer website are more powerful media but in rural India still newspaper is the important one.
There is no doubt that regular reading newspaper is an urban culture , but the field data reveals nearly 18 percent of the people of the far and far most villages also go through the newspaper, where as average 8 percent of the slum dwellers tried to maintain this habit . Which on the other words reflect that increasing trend of social consciousness of the mass people in Durgapur region.
Trend of Change There is no denying the importance of industrialization and inevitable of the consequential urbanization. Industrialization has transformed the traditional culture of the society.
Presently the culture of the Durgapur and surrounding region is facing an acute crisis of its identity and it is the need of the time to preserve them otherwise they will/vipe off from our life.
Influx of people from different comers of the country in this region has led to a cock tail culture . The rural people as come in contact with fast leading city life they have been quick to imitate city folk in dress and other external manifestations and even the aboriginal youths are knowing/j or unknowingly forgetting their own cultural heritage . Deep among themselves they cling to age old tradition , customs and manners . They are fond of letting themselves to go on ceremonial and festive occasions for which they have a wide repertoire in music and dance.
From the close observation during field study it^ found that traditional folk culture of this region is invaded by the television and video culture. Passing time by watching movie or trash video film in leisure time is far more attractive to
502 young generation than playing traditional song and music with dance. Trying to follow more western culture is harmful for the rural society.
Displacement of people from their original homeland has also contributed a lot in cultural erosion .
Therefore, the traditional cultural life of rural society is in great distress. A joint venture of governmental, non-govemmental agencies and individual well wishers can only save the culture of this locality from rapid erosion.
503