Kabir Basti holds the distinction of being not only the first Gramdani village in Jaisalmer district but also in Rajasthan. This village still boasts remarkable achievements in 100% literacy and women’s education. Many people from this settlement of approximately 200 families are employed in various government services.
Jaisalmer – Kabir Basti in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan, which embodies Saint Kabirdas’s message of labor, equality, self-reliance, and social harmony, is struggling today despite its historical identity and lacks basic amenities. This village, once known as ‘Gandhi’s Thana’ and proud to be Rajasthan’s first Gramdani village, is awaiting the revival of drinking water, roads, irrigation, and the Khadi industry.
With the support of freedom fighters Manikyalal Verma, Gokul Bhai Bhatt, Siddharaj Dhadda, Ganga Singh Mohta, and local social workers Bhagwandas Maheshwari, Govardhan Kalla, Lalchand Joshi, Tarachand Jagani, and Satyadev Vyas, Dalit activists Amolkaram, Chandaram, and Khushalaram envisioned a self-sufficient, ideal village based on khadi. Toward this end, the foundation of Kabir Basti was laid on March 3, 1961, by settling 27 Meghwal families from Parewar village. At that time, the goal was to provide housing, water, agriculture, and employment to every family.
Kabir Basti quickly became an important center for khadi production. The Kabir Basti Khadi Producer Cooperative Society, established here, provided employment to approximately 250 weavers and 5,000 spinners from 11 villages. Annual woolen khadi production worth approximately 30 lakh rupees and sales of 35 to 37 lakh rupees became the village’s hallmark. Pattu, Hirawal, Bardi, Chunari, and ladies’ shawls produced here were exported nationwide. But today, this glorious tradition is almost extinct, and the Khadi industry awaits revival.
South Asians and Diaspora
Kabir Basti’s achievements attracted national attention. On August 10, 1985, the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, visited the village and highlighted its unique identity by calling it “Gandhi’s Thana.” Several MPs and national-level representatives had also visited the village before. This village is also notable for 100% literacy and women’s education. Many people from this settlement of approximately 200 families are employed in government services.
Family
The village’s biggest problem is water and infrastructure. Efforts to implement lift irrigation and khadi-based agriculture have not achieved the desired success. Drinking water is a constant problem during the summer. Villagers also report that a pipeline for industrial use passes through the area, but the village has not received the expected benefits. Heavy vehicles damaged roads, and local residents did not receive adequate compensation. Villagers have been awaiting solutions to these issues for a long time.
The Incomplete Story of Development
During a visit to Kabir Basti in 2020, villagers shared several long-pending demands. Their key expectations included granting Kabir Basti Gram Panchayat status, providing a permanent agricultural base by connecting it to a canal distributary, providing working capital to the Khadi Committee, a Khadi sales center in Jaisalmer city, a community health center, a modern Khadi and Village Industries Training Center, an RO plant, sewerage, playgrounds, stadiums, and tree plantation projects, expanding inhabited land, constructing ponds and canals, and expanding road and mobile network coverage. Villagers say that most of these demands remain unfulfilled.
Geographical Context
The village’s biggest problem is water and infrastructure. Efforts to implement lift irrigation and khadin-based agriculture have failed to achieve the desired success, and a drinking water crisis persists during the summer. Villagers allege that a pipeline for industrial use passed through the area, but the village did not receive the expected benefits. Heavy vehicles damaged roads, and local residents did not receive adequate compensation.
Villagers say that Kabir Jayanti is not only an occasion to remember the saint’s couplets, but also a day to put his ideals into practice. They have appealed to the government, administration, public representatives, and society to work together to develop Kabir Basti to its full glory. Only then will this settlement named after Kabir truly be meaningful.
Dr. Deepak Acharya
The author is a retired officer from the post of Joint Director of the Rajasthan Information and Public Relations Department and has a deep interest in Indian culture and literature.
Courtesy: Hindi News