Changing Climate in Rurban areas (Rural + Urban)

“Only change is stable…”

Nothing is stable. Everything changes and tends to change. The only thing which is stable is the ‘change’. With the changing pace of today’s life, our style of living has also changed and has been changed. Our way of dressing, eating, thinking, executing things, have changed. In every field, change is visible as a common phenomenon.

All of us are visualizing these changes every day. Such a changing climate is witnessed significantly in the rurban areas. Rurban areas are those areas which bear some traits of the rural as well as of the urban areas. Rurban areas are the amalgamation of two different worlds.

Generally, rurban areas are formed in the periphery of the towns and cities. So, in such areas, the adaptation of new living styles and standards is more prominent. Rapid development in the industrial realm has attracted people of rural areas towards the urban world and the pace of this mobilization is increasing day by day. The consequence of this is clearly evident. Today, they (rurban people) have new challenges, new life, a new society, and new culture as well. Culture is an umbrella term. It is a very interesting and it has nothing to do with our religion and caste (as many of us have such preconceived concept and they simply relate culture and religion). Culture is created and renovated by the people belonging to a certain group.

The term ‘climate’ is mentioned here as the adaption of a new culture is not an overnight process. The changing trend is observed in the realm of fashion, food, business, etc. A big transformation is seen in the fashion world. People in the rurban areas tend to leave their old style of fashion and adopt the dressing sense of the urban people and hence a cross-culture becomes evident. Sometimes, a new style of fashion born out of this mix-cultural attitude, which becomes an idiosyncrasy of this section of people. Establishment of shopping malls is a common trend of changing phenomenon in rurban areas which provide the rurban people a new experience in the realm of shopping.

Another significant product of this mixed culture in the rurban areas is the drastic change in the food habits and food-culture among the people. New food hubs with the crisp and delicacy of the urban food habits grow incessantly which leads to a dramatic change in the business of a variety of foods. Restaurants, cafeterias are very familiar names in the rurban areas. Another change is seen among the business communities. Various unique and new businesses evolve in order to satisfy the newly emerging needs of the rurban people. One of the most demanding businesses is the real estate business. Demands and values of lands also increase dramatically. Another new scenario is the growth of various new educational, as well as professional institutes in such areas as student communities, move from the rural to these semi-town, sub-urban or rurban areas for getting access to new, unconventional, and broader avenues of a bigger world. Other organizations, like hospitals, nursing homes, sports clubs also evolve. Another very interesting arena is the setting up of entertainment zones, like cinema-hall, game-zones for kids, recreational-parks, etc.

Rurban areas face various challenges, yet they are exposed to a lot of new opportunities. Rurban areas are growing rapidly in our country and rurban people are seen to be so enthusiastic to work in different and tough situations. Though striving of rural people to embrace the urban lifestyles and cultures is a common phenomenon, but, in this process of embracing and adapting urban lifestyles a new world is created unknowingly which is pretty interesting to evident, and this world is the rurban world.

The rurban world is that point where two different ends meet and thus it is unique in itself. Borrowing contrasting and different cultures and styles from two contrasting worlds (rural and urban) and presenting mix-culture with a new flavor is the most interesting feature of the rurban world.



Written by Dhiraj Medhi
A Masters student in Linguistics and Endangered Languages, Dhiraj is fond of writing, singing and playing instruments. He wishes to create a positive atmosphere in the society through this writings and music.