The Right Way

With India’s population currently over 1.1 billion the competition for any kind of business is stiff. Sometimes this unfortunately means that people will do whatever it takes to get ahead, often at the expense of others or the environment. When we traveled to the northern Punjab territory it was nice to see that it sometimes goes the other way as well. Mr. Singh, owner of Virasat Haveli in Rajewal, Punjab just outside of Amritsar, conducts the business of his home the right way. As is the custom in India, when Mr. Singh’s father retired he handed his holdings over to his sons, the eldest taking the city business and Mr. Singh taking over the old farm house. He now splits his time between the countryside farm and his home and own business in the city. Normally maintaining a country property like this would be very expensive to pay security and maintenance, but instead, he has a mutually beneficial relationship with many people from the village in which everyone profits from the place.

When you get to the Virasat Haveli you will have a warm welcome from a plethora of people who work there, mostly in the kitchen. Although Mr. Singh gets some of the profit when there are paying guests for the night, the restaurant (which serves some of the best food we’ve had in India) profits all are shared amongst the villagers running it, Mr. Singh takes nothing. His hotel patrons get great food and an enhanced experience, and Mr. Singh has the added benefit of more people there to help with the upkeep and make it a success, not the other way around.

He takes a similar approach with his fields of wheat, potatoes and other crops. Pesticides which are very detrimental to the environment are also costly. It would cost him 1,000 rupees to apply the pesticides to his fields, but instead he goes the organic route. He takes those 1,000 rupees he saves by not applying chemicals and keeps it in the community. Village girls come over after school to pull the weeds and get their pocket money for the week.

It is interesting that at least the second mutually beneficial relationship Mr. Singh has with the villagers, with the local girls, would never go over in the US. It would be considered exploitation of child labor, or something else would not be ok with it. But at least under the circumstances that it is, everyone is doing well by everyone else- the money stays in the community, tourists get the chance to get an authentic experience of a rural Indian village, the environment is improved through his organic practices and many people are employed. If you ask us, Mr. Singh is doing things the right way and would be great if others would model themselves after him- we certainly loved our experience there, a highlight of our time in India!