'We are ahead in knowledge and behind in progress'

"As a country we have so much knowledge and so little progress," says Tikam Yadav. He has completed his higher secondary certificate exam and is studying computers in Bhopal. His village is located 50 kilometres from the state capital and he travels 100 km every day to study.

"I don't mind traveling to college here. I will do my BCA and then MCA. What I mind is traveling out of my village to do my higher secondary school. Can't the government start a higher secondary school in my village? We only have a high school till Class 10," says Yadav who belongs to Barkheda village in Hoshangabad district.

He is a first time voter and says he will vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party as his family are BJP supporters. "Manmohan Singh is a good man, I don't doubt that but I will still vote for the BJP."

"One party rule is not good. We should always have a coalition at the Centre. The national party and regional party will complement each other. Every state in the country gets attention when small parties get together to form a government."

In his village the biggest problem is power. "We have power for only 8 hours and go without it for 16 hours."

His hopes from the government are in two fields. "Employment and education has to improve. Even Bhopal lags behind Mumbai and Delhi in institutions of excellence in higher education. It's the same country. We are ahead in knowledge and behind in progress."

"We should use our knowledge to improve our society, which is not happening now. I will never go abroad to work. I will work here in India."

He has two brothers at home and two sisters who have married and left home. His father Chandrava Yadav is a railway employee.

Text, photograph: A Ganesh Nadar