Mangeram Goswami

Out here in Matnaura, Babugarh, near Hapur, things are a lot quieter than the big cities. My name is Mangeram Goswami and I’ve lived and worked in this area my whole life. The address is simple because everyone around here knows where everyone else is. We deal with the land and the local needs of the village. It’s a rural setting, so our days are governed by the weather and the seasons more than anything else. You might see some cows passing by or a tractor rumbling down the dirt path outside. My workplace is just a small room with some basic furniture and a lot of registers. I spend time talking to the farmers and the local people about their daily concerns. It’s not the kind of place where you’ll find computers everywhere or high-speed internet that works all the time. We rely on face-to-face talk and a handshake. The air is better out here, even if the dust gets on everything when it’s dry. Sometimes the power goes out for half the day, so we just sit outside in the shade and wait for it to come back. It’s a simple way of living. We don't have a website or fancy brochures. If you need me, you just come to the house or find me in the fields. It’s honest, slow-paced work that suits this part of Uttar Pradesh. I like the quiet evenings best.