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Transcript

Hello friends, in the second week of this course, we made an attempt to understand the dimensions, processes of extension and the process of program development, and program planning process. In the third week we will be discussing about the pre-independence extension programs. Basically these extension programs are intended to introduce certain changes in the rural life of India. The era of, the century of 1800 has witnessed good number of serial droughts. In the entire 1800-1900, in 100 years there were 33 severe droughts, the century has seen. Between 1875-1901 there were 18 severe droughts, the India has witnessed. Because of these things so there was an essential element of change that needs to be introduced in the entire country, in different parts of the country because of the grim situation. Before coming to this point, so when look at the concept of change and development that is essential to be introduced in the Indian context.

Witnesses that why we needed to have these development programs. But when we look into the historical aspects, the Indian villages were self-reliant, self-sustained and self-governed. This entire system was destabilized by various invaders the Indian subcontinent has seen over a period of around 7- 800 years. And at the end of that the severe droughts what I tried to explain. So that changed the entire situation in the country. And there was need for deliberate intervention of extension programs so that we can bring back the normalcy in the life of the rural population. So with that objective we started with these programs, wherein in this class we will be discussing about two important programs, that is rural reconstruction scheme and Shantiniketan attempt. Coming to the rural reconstruction scheme launched in the year 1903 by Sir Daniel Hamilton. This program was implemented in eastern part of the country in the province of Bengal. In that period so the states were in the form of the provinces. Eastern province, Central province, Southern province, Western province like that, the program we are discussing about is, in the Eastern province. That was in the province of Bengal.

The program that was launched was the rural reconstruction scheme with the objective to create model villages based on the cooperative principle. The principle of cooperative becomes more essential in Indian context. Looking into the Indian condition, the simple logic behind that exists is, majority of the holdings in the subcontinent are small and marginal. Under such circumstances the small level of landholdings, the farmer does not get the bargaining power in the market with the small quantities of the produce. What he is going to get out of those small landholdings. Just to combat this particular situation, the principles of cooperatives were brought into the picture. And to address that Sir Daniel Hamilton started with the Central Cooperative Bank and cooperative marketing societies. The idea behind establishment of the Central Cooperative Bank was to make available the financial input for the target communities in an easy way. So that the local moneylenders and their subsequent exploitation can be overcome by establishment of these local cooperative banks. So that was the idea behind.

Then establishment of the marketing societies on the basis of cooperative principles to combat the distress sale in the market as well as to get the better bargaining power for the primary producers. So this was the basic idea behind that. And to achieve this particular objective, Rural Reconstruction Institute was established in the year 1934 for imparting training in the cottage and subsidiary industries. So that there can be the diversified activities in addition to agriculture. So that income level of the farmers can be increased and we can bring in the change. So here the question remains is. So is it that, the local communities and the farming communities. Don’t they have the ability to understand and make use of their own resources and introduce the changes what they are in need of. Do we need an external agency to do that? The situation that emerged in that particular situation demanded some external intervention and that is how the then governments which were in power tried to make such deliberate attempts so that we can bring in the changes. Even though this rural reconstruction scheme could not in much result. But it created an impact that coming together is the beginning, and working together will lead to the collective power as well as to introduce the change.

One another experiment conducted by Sir Rabindranath Tagoreji. Nobel laureate, poet, painter, freedom fighter, novelist. There are so many attributes associated with Rabindranath Tagoreji, in addition to his philanthropic work. Then in the context of agriculture and allied sciences. Apart from establishing an university for imparting education, focusing on women empowerment, women education and all those things. But in addition to that he made some deliberate attempts to see certain deliberate changes in the context of agriculture and allied sciences. The objectives of the program that is known as the Shantiniketan attempt or the Sriniketan attempt by Rabindranath Tagore include, to create a real interest in people for rural welfare work. So we all talk about the rural welfare but are we really interested in that. This is situation number one. This type of situation existed way back hundred years back. And even today the situation is prevailing. And if at all I like to take up that I understand the situation, that is existing in that particular locality. And based on that I will be developing my interest in that. That is why he motivated the people to take up real interest in the rural welfare work.

Then to study the rural problems and to translate conclusions into actions. We can go on enlisting the problems after problems. Situation after situation that are prevailing in the rural areas. But are we really interested in translating the conclusions into actions. The conclusions that we are referring to are part of the program planning process. The program which has been prepared after analyzing the existing situation. Now its implementation needs the committed group of individuals. Committed group of individuals. That too with all disadvantages. We are working for the disadvantageous communities. So how can we implement this particular program. So that was another important aspect of program launch by Rabindranath Tagoreji. Then to help the villagers develop their own resources. So before development of the resources, there is need to identify resources that are existing in your own region. May it be the human resource, may it be water resource, may it be the land resource, or may it be various other resources. Then you develop on that, so that you can respect and you can enhance the existing resources.

Then the another objective of the program launch by Rabindranath Tagore include, improvement of the village sanitation. Exactly after about 110 years after we are working on the improvement of the village sanitation. And this was visualized by the visionaries like Rabindranath Tagore. You can realize the importance of this. The modus-operandi that was adopted by Rabindranath Tagore include, what is the methodology, how the objectives were met and to achieve the development. The first one was to, he organized and motivated you because that is what is the promising future of the country. Enough emphasis was given on organization of the youth. The moment they start working together. So then obviously we start getting the results. So that was the basic thing. Then development of the village leadership which is considered as panacea for all rural problems. So the youth power which is entering into the village for introduction of the change is intended to develop the village leadership, which in turn in the long run strategically is going to address the problems of the rural communities for ever. So that was the basic idea and modus-operandi of the program launched by Rabindranath Tagore. And he emphasized on self-help is the best help. How I can help myself or one can help himself is by initiating the activities which are required by his own community, by his own family, his own surroundings, his own environment. On his own, with the help of himself as well as the community, that in which that he is living with.

May be to begin with, we need the external support. But in the longer run, the individual, the group, the community has to come together to address the problem. Because the external forces or the external agencies, the institutions which are providing you the services have their own limitations. So this was another learning that we can have from this particular program. Establishment of the dairy to supply milk and better milch animals. Since the historical period, agriculture and the animal husbandry are the enterprises which are coming together. Both are having the symbiotic relationship. And that is how they are being identified as agriculture and allied enterprises. So in addition to the emphasis on agriculture. So enough emphasis was given on animal husbandry also, so that there is regular income for the farmers. Then emphasis was on the women empowerment and they created a class of women functionaries named ‘Brati Balika’. Training of the women for taking up the developmental activities was one aspect, and training them to act as a volunteer to take up the developmental activities, so that was another aspect. Both these were leading towards the empowering the women, wayback in a century ago.

Then special emphasis on the literacy program for the rural population. So we have moved a long way from literacy programs. So when we got independence hardly so few people were educated and literate. But now the current literacy levels are reaching around 80% of the population is having literacy with some of the states, which have already achieved 100% literacy like the Mizoram and the Kerala. And good number of states are nearing to that 100% achievement of literacy rates. The efforts started 100 years back. More than 100 years back, now yielding better results. So that the formal education, the literacy levels are going to enhance the developmental issues. Both these programs, specially the Shantiniketan program with the basic issue of lack of funds, the much efforts could not be done. And this program could not be extended to the larger area. The entire concentration of these efforts was concentrating in a cluster of 8 villages, because the entire program was planned, conceived and implemented by Rabindranath Tagoreji with his own financial inputs, because of which so he could not extend much support to the wider areas, and further research could not be taken up in this particular area. And it could not develop much leadership among the communities. And over a period of time the experiment came to a standstill.

But there are still a good number of take home messages from these experiments. Coming to conclusion of these two programs, which were implemented in eastern part of the country. The first one is, the programs were of individual initiative and having the philanthropic approach. And there was no support from the established governments. Because of lack of financial support and lack of leadership, so the effort could not last longer. And there was lack of the need based and location specific technological support to take up the efficient implementation of these programs. With these limitations even though program has yielded good number of positive aspects, like when we start making the deliberate attempts, people are going to support, people are going to be a part of these programs. And with that we can take up the message of the development. And over a period of time we can achieve the desired results. And using these inputs the further programs that were implemented, that we will be looking into the subsequent classes.

Thank You.