Rural Development- the need of a paradigm shift

As part of a programme related to women empowerment, I happened to be in a village of Eastern Uttar Pradesh along with my colleague. The programme was organized at the residence of teacher, who retired as a headmaster recently having gained a reasonably well economic status to build a spacious concrete house for his family. The women assembled were sitting at the front yard of his home and the discussion led to the issue of sanitation and hygiene which is a burning issue for both government and non-government organisations. The Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) was the core of the topic and my colleague asked the teacher “Mastergee aap ke ghar me souchalay hei na?’( if the teacher had toilet at home expecting an affirmative reply). The fact was otherwise and my colleague made few comments sarcastically to draw the contradiction of a huge residence of a man with reputation and high status without a toilet. As most of the rural people, he did not attempt to defend himself for the ‘mistake’. I was sure that he was neither moved by the comments in front of the women in the village nor became aware of the need of having toilet at his residence. 

It is important to analyze how the government and non-government organizations attempt boosting rural development. The central and state governments introduce several rural development programmes which are doomed to fail or incapable of bringing real change in the lives of rural populations suffering from multiple deprivations. There are serious flaws even in the design of MNREGA, the internationally acclaimed flagship programme of the UPA for rural employment and poverty alleviation.  For Non-Government Organizations, rural issues gives ample opportunity for the implementation of various projects. The questions arises if they address the core concerns with a comprehensive understanding of the complexity of the issues, psychology of the people, geographical peculiarities, cultural and religious influence upon the target grop, and ultimately the nature of human being that resist a radical change in the way of life due to several reasons.

In general it can be seen that both government and non-government oglimprganizations try to address the outer world of appearances that captivate our eyes without focusing on the inner life of the target group. The life which is hidden from our view is very different from the outer world of appearances and it is harder to understand. To understand the glimpse of reality one has to go deep into the history of human evolution, the psychology of the individuals living a life which is not completely designed by them, the impact of power structure, cast, and the geographical peculiarities. Mostly the organisations and people working in the development sector are unmindful towards the fact that each target group has a history of their own and a way of life that have been followed for years in the community. No one can live a life completely disconnected from the influence of ancestors and their socio-cultural context which is the ‘DNA’ of the mind and attitude of the present generation. 

To eradicate open defecation, launching a scheme to provide financial assistance to build low cost toilet does not hit the nail on the head, instead just create an additional room at the premises of the people  at the expense of the state (of tax payers). That is why most of the toilets constructed by the government are unused or used as cattle yard or keeping wood and other household materials. And also the headmaster in the story did not construct a toilet in spite of having sufficient economic support to do so. 

If the government could succeed in the implementation of at least half of the post independent rural development schemes and programmes, no NGO would have been able to find scope for designing a project for the rural population. Disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of rural population, especially in the north western region of India continues to be a ‘sacred land’ for experiments and investment through multitudes of schemes of projects for the development agencies. 

Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) without people’s participation, Schools without teachers who are not committed to the community, School Management Committee (SMC) without the participation of parents, and many right based  schemes of rural development such as MNREGA, Indira Awas Yojana, Nirmal Bharat Abiyan, several social welfare schemes do not attempt to address the core issues of the rural development instead just act as painkillers that does not cure the real disease. 

All the development activities of both government and Non-Government Organizations are doomed fail unless they understand the process of change and the core issues of underdevelopment in the rural areas. Ultimately the development sector is working for people not for machines that would respond to our directions immediately. The development sector should spend more time to understand the people, their past and present, attitude, and most importantly the rhythm of their life than designing numerous programmes/schemes and projects from distant places.

A Real Mockery On The Life Of Children by The Most Popular Government Initiatives-SSA & RTE

Our nation is not behind any other nations in making laws and programmes for the development of the nation especially for mainstreaming the vulnerable sections of the society.  The present day ingredients of developmental strategies such as Right based approach, people’s participation and bottom up planning are fundamentally part of any such initiatives by the state. But it is least concerned about the ground level preparation necessary for implementation, supervision and follow- up measures for rectifying the shortcomings.

All that prompted me to write is about the experience when I visited few schools in the rural villages of Gorakhpur district of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The main purpose of my visit was to discuss the possibility of involving the parents of children with disability in the School Management Committee (SMC) that Sarva Siksha Abhiyan envisaged to form and function to ensure quality education with the participation of the community. 

I was not surprised to hear from the head of the school that SMC happens ‘only on paper ’and no other  heads of the schools had a different story to present. They openly agreed all that the government wants to practice is ideal but practically difficult to implement. They say that it is known to the whole education department and neither the parents wish to bring about a change in the situation. It amused me to think of my purpose of visit to modify a system that does not exist at all. How can they include the people I want in a committee that is not functioning? Or what is the use including somebody as part of a committee that is not working for the real intent of its formation?

It was more interesting to see how children attend the class and attain their Right to Education. There was something to my amazement finding a single teacher ‘educating’ all the children from more than two classes (eg. Class one, two and three together). All the children were (in all the four Primary schools I visited) sitting on the floor together.  Luckily the teacher could find a chair and table to keep the teaching aids (a chalk, stick, attendance register and a notebook).  I did not discuss with the teachers the possibilities of Teaching Learning Materials for educating Children with Disabilities as it would be a fun for them rather than a matter of serious concern.

I also wanted to talk about making the school building accessible for Children with Disabilities and making the toilet accessible.  Before that I decided to see the present design of the toilet. To worsen the situation none of the school had a toilet where a human being can enter and use. The squalid and dismal condition of such toilets would make a person curse the Creator for giving a biological need that necessitates privacy and proper way of disposal. Some of the toilets were incomplete construction without urinal for boys. Some of the toilets were locked for long time where creepers had covered whole structure.

Inclusive education, making barrier free environment for the Children with Disabilities, preparing  teaching learning materials, making toilets with universally accessible design were my purpose of visit that I could not discuss with the teachers in the midst of the most wretched conditions children attend classes.  It was depressing  to see children sitting with blank expression on face, teachers ‘running’ the school and parents unaware or unmindful of the miserable days of their children and apathy of the education department that spend millions of rupees for basic infrastructure in the schools and quality education.  

A Child used to Eat Once in a Week as She Could not Access Toilet

Recently I attended training for the creation of access auditors at New Delhi. It was organized by CBM and Samarthyam, the National Centre for Accessible Environments.

It was during the break, I happened to talk to Anjlee Agarwal, the Executive Director & Access Consultant, Smarthyam. My intention was to know more about the possibilities of making public transport system including the trains universally accessible. Gradually the conversation led to her experience and finally to an awful story of a child with disability from one of the villages of Jharkhand.

I would like to share the incident that Anjlee narrated to me. It was during the workshop for Persons with Disabilities from the remote village of Jharkahnd. During the lunch break all the participants were moving to the dining hall and Anjlee found Shalu (name changed) sitting idle in the training hall. When she approached to know why Shalu did not join, she tried to escape from being asked about. Finally Shalu told, she did not want to have lunch, the further enquiry led to the revelation that she did not eat always. The conversation led to the fact that she ate rarely at home. Anjlee thought she did not get food due to poverty. But the further conversation led to the shocking reality. 

Shalu told her that she ate food once in a week and the reason was she could go to toilet once in week. Shalu, suffering from loco motor disability was bedridden and her mother too was suffering from several ailments. Her mother could not lift her or do anything for supporting her to clear her stomach. There was neither an accessible toilet nor someone to support her to access toilet (there was no such thing at her home). The only option was not to go toilet, and for that she should not eat. Once in a week, her mother helped her to release the human waste keeping some newspaper under her body. Thus she had to undergo the dreadful experience and she controlled it herself by abstaining from eating.

Being a committed person working for the basic rights of every person, Anjlee made some arrangements for Shalu to access toilet with the available materials in the village. When she narrated the experience, her eyes were brimming with tears and I listened to her words with a heavy heart. 

I had heard, read, and seen malnutrition, poverty and hunger for various reasons. But it was shocking to hear the story of a girl starving for days as toilet was inaccessible to her which is a basic need of every human being. This led me to think about millions of aged, Persons with Disabilities, pregnant women (especially in the rural areas where there is no toilet) who might be controlling themselves, experiencing harsh realities as accessing toilet is a distant reality. I have seen women, children and now the Persons with Disability, while travelling by train controlling themselves during the journey without drinking water even if they are thirsty and limiting food even if they are hungry to avoid going to unhygienic toilet in the trains (which is inaccessible for Persons with Disabilities, children, pregnant women and people with reduced mobility).

The next day there was a demonstration to show how Persons with Disability find it difficult to access toilet, transfer from wheel chair to the water closet and the struggle to sit back on the wheel chair during the workshop. It was an eye opening session for me to see what I had not been sensitive about till then.

Finally my thoughts went on…I am growing old……or who knows one day my mobility would not be obstructed? Just a fall is enough to happen so.

Ecological Literacy to Learn Nature’s Lessons of Sustainability

In the era of globalization we are connected to the nook and corner of the world with the backing of sophisticated technology. Information technology has revolutionized the ways and means of communication, formation of associations and transactions in all spheres of life. However vast majority of the population is disconnected with the nature to learn valuable lessons of sustainability and network. We often forget the fact that nature is not only to extract resources but to learn lessons of sustainability too.

We tend to forget the fact that despite all globalised phenomenon, we are at first connected with the atmosphere (soil, air, water and ecosystem at large that includes living and nonliving things) where our real life rests up on.  It is true that there are voluntary and involuntary activities in our life. Unfortunately the vital transactions that should have been performed with our conscious mind have become involuntary in our fast life. That is why we are least bothered about the valuable resources of life. The Latin root of the word ‘resource’ is ‘to rise again’. But for us nature is measured as a collection of resources to be extracted, not as a mentor to support throughout our life. The origin of man made disaster is our failure to understand nature and its role in our life. We have no time to understand the technology of resources of earth; instead we are eager to become masters to challenge nature and its own unique technology. The biotechnology has grown to make genetic modification but fails to recognize how much irrevocable damage it can cause to the whole ecosystem. The common man, on the other hand are destined to follow the corporate organization’s formula in life. Farmers believe Genetically Modified seeds and chemical farming would solve all the issues and bring food security. There are organizations that work to convince the people of the disastrous impact of such actions. The fact remains that till now the damage of green revolution has not been accepted by the state. Our political system does not want to accept such harsh realities and question the legacy of the revolution that ‘ended’ famine and decreased poverty.

It is essential for every member of the society to become ‘ecologically literate’. In the coming decades the survival of the humanity will depend on ecological literacy-our ability to understand the basic principles of ecology and to live accordingly. It should be an essential ingredient of education at all levels. Thus lessons from nature should be practiced by people from every sphere of life; politicians, bureaucrats, industrialists, businessmen, architects, scientists and in all other sectors, principles of nature should be the principal force of thought and action.

A generation that is uprooted from soil is doomed to end up in disaster. It is vital to know/experience the nature around us. The rhythm of nature, the changes that occurs in its course, the lessons to be learnt from nature, to consider nature as our mentor not human being as masters and ultimately to be connected with nature has increasingly become the need of the hour.  The water we drink, the food we eat and air we breathe in should be renewable with our constructive act for the sake of generations to come. It is not only the job of the farmers to work in the field and few environmentalists and organizations to conserve nature. From the status of consumers we must transform ourselves to the agents of conservationists for the sustainable development of our society. Urban-rural dichotomy does not need to be considered for its inhabitants’ constructive response towards such an objective. This response can range from planting a tree, using water carefully, and disposing waste in the proper way and to mobilizing community to transform an arid land to a fertile area for local cultivation through organic farming. Whatever vocation you pursue, there is time and space for action that can contribute for the sustainable utilization of the natural resources. When you are connected with nature, spend time with its web of life, our life becomes robust with joy and creativity. Thus deprivations end and abundance become a social reality. No other development can offer us well-being unless we have organic soil, pure water, clean air and uncontaminated food.

How to Attract the Human Resource for the Rural Development

It is a well-known fact that development of rural areas remains to be a dead lock for the state government and the central government for several reasons, many of which are complex in nature that require relentless effort from various sections. One among them is the lack of sufficient human resource to serve for the rural development. Among the negative stories, absenteeism of the government employees, their noncooperation, indifference towards critical issues, corruption and noncompliance with the government rules are some of the prominent issues that have become a routine part of news.

Two important areas that need critical attention for rural development are education and health.  To fulfill that doctors and teachers are essential, otherwise quality education and healthy living remain to be a distant dream. When the availability of teachers and doctors are taken into account, their absenteeism or their post remaining to be vacant are highlighted as two prominent matter of concern. The fact remains that most of them are transferred from urban areas. The question remains why doctors and teachers who are appointed in the rural areas have an aversion towards their job location? Recently doctors in Kerala had a protest against the government decision to engage the MBBS students in rural areas for two years after internships. Why even doctors who take Hippocratic Oath to take care of the patients as their paramount duty are reluctant and even protest against their appointment in rural areas for two years? Why teachers do not accept their transfer to rural areas or remains to be absent from their duty till they get appointment in urban location? Why Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and National Rural Health Mission fail to achieve the goals due to lack of staff?

We need to examine if we could put the whole blame on the teachers and doctors alone for their apathy towards rural development and accept their absence as an inevitable part of existing reality. Should we wait for the committed and dedicated doctors and teachers voluntarily spend some part of their life in rural areas? Or should we find practical solution for the issue? And if we want to find an amicable solution, we must analyse the issue to the core. 

There are two aspects that we must take into consideration; one regarding the attitude of the government employees and the other the reality of rural life. Let’s take the latter first and examine it briefly with a view of a person from urban middle class. Indian rural area is known for poor infrastructure that makes travelling and communication difficult, lack of good schools, shopping centers, electricity, entertainment opportunities and many other attractions of a bright city life that makes life in the rural area monotonous and tedious for an urban migrant. Along with that the cultural and attitudinal difference, conventional life style, unchanged value system and over all the unexciting living conditions of rural life take away the interest of the urban middle class to work in the remote areas. In order to justify this reason it is worth examining why the educated youth from the rural areas do not wish to work in their own village. Most of them do not want to come back to their village after spending few years in the city as part of their studies. Now the attitude of the employees that could have inspired them to work against all odds too is alien, expect in the few. The question remains, can we expect the youth living in the midst of cut throat competition and infinite desire for material wellbeing to work in adverse circumstances with a drive to indulge in national development? Did the education system impart values and principles to inspire them to be part of a broader part of humanity? Did anyone, including their parents, inspire them to see success in life lies beyond the material advancement and accumulation of wealth? Did they ever get a chance to realize life is not an isolated course of journey that everyone is interdependent? Did their teachers talked about matters more important or equally important than limiting life on personal gains and satisfaction? The absence of such noble values is an indisputable fact today.

If it is so, the next step is how we can overcome this vicious cycle. Our education system has to be segregated from other commercial enterprises and quality education should be made available to everyone at affordable cost. Higher education should be separated from privatization and government should invest to prepare the young minds to spend their service for the upliftment of the underdeveloped sections without hesitation. Education that needs huge individual investment, values imparted from institutions that are established for profit and students who do not learn the philosophy of service cannot be expected to address the issues of rural development.

Along with that it is essential to ensure the comfort of the human resource assigned for rural development at the best possible extent by the government, not just basic needs, and some incentive to motivate them and sustain their interest in working for the deprived sections of the society. It is absurd to expect everyone to sacrifice their aspirations for social development and accept inhospitable realities with open hands. At the same time considering their needs, aspirations and making arrangements for their comfort will have mutual benefit for the society as well as the employees. For example it would be practical to accept the need of internet accessibility, facility to travel or get electricity important for a doctor or a teacher working in the rural area instead of neglecting it as high expectation of an urban middle class for a luxurious life and asking them to adjust to the hardships until they complete their service. It is necessary to realise that the sudden absence of comforts of city life may not be easily digestible for an urban migrant and it is quiet natural to feel discomfort about it. It is also very necessary for the local people to understand the people from outside come from a very different experience and they should support them in all the possible ways along with the government. If there is a constructive attitude from both sections, the urban middle class may show interest to serve the rural population and stay longer without compulsions. It may sound compromising but a practical solution.