INTEGRATED HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT-RAJASTHAN
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- Title
- INTEGRATED HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT-RAJASTHAN
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RF_IH_11_SUDHA
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SOCIAL
,/OKE
AMD
JjJSEASCH
C3HTEE
«__z
The Social Work and '‘.esearch Centre with its project office
at Tilonia, ?.O. Madanganj 305812, Distt. Ajmer, Dajastban, started
itself as a ground water research centre, sponsored by St. Stephen’s
College, Delhi where its registered office is located.
The Tilonia
base centre was started in 1972 in a ccnplex of building where a
T.B. Sanitorium vraa established and then withdrawn.
The Centre has
45 acres of land around the building complex which has been rented
out to it by the Dajasthan Government.
The Centres initial funds
were provided by OXFAM, Government of India and Dajasthan.
Objectives i
Objectives of the organisation as given in the Constitution ares
1.
To establish an agency with an interdisciplinary approach
committed towards providing three basic technical services
in the rural areas: 7/ater Development,Medical'and Education;
2.
To establish communication between the specialists and the
farmers : give impcrtance to rural communications and treat
it as an input;
3.
To get to know the rural people better, their agricultural
practices, their customs, taboos against medical treatment
and their standing of literacy and whether this state of
affairs can be improved, altered or destroyed;
4.
To emphasise an integrated approach to rural development.
That is, provide these three services from one Centre, one
campus so that the rural caimunity needing these services
do not have to go to three different places;
5.
To let these apecialists-geologist, geophysicist, social woiker,
teacher, engineer, doctor-needed to run- these services stay
and work in the rural areas, guide them when required and much
more, learn from the -ways of the farmers, their attitude and
COMMON:. .
“-TH CELL
47/1,(First FloorjSc. Marks Road
BANGALORE - 560 001
i
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experiences, because their experience and practical wisdom
means more atd teaches more than ary book or an urban
trained degree holder;
6.
To cooperate and seek State Government help in all natters
and get their approval before implementing any programme;
7,
To become self supporting (i.e. generate enough incore by
giving these services on a no profit no loss basis);
8,
To recruit young^pecialists interested in the field
of
rural development to give them the facilities, the equipment
and the conditions to contribute thair best;
S.
To lay emphasis on providing economic
benefits, in a direct
or indirect form so that the tangible results
c
providing
water, caring/a child, establishing schools develop sore
faith aid confidence in the Centre in the minds of the
rural people;
10.
To involve as nary technical colleges as possible to carry
out specific projects in the rural areas where their skill
and their experience of intermediate technology will be of
great help;
11.
To bring about social chai ge through economic charge because
it is only through economic benefits that gradual social
change is possible;
12.
To bring about socio-economic development with the help of
other rural based institutions working towards the same
objectives.
In other words, not to embark on any develop
mental activity in isolation;
13.
To establish other SiiBC’s with similar objectives in other
states of India with a view to generating employment among
specialists arc bringing then closer to the problems and
life styles of the rural areas where they are needed
in such vast numbers.
.......
~ 64
Programmes i
SFJRC’s first project was introduced in tbs Silore panchayat
area around Vilonia covering about 30,000 population and an area of
Since water scarcity was a problem for agriculture in
500 sq. miles.
this area, the centre undertook a scientific search for ground water
resources, ard in course of time, it has becore an expert consultant
body for grourd water research throughout the country.
She services of tte centre can be broadly divided into socio
economic programmes and technical consultancy services.
The first
include, health, nutrition,education, balwadis, rural crafts and other
welfare activities besides main agricultural and industrial programmes.
The technical services include drawing up plans and conducting surveys,
drilling fa? water, rural banking, agriculture, irrigation,medic al
care and introduction of intermediate technology.
SBRC operates from its base in Silonia in Ajmer district but recently
it has spread to Haryana atd Punjab -where two more centres have been
established.
The Tilonia centre covers 110 villages where intensive
water investigation programs is in operation.
Socio-economic
programmes has® been introduced in 17 villages where attempt is made
fbran integrated approach to rural development.
There is a sub-centre at Jawaja in Masooda Tehsil in Ajmer
district where a development programme und er Drought Prone Areas
Development Scheme has been undertaken.
The work is still at survey
stage which has been half-completed.
Haryana Centres
SSEC set up a low-cost housing consultancy service
at Khori in iiahondragarh district of ’Jaryam .
centre
The low-cost housing
projects including construction of Panchtyat ’ghars' are urd er the
over-nil charge of the ?,ural Development Board ctf the Sta—te.
Besides
this, the Zhori centre is also engaged in a ground water survey in
the Ehol Block of the district covering 28 villages.
This has been
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undertaken in cooperation with the state public
health department.
It has also undertaken, with assistance from the UNICEF, a cmmunity
health programme includ ing women’s welfare, child welfare, nutrition,
fisheries and kitchen gardening.
Punjab Centre ;
At the instance of the Irrigation department of the Punjab
Government, an SFffitC team io conducting a survey with the object of
drafting rural unemployed youth in various irrigation schemes.
The particulars about the various programmes undertaken
and being run by SWBC are given below s
1.
Agriculture including supply of seeds, fertilisers,
pesticides, demonstration farms and afforestation.
These are going on in 17 villages and the
number of
beneficiaries is 1,085.
2.
'T’illagp end cottage industries including weaving, cloth
printing, handicrafts and leather work in the sane
villages covering 135 beneficiaries.
3.
Education and
training including 3 primary schools, non-
formal education in 6 villages, balwadis in 4 villages
and nutrition programme benefitting 800 children.
There
are 3 craft centres wle re about 400 women 1’eceive training
in tailoring etc.
Agri cultural training is given to about
100 marginal farmers in Silora block.
4.
Community health programme includes running of 2 dispensaries
and benefitting about 100,000 patients,a programme of bare
foot doctors visitirg the villages for treatment and prevention
of diseases, maternity service and family planning.
5.
Survey for self-employm® t schemes conducted among 400
youth of Punjab.
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6.
Ground water development programe covers 150 bete f iciaries
7.
Consultancy services in low-cost housing in one village in
Survey conducted in
two blocks covers 600 families.
Punjab.
Workers :
3WRC has a team, of seme 19 trained specialists in ground
water, water development and. management, education, health, medical
care and social work.
They have been drawn from IIT, Kharagpur,
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Universities of Bajasthan, Delhi
Indore, Calcutta end Madras.
The
total number of staff is 140.
S3VA
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I.LUE12
Seva Mandir, Udaipur 313001, Rajasthan, has
its roots in
the social vision of Dr. M.S. Mehta, inspired by the ideals of
Servants of India Society and similar social reconstruction efforts
in Dngland and the U,S.A.
Dr. Mehta's dream took the first concrete
shape to-wards realisation in 1952 vzhen he put aside 3s. 50,000 and
a plot of land whictyuad been acquired by him in Udaipur for the
project.
In 1965 a small building was put up on this site.
Dr,
Mehta as the first life worker and Adhisthata (Chief Sxecutive)
of Seva Mandir took up residence in this building in 1966.
From
then on, Seva Mandir has been active in its many-sided activities.
Objectives !
The objectives as given in its constitution are
1.
To provide opportunity and atmosphere for understanding
human values, dispassionate study of the trends and
problems of the country, and to place, as far as
possible the results of such study before the society;
2.
To undertake practical measures for promoting the social,
economic, educational and intellectual development of the
rural and urban camnunity;
3.
To undertake and supplement relief and rehabilitation
work during mtuml catastophes such as floods, famines,
epidemics etc.
4.
To orient Seva Mandir as a vehicle of a dynamic, positive
and action-oriented movement under the leadership of a
small groups of devoted and disciplined workers wit^the
attitudes of meeting challenges by seeking and applying
solutions o^ocial problems rather than merely engaging
in cmplaints or criticism.
COMMUNITY HEALTH CELL
47/1,(First Floor)St. Marks Hoad
BANS." iCHE -580 001
.........
56
Programmes ?
1.
- Present Activities
Farmers functional Literacy Project (PFLP)i
The FFLP is an ongoing programme in which literacy is linked
up with the life of the learners, specially their bore life and agri
cultural activities.
more than
There are 60 centres run under the project and
1300 farmers derive benefit from them.
The teachers work
on part-time basis under full-time supervisors,
2.
Itural Mobile Library?
As a follow-up of our literacy programme for rural adults
about 100 mobile library centres are functioning with the help of
two mobile units.
The number of readers is about
4,000.
A collec
tion of approximately 10,000 books is being utilised for circulation
among the readers in the area of service.
3.
Hon-formal Education ?
The programme of non-fomal education was started in 1974,
and since then it has been making steady headway.
The programme is
mainly intended to rope in the school drop-outs and also those who
could net go to school due to poverty or other difficulties.
It
provides than a situation-based and problem-oriented curriculum,
which is functional.
There are 30 centres, witiyihe number of
beneficiaries around 750.
4.
Agriculture-Oriented feass Literacy Project ;
This programme in the tribal areas around Kherwara tehsil
(about 50 miles from Udaipur), haring started in 1973, has succeeded
in leaking more then 3,000 tribal youth literate.
Besides it aroused
in then a consciousness for development, which in turn led us to give
a new dimension to this programme.
Presently there are 100 centres
functioning effectively with the number of beneficiaries about
2,250.
57
5.
Peer Group Project :
A new project under the name of Peer Group was launched in March
1975 in Kherwara tehsil.
of development at the
This made a significant headway in the field
grass-roots.
Tweniyfive youngmen, one fiom each
village, were selected and given training and orientation in village
development.
These 25 young leaders mobilised a group of youngmen in
their villages
in order to use them for creating consciousness towards
village development in the village people.
This was
attempted by
selecting specific progranres particularly relating to agricultural
improvement and economic well being.
High-yielding varieties of
maize, and wheat, use of better faming methods were introduced with
encouraging results.
More recently water and
irrigation
resources
haze been developed by construction of anicuts and repair of tanks.
Hevival of cooperative societies and starting of new ones also contri
buted to this awakening.
Modest beginning have also
improving the village environment,
been made in
The experiment has a fine record
of achievement.
6.
Nater Development :
For quite sone time now Seva Mandir has been involved in
helping the farmers with financial and technical assistance in sinking
of new wells and deepening old wells, chiefly in Badgaon block. More
than that a significant role has also been accepted in providing a
liaison service by brining the related, governmental and. non-governmental
agencies close to the farmers for obtaining aid and loans for their
wells.
The Land Development Bank, the Small Farmers’ Development
Agency and other similar schemes were drawn up to help the rural
population in developing their water resources.
Now the involvement
of commercial banks is obtained for offering facilities for loans
and subsidies for sinking of wells and improvement of irrigation
channels for small tribal communities.
- 58
Seva Mandir collaborated with the state Government in the
construction work of anicuts in Badagaon and. Kherwara Blocks.
7.
Community Centres in mural Areas :
Seva Mandir has Been desirous of building up community Centres
This has been possible by
in the villages of its s.rvice area.
raising funds from some external sources.
The village Community
also males its own contribution through labour, partial supply of
material and sometime with funds also.
One Centre has been already
completed and two are under construction.
8.
Comprehensive Village Development :
At present three villages are covered under the schere -
Kavitha, Meenachkheda and. Dhar.
The idea is to concentrate on as
many aspects of village life as possible and also wherever possible
to place a full time worker in the village, study its needs and
worl^rith the community.
The aim is to prepare a group of responsible
people in the village who will lead the process of self-development
in the village.
9.
One Thousand Household Industries Project:
In September, 1974 SevaMandir started the 1000-Household
Industries Project with the support of the State Government (indus
tries Department).
A nine-month course in tailoring and embriodepy
was started in Chmdpole area (Udaipur town).
From Juno 1975, woolen
knitting by both machine and hand, was included, in the project. A
new Centro was started in April 1976 in Silawat Wadi, a slum area
inhabited mostly by working class Muslims.
Since most of thewomen
were illiterate an evening class was also started to help the
trainees become literate.
As a follow-up of this programme a cooperative society of
trained women has been established.
for stitching garments and
It secures commercial orders
thus supplementing the income of the
- 59
members.
From August 1976, a now programme was started for
training of boys in tasking wooden toys.
the
Twenty boys have been
recruited to receive training in this croft.
10.
Earijan Welfare :
With financial help from the Rajasthan Harijan Sevak Sangh,
Seva Mandir has been
running a Balwadi in Aaba Mata Colony and two
Palnaghars (Creaches) in Anbamata (all
in Udaipur).
A special
feature of the programme is the weekly visit of a lady doctor.
Besides conducting the health examination of the children and.
maintaining their health records, the doctor meets the parents and
tries to educate than in various aspects of children’s health.
11.
Amateur Dramatic Society!
The ADS has now boon in action since 1973.
During this
period it has staged various full-length Hindi plays which were
widely appreciated.
To improve
further the qualiiy of the plays
and to provide understanding of the principles and techniques of
dramatics a five-week workshop was organised in 1975 which was a
great success.
12.
Publication Department !
A small beginning has been made in publishing simple books
for neo-literates and semi-educated, people.
Fifteen phamplets on
Nutrition, Health and Hygiene have already been published.
Seva
Mandir has also published two short novels "Pooran Maasi" and
"Mandir Janta Janardan Fa" and- both books were awarded prizes by
the Government of India.
Saksharta Sandesh, a monthly bulletin
in Mewari dialact, is being published for the last five years. A
quarterly Newsletter in English is nailed to all subscribers
sympathisers.
and
- 60
13.
Centre for Continuing Education?
Under the Centre presently courses in Hindi and English
Stenography are going on.
This programme was started under the
"Half a Million Job Programme" of the Government of Pajasthan.
Another activity of the Centre is to organise language proficiency
classes.
14.
So far it has been United to the English language only.
Siscus si on Group '•
This programme chiefly involves the urban intellectuals. The
group meets occasionally to discuss problems and issues, social,
economic, political and philosophical, both national and inter
national.
15.
Women's Association (febila Sabha)?
A group of middle class women meets to organise activities
of their interests and needs.
Those activities are of a very
varied nature, may be a trip to a place of religious or architectural
interest or a course on nutritive food.
16.
■ Zunjru Library :
Named after Pt. Hridayanath Kunjru the library was started
in October 1973.
The library is housed in tho main Seva Mandir
building and can accommodate 50-60 readers in its spacious reading
room.
Though, not fully equipped yet, it has about 13,000 books on
various subjects.
The intention is to build up the social sciences
and development sections of the libraiy and also start a documen
tation cell of these subjects.
Worker s:
The re are 47 full-time paid workers and 346. part-time
workers:
Lookin q Ahead:
■••••■ As this description of Seva Mandir shown, an impressive start
has been made towards fulfilling its objectives of promoting development
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amongst the rural and urban communities, especially for the weaker
sections.
Seva Mandir is gaining appreciation and recognition for
its work.
There are still many short comings which are due to the
lack of resources.
Also there are gaps in our efforts.
Per instance,
there are no programmes that deal specially with health and cooperative
aspects of ccmnunity life, although these concerns are implicit in the
programmes being run at present.
There are several different activities
bearing on rural development but the over-all concept and. strategy
of rural development by an agency like Seva Mandir needs to be worked
out.
There is also a constant concern with the nature of Seva Mandir
as an organisation for social service and its special ethos.
Also,
there is the question of the resource base of Seva Mandir, hew resources
can be generated and community’s support for Seva Mandir work mobilised.
These and connected matters are occupying the attention of the workers
and management.
Seva Mandir has to face these problems in order that
it can maintain its vigour and vitality in its functioning.
big challange for it to remain true
It is a
to its mission of social
reconstruction.
Poor financial situation on the ore side and increasing
financial commitment on the other continue to be the main source of
worry to Seva Mandir.
The Trust has no regular source of income and
has no reserve fund.
With expanding activities of Seva Mandir
larger amount of fund s is needed.
Seva Mandir largely relies upon
grants and dotations from foundations, trusts and individuals to
meet its financial commitments.
from the Government
Occasionally funds are obtained
for the projects that are sponsored by the
State or Central Government.
tZPKP&’THPthJ -/ £,0’^
SWRC Community Health Care
ARTI SAWHNY & MANYA JAYARAM
*
HE SWRC has been in the field since Febru
ary, 1973. It has an assortment of services that
cater to all aspects of rural life and needs. The1
idea is to have a rural based, integrated develop
ment programme that takes care of integrated
development activities.
T
The services can be broadly divided into 2
basic categories, technical, and social welfare.
Under the former services drilling and ground
water, agriculture and the rural bank play an
important role. The latter includes health, edu
cation, rural handicrafts and other welfare acti
vities. All these services function individually
as well as reinforce one another in the field.
Since the community served is the same and the
workers are all from the same organisation there
is considerable familiarity with one another. All
the workers aim at the same common objectives
using different means to attain them.
The Rural Community We Serve
A village in these areas is a conglomeration of
factors. The social stratification even today is
determined by the caste structure with very minor
modifications. The attitude to life in general still
remains highly fatalistic. As a result the people
are an apathetic group accepting whatever befalls
them. This fatalism has been reinforced by the
feudal structure that has characterized this
part of our country.
Another factor which often leads to resistance
is the common thread of traditional beliefs and
taboos that is woven into the daily pattern of
their lives. For instance, we have found the ex
istence of strong beliefs in supernatural powers
as causative factors for certain diseases e.g. epi
lepsy, various forms of coma and other diseases,
characterized by behavioural changes in the in
dividual. Preference for the male child as oppos
ed to the female, we have found, has been the
cause for greater care being given to the health
• The Social Work & Research Centre (SWRC), Tilonia,
AJMER (Rajasthan).
needs of boys. In one of our villages, Chota
Naraina, our doctor was prevented from attend
ing to a little girl who was very ill only because
she was a female child. In the presence of the
child, preparations for the funeral were being
made. No amount of persuasion from the doctor
yielded any result. Again, child marriage is an.
accepted tradition. This has a direct effect on
the general fertility rate.
These, among other traditional beliefs and cus
toms, provide ample scope for local healers,
witch-doctors, and nature curers to exploit the
rural folk by making different deities responsible
for both the cause and cure of their disease.
Therefore for working with the rural commu
nity, a clear understanding and insight has to be
gained into the functioning of these factors and
their interplay within the society before the for
mulation and/or implementation of any health
programme.
The SWRC Approach to Health Care Delivery
This organisation’s approach to all programmes
is governed by one primary factor which is com
munity participation. In the field of health acti
vities too, this was the emphasis and hence it
took a good 24 months to establish contact and
credibility with the community. During this
period the emphasis was not on programme plan
ning but on reaching out and understanding the
community as a whole and particularly their
health needs. The method of approach that was
adopted was very informal and often, involved
socializing with the community, sharing their
sorrows and joys and just being available when
needed. This involvement of the health person
nel with the community led to the SWRC identi
fying the health needs of the community and
increasing their own awareness and understand
ing of the rural community; and the community
in turn having an opportunity to test credibility
and motive of the organization and its workers.
This approach created an awareness regarding
health needs which is a necessary precondition
December 1977
COMMUNITY HEALTH CELL
47/1,(First Floor)St^Marks Road
for any form of community participation and in located at Chota Naraina roughly 14 km. away
terest. This awareness further led to the demand from Tilonia, The services from these two dis
from the community for health services. On re pensaries radiate to the surrounding 20 villages
ceipt of this demand, a dialogue was started be through a village level health worker. It is in
tween the village council and us which evolved teresting to note that the dispensary at Chota
a system of joint planning and implementations. Naraina is being supported by the community
This has formed the crux of all our health pro at large. The kind of support sought includes —
grammes.
(a) Provision of space for the dispensary.
(b) Provision of living accommodation for the
The basic Health Objectives of SWRC are to
ANM in charge.
provide basic illness care; to involve the commu
(c) The salary of one village level worker
nity in the planning, supervision and evaluation
amounting to Rs. 60 per month.
of the health programme; to decentralise health
(d> A quarter of the cost of medicines being
services and skills to the lowest possible level,
paid for by the beneficiaries.
i.e. the village; to work through existing semi(e) Free labour and help in the renovation and
skilled/skilled persons in the community like the
construction of buildings.
dai. fakir, vaid, etc; to work in co-ordination with
(f) Collection of funds for the construction of
existing Government services, supplementing
the hospital.
them whenever required to achieve financial-suffi
ciency; and to bring about village-level medical Selection of the Area of Work
self-sufficiency.
The Community Health Programme started in
The SWRC established a dispensary at Tilonia
in February, 1973 offering only curative services.
The reason for starting a health programme
through a dispensary needs little elaboration
since it is the easiest means of entry into an
otherwise resistant community despite the fact
that only 10% of the sick in the rural areas would
come for treatment.
Simultaneously, the ground was being prepar
ed for incorporating preventive and promotive
aspects of health into the already existing cura
tive programme. This was done through various
programmes, such as scar surveys, immunisation
programme, disinfection of drinking water wells,
implemented for the Government. As an inci
dental outcome of this, widespread contact with
the community was made. Consequently demands
for dispensaries came from various villages.
Since a dispensary was not found to be an econo
mically viable solution to the expressed demand
for health services nor did it cater to the concept
of decentralisation of health services with maxi
mum community participation, the SWRC work
ed out an organizational pattern which both
provided the services required and individual
community participation.
May, 1975. In the first phase 25 villages within
a radius of 15 km. and an approximate popula
tion of 20,000 were covered. These villages are
centred around the two dispensaries.
The establishment of the Chota Naraina sub
dispensary and the community’s contribution to
wards it set off a chain of reactions whereby all
the surrounding villages offered their fullest co
operation in return for health facilities to be
provided in their respective villages.
Since the demand for curative services is high
and since preventive measures are slow and yield
no obvious results, it is imperative for us to em
phasize the curative in order to make the
preventive palatable to the community. This does
not in any way imply that the preventive aspects
are less important but quite the contrary. It is
merely an entry into a community through a
weak spot.
This gave rise to the concept of the village
level health worker. To ensure that one reaches
out to at least 80% of the population in the area
covered, training and skill have to be dissemi
nated to the people at the individual village level
itself. This has been done by us through train
The infrastructure evolved around the main ing young boys from the villages in various basic
dispensary at Tilonia and the sub-dispensary aspects of health and family planning. The selec
8
Voluntary Action
tion of these boys was made by the village coun
cil and forwarded for approval to the medical
team at the SWRC. The basic requirements that
these youngsters had to fulfil were that they
would be regular inhabitants of the particular
village between 15 and 25 years of age, having
completed the 8th class and with a workable
knowledge of Hindi. The selected candidate
should be well accepted by the villagers and be
motivated to do this kind of work.
plementation of the programme.
losis, venereal diseases and leprosy, and of eye
patients who may need specialised attention,
maintain growth charts of children up to the age
of 5 and a list of women up to the age of 50 with
special reference to family planning so as to mo
tivate, educate and help them avail of the services
at the required time.
To keep regular check on the functioning of
the health workers, there is a staff meeting every
Sunday where registers, drug records, receipt
books and general worker are checked and evalu
ated. This is followed up by surprise visits by
the community worker and or the medical social
worker to safeguard against any possible lax on
the part of the workers.
Each village is visited once every 15 days by
the doctor and lady doctor, the medical social
worker, the compounder, ANM, and the field
assistant. The village health worker collects all
the patients and the doctors examine them. A
list of the patients along with their disease and
prescribed course of treatment is handed over
to the worker. He then attends the hospital the
following day to collect medicines, clarify doubts
The village as a whole also had to accept some and learn about the treatment, side effects of
conditions of the- programme itself. The whole- drugs, etc.
village was responsible for the supervision and
After the patients are examined, a meeting is
effective functioning of their worker. Every
household had to pay a part of the worker’s called and all problems regarding the programme
salary every month. And recipients of drugs had are discussed, thrashed out and decided upon by
the medical social worker, the community wor
to pay 25% of the cost of medicines received.
ker, the village level health worker and all the
On the completion of training these health villagers. This ensures smooth running of the
workers are expected to undertake basic illness programme.
care and dispensing of basic drugs; house to
Some of these sessions include film shows on
house visits to ensure that every individual in
family planning, tuberculosis, hygiene, nutrition,
the village is seen and any needing intensive
and other aspects. There are also informal health
care referred; surveys to obtain vital statistics;
keeping lists of patients suffering from tubercu education lectures and puppet shows.
Apart from these functions the worker also
gets trained in communication methods. He learns
the use of a camera and a cassette recorder so
that he makes his own filmstrips. He also learns
about puppetry, making of hand puppets, writing
of scripts and adapting local songs, stories and
beliefs to convey his new ideas. In short, he has
to learn to tap all the local resources available
to him.
This organisational set up enabled us to reach
almost every receptive sick individual in our area
of work and provide him with domiciliary treat
ment. Having thus gained acceptability, we im
plemented other programmes such as immunisa
tion, maternity and child health including ante
natal and delivery services, T.B. control, family
planning, protection of drinking water, malaria
control, nutrition, health education, surgical
We feel that this would imply a package deal,
an integrated programme of rural community camps.
health that on the one hand offers basic services
The maternity and. child health programme
and preventive measures (the most vital of which work out through local dais who were identified
are reducing infant mortality, reducing birth rate and trained by us in conducting hygienic delive
and ensuring proper ante-natal and post-natal ries, ante-natal and post-natal care, and infant
services to women) as well involving the com care. The dai is guided and helped periodically
mon villager at every level of planning and im by the ANM.
December 1977
9
This method of functioning has proved ex
tremely successful in terms of reaching the maxi
mum number of people and increasing awareness
regarding a host of rural health problems.
The SWRC in all its programmes believes in
working with the Government. The idea is not
to start a parallel system but to effectively de
liver the goods and act as an implementing
agency wherever possible. For instance, the dis
trict has a tuberculosis programme and a mobile
X-ray unit to screen patients. It needs organi
zations to identify cases and ensure regularity of
treatment. This is where a voluntary organiza
tion like ours can fit in. Similarly, for the malaria
control programme patients are identified, smears
made and sent to the malaria eradication unit in,
Ajmer. Immunizations such as smallpox and
D.P.T. are carried out by us in our area of work
with the help of the district health officer who
■provides us the vaccines. The family planning
programme functions with the co-operation of
the Government. The Government team is sent
to Tilonia for the tubectomy and vasectomy
camps and the incentive money provided by
them. In between, cases are referred by us to
the Government hospital at Kishangarh or the
P.H.C.
The use of carrot seeds along with gur and
a local plant for inducing abortions.
Akada local plant is used for a multiplicity
of ailments.
(a) The milk from this plant is rubbed on
the skin to extract thorns, splinters,
etc.
(b) It is used for the treatment of swell
ings.
' (c) The leaf is used to prevent motion
sickness.
(Its action is probably hygroscopic)
(iii) A herb called 'karthamba’ is used as the
main ingredient along with small amounts
of 34 other ingredients e.g. dried ginger,
ajwain, methi seed, etc. as a carminative
and antiflatulent.
(iv) The use of the neem for the following:
(a) Snake-bite—a person bitten by a snake
is made to eat neem leaves. If he finds
them sweet, then the snake is a poiso
nous one. If not, then it is non-poisonous.
(b) Simple boils—a paste made out of the
bark of the neem tree (like chandan
paste) is used very effectively tropic •
cally.
(v) Maraua—a local herb—is used for treating.
irritative conditions of the eye. The leaves
are boiled in water and then strained. This
concoction is then used as local eye drops.
(i)
(ii)
We have found from experience that there is
a lot of practical knowledge to be gained from
the existing skilled and semi-skilled persons
within the community. Hence great deal of effort
went into building a good relationship between
the SWRC doctors and health personnel, and the
local healers. As a result, our relationship has
become so cordial that they visit us for chats,
exchange of information and even treatment.
Our effort is to get closer to the practitioners
and their systems so as to incorporate it into the
allopathic system used by us.
The traditional modes of treatment are more
familiar and therefore readily accepted by th©
people. In addition, we have found that they are
often very effective and cheap for minor ail
ments. Our intention is not to substitute or era
dicate the local practitioners but to scientifically
verify their remedies and techniques encouraging
those that are found beneficial and discouraging
those that are harmful or exploitative. Some of
the remedies found to be in practice yielding re
sults are:
This health programme arrived at with the
help of a whole host of people at all levels pro-;
mises better results especially since it is every
one’s programme. It has so far provided very
remarkable results. Already there are SWRCs
starting in two other States working in the same
manner.
10
One of the major problems in the allopathic
system is the cost of drugs. Hence, if there are
suitable and cheaper modes of treatment avail
able, they need to be tested and' used.
(Condensed from the Indian Journal of Medical
Education, Vol. XV, No. 1.)
Voluntary Action
SEVA-MANDIR
NEWSLETTER
Vol. 2
October 1977
A ROUND UP OF NEWS ANO VIEWS
Focus on Training
During the past year Seva Mandir has been involved in the tasks of Training in a variety of contexts.
It organized the training programme for the co-ordinators of Nehru Yuvak Kendras (Youth Centres) and hosted
the UNESCO sponsored National Field Operational Seminar oh Literacy.
It was also the venue of a workshop on
Youth Leadership Training organized by the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare.
In addition
several
workers in Seva Mandir's projects have participated in training programmes organized by various state, national
and international agencies.
To reflect this concern, this issue of the Newsletter is devoted, to the theme of
training in development work.
Participatory Training for
Development
"...... If a principal role of change agents
is to set in motion a process of critical awareness
among
communities
of their
development
situation, leading on to self-directed community
community participation and group dynamics.
Morever.change-agents would require to be able to
respond to the needs, moods and cultural nuances
of local community life. Failing this they would
become alienated from the people and end up by
being barriers rather than catalysts of participatory
development.
action for change, then their training has to be
so organized so as to equip them for such a role.
Such a training process would involve the
The methodology for such training has by
definition to be non-directive and
acquiring of skills to promote relatively intangible
In addition, it
objectives like awareness-building, a sense of
the following features:—
would need
to
dialogical
incorporate
I.
b.
Emphasis on self-training and group learning
people's participation
pants, exchange of experiences through actual
field visits and through dialogue.
an-effective'waV *' to make change agents
understand the significance of concepts like
through continuous inter-action between partici
is to,, provide them an
opportunity for self-training, in a programme
Such, an
approach' would' be based on the following
which depends for its success on thejr active
assumptions.
participation in its management,
a.
-. . ..
Education or training is not a mere transmiss
ion of pre-packaged knowledge:
3.
b.
education or training should not be divorced
Creating and atmosphere which is conducive
to frank reflection and analysis
of
whatever
from the real world, from a situation as it exists :
the participants consider important, including
that by exposing change agents themselves
the training itself, and an honest, even if painful
c.
to the realities of rural development through a
process of
comparative analysis of innovative approaches
criticism.
self-searching,
criticism
an self-
in four countries the participants would be able
4.
to :
i.
Make the programme
an
experiment
in
community living.
identify the issues and problems that confront
them as change agents;
5.
ii.
to arrive at solutions which are most appli
iii.
An on-going evaluation of the training should
be built into the training programme.
cable to their own situations, and,
6.
act upon these solution within the framework
The person initiating the Traiing had to be a
co-ordinator a catalyst rather than a trainer.
of their own organizations and the communities
in which they work;
2.
Maximum participation of the participants in
This methodology should prove
to be
planning the programme, in identifying their own
suitable not only for imparting social skills to
training needs, furthering their own under stan
change agents but many elements of it may even
ding and analysing their work situation and con
be
crete problems. The raw material for training
Learning can be maximixed as well as made
should be the participants actual experiences in the
course of their woik.
used
in
technical
programmes.
more interesting by making it a joint effort, a
This approach was reco
participatory exercise than by imposing it on
mmended in the belief that ;—
people by treating
a.
training
Anyone who has worked in rhe field has a
them as passive objects."
With acknowledgment from "Participatory
great deal io contribute to discussions, and
Training for Development" by Krrala Bhasin.
2
1
Experience Based Training for
Nehru Yuvak Kendras
Co-ordinators
A training programme for the co-ordi
nators
of the
Nehru Yuvak Kendras (NYK)
was organized by Seva Mandir during November/
The training programme, was formulated
keeping these ideas in mind.
Before arriving,
each participant had to prepare a paper on his
or her acrivities. which was then discussed and
analyzed bv the entire group This was followed
by groups of participants working together to
prepare papers
on
different aspects of the
December 1976. The NYK Scheme was started
Scheme. Having pooled their diverse experi
ences, an action-oriented project was then
in 1972 by
undertaken in 6 villages in Kherwara and Badgaon
the Government of India. Their
objective is to station a Kendra in each district
Panchayat Samitis Teams of trainees worked
of the country to cater to the needs of non-student
with village youth in planning activities and
youth, and to channel their energies
into the
events for the following year. They actively
are to concern
themselves with non-formal education related to
participated
in the villagers cultural and
community life by involving themselves in a
agriculture, health, family and community life;
drama and sports festival.
provide vocational training for self-employment,
and proposals for activities in the villages for this
development
process.
and conduct community
They
social
services, and
Their concrete plans
year are being carried through by the youth
cultural and sports activities. In this way the
programme of the Centre for Rural Development,
Yuvak Kendras are expected to become a dynamic
Vidya Bhavan Rural Institute and Seva Mandir
force amongst the youth of our country
.workers.
In the training programme we drew on the
resources and experiences of 33 Yuvak Kendra
co-ordinators from various parts of the country.
The primary purpose of the programme was to
review, revitalize, and to give a new impetus »o
this scheme which was already functioning in
120 districts. Ey bringing together their rich
and varied experiences, together with discussions,
reflection and self-study, the participants Were
given the opportunity to evolve a deeper under
standing and commitment to the seheme. By
coming together they realised that they were
not isolated workers but an integral part of a
vast process in development. As a group
committed tn the same objectives, through active
participation and constructive criticism they
cculd reassess their individual roles, as well as
that of the scheme as a whole.
These action-oriented
programmes
taught the participants to act as members of a
group,, and to be effective io a given
practical situation. Time was also set aside to
discuss practical drawbacks and improvements
to be made in the Scheme. The major improve
ments suggested were improvements in the
support
arrangements
of
the
scheme,
as well as in the monthly
reporting.
The culmination of the programme was the
preparation of a draft plan by each trainee
which outlined their activities for the following
year.
In general the response to the training was
positive and fruitful. However, its true value can
only be estimated from the activities that are
being carried out by the Nehru Yuvak Kendras in
various parts of our land.
to meet the differing requirements of students.
National Field Operations
Seminar in Literacy
This exercise
was to provide a definite break
from the tendency to evolve rigid and static
curricula with which students cannot identify.
The appalling literacy rates in the country
This programme provided an excellent opport
directly point to the vital need for developing
unity to train adult
new adult literacy and educational techniques
using this
This is an area in which much time and energy
problem-solving reserarch methods.
rather
educators and
planners
new action-oriented and
must be spent. Social scientists now realise that
For this training the
in order for adult literacy and education to make
any
allotted a village for'field work. It was the task
related and integrated with the lives of those it
of each group to carry out the following :
wishes to serve. Literacy most be useful in the
everyday lives of the people, it
must not be
merely an adornment or luxury.
In order
1.
to
be dynamic, literacy has to be linked with social
2.
ideas into practise.
the
National
3.
.jo integrate
the literacy/non-formai
educational programmes
with local
developmental activities,
4.
to adopt a multi-dis'iiplinjry approach
in developing curriculum and organizing
non-formal learning sessions.
5.
and to cp.nduct an
entire exercise.
Field
Operation Seminar in Literacy was convened
in Seva Mandir in January 1977 under the
auspices of the Ministry of Education and Social
Welfare,
Govt of India, in
collaboration with
UNESCO. The main purpose of the programme
was to bring together workers in the field of
adult
education,
The
(and related fields) and to
have the
this
method
adult education
programmes in different social, economic and
cultural environments.
The training helped
an educational curriculum for a locality as a
would
participants found
in organizing and planning
specific needs of a local village. Having evolved
they
evaluation of the
effective.. They obtained a sense of confidence
develop an adult literacy programme based on the
group,
to translate these needs into an educa
tional programme.
of literacy workers must be trained to put these
purpose
to develop tools and techniques to identify
the educational needs of the community.
and individuel development, and a new cadre
For this
participants were
divided into three groups, each of which was
must be closely
headway its contents
experience,
clarify
the concept of non-formal
education
evolve
similar
tarough practise. Their experiences, observations,
their own areas of
work.
gear teachers to view
pragrammes and plans have been compiled and
published in the form of a detailed report which
education as a dynamic and changing process
would be of great value to others working in
which needs to constantly evolve and innovate
the field.
insights and
confidence
programmes
in
This exercise was to
to
[ 4
]
Training Programme for
Development Workers
the work of the Dangi youth organization of
Mewar area, and made general observations in
Bombay and Delhi.
THAILAND : In Thailand we saw Rural Recon. struction movements and Government's project
in rural development/which was in collaboration
with the Israeli Government, and did sight-seeing
in Bangkok..
PHILLIPIIMES; Here we visited Punla Foundation
(working for (Community
organization and
development), Social Action group projects in
different parts of the country (Mindanao Island)
Church and different farmers and fishermen
groups working in several places. We also att
ended a low-ccst audio .visual .work-shop at
Manila for a week.
MALAYSIA: We met a farmer who was a pioneer
in landless farmers struggles, we visited a Tamil
Farmers Co-operative Farm and different village
youth organizations.
INDONESIA: We visited LP3ES projects (an
organization that is working for rural development
.and continuing education).DEAN-DESA projects
(working for rural development), PESANTREN
(religious school or traditional education institute)
which is based on the philosophies of Rabind
ranath,Tagore arid Gandhiji In addition we saw
different village organizations of farmers, fisher?
men and artisans.
"SRI LANKA : we saw piany of (he activities of
the :Sarvodaya movement, and visited -another
organization called National Heritage. We made
general observatiops of mid-south Srilanka.
THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PROGRAMME :
During> the training programme we wrote
documentation reports, own. country reports and
visit reports ; T.iere w,ere group discussions,
. evaluation, meetings and individual and group
impressions of projects The training developed
our confidence, as well as strengthened our
mission io work for human development at the
grass.-root level. We developed a sense of Asian,
brotherhood ' and
friendship even though
we came from different cultural and religious
backgrounds-Hindu, - Buddhist, Muslim, Christian
Follow-up work after the training is also planned.
1 have sent a proposal for a Development
Education Project to carried out in my own area."
-Manna RamDangi
ACFOD (Asian Cultural Forum on Deve
lopment) is an extra-governmental organization
supported by freedom From Hungar Campaign/
Action for the Food and Agricultural Organization
of the United Nations.
I
W
As an organization ACFOD aims to bring
together persons and groups in all countries of
the Asian region into a movement
which
participates in in-tegral development. This
Includes the socio-economic and teligio-cultural
advancement of people.
ACFOD organized a Regional Training
Programme for Development workers from August
28-th 1976 to January 7th 1977. In the Paining
programme for development workers,six-countries
participated.
These were India, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philipines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Each country sent one representative to the
p ogiamme. All trainees were from non-govern
mental organizations. I -was sent 'from Seva
1 Mahdir as the Indian participant.
The aims of the training programme were
to promote the active and purposeful interaction
of development workers at primary and intermediate
levels through travel, meeting and the study
ol each other's projects, to help development
workers to see their local problems in a wider
perspective, and to relate the micro issues of
development and social justice to those at
a macro level. It also helped to systematize and
make meaningful this exchange of experiences
for more effective use by individual development
workers
We were in all seven participants inclu
ding' the programme co-otdinator. All the
participants were grass roots level workers.
We visited each participating country in turn.
The details of organization and projects visited
are listed below :
INDIA : We visited all the projects of Seva
Mandir in Kherwara and- Badgaon Blocks, saw
L
5| ]
.schemes at Dhekli and Hunder covering an area
Rural Development Project
for Weaker Sections
of 5000 feet have been made.
Supervision and
guidance for contourbunding work at Hunder, as
well as the supervision and arrangements for road
This March the Rural Development Project
came into being.
repair in Dhar have been carried
The project aims to work with
weaker sections of the village community, the
completed.
small and marginal farmers and poor village
The
artisans.
development,
work
involves
agricultural
link
27 farmers were trained to operate
co-operative
extension,
ment of rural house-hold industries.
On
diesel-engines and electric motors.
Agricultural Extension Work :
In Dhekli and Hunder training was condu- ( \
banking
services, rural engineering work, and the develop
to
out.
Dhar road drainage and culverts work has been
cted to build a nursery for fruit trees. Farmers
were supplied with improved maize seeds and
fertilizers. The growing of cereal and vegetable
crops was supervised. 20 bighas of land were
sprayed with insec icides to control Aphides.
350 wood and fruit tree saplings were distributed
to tribal farmers. 200 animals have been vaccina
ted in Dhar. 48 soils samples have been collected
from 3 villages to study the physical-chemical
properties of soil.
It also aims
the beneficiaries with the opportunities
provided for rural development by government
and voluntary agencies.
The project so far covers 8 village clusters
around Udaipur, all of which are poorly connected
to the city and thus categorized as “interior
areas".
Most of the beneficiaries are trible
people.
Already considerable progress has been
Rural Home Industries ;
The benefits of having subsidiary jobs
using hold
industries
in 6
villages
locally available raw materials have been
discussed. Survey programmes and plans are
now underway to set up a project for rural house
hold industries in 6 villages.
made in various activities initiated which are
listeo below;
Co operative and Banking Services :
The disputes of some 80 members belong
ing to 3 co-operative societies with regards to
loan recoveries have been settled. Aid in provid
Projects Progress Notes
ing loans to fifteen tribal farmers for contour
bunding and for the construction of irrigation
channels was given.
Farmers Functional literacy Project :
Assistance was given to
Planning has been completed for 1977-78
and ragional meetings have been held with the
instructors and organizers. Functional literacy
related to co-operative societies and farming has
been included in this gear's curriculum.
During
1976-1977 nearly 12C0 adults were made literate
of whom 182 were women. At present 60
centres are functioning.
the 2 co-operative schemes to secure Rs. 2000
each for irrigation channel construction and well
deepening.
Rural Engineering Work :
Anicut work that Seva Mandir started was
completed, and chann: I surveys of the irrigation
[ 6
]
NON FORMALEDUCATION PROJECT:
This is for the age-group 8-14. A new
feature in this year's programme is the concept of
continuous training of the centres, co-ordinators
through monthly meetings. In these the previous
month's work is reviewed, demontrations are
given for new techniques for handicrafts, and
literacy work, and plans are made for the coming
month. The co-ordinators and supervisors are
encouraged to draw on the local resources and
to develope programmes related to local needs.
During the monthly meetings the sharing of each
other's experiences has been the chief source
of learning and inspiration to the participants.
A resource centre containing appropriate mate
rials, e.g. booklets, charts, magazines for the
co-ordinators has been set up in the library.
THOUSAND HOUSE-HOLD INDUSTRIES
PROJECT:
Three new training programmes have been
includad in this scheme. There is a one year
course in toy-making for young men in which
there are sixteen trainees A six month training
course in hosiery has been started in which 30
women are enrolled. A training programme for 20
women lasting 6 months for caidboard box
making is about to be started.
PEER GROUP PROJECT “ND AGRICLTUREORifNTED MASS LITERACY PROJECT
KHERWARA.
These are being continued for another two
years and have been enlarged in scope to include
another 23 villages. Animal husbandry has been
included as one of the new dimensions for
extension work through this programme. Literacy
work under the Agriculture Orinted Literacy
Programme and Ru^al Mobile Library services have
been integrated with the Peer Group Scheme.
Special attention is being given to trainees for
group development in the villages. Shri Rajesh
Tandon of the National Labor Institute has been
associated with Seva Mandir in this aspect of
the project Close co-ordination is also being
developed with the Block Development, Drought
Prone Area Piogramme, and Tribal Development
authorities in the functioning of these schemes.
RURAL MOBILE LIBRARY PROJECT :
At present there are 96 library centres
and 10 reading rooms functioning in . the three
blocks of Bargaon, Girva and Kherwara which
cater to the needs of 150 villages.
HARIJAN COMMUNITY PROJECT :
In the Udaipur Harijan bustee there are 2
child-care centres where 90 children whose
ages range from 6 months to 3 years are being
looked after. Each project is run by a full-time
nurse and assistant as well as a part-time doctor
6 meetings with the parents of the children have
been held to discuss both educational and
health matters.
At Ambhamata bustee there is a kitchen
for 40 childien and a childcare centre that caters
to >he". needs of 25 children. A new centre has.
been completed tcjfurther expand ou.j-'activities'
here.
4 workers in this project attended the Rajasthan
Harijan Sevak Sangh meeting in March 1977
at Jaipur.
■" *
EVENTS
A training programme under the aegis of
'Save the Food grain' organization was organized
for 14 Seva Mandir workers from 14th - 16th
Aoiil, 1977.
A workshop on Youth Leadership training
was organized at Seva Mandir by the Ministry of
Education and social Welfare on may 13th and
14th. The participants included Shri V. M.
Dandekar, Director, Institute of Political Economy,
Lonavala, Shri Nitish De, then, the Directar,
National Labour Institute, New Delhi, and Shri
Anil Bordia,
Joint Secretary,
Ministry
of
Education.
A two day meeting of the State level
People's Committee was held at Seva Mandir
under .he chairmanship of Dr. M.S Mehta on the
3rd and 4th of September. Participants included
Shri Siddh'aj Dhaddha
Sarvodaya
leader,
•[ 7 .]-■
,
yz
,
//Tut7i
’7
r
(
-p-wserw^
Shri Gokuibhai Bhatt, Chairman, State Knadl and
Village Industries Board, Shri Jawaharlal Jain,
President, Harijan Sevak Sangh, Prof. Shri Daya
Krishna, Dr. T.K. Unnithan and Shri K.L. Bordia.
Seva Mandir Board of Trustees, Executive
council Advisory and General Assembly met on
4th and 5th May, At the Executive Committee
meeting Shri Kishore Saint was elected as
General Secretary of Seva Mandir for a period
of two years.
LECTURES AND DISCUSSION G^OUP MEETINGS
On October 12th 1976, Shri P. N. Haksar,
then
Deputy Chairman of the planning
Commission had an informal meeting with the
members of Seva Mandir.
On February 15th, Prof. Guy Hunter,
Director of Overseas Development Institute, Univ.
of Reading, England, gave a talk entitled ’’The
New International Economic Order.
On April 18th, Dr. B R. Purohit, Head of
Political Science Dept, Univ, of Udaipur led a
discussion on "Lok Sabha election & Post
Elections Political Scene". The discussion group
held another session to continue this discussion
on May 2nd.
MAHILA SABHA :
The Mahila Sabha started this year's activit
ies on July 23rd 1977. They have already had
some spicy food cooking demontrations which were
thoroughly enjoyed. On the 21st of August, 25
ladies and 10 children set out for a trip to Jaisamand. It was a lovely outing with singing, cool
breeze and beautiful scenery, Different groups set
out to see the Palace on the Peak and Ruthi Rani
ka Mahal. On September 3rd Mrs Manjset,
daughter of Mrs Arjun Singh gave a free bag-
I
,
o^yg
making demonstration
to 20 tadles. On September
f.._™..„
J-...17th she is giving a Candle making demonstra
tion. The Mahila sabha has many activities
planned for this year and is looking for new
active members.
DRAMA GROUP :
Since "Oedipus Rex" the drama group has
staged "Lomdian" (Foxes) in both Udaipur and
Jodhpur. It won Best Actor, Best Director and
Best Play awards in the Jodhpur Interstate
Festival.
"Abdullah Diwana" was staged
this September- it was a great
success.
They are planning 3 more plays for this year.
From this October a weekly integrated training
course in drama will be started.
—
INVOLVEMENTS :
Or. M.S. Mehta attended the preparatory
meetings for the National People's Committee
and National Adult Education Board. He is, ,the
Vice-President of the
National
People's
Committee and a member of the reconstituted
National Adult Education Board. He also atten
ded the Constructive Workers Seminar held in
Delhi from 17th—19th July,
Shri K.L. Bordia is a member of the State
Level People's Committee for Rajasthan and
convenor of this activity for Udaipur, Dungarpur and Banswara districts.
Shri Kishore Saint attended the following:
World Conference of Friends World College in
New York this February, a workshop on "TV for
the Poor" at the Space Research centre at
Ahmedabad, a seminar on voluntary Efforts in
Rural Development'' at the Gandhi Peace
Foundation in August and a Seminar on- Volun
tary Agencies Role in Adult Education" also in
August.
SEVA MANDIR has been awarded the Nadezheda
K. Krupskaya prize of honourable mention for 1977 by the United
Nations
Educational Scientific
and
cultural Organisation
(UNESCO) in recognition of its efforts for the promotion of
literacy programmes in the backward and tribal arees of
Udaipur district.
This Newsletter is distributed free of charge to members, friends and wellwishets
of Seva Mandir. Any contributions towards the cost of its production and to the
activities of Seva Mandir will be gratefully received. Please send those to the Secretary
Seva Mandir, Udzipur.
Edited by Kilborn Saint and Pjbiisaad 4/ Kamila! Bordia for SEIM MANDIR. UDAIPUR-313 001. Printed by J. KHATHURlAnt BUY10 PRIMERS. UDAIPUR
"THE STATE, VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AND
PEOPLES INSTITUTIONS IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT"
KISHORE SAINT.
(Abstract:- In this paper an attempt has been made to
trace the emergence of three institutional components
State, Voluntary organisations and People's insti
tutions- in contemporary Indian polity, in their inte
rrelationship and functioning in the tasks of rural
development. The problematics of this relationship
have been highlighted and a perspective suggested
for a more coherent and effective functioning of
the three)
It is a universal feature of the emergence of the modern
nation-states that with the growth of the state-power there has
been a progressive diminution of the people's ability to maintain
control and responsibility over their own lives and over the
affairs of the state. This danger and the problems it created
from the standpoint of human liberty were well understood
during the 19th century, the era of the rise of the modern
state, across a wide spectrum of political opinion which included
liberals, socialists, anarchists and utilitarians. Thus,
we find John Stuart. Mills in the closing lines of his essay •
'on Liberty' sounding, the warning that 'The worth of the state,
in the long run, is.the worth of the individuals composing
it, and the state which postpones the interests of their
mental expansion and elevation, to.-a little more of adminis
trative skill, a state, which dwarfs its men in order that
they may be more docile instruments in its hands even for
beneficial, purposes, will find that with small men no great
things can really be accomplished, and that the perfection
of machinery, to which it has sacrificed everything, will in
the end avail it nothing, for want of the vital power which,
in order that the machine might work more smoothly, it has
preferred to banish'.
In the modern Indian historical context state-power was
shaped and perfected by the British Imperial presence. The
movement for self-rule which began within the Imperial parame
ters, took on an indigenous and voluntarist character only
under the leadership of Gandhi. This voluntarism was the
fundamental impulse that brought about the change from the
Imperial rule to political independence. It also produced
the giants of the independence movement with their, self-concei
ved tasks of social reform and reconstruction paralleling
the freedom str’inggle. In the movement for constructive work;
especially in the villages, powerful beginnings were made in the
direction of tbe creation of a new.order of society based on
self-managed, self-reliant and non-violent communities.
However, as a result of the consolidation of the Imperial
power through administrative and educational measures, modern
statism had already struck deep roots in the Indian polity.
The middle classes, who in the earlier period of Muslim
rule had provided administrative and commercial support to the
feudal regime, took advantage of the new opportunities through
and in education, administration, commercial enterprise and,
to some degree, in industry. They came to provide the under
pinning of the Imperial superstructure which later they were to
inherit as the rulers of independent India. Even in the ranks
of the independence movement we find both the statist and
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2
voluntarist strands epitomised and symbolised in the twin
leadership of Nehru and Gandhi. For Nehru, despite his
closeness end genuine affection for the masses and under
standing of their power, the main preoccupation was the state
■its-power and i
functioning in the interests of the moder
nisation of tb~ -’■’'Vv'.
nitty, After independence he emerged
as the chief architect of building the Indian state especially
in its technoratic aspects. On the other hand, Gandhi; while
recognizing the necessity of the state, put much greater faith
and importance by the voluntarist peoples' power guided by
moral principles intrinsic to the Indian cultural milieu.
That is why he proposed that the major socio-political force
at the time of independence, the Indian National Congress,
convert itself into a Lok Sevak Sangh to lead, organise and
catalyse peoples' energies at the grass-roots in the villages.
That did not happen, and with the removal of Gandhi the
voluntarist and people-based development impulse further
lost its focus and momentum.
Before examining the post-independence policies and
practices in the shaping, of the Indian polity in its rural
developmental aspects, it may be helpful to clarify the
distinction that has been assumed in the concepts of the
state and the society. It is often, a part of the governing
I
ideology of the ruling elite to obliterate this distinction
and to equate the state, the governing apparatus, and its
interests with those of the society and nation at large and its
needs. Sometimes they go further and assume, like Louis XIV
, of France, that they are the state and what j_s good for them
is good for the state and the society. These are dangerous
delusions which might promote the interests of the elite in
the short run but, invariably> prove disastrous as fab as the
larger and long range, interests of the society and nation
are concerned.
joa&J.<-all^, it .locda <_o be recognised that the people
are the primary entity in a nation. They pre-exist the state
and in a democratic context the state is their creation, they
are not the creation of the state. The state, with its
constitution and the governing apparatus, is a framework and
an instrument for a people to manage-the internal affairs of
their polity and to maintain their relations with other states
in a sovereign manner. The state is the vessel and the
vehicle while the people are 'the vital power' that designs
and propels the ship of the state.
Traditionally, in the Indian context, relations between
the state and the people have been governed by the raj-praja
relationship and the respective dharma assigned to ach. This
functioned within the larger, universal norms of the Hindu
dharma that are not altogether defunct even- today. In fact,
it'd not be inaccurate to say that the people in India,
especially the rural masses, by,and large still see themselves
as 'Praja' rather than as 'citizens1. This traditional self
concept of people as 'Praja' was reinforced by the concept
of 'riaya' in the Muslim period and of the 'subject' during
the British period. The common denominator in all these
notions is the lack of responsibility in the individual regar
ding the affairs of the state and his or her dependence
on the 'Raja', the overlord or the Ehiperor, as the 'Maior 'Andatta', for protection and welfare. The only circumstance
under which an individual is accepted to transgress and
transcend 'Prajahcod1 and its constraints is when he renounces
.the mundane life and seeks the higher, spiritual dharma. The
idea of people as responsible citizens, with ability to choose
their own rulers, to nolo tnem accountable for their perfqrmance
3
to have rights that are self-justified and to be able to claim
protection against the excesses of the state, is one of the
paradoxical outcomes of the Western Imperial rule in India.
Whether without the powerful shock of this experience this
idea would have evolved in India or not, is a debatable point.
But there is little doubt that the colonial experience played
its part in sinking t’ae uespocic ruling structures and brought
into question the tenets by which these maintained control
over the people.
The ideals of both the ascetic individual above the law
and the democratic citizen with well-defined responsibilities
and rights within the law were amongst the guiding principles
and impulses of the freedom movement. Through large scale
application in mass action they came to be imbibed across
a wide spectrum of public opinion. Although held as passionate
concerns by only a very small minority after independence
they have continued to provide the yard-sticks by which to
assess the state's performance vis-a-vis the people.
At the time of independence it can be assumed that it
was at least the intention to carry out nation-building with
both state-power and people's power
*
In actual practice the
main pre-occupation became the strengthening of the state
power and it was to the state that main responsibility was
assigned for development and welfare of citizens. Some official
attemps were made to provide a role for the exercise of
peoples1 power through the institutions of panchayati raj
supported by community development bureaucracy, khadi and
village industries, cooperatives etc. under the patronage
and ultimate control of the state. As such, they generally
failed to evolve any distinct power of their own and remained
pale shadows of state bureaucracies. Outside the state set-up
concern with generating, strengthening and organising of
peoples' power found expression in four broad categories. The
traditional jati and tribal organisations continued to exercise
control and give direction to the personal and social aspects
of-life in each community. The Gandhians as constructive
workers and as leaders of khadi, Sarvodaya/ Bhoodan and Gramdan
movements tried todevelop new peoples institutions with a
new value basis. The Marxists, socialists and liberals of
various hues have had the greater impact on organising the
workers' and peasants' power in the form of trade unions and
movements for land reform, civil rights and social justice.
Non-political voluntary organisations contributed indirectly
to the awakening of the people through adult education, health
programmes, relief and welfare activities.
All of these except the traditional jati organisations
and trade unions came to be overwhelmed by the rising state
power. There was loss of self-confidence even amongst the
champions of the causes of peoples' power and institutions.
Most of these leaders coming from the ruling classes located
themselves comfortably within or close to the state apparatus
using their earlier b'ase amongst the people as a source of
additional personal and political power. In consequence,
it was the people and their institutions that withered while
the state grew in power progressively until in the internal
Emergency it came to hold and exercise well high totalitarian
control over the 1'ives of the people.
The March 1977 electoral verdict signified a massive
rejection of this state of affairs, of ubiquitous and arbitrary
state control that professed social justice but worked to the
4
advantage of a few. In the new political circumstance that
has come into being since then, there has been some basic
redirectioning of the state policy. A new commitment to
rural development, backed by large allocation of plan resources
has been generated. A more integrated and comprehensive
concept of rural development going beyond production-raising
agricultural development by the better-off farmers has been
evolved. A rural health programme with preventive and selfmanagement perspective in personal and social health has been
launched. It has been recognised that there was a misplaced
importance given to formal higher education and that .adult
education with functional, awareness-raising, organisational
and literacy components has a much more critical role to play
as a causative factor in rural development. Development
planning is being viewed as multi-level exercise with an
important place for Block and sub-block level planning. It
has also come to be recognised a s a creative, recurrent and
self-correcting process rather than a rigid, periodic effort
at resource assessment and budgeting. A review is under way
of the Panchayati Raj set-up with a view to bring about its
revitalisation.
In all this there is an implicit acceptance that while
the state machinery cannot evade its role and responsibility
in rural development, it alone cannot deal with this complex
and stupendous task, especially since it involves difficult
and delicate exercises in social, institutional and educational
innovation. This cannot happen without active peoples'
participation in developmental efforts. In eliciting peoples
involvement and in organising peoples1 power for development
the importance of peoples1 institutions and voluntary organi
sations is beginning to be understood at least at the policymaking and planning level. In formulating the new directions
and programmes in health, adult education, youth movements,
integrated rural development and rural industries there has
been broad-based consultation at the national level with
volintary agencies, constructive work leaders and peoples'
representatives.
Despite this re-marriage, or perhaps, more accurately,
renewed courtship, it cannot be assumed that all it is well
between the state functionaries and politicans on the one
hand and the voluntary and constructive workers on the other,
in fact, the lack of an effort for the proper understanding
of the problematic relationship between the two sides poses
a danger that, after the brief reconciliation, there will be
another disenchantment or, at best, a continued bad relationship.
These difficulties and the mutual suspicions and mis
trust that surround these have their roots in our recent
historical experience, As indicated earlier, both the statist
and the voluntarist-populist approaches for development and
nation-building emerged during the freedom movement. The
voluntarist approach evolved by the Gandhians with its exclu
sive reliance on peoples1 pjwer often failed to come to
terms with the state power and its reality. The state
bureaucracy with its. colonial traditions looked at the volun
tarists. at best, as busybodies and dogooders, well-meaning
but without competence and, at worst, as threats to the
systems of state control. In general, they were to be ignored
but. occasionally, they might be tolerated, humoured, used
for trying out new ideas and experiments and patronised to
decorate committees.
5
The situation has been aggravated by the emergence
of fake and corrupt voluntarism which has ranged from
charitable trusts as fronts for tax evasion to grant-in-aid
institutions with total dependence on government and foreign
funds to voluntary organisations which were in reality bases
focal power and patronage, Many of these have lacked integrity
in financial
the performance of
their chosen tasks. They have been f ar removed from the
masses they are supposed to serve and often in league with,
the local vested interests. The existence of these organisa
tions has brought voluntarism into disrepute and led the
government to devise control and supervisory measures which
have made deep inroads into the autonomy and self-management
of all voluntary institutions.
Yet, despite this general lowering of standards of
integrity, there remain organisations whose probity has been
beyond question and who have constantly striven to maintain
excellence in performance. In rural development pioneering
work of proved quality has been done by such organisations
as Anand Niketan, Rangpur, Lok Bharati, Sanosara, Gandhi
Vidyapeeth, Veddchi, Gandhi Gram and Gandhi Niketan, Madurai,
Ramkrishna Vidyalaya, Coimbatore; Bengal Social Service League,
Calcutta, to mention only a few. More recently a new crop of
organisations manned by younger and professionally oriented
leaders has come into
. Amongst these are Social Work and
Research Centre, Tilonia; Kishore Bharati, Bankhedi; Vigyan
Shiksha, Kendra, Atarra; Seva Mandir, Udaipur; Community Health
project at Jamkhed; Bharatiya Agro-Industries Centre, UruliKanchan; Agridus , Govindpur; Village Reconstruction Organisation
Guntur; Bhagavatula Charitable Trust, Dimili; Amul, Anand,
Asag, Ahmedabad.
'
The successful performance of these organisations
derives from a number of factors. They are invariably local
and'region spec.?.:io in their roots, cuid concerns. They have
close
*.wit
u-be community they serve.
They are manned ’ey a core of dedicated workers with exemplary
leadership. The best amongst them have their own resource
base for their core administration. All of them have an
independent outlook and policy, yet they keep in touch with
the new national policies and programmes and adapt their own
functioning in the light of these. They are characterised
by good professional management and maintain effective
liaision with the government machinery at all levels. Above
all they are free from party political affiliations.
Wherever and whenever voluntary organisations
have succeeded, this has been because they have been able
to avoid the limitations that are often built into the state
machinery. The impersonality, the distance from the situa
tion and the problem, the ponderous and cumbersome procedures,
over-specialisation and lack of coordination between various
departments, the perputual transfers and lack of coherence
and continuity in policy and practice, self-serving
careerism and elitism and rampant corruption are well-known
ailments that afflict the state system of administration for
development. The difference and the distance in the concerns
of the two inhibits or distorts people-state interaction re
sulting in non-implementation or miscarriage of plans. Until
the time that a genuinely democratic machinery of governace
comes into being, there will remain a need for organisations
who can perform the mediating role between the state and the
people. This is the crux of the catalyst role of voluntary
agencies to educate interpret, coordinate and integrate
towards the synergistic functioning of the pelple state
system for development. The state, the governing apparatus,
6
is a reality that cannot be wished away or done without .
With the resources and expertise at its command it has the
power to carry cut long range, national development planning
and action. It has to be pressurised and catalysed to perform
these tasks effectively in the interests of the people by
voluntary eg—-de- outside -he government system.
At the grassroots peoples' organisations-panchayats,
cooperatives, women's and youth organisations, credit unions,
labour unions-are the real vehicles for the creative exercise
of peoples1 power for the management of their daily lives.
One of the key functions of voluntary organisations is to
provide planning, training and management support to these
organisations to help them to come into their own, to gain
access to resources and to take advantage of the schemes and
services made available by the state. They have also to be
helped to be enlightened about and made vigilant regarding
the administrative and political processes in the state.
This educative support functions by voluntary organisations
can be supported and promoted by the resources of the state.
This provides a basis and framework dor a partnership between
the state voluntary agencies, in the interests of the people.
Whether the attitude of the state is helpful or not,
in the last analysis, voluntarism has to be a self-generative
and self-reliant force. As an expression of the evolutionary
potential in society, it cannot be allowed to remain dependent
on state aid or patronage. Its responsibility is to the
people and its validation is in their service and betterment.
For their growth as a movement with regional and national
significance and impact, voluntary agencies have to develop
their own mutual support arrangements. They have also to
set up facilities for themselves on regional and national
basis for information exchange, training, monitoring and
evaluation..
At present there is a general lack of these
and the nacionax and' regional xevel bodies of voluntary
organisations have tended to become self-serving, neglecting
their role as supporters of member agencies in the field.
Only a new type of leadership and functioning in the
supporting apex bodies can change this situation. They have
to be weaned away from prestige and power play to become
genuine service organisations for their constituents. To
ensure that people with support and service motivation
rather than patrons are elected to these bodies is the res
ponsibility of the members themselves. What is called for
is a change in the ethos of the movement and this has to
begin with the internal structures of voluntary bodies.
Democratic styles have to be accepted and there has to be
workers' and people's participation in decision making and
in evolving policy. Only through internal self-renewal
consonant with the new realities and challenges can these
organisations become effective instruments for serving
the people.
July 1978
Seva Mandir
Udaipur (Rajasthan)
313 001.
RMY/-
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