Today'sPaperOPINION

Developmentasapeoplesmovement
MadhavGadgil

Developmentwasakeyissueinthe2014LokSabhaelection.InhisveryfirstspeechaftertakingoverasPrime
Minister,NarendraModiassertedthathisgovernmentiscommittedtocarryingondevelopmentasapeoples
movement.This,hehasasserted,willdrawuponIndiasdemocratic,demographicanddemanddividends.Butarewe
genuinelymovingtowardsorganisingdevelopmentasapeoplesmovementwhilebuildingonthesestrengths?
Attheheartofdemocracyisaccesstoinformation.WedohavethevitalRighttoInformationAct,butneedtodomuch
moresincethepublicisbeingcontinuallymisled.Toreapthedemographicdividend,ouryouthshouldbewell
nourished.Butwhatisthereality?Thegovernmentsstatisticsshowthat28percentofschoolchildrenwere
malnourishedin1993thiscamedownto17percentby1999anddeclinedfurtherto8percentby2006.However,this
isbasedoninformationprovidedbyschools,andmanyofthemareguiltyofmaintainingbogusrecordsofenrolment
andexpensestowardstheprovisionofmiddaymeals.Asacrosscheck,wehavethedataprovidedbythecarefullyand
professionallyconductedNationalFamilyHealthSurvey.Accordingtoitsverydifferentandshockingresults,53per
centofschoolchildrenweremalnourishedin1993.Thiscamedownslightlyto47percentby1999andchangedalittle
by2006,to46percent.
TocatertoIndiasmassivepopulationofconsumers,peopleshouldhaveadequatepurchasingpower,suchasthat
enjoyedbypeopleemployedintheindustriesorservicessector.Unfortunately,asthemalnourishmentstatistics
indicate,avastmajorityofIndiansarepoor,withbarely10percentemployedintheorganisedsector.Wearebeing
convincedthatvigorouseconomicgrowthisgeneratingsubstantialemployment.Butthisisnotso.Whenoureconomy
wasgrowingat3percentperyear,employmentintheorganisedsectorwasgrowingat2percentperyear.Asthe
economybegantogrowat78percentperyear,therateofgrowthofemploymentintheorganisedsectoractually
declinedto1percentperyearsincemostoftheeconomicgrowthwasbasedontechnologicalprogress,including
automation.Atthesametime,theincreasingpressureoftheorganisedsectoronland,water,forestandmineral
resourceshasadverselyimpactedemploymentinfarming,animalhusbandryandfisheriessectors.Peoplewhoare
beingpushedoutoftheseoccupationsarenowcrowdinginurbancentres.Thisisinturnleadingtoadeclineinthe
productivityoftheorganisedindustriesandservicessector.Evidently,theshipofourdevelopmentissadlyadrift.
Whatisdevelopment?
Undoubtedly,peopleaspirefordevelopment.Butwhatisdevelopment?JosephStiglitz,arecipientoftheNobelPrize
inEconomicsandonetimechairmanofBillClintonsEconomicAdvisoryCouncil,offersaninsightfulanalysis,
assertingthatdevelopmentshouldresultinanenhancementofthetotalityofanationsfourfoldcapitalstocks:the
capitalofmaterialgoods,naturalcapitalsuchassoil,water,forestsandfish,humancapitalincludinghealth,education
andemployment,andsocialcapitalcomprisingmutualtrustandsocialharmony.Ourcurrentpatternofeconomic
developmentisbynomeansabalancedprocessresultingintheoverallenhancementofthetotalityofthesestocks.
Thus,forinstance,mininginGoahasseverelydamagedtheStateswaterresourcesandcausedhighlevelsofairand
waterpollution.Theeverincreasingcontentofmetalsindrinkingwaterreservoirshasadverselyimpactedhealth.
WhenthousandsoftruckswereplyingoreontheroadsofGoa,theresultingchaosintrafficandaccidentsseriously
disruptedsocialharmony.Evidently,thesinglemindedfocusonindustrialgrowthisnotleadingtosustainable,
harmoniousdevelopment,butmerelynurturingamoneycentredviolenteconomy.
Wemust,ofcourse,continuetodevelopmoderntechnologybasedindustriesandservices,butthesecannotgenerate
employmentonthemassivescalerequired.Itisthereforeimperativethatthismodernsectormustreininitsadverse
impactsonlabourintensive,naturalresourcebasedoccupationsandlivelihoods.Themoderncapitalintensive,
technologybasedeconomicsectormustnurtureasymbioticrelationshipwiththenaturebased,labourintensive
sector.Ourdemocracyprovidesforfashioningsuchamutualrelationshipthroughthe73rdand74thconstitutional
amendmentsandtheBiologicalDiversityAct,thePanchayats(ExtensiontoScheduleAreas)ActandtheForestRights
Act.Wemusttakeadvantageofthisconstitutionalframeworkthatpromotesdecentralisedgovernanceandworkwith
natureandpeopletomoveforwardonapathtowardsgenuinedevelopmentapaththatwouldbeentirelycompatible
withmakingdevelopmentapeoplesmovement.
Examplesofpeoplesmovements
InChandrapurandGadchirolidistrictsofMaharashtra,bothofwhichareNaxaltorn,therearehopefulexamples
emergingofhowdevelopmentmaybenurturedasapeoplesmovement.Anumberoftribalandothertraditional
forestdwellingcommunitiesofthesedistrictsnowhavemanagementrightsoverCommunityForestResourcesunder
theForestRightsAct.Thestateretainsownershipoversuchresources,andthesecannotbedivertedtootherpurposes.
Butnowtheseresourcesarebeingmanagedholisticallywithafullerinvolvementofthepeople.Thecitizensof
Pachgaon,forinstance,have,throughtwofulldaymeetingsoftheirentireGramSabha,decidedupon40odd
regulations.Tenduleavesareamajorforestproduce,buttheirharvestentailsextensiveloppingandsettingofforest
fires.So,Pachgaonhasdecidedtoforegothisincomeandinsteadfocusonmarketingtheedibletendufruit.By
stoppingthecollectionoftenduleaves,thetreesarehealthierandbothfruityieldandincomefromitsmarketinghave
goneup.Incomesfrombambooharvesthavealsogoneupmanifold,andforthefirsttimethepeoplearemovingoutof
theearlierprecariousexistence.Notably,theyhaveontheirowninitiatedprotectingpartoftheseforestsasnewly

constitutedsacredgroves.Suchcommunitymanagementofforestresourcesistheonlysanewaytocombatextremism,
andIhaveeveryhopethatthenewgovernment,withitscommitmenttomakingdevelopmentapeoplesmovement,
willwholeheartedlysupporttheseinitiatives.
Verlevillage,perchedatopSahyadrimountainsinGoasSanguemtaluk,providesanotherinstanceofhowwecanmake
developmentapeoplesmovement.Inthischarmingvillage,thelocalshaveinitiatedacooperativetourismproject.
Visitorsstayinthehomesofthelocals,whicharenowequippedwithmodernamenities,andenjoyhomecookedfood.
Theycanwanderaroundtotheirheartscontentwiththreewelltrainedlocalyouthwhoserveasnatureguides.Thisis
aneatexampleofhowdevelopmentbenefitspeopleatthegrassrootslevelwhilesafeguardingthenaturalheritage.
Recently,IhadrequestedGoaUniversitystudentstowriteanessayonanyissueoftheirinterest.Manychosetourism
theywereveryconcernedwiththenegativefalloutoftheflourishinghotelindustry.Theseincludeddepletionand
pollutionofgroundwater,evergrowingpilesofsolidwaste,encroachmentsonpublicbeachesandalarminggrowing
drugabuse,associatedcrimesandwomensinsecurity.Theyalsofeltthatfeweconomicbenefitsactuallyreachthe
peopleofGoa.Whythencanwenotfocusonenterprisesthatarenaturefriendlyandgivefullscopetolocalinitiatives
likeVerletodeveloptourism?Whydowenotorganiseactivitiessuchasthesethatgenuinelypromotedevelopmentas
apeoplesmovement?
Furthermore,Goacouldreviveitscurrentlystagnatingminingbusinessthroughnovelpeopleorientedinitiativessuch
astheproposalfromthetribalsinCauremvillageinGoasQuepemtaluka.There,extensivecommunitylandsthat
harbouralargesacredgrovelandsthatoughttohavebeenassignedasCommunityForestResourceshavebeen
encroacheduponbypalpableillegalmining,whichhasdamagedwaterresources,affectedfarming,andcreatedsocial
dissonance.Theminesarecurrentlyclosedbecauseoftheillegalities,andtheGramSabhahasunanimouslyresolved
thatiftheyaretoberestarted,thisshouldbedonethroughtheagencyoftheirmultipurposecooperativesociety.
TheGoagovernmentoughttoseizethisgoldenopportunityanddoallthatitcantoensurethatitsucceeds.Whenthe
firstcooperativesugarfactoryinthecountrywasestablishedatPravaranagarinMaharashtra60yearsago,many
doubtedifthefarmerscouldmanagesuchanenterprise.Butitsucceededbeyondpeopleswildestdreamsbecauseof
capablefarmerleaderslikeVitthalraoVikhePatilandasympatheticFinanceMinisterlikeVaikunthbhaiMehta.Letus
thereforehopethattheGoagovernmentwithitscommitmenttomakingdevelopmentapeoplesmovementwill
vigorouslysupporttheCaureminitiativeandcreateforthecountryanewmodelofhowminingcanbedevelopedasa
peoplesactivity.
(MadhavGadgilisD.D.KosambiVisitingResearchProfessor,GoaUniversity.)
Thesinglemindedfocusonindustrialgrowthisnotleadingtosustainable,harmonious
development,butmerelynurturingamoneycentredviolenteconomy.
Moderntechnologybasedindustriesandservicescannotgenerateemploymentonamassivescale.
Itisthereforeimperativethatthismodernsectormustreininitsadverseimpactsonlabour
intensive,naturalresourcebasedlivelihoods