Unit-2 Rural Development Programmes:

Sriniketan Experiment, Gurgaon Experiment, Marthandam experiment,

Baroda Experiment, Firka development scheme, Etawah pilot Project,
Nilkhori experiment, approaches to rural development: Tagore, Gandhi etc.
Rural Development is not a new concept for India rather it is a very basic principle of our
culture. The famous epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata teach us the dignity of
humanity and benevolence and justice to people. In ancient days, our villages were self-
sufficient and requiring very little assistance from outsiders. However, during British rule, the
rural economy was destroyed and the rural mass was made dependent on goods and services
provided by outsiders. There was no rural development policy as such to make the people self-
reliant. Some of the rural development activities were taken up by the British Government in
India during the Great Bengal Famine. These attempts were of very limited scale without having
legal sanctions behind the move. During the British period, the British government was never
serious about the rural development. During 1800 to 1825, it was reported that there were five
famines.

Rural Development in India:

- Pre Independence era (1866- 1947)

- Post Independence era (1947-1953)

- Community Development and Extension Service era (1953 - 1960)

- Intensive Agricultural Development era (1960 – till date)

Rural Development during the Pre-Independence Period

But, the most important rural development efforts during the pre-independence era were:

1. Rural Reconstruction programme by Mahatma Gandhi

2. The Sriniketan Experiment

3 The Martandam Experiment

4. The Gurgaon Experiment

5. Rural Reconstruction Programs in Baroda, and

6. The Firka Development scheme.

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Sriniketan Rural Reconstruction Programme (1921)
The Poet Rabindranath Tagore set up an Ashram at Shantinikatan (West Bengal), a peaceful
place away from Calcutta. He started his rural development activities with L.K. Elmhirst
from his institute of reconstruction with objectives of to improve village situations and
developing interest among youth in rural development works. The institute of rural
reconstruction conducted several demonstrations on farmers‟ holding on improved agricultural
practices, established a dairy and poultry to supply milk, eggs, better animals and birds to the
farmers for breeding. The programme emphasized on helping villagers to develop agriculture,
livestock, formation of cooperatives and improving village sanitation. His programme was
limited to only 8 villages of his Zamindari and yielded very little result.

Shri Rabindra Nath Tagore wanted to develop a center to extend his ideas on education in a rural
setting. During 1914 he established a rural reconstruction institute at Sriniketan involving youth
from a group of 8 villages. It maintained a demonstration farm, a dairy and poultry unit, an
outdoor clinic, a department of cottage industries and a village school. These agencies were to
treat the villages as their laboratory to identify problems and test their ideas. The villages were
expected to approach these agencies through the village workers to obtain solution of their
more pressing problems. These social workers lived in the villages and worked with the people.
At Sriniketan center, agriculture, dairy and poultry were the foremost activities. Scheme of land
development and tree plantation were given due importance. Experiment on paddy, sugarcane
and cotton were undertaken. Improved seeds, vegetable seedlings, fruit grafts and saplings were
distributed. New breeds of cattle were introduced. Local artisans were trained in cottage
industries. Other activities were village scout movement, village developmental council,
health, cooperatives, circulating library and village fairs.

Shriniketan Village Welfare Institute was established in 1920 whose main objectives were
the following:

(1) To increase the knowledge of rural people.

(2) To help the rural people in establishing cottage industry.

(3) To inspire the people to follow new technology.

(4) Development of dairy farming.

(5) To create the feeling of co-operation.

(6) To arrange the facility of health and education.

(7) To create the feeling of rural leadership

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Drawbacks
1. This institute could not get Government help and support.

2. It could not do research work and hence the programmes remained limited to those 8 villages
only

Gurgaon Experiment
Rural uplift movement on a mass scale was first started by Mr. F.I. Brayne, Dy. Commissioner
in the Gurgaon district of Punjab in 1920. The work gathered momentum after 1933 when Mr.
Brayne was appointed as Commissioner of Rural Reconstruction in the Punjab. In 1935-
36, the Government of India granted Rs. One crore for the work which acted as a stimulus. After
that the work was transferred to the Cooperative Department and Better Living Societies were
organized to take up this work in the villages. In 1927, the Gurgaon experiment was started by
F.L. Bryne, who was the Deputy Commissioner of Gurgaon District in Punjab. The programme
aimed at improving agriculture, education, health and sanitation facilities, co-operation, and
social development with greater vigor. Through these comprehensive efforts, he intended to
remove poverty through a mass movement. He stressed on the dignity of labor, self-help and
conducted propaganda through films, songs, skits and plays with a view to increase farm
yields and improving health standards. Under this programme, for the first time, a 'Village
guide' was posted in each Village who was to work as a link to pass on new innovations. The
main reason for the failure of this programme was that the reforms were imposed on the people,
rather than initiated by themselves. This widened the gap between the 'haves and have-nots'

Objectives:
1. To increase agricultural production.

2. To stop wastage of money on social and religious functions.

3. To improve healthy standard of the people.

4. To organize welfare programmes.

Activities:
1. Appointment of village guides.

2. Propaganda through films, folk songs, dramas etc.

3. Rural Economics and domestic Economics Schools.

Short Comings:

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1. A one man show.

2. Village guides were un-experienced and untrained.

3. No comprehensive planning

The Martandam Experiment

Dr. Spencer Hatch of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) set up a Project in 1921
at Martandam, 25 miles south of Thiruvananthapuram. The purpose of this experiment was to
bring about a complete upward development towards a more complete and meaningful life for
rural people, spiritually, mentally, physically, socially and economically. The main stress in
programme was on the principle that people should not depend on Government for support
because when concessions and help in any field are not given, the people develop in them a
feeling of self-help and self- reliance. The objectives of this programme was the YMCA
should work in the Villages to eliminate poverty. For the Rural Demonstration Centre at
Martandam had a demonstration farm, prized animals, equipment for the honey industry and
other cottage vocations.

Baroda village reconstruction project (1932)

The Maharaja of Baroda was a progressive and enlightened man and he started the
Baroda experiment in 1932. Shree B.T. Krishnamachari in Baroda in the Gujarat State initiated
this Project in 1932.This programme aimed at developing "will to live better" and a capacity for
self-help and self-reliance.

The programme included the following items:

1. Improvement of communication,

2. Digging of drinking water wells,

3. Anti-malarial measures,

4. Pasture development,

5. Distribution of improved seeds,

6. Training in Cottage crafts,

7. Establishment of Panchayats and Co-operatives covering every Village,

8. Development of village schools as Centre for teach agriculture and for improving the will to
live better. The programme had full legislative and financial support

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Objectives

any programmes such as gardening, poultry-farming, bee-keeping, spinning and

weaving were organized.

-stabilization of Panchayats and other programmes of village progress were

organized.

contact by the village guides.

Firka Development Programme (1946)

This programme was started by Government in the last quarter of 1946 in Firkas throughout
Madras state. It was extended to another 50 additional Firkas at the rate of two Firkas per district.
Firka Development scheme was a Government sponsored Scheme first started in 34 firkas in the
then Madras State by T. Prakasam in 1946. The scheme was later extended to other firkas. Based
on Gandhiji‟s idea of „Village Swaraj‟, the programme emphasized on providing housing,
education, water supply, developments of roads, improvements of sanitation, etc. The
programme was directed in each firka by firka development committee consisting of officials
and non-officials. At macro level, the programme emphasized on improvements in
agriculture, development of village industries, formation of Panchayat, setting up cooperatives,
encouraging social and cultural activities, etc. The administrative stucture consisted of Director
of Rural Welfare at the State level, the Collector at District level, the Rural Welfare Officer at
Firka level and 5 to 10 Grama sevaks under him. Besides these, staffs for Agriculture and Public
Works were also provided for every Firka. Later in 1953-54, the Firka Development Scheme
was merged with Community Development Programme and National Extension Service
Programme Selection of Firkas

1. On the basis of their backwardness.

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2. Possibilities for increasing the production of handloom clothes and other cottage industries.

Objectives

1. To tackle the rural problem as a whole.

2. Preparation of short term plans for the development of rural communication, water supply.

3. Formation of panchayats and organization of cooperatives.

4. Long term plan to make the area self sufficient through agricultural, irrigational and livestock
improvements.

5. Development of Khadi and Cottage Industries.

The programmes initiated during pre-independence era had had one or the other
shortcomings which are summed up as follows:

1. Attempts were isolated, uneven and discontinuous.

2. Most of the efforts were based on individual initiative.

3. Government backing and financing were not forthcoming.

4. Lack of involvement of people in programme implementation.

5. Plans and programmes were ill-defined and unbalanced.

6 Staff were mostly inexperienced and untrained.

7. No evaluation was carried out; hence the results were not known.

8. Association and coordination other development departments were very limited

Etawah Project
The idea of this pilot project was conceived in 1945 but was put into action in September, 1948
at Mahewa Village about 11 miles away from Etawah in United Province. Lt. Col. Albert Mayer
of U.S.A. was the Originator of this project. Initially 64 villages were selected which then
increased to 97. The Government of UP and Point-4 programme of U.S.A. provided help for this
project.

Objectives:

1. To see the extent of improvement possible in an average district.

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2. To see how quickly results could be achieved.

3. To ascertain the permanency and applicability of results to other areas.

4. To find out methods of gaining and growing confidence of the villagers.

5. To build up a sense of community living.

6. To build up a spirit of self-help in the villagers.

Activities

1. Broadening the mental horizons of the villagers by educative and persuasive approach.

2. Training of village level workers.

3. Co-ordination between Departments and Agencies.

4. Conducting demonstrations.

5. Covered subjects like crop yields, soil conservations, animal husbandry sanitation and social
education.

Strength of project

1. Villager‟s participation.

2. Through planning and integrated approach.

The Weakness of the above rural Experiments

1. The objective were ill-defined or lopsided in the development. Little attempt was made to
study the peculiar conditions of the villages and to adapt the programme to its need.

2. Plans, programmes and organisations were lacking, weak or unbalanced

3. Parallel, programmes of supplies, services, guidance and supervision were not developed.

4. The need for proper methods and skills of approach to the task was not fully realized.

5. Research and evaluation were lacking.

6. Association and co-ordination with other development departments was very limited.

7. The involvement of village people in thinking, planning and executing village

development was not properly achieved

8. Government backing and financial support was not in sufficient measures.

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9. The attempts were mostly isolated, uneven and discontinuous.

Nilokheri Experiment
Nilokheri Project (1948) It started during 1948 under the leadership of S.K.Dey. Its
primary purpose was to develop a new township to rehabilitate displaced persons from West
Pakistan. The project was built in a swampy barren land by refugees 'self help and
governments' assistance, located around the vocational training centre on the highway of Delhi
and Ambala. Dey launched the new scheme called 'Mazdoor Manzil' for construction of
township at Nilokheri. This scheme gave the people (1) training on Agricultural
implements preparation, (2) cottage industries (3) carpentry etc. It was based on self-
sufficiency for rural cum urban in all essential requirements of life. Later this township was
subsequently handed over to the Government of Punjab. After the bifurcation of Punjab,
Nilokheri went to Haryana state. Nilokheri is located in Karnal district of Punjab (now in
Haryana). The Nilokheri project was launched for the settlement of refugees who migrated to
Punjab during the riots which took place soon after independence. The project was initiated by
S.K. Dey who was then, the Minister of Community Development. The original plan of
Nilokheri was to have a township of 5,000 people and to link it with villages having a
population of about 25,000. It was contemplated that the Nilokheri town would have centre of
medical relief, Public health and sanitation. There was also a provision for high school
education, technical and vocational training, horticulture, poultry, piggery, fishery, sheep
breeding and other farms of animal husbandry. It was within the scope of the project to
change the villages according to the scheme of development. It was planned to
accommodate the refugees who were then living in the camps. However, the complete scheme
for urban and rural area could not materialise as the Ministry of Rehabilitation was concentrated
only with the displaced persons who could be settled in the new town, and in the villages around
there were already old inhabitants. Alongside technical and vocational training, work centres
were started in all the crafts which were taught in the former institutions. Weaving calico
printing, soap making, laundry, bakery, tinsmithy, blacksmithy, general mechanics, leather
and a multitude of other crafts and trades came in as production nucleus. The Nilokheri
project was unlike any other village development project. Its objective was to rehabilitate
the refugees in a planned settlement where they could get everything which is required for a
town or a village. The clusters of neighbouring villages were also planned to be attached with the
Nilokheri town. But, this could not be done as the villages were already settled and had their felt
needs fulfilled. The project did not have a formal role of non-officials. S.K. Dey who was
basically an engineer did not pay much heed to social and cultural aspects of village. Despite this

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weakness Nilokheri was an excellent exercise in the planning of a town. It would be worthwhile
to say here that Indian villages are never found in planned settlements.

Post Independence development

red approach to people centered approach

Approaches to rural community development: Tagore’s Contribution

Rabindranath Tagore, a lighthouse of the Bengalis, is best known for his unforgettable creations
in literature. From his childhood, unlike other creative artists, Tagore became very aware of the
economic state of undivided India. A member of a family of landlords in united Bengal,
Rabindranath spent most of his time at the village with rural people, from where he contemplated
how the poor may be set free from the trap of poverty. Tagore's thought on rural construct
developed during colonial rule because of his frequent visit to the Purba Bangla, as a part of
his family work. During Tagore‟s lifetime, rural India was far more backward. So, he felt it
necessary to start his development programme from within the rural Bengal, and even after
selecting a single village, the primary objective of Tagore was to make that village self-sufficient
in the proper sense of the term which would establish itself as a model village. According to him,
all the potentials were inherent in the social structure. Tagore thought that each and every
human being possesses strength, power, courage and capabilities. It is only necessary to
revive and reconstruct them. Besides, every society has its own reservoir of knowledge. But
neither the society nor its members were conscious about it. So, this potential power remained
unused and the people were also totally ignorant about it. Tagore felt that the educated middle
class was detached from this rural population although this population was the real basis of the
Indian society and India would not be able to develop itself unless and until this section of
the society was properly developed. It was only necessary to revive and reconstruct it.

Experiment at Silaidaha and Patisar: ” Silaidaha in Nadia district was chosen as the centre of
his first experiment for rural work. With help of a group of enthusiasts, prominent among them
Kalimohan Ghosh, Tagore attempted to deal with the rural problems in a more organized way.
Workers and villagers jointly carried out such work as repairing roads and drains, clearing

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jungles, tanks. In Kusthea, a weaving school was established. New businesses like jute, brick
kilns, sugar crushing mill were introduced and introduction of commercial crops like potato was
attempted to give practical demonstration of manures. In 1919 his rural work was shifted to
Kaligram Pargana of Pabna district. In patisar, he introduced facilities for medical treatment,
public works – like digging of wells, repairing of roads, security for cultivation workers
from indebtedness. Three centres were started at Patisar, Kamta and Ratowal, each with a
hospital and dispensary. Money collected for welfare Society Fund was utilized for public
services.

Sriniketan: Tagore first met Leonard Elmhirst in 1920 and discussed his dream project of
starting a centre of rural reconstruction in Sriniketan. Experiments were undertaken for
varieties of new crops that may be suitable for local conditions in the department of Agriculture.
Scientific experiments were made in dairy and animal husbandry for improvement of financial
conditions of village people. Revival of cottage industries and introduction of new ones was the
main motto of the activities in Silpa-Bhavana.

Gandhian Era:
Self contained and self sufficient village life was the dream of Gandhiji. He was aware about the
grassroots‟ problems of India, rural set up and he wanted to solve these problems
without intervention of any outside agency. He wanted to solve these problems by local people
and through local resources. People know Gandhiji not only as a Mahatma or political agitator,
but also as a social and economic reformer. He made people to understand that India lives in
villages and that the common man‟s upliftment is the upliftment of the country. Regarding
development work in the country, he emphasized that the “salvation of India lies in cottage
industries.” They key-words of his economy are: - Decentralized production and equal
distribution of wealth Self-sufficiency of Indian villages. For equal distribution of wealth, cruel
process of extermination was not followed but throughout the heart of the owners by persuasion
and appeal to the better sense of man. According to him self-sufficiency of Indian villages can be
achieved by eradicating middlemen, so that the farmer could get the full price for his produce.
He wanted that the tiller should be able to consume his own products like fruits, milk, vegetables
etc. Only then will come up the true India. Keeping these are in mind, Gandhiji began this
welfare project SEVA GRAM establishing his Ashram in wardha, in 1920. The main objective
of this programme was to prevent the economic and social suppression of the people and to
create the feeling of patriotism among them and they must think that this is their own country.
For fulfilling this objective, Gandhiji made a programme, which became famous as Gandhian
Constructive Programme.

The main objectives of this project were:

(1) to use khadi clothes

(2) to introduce Health Programme

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(3) the programme of sanitation in the village

(4) the programme of women welfare,

(5) the programme of economic help

(6) to uplift the backward classes

(7) primary and adult educational programmes

(8) to improve the conditions of poor people

(9) programme of social harmony and

(10) to popularise the mother tongue and other national dialects.

Gandhiji wants to make villagers self-sufficient and also want to develop stamina which is useful
against oppression and injustice. The important institutions, which were organized to foster
his ideas were; All India Spinner Association, All India Village Industries Association,
Gandhi Ashram at Tiruchungodi, Gandhi Niketan at Kallupatti, Gandhi Gram at Dindigal,
Gandhi Sewa Sadan at Porur (Malawar), Kasturba Ashram in Trichr, Kerala. His emphasis on
Khadi became the Charka movement and then, the All-India Khadi a Village Industries Board.
His thought, against untouchability and caste system, resulted in the organization of Harijan
Sewak Sangh and many like this. He created leaders like Vinoba Bhave, Nehru,
Jayaprakash Narayan, Mira Ben etc. Who came from common stock, but got inspiration
from Gandhi. But Gandhiji‟s constructive programme was not followed completely by majority
because those things, which were made by machines, were more beautiful and low-priced than
the products were made through these programmes and the common people could not be
impressed. The single cause of failure of Gandhiji‟s programme as stated by the scholars was
industrialization in the country.

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