Sudhansu R. Das

So much potential remains untapped in rural India. But the problem that haunts planners and economists is the lack of human material to integrate the two Indias.

THE Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, does not want to toss a Rs 5 coin from a helicopter. He is afraid that the coin meant for the poor would miss the target. By this he only vindicates Rajiv Gandhi's fear of losing 85 per cent of the development fund.

Economists Ajit Ranade and Mahendra Dev also found that 79 per cent of the development fund is being siphoned away before it reaches the target group. Recently, a team of students from JNU and Delhi University found temporary and permanent muster rolls deliberately maintained to siphon crores of rupees from the National Food for Work Programme, which was launched in 150 of the poorest districts. The National Food for Work Programme survey has not traced any muster role in five States.

This is one of the reasons for the emergence of two Indias: One a miniscule shining India and the other a poor underdeveloped, largely rural, India. The first has professionals, technocrats and industrialists who take global challenges head on and push the country forward.

The second, of the vast majority, is voiceless, constantly struggling to make both ends meet. Yet, this India has immense potential: 14 agro climatic zones to grow anything and everything under the sun, a rich handicraft tradition and immense tourism and pilgrimage potential. It can easily out-shine Urban India.

For example: The horticulture sector produces some 155 million tonnes of fruits, vegetables, spices and flowers, the world's largest. But out of this, 39 million tonnes rot in the farmyard. This sector has good export potential due to its high value addition. If exploited fully, it could provide jobs to millions and rake in foreign currency by the billion.

Or, the handicraft items made by 47.6 lakh rural artisans have a ready market all over the world. In global craft bazars many handicraft items from India are popular for their utility and aesthetics.

So much of such potential remains untapped that it could well be said that the tiger is resting its head in Rural India and merely its tail wagging in the metros.

But the problem that haunts planners and economists is the lack of human material to integrate the two Indias.

Without good human material, financial sector reform is a mission impossible. The vicious circle of power, politics and populism tend to push the reform and reformers to the back seat.

Human material does not always mean IT professionals, management gurus, technocrats, political orators, or academics. Merely that human material should have a sense of discipline, integrity, commitment to a cause, moral courage and sensitivity to serve people.

The desired level of nationalism, which gives resilience to economic growth, is at the low ebb. Today all developed nations tacitly follow one principle "market globally and think nationally."

India has to closely pursue national interest amid globalisation. To address problems concerning human attitudes, India has to develop generations of good human material which can work effectively in all spheres of socio economic and political circles.

Only a free and liberal atmosphere can bring economic growth to India's villages and ultimately integrate the two Indias. Allocating huge development fund under Employment Guarantee Scheme may not bridge the urban-rural divide.

According to the Rural Development Ministry, some 3.84 crore families live below the poverty line. Providing employment to one member from each family will cost Rs 1.5 lakh crore, which amounts to 1 per cent of GDP.

The EGS can be implemented on a pilot basis and the beneficiaries' names and addresses along with the district BPL (below poverty line) list created and maintained (on a web site) for public scrutiny. This will considerably reduce the leakages.

The ambitious EGS aims to develop skill-based employment but this can work only after a radical human resource reform at the psychological level.

The Centre should not only allocate more funds to shape human material but ensure a fool-proof method so that every pie spent serves the purpose. India is a treasure trove of moral science materials.

Ancient Indian scriptures, famous classics, epics, religious books and preaching of saints and seers from every religion can be source material for treating the young minds.

If Western countries are trying to make their young people more human why not India, especially with so much of knowledge resources? Creating good human material will be the biggest reform for India.

(The author is a Pune-based freelancer.)

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