Himalayan Times (1958)

November 30, 1951

*}»m«l»l»wi %hmtm

Development programme!.
Under these few heads,
several' works both big
and ■mall are considered
to be undertaken and fur-
ther programme! aiealao
likely to follow.

It is realised that
Lok Karya has to start
from a thorough under-
standing of the Plan by
the publio. This involves
the eduoational programme
for the publio on a com-
prehensive soale so - that
the messages of the Plan
may gain entry into the
remotest oornere of the
oountry. Onee Plan cons-
ciousness is created, it
may be easy to generate
mass action for Plan exe-
cution. This mass action
can be envisaged in three
directions: (i) in the shape
of contribution, both oash
and labour, for the Plan
execution (ii) the adoption
of improved techniques
pf production, distribution
and consumption and (iii)
establishing organised lea-
dership at all levels Some
of the important activi-
ties which can be promo-
ted through group aotion
in rural and urban areas
can be classified again
under the following heads
(i) Agriculture (ii) Irriga-
tion (iii) Soil conservation
(iv) Animal husbandry (v)
village institutions (vi)
Village industries (vii)
Emergence s»rvi«e and
(viii) Publio relations.
Urban Areas

Side by lido, work
in the urban areas also

oould so longer be neg-
lected and that requires
many organised agencies
to run in the field. But
there must be a systema-
tic group work amongst
the sooial welfare workers
in the urban areas ia
order to avoid duplication
and overlapping. Here
also group aotion ia very
mnoh neoessary and a
band of volunteers are
i to be trained . to tackle
the works in our oities
and towns. In this field
of work the first priority
must go to felum ame-
lioration work in whioh an
organised group effort is
necessary. The Prime
Minister, while reviewing
this aspsot of the pro-
gramme, observed thus:
'The problem is not mere-
ly of old jjnpis but of
the oreation of new slums.
It is -obvious that we'
shall never solve it, unless
we stop completely the
formation of new slums.'
There must be complete
cooperation with the mu-
nicipal and corporation
authorities and with those
dealing with law and 'or-
der, if the group workers
oan handle the jab well.
Continuous and sustained
propaganda through volun.
tary groups would be able
to seoure this.

The technique of
Shramdan popularised by
Vinobs Bhave provides
an nffeotive answer to
most of . the problems
effecting village develop*
ment.

Thai Approach

The most important
qusstion is how to get
all these works done, by
the people. Our Prime
Minister has answered the
question in' his own rea-
senable way. He said,
'We have not been able
to get all we should have
got out of the people,
their enterprise their
throwing > themselves into'
this busiaes's with joy
and good heart and ex-
pecting results. In other
words, apart from good
officers and all that, the
real thing of primary
importance ia to pick up
responsible people from
among the peasants and
agriculturists. I think the
only way to get response
is to. trust the peasant
and give him power and
authority to go ahead.'
Continuing he said. 'Let
them function and let
them make a million mis-
takes. Do not be afraid
of it. We are restricted
in our thinking, in our
movement beoause of the
way of onr thinking. Let
us give power to Pan.
ohayats.' On this basis,
the steps are to be taken
to mobilise people to act
first as a team and then
take them to work .the
big projects of oommon
utility.

At present many vil-
lage are faction-ridden and
therefore . the creative
effort suffers in oonse-
quenoe. The. state < f