Kerala’s Development Experience: a Search for a Micro Response to a Macro Process

?Keralas organic evolution make a take care for a micro chemical reaction to a macro sour abstract The concept of bygrowth, in the sense of achieving homophile good has ceaselessly been on that point since the advent of human society, altogether with alter belowstanding, emphasis, and implications. It is seen as a swear prohibited, requiring constant chemical reaction and continuous solutions and in addition as a resolving of human action, plainly through which, reorientation of some(prenominal) organic evolution work out becomes possible (Varma, 198934).The past decades pass seen a serial publication of culture paradigms, involving reformist modifications, towards achieving the human good, but the results have been uttermost(prenominal)ly disappointing and distressing, with naked as a jaybird manifestation and a stark reality of the positive riches and the extreme beggary existing side by side. In fact, most of the development approaches in the post-c olonial era have contributed not save to the creation and extension of much(prenominal) a divide but also in widening it endlessly. Indias macro development experience is an ingenious illustration of such a scenario.Keralas development experience has to be understood moreover in the context of the development experience of the uncouth as a whole. Keralas development experience search for a micro response to a macro process The concept of development, in the sense of achieving human good has always been there since the advent of human society, only with varying understanding, emphasis, and implications. It is seen as a process, requiring constant response and continuous solutions and also as a result of human action, only through which, reorientation of any development process becomes possible (Varma, 198934).The past decades have seen a series of development paradigms, involving progressive modifications, towards achieving the human good, but the results have been highly disap pointing and distressing, with naked manifestation and a stark reality of the extreme riches and the extreme poverty existing side by side. In fact, most of the development approaches in the post-colonial era have contributed not only to the creation and perpetuation of such a divide but also in widening it endlessly. Indias macro development experience is an apt illustration of such a scenario.Keralas development experience has to be understood only in the context of the development experience of the country as a whole. indias development impact In the post-colonial fissiparous India, which envisaged an advanced, prosperous, democratic, egalitarian and simply society as implied in its constitutional resolve of a socialist pattern of development, eradication of poverty became one and only(a) of the prime targets of most of the early development initiatives. However, flush after five decades of Indias independence, in spite of intensive development military campaigns, the resu lt has not been much different.True, India has got an impeccable record of achievements to its credit. India has achieved a literacy estimate of above fifty dollar bill percent from a just 16 percent at the fourth dimension of Independence. From a pronounce of dependency for nutrient, it has not only achieved a self- committee but also has developed an export capacity in food production. The stinting reforms in recent years and the process of globalisation have accele arranged Indias economic capability in both direction including Industrial growth.With its large technological and professional man-power, with regard to nuclear, space and ready reckoner capabilities, India is fast emerging as a global power. Though these atomic number 18 commendable achievements, the overall picture is nowhere near the targets and further from satisfaction. In spite of India universe one of the highest food producing countries in the world, one out of every(prenominal) two youngsterren i n India is said to be malnourished. In the inflict of many rivers, safe drinking water seems to be nonetheless a pipe-dream for many.The health record is even more(prenominal) frightening as India is still the highest in the world, in the number of TB patients, malarial deaths, blind hoi polloi, human immunodeficiency virus positive cases, occupational casualties, Hepatitis B patients and infant death rate rates. The constitutional cease and desist order to provide fire compulsory education to all children upto the age of 14 by 1960 is far from realisation. In fact, with the tripling of our tribe since Independence, the illiteracy rate being nearly above 40 percent, the number of illiterates has almost exceeded the amount of money population of India at the time of Independence.Moreover, even among the literates, for many, education federal agency just identifying letters and in most of the hamlets, many literate do not even seem to manage that. There is a vast child labo ur force of 44 million. Above 70 million children be outback(a) schools. There is a housing shortage of over 30 million and the registered job seekers are inching towards 40 million. Those who are at a lower place poverty line being anywhere between 25 and 40 percent, more than 300 million in absolute figures, India has the largest concentration of poor people in the world (Outlook, 19 Oct. 998). The human development indices are woefully low, placing India at the 126th position, far below many countries in East, Southeast and westernmost Asia and Africa that became Independence much later than India did. The continuing population explosion only indicates that the educational, health and social status of women is far from satisfaction. High fertility and mortality rates, illiteracy, and school dropouts especially of the girl child have also contributed to this accede of affairs.Likewise, the situation concerning preventive, public and primary health, drinking water, sewage, and sanitation and housing is far from satisfactory. Unemployment appeases to be a nagging problem obscuring a clear solution. outgrowth urbanisation is also contributing to innumerable problems for want of clear purview and supplying. Environmental degradation, deforestation, and land appropriation continue to pose grave threats to the profound development scenario and harshly affect the weaker sections, the most.Indias development impact only prove that the development initiatives of the past decades, meant for the uplift of the deprived sections have miserably failed, with the result of increasing poverty, inequality and ecological imbalance. Whatever efforts that have been adopted in bringing about a desirable development paradigm, a relatively contended human existence with fulfilment of radical human involve and protection of basic human rights have also proved to be still a far-flung reality.All these have only underlined the wonky orientation and misplaced priorities of the past development paradigms and also the necessity for rethinking development. Today, development as human good has come to imply equality and a dignified human existence for every individual, irrespective of caste, religion, race, or culture. Haq (199616) identifies equity, sustainability, productivity, and mandate as four essential components in the human development paradigm.It involves look for for the roots, giving due recognition to every peoples gravitas and existence, and evolving a substantial and collective assistanceingicipation of the people at the micro level development planning and implementation without neglecting the the macro-level development process. Such a development perspective necessitates a thorough revamping of the past development orientations and existence of a fresh thrust from bottom upwards in every sense, by decentralising the development planning and democratic institutions. It would be a process of real democratisation and a return to reputation, to the people, and to the grassroots.In short, there should be a right identification of what is the core and what is the periphery (Gregory, 20007). Keralas development experience It is in this context that Keralas development experience assumes significance. Kerala has been a pioneering show in many revolutionary social transformations and self-made development initiatives, whether it be in implementing the land reforms or in achieving the development parameters of the WHO, or in the intact literacy campaign that brought the credit of becoming the low totally literate area in the country.In the quality of behavior indicators, Keralas achievement is same only to the highly developed nations but within a limited economic development that is far below that of the nations average. Thus, in terms of 1993 figures, in spite of having a low per capita GNP of just about $180, far below than even the all India average of $300, Kerala could achieve and maintain an adult li teracy rate of 91 per cent as against 51 per cent for all India purport forethought of 73 years for males and 79 years for females as against 55 and 54 years respectively for all India infant mortality rate at 13 as against 24 for all India nd the birth rate at 17 as against 25 for all India all comparable to the advanced nations. Such a high material quality of bearing indicators coinciding with low per capita income, both distributed across nearly the entire population of Kerala, with a set of wealth and resources redistribution programmes and high levels of political appointment and activism among the mundane people, have earned for the state a unique place in the development thinking.This has also led to the emergence of a Kerala Model of development that has been widely appreciated and recommended by the economists and other social scientists to be suitable of emulation by the developing world, before questions arose and criticisms unleashed over the sustainable nature of the model. The Crisis of the Kerala model had become more apparent with the Models failures and shortcomings that were grueling its sustainability.Some of these included the following The slow growth of Keralas SDP increase stagnancy of agricultural production and the dependency on and the vulnerability to outside sources for the major food items including rice Down-sliding of the traditional industries such as coir, cashew and handloom mainly due to the price escalation for raw materials and cut-throat competitions Sluggish and even detrimental industrial growthAlarming situation of unemployment Series of fiscal crisis forbidding to undermine many of the Kerala Model redistribution programmes More than 15 per cent of the states population being the outliers of the Model Acute environmental crisis, involving serious repercussions, especially in the context of stagnant economy, high population niggardness and intense land-use.All the above failures and shortcomings of the Kerala model had become vastly determine and highly intensified in the context of globalisation, a macro process that has swept the whole world, including the developed and the developing nations alike, in the nineties and continue to change the developing face of the world economy and life quite a littles Palnning Keralas Answer to a failed model and the process of Glabalisation The desire of development from bottom upwards with a decentralised system of planning is not something totally new.In Gandhijis vision of Poorna Swaraj, every closure has to become a republic in which every individual enjoys total emancipation. In his social paradigm, every individual should become the core, whereby the society is constructed as a vast oceanic circle, progressing from the individual to the family, from the family to the village, from the village to the state and from the state to the nation and so on. This is possible only when the villages are reinvented to become a republic of its own, rec reating the sense of village solidarity, and making every member of the village a partner in the development mission.Only such an approach, which enables every human being to realise that they are only a part of nature, would be meaningful and sustainable. Though the slogan of Gram Raj and the desirability of a decentralised system of planning has been as old as the freedom movement, the country had to wait till 1993, when the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments were enacted, for a determined effort towards a genuine process f decentralisation. In line with these amendments, The Kerala panchayat Act had been passed and came into effect since 23 April 1994. Nevertheless, the provision of a constitutional and legislative framework alone need not ensure its adaptation unless there is a political will and commitment on the part of the state governments, to such a system of administration and planning as it requires a total restructuring of the system.The democratisation of the plan ning process involved certain indispensable conditions such as the devolution of powers, responsibilities and resources as well as the complemental measures on the part of the government, but not sufficient to ensure its advantage unless accompanied by an intensive peoples campaign in order to motivate and empower the local self governments to take up the new challenges.Being conscious of such conditions, the state of Kerala, in opulent 1996, started the new experiment of tidy sums Planning through plentys draw not only to ensure an informed participation of the people, going beyond their nominal participation (Isaac and Harilal, 1999492-5) but also to help them make informed choices (Franke and Chasin, 1999 139). In a world of globalisation and economic liberalisation, there emerges a political and economic structure that only favours models base on private accumulation and growing inequality over Keralas emphasis on public services and egalitarian ideals.Only in such a co ntext, emerges Keralas answer to the search for a juvenile Model in the form of a micro planning called Peoples Planning through Peoples Campaign, based on decentralisation and high levels of local participation, both as a response to the failure of the old model and as a challenge to the offensive world of international capitalism, vowing to bring a meaningful environmental economy and empower the grassroots (Franke and Chasin, 1999118-133).Today, Kerala is leading the nation through Peoples Planning, which essentially dwells on the devolution of power to the grass roots, thereby initiating another social revolution of the sorts, in the development paradigm. It is believed that a success in this unique experiment would definitely make development to be truly sustainable and meaningful to the people and would redefine the entire life and polity. According to Mencher, the Indian villages are still populated with most weaker sections who barely gain anything from most of the devel opment programmes (1978 10).The peoples planning being different in its orientation and approach, is naturally expected to reach out to the least of the grass-roots at the micro-level governance and empower them to plan out the basic livelihood systems by themselves and gain the capacity to ensure its sustainability and climb up the ladder of dignified social existence together with other fashion plate citizens. conclusion Towareds a sustainable Model of Developmet As the world is under the sweep of globalisation, no nation or state can sustenance away from its grip or sway.Living in an age of data that has created an image of a global village, the individual, regional and national identities are at stake, crying for independence and freedom. The very survival itself is at stake, which can be overcome only if there are proper ways and means to identify ones strengths, potentials and indigenous resources and utilise the same for asseverate ones identity at different levels as wel l as for their respective survival and also contribute to the benefit of the humankind beyond their respective boundaries.It is here that the micro-level peoples planning could battle the negative forces in the macro process of globalisation. In this context, peoples planning of Keralas development experience provides an alternative model of a sorts in development. The success of the emerging model, however, depends on the extent of its independent approach, free from all sorts of political overtones and identities, a genuine sense of belongingness and solidarity and collective search for strengths and a common commitment for the greater cause of a genuine development. References Franke R. W. nd B. H. Chasin. 1999. Is the Kerala Model Sustainable. In M. A. Oommen. (Ed. ). Rethinking maturement Keralas Development Experience. Vol. 2. New Delhi lay down of Social Sciences &038 Concept. Gregory S. 2000. agrarian Social Change, Social Equity, and Sustainable Development. In Mukhopa dyay, S D and S Choudhury. (Ed. ). Social Transformation and Rural Sector. Visva-Bharathi Department of Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Statistics Haq, Mahbub ul. 1996. Reflections on merciful Development. Delhi Oxford University Press. Isaac, T. M. Thomas. and K.N. Harilal. 1999. Democratisation of the Planning Process Experience of Peoples Campaign in Kerala. In M. A. Oommen. (Ed. ). Rethinking Development Keralas Development Experience. Vol. 2. New Delhi Institute of Social Sciences &038 Concept. Mencher, J. P. Agriculture and Social Structure in Tamil Nadu bygone Origin, Present Transformation and Future Prospects. New Delhi Allied. Varma, S. P. 1989. Models of Development Search for Alternatives. In Iqbal Narain. (Ed. ). Development, Politics and Social Theory. New Delhi Sterling. ****************************************