PEOPLE AND THEIR PROBLEMS

New Delhi, 16 December 2005

India Continues To Lag Behind

ENHANCING LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES

By Radhakrishna Rao

Poverty, unemployment and backwardness continue to nag a large section of the Indian population, notwithstanding impressive strides in industrial production, and a fast surging export earning. What’s galling is that occasional reports of starvation death in the remote tribal hamlets of the country continue to mar the image of India. Literacy, sanitation, nutrition, shelter and health care as well as social equality are some of the important areas of human development in which India continues to lag behind many other Asian countries.

Phenomenal growth in GDP (Gross Domestic Product) has hardly made any difference to the large segment of the population buffeted by poverty, deprivation and backwardness. Clearly and apparently, it is simply not the non-availability of resources but the glaring lack of social and political commitment  that comes in the way of  speeding up the social sector development in all its manifestations.

In this context, Avadesh Kaushal, Chairperson of the Dehradun-based organization Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK) drives home the point that the rampant and  widespread bureaucratic corruption  resulting in the leakage of much of the State funds meant  for development  is at the root of the human suffering in the country. Kaushal is clear that the bureaucratic-politician nexus sustains corruption at every level of the society. On another front, the process of reforms and globalisation has gone to widen the gap between the rich and the poor in the country with a serious consequence for the creation of an egalitarian social set up.

In fact, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, during one of those rare moments of soul searching had frankly admitted that barely one-fifth of the allotted funds reach the beneficiaries at the grassroot level. It is a well-established fact that most of the benefits meant for those below poverty line and those belonging to the depressed sections of the society are cornered by the well to do enjoying good equations with the political party in power.

Against this backdrop, the Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) functioning under the Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) has proved to be a beacon of hope for the downtrodden and disabled to improve their living conditions through the acquisition of new skills. The JSS took off at Mumbai in 1967 under the banner of Shramik Vidyapeeth with a focus on improving the literacy and educational levels of workers and their family members. However, following its all round popularity, the Government of India decided to broaden the scope and social base and subsequently renamed it as JSS.

Unlike its predecessor, the focus of the JSS was on the entire community. Today, the JSS activities are being implemented in 157 locations spread across the country.  In the newly-created Bageshwar district of Uttaranchal, the RLEK has been made responsible for the JSS activities. The hilly Bageshwar has a literacy rate of around 75%. This district known for its rugged terrain has its economic backbone farming and animal husbandry with small scale household industries such as carpet weaving providing supplementary income. Lack of industrial and commercial activities in the district has led to the large scale migration of the educated young men to the plains of north India.

Considering the overwhelmingly rural profile of the district and the need of the community, the JSS has decided to provide vocational training in as many as thirteen trades. Women, neo-literates, those below the poverty line and those belonging to the depressed sections of the society, are given priority in the vocational training programme aimed at improving the livelihood opportunities.

According to Avadesh Kaushal, equal importance is also being given to the disabled persons to acquire skills in line with their physical and mental status and thus help them earn an independent livelihood. Surveys have gone to show that there are more than 8,000 disabled children in the district. Among the vocational courses being offered, are bee keeping, carpentry and furniture making, plumbing and sanitary work, tailoring, fruits and vegetables processing and TV repair.

The JSS unit at Bageshwar has also a plan up is sleeve to set up disabled friendly schools with the support of international donor agencies and Indian industrial houses. And as part of the community welfare, it is also planned to distribute hearing aids to those of the deaf who are not in a position to afford the device. And as part of the Quality of Life Improvement Programme, the JSS seeks to create awareness about a variety of themes and issues that have a direct bearing on the day to day life of the community.

In addition, all the illiterates enrolled for the vocational training programme, will be made functionally literate. Under the Life Enrichment Educational Programme, it is planned to spread legal literacy with a view to make the community aware of its rights, duties and responsibilities and also help it settle the disputes and litigations without going to police station or courts. As part of the legal literacy drive, a five-day legal camp was held at Bageshwar in October last. “The initiative is being taken to other parts of the State  in a phased manner”, observed Kaushal. The JSS is also active in campaigning against drug abuse and liquor addiction. On another front, awareness camps covering topics such as family planning, health and nutrition as well  as environment and sanitation are held on a regular basis.

To improve the employment opportunities the JSS at Bagehswar has sought the support of organizations such as Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Because Bagehswar is ideally situated for the cultivation of medicinal herbs, it is planned to popularize the herbs and aromatic plants gardens in the district with the support of Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP). The JSS would also make available to the community the programmes of the National Institute of Open Schooling.

In the ultimate analysis, the JSS at Bageshwar seeks to improve the lot of the community on educational, economic, social and employment fronts with a thrust on the holistic development of the society. A number of awareness campaigns with a focus on youths, students, women and disabled are also organized on a regular basis.

Similarly, special programmes covering sensitization of the local people on natural resources management, orientation of women on their role in local self-governance and counselling of school and college going students are also organized from time to time. And as pointed out by Jitendra Tiwari who directs the activities of the JSS on behalf of the RLEK, the enthusiastic response of the community and their active involvement in various programmes of the JSS could go a long way towards giving a new direction to the community in the district. ---INFA