ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA
ON THE SEVENTH ANNUAL CONVOCATION
OF INSTITUTE OF RURAL MANAGEMENT, ANAND
April 6, 1988
When the Chairman of the Institute, Dr. Kurien, invited me to preside over this graduation ceremony, and share a few of my thoughts with you, I had no hesitation in accepting his invitation. Opportunities such as these enable one to refresh oneself through renewed contact with the young, who to me represent a constant reaffirmation of faith in the future. May I first of all congratulate all those who are graduating today.
Of your professional competence I have little doubt though, as you will soon realise, your learning is just on the verge of beginning. What you need, however, is a sense of dedication to the task of utilising your professional skills for advancing causes that are larger than your ownselves; thereby leaving your surroundings, both human and material, a little bit better than you found them to be. This should not be difficult for those who have been close to the spirit of Gandhiji and Sardar Patel.
My pleasure at being here is heightened by the fact that this Institute is located in Gandhiji’s home State. When I was young, we were exposed to so many men and women of stature that one wanted to emulate all of them. Towering above these giants was Gandhiji, a historical figure to many of you but a living memory to me; a unique being who personified the virtues like wisdom, humility, dedication to service and tolerance, but who nonetheless was totally intolerant of any injustice anywhere in the world.
If there is anything that I can commend to those of you young men and women who will shortly be corning to grips with both the harsh realities of life and the lure of soft options, it is precisely these qualities.
My happiness today is also heightened by awareness of this Centre's proximity to Sardar Patel's birthplace. I would like to pay my tribute to that giant among men. In this, his home state of Gujarat, the Sardar is a living presence. To attempt, here in his battle ground, a pen picture of that intrepid warrior would therefore not only be redundant but even presumptuous. And yet, quite apart from the customary etiquette of convocation addresses, there is a sincere desire in my heart to pay a tribute to his memory. For those like me who have participated in the struggle for freedom, Sardar Patel is a deep and abiding influence. Acknowledging that influence, therefore, constitutes no ordinary satisfaction.
The front-ranking leaders in the movement for freedom under Mahatma Gandhi were, each of them, distinguished by certain marked individual qualities. For instance, the movement needed those who could challenge the Might of the Empire dialectically, through ideas and the power of words. Pandit Nehru was the foremost among them. The movement also needed those who could expose the iniquity and oppression of the Raj, on the rugged surface of India's soil. Sardar Patel was the foremost among the latter category. Appropriately, he acquired all-India fame through the Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928, which was essentially an agrarian movement. After Bardoli, it was given to Sardar Patel to continuously inspire among the rank and file, confidence: confidence in the justness of the cause and confidence in the ability of the organisation to reach its goal.
Closest to Sardar Patel's heart was the cause of the farmers. It is, therefore, in the fitness of things that sustained efforts are made to improve their status. Anand can take pride in having done a great deal in this line.
It is now abundantly clear that technology and science strengthen the hands of farmers and augment their incomes, resulting in far-reaching changes in the rural scene.
I am happy to note the Institute of Rural Management, Anand has emerged as one of the leading institutes of excellence in research and training in the field of rural development and management. The new approach to dairy development evolved here is a stroke of management genius and has benefited all, particularly the rural poor. It has been cultivating a variety of interests, sustaining creativity in thinking and in-depth comprehension.
Anand now is the centre of a very remarkable experiment in rural development through co-operation and self-help.
The concepts underlying Operation Flood, and their extension to other agricultural commodities, are a distinctly vibrant demonstration of what can be done in the area of rural development if one combines an unorthodox imagination with dedication and courage.
When I consider the enormous complexity of the problems besetting our rural areas, it is my expectation and most certainly my earnest hope that those of you who are today stepping out into the larger arena of life are possessed of just such qualities.
Forty years ago we attained our independence and embarked upon the long and arduous task of restructuring our society and our economy. During the intervening period we have achieved much by way of increases both in the volume and variety of our production, in the strengthening of our infrastructure, the elimination of food imports, and in the realization of a modest but all-round improvement in living standards. Measured in terms of the base that has been established, the experience that has been accumulated, and the skills that have been developed, our capacity today to take rapid strides into the modern world is undeniable. But against this record of achievement, we need to set the enormity of the tasks that yet remain to be done, and whose neglect could pose grave threats to our future.
Foremost among the issues that confront us is the problem of the vast and evergrowing population, a problem which, in the ultimate analysis, is at the root of most of our social and economic ills. Our population today is in excess of 780 million as against 360 million at the time of independence, and this is increasing at a rate of some 15 million every year. About 70% of this population lives in the rural areas, with an estimated 40% of the total, living under conditions that are euphemistically referred to by academicians as being below the poverty line. Significantly, the great majority of these, the Daridra Narayan, inhabit the countryside, giving added emphasis to Gandhiji's perennial observation that India's problems lie in her villages, and that the real progress of India can only be measured in terms of the well-being of the farmers, the uplift of the deprived and of others who live in the countryside.
The growth in numbers, the sharpening of the rural-urban and rural-rural divide, and the overall translation of economic growth into a burgeoning dual economy that panders to the relatively few; these are all ticking time bombs that can be ignored only at our peril. Equally critical is the issue of the remorseless degradation of our natural and human resources. In addition, the growing agitations in favour of relatively more affluent sections of rural society draws the rural poor to extremist solutions and thus hastening the crisis.
A three-fold strategy has been adopted for this purpose -- provision of employment opportunities to the weaker sections of society, special programmes for disadvantaged areas like drought prone and hill areas and the provision of basic amenities like health, drinking water, education, rural roads and electricity. To accomplish these tasks, the central government and financial institutions propose to spend about 3,300 crore rupees this year. In addition, there would be financial contributions from the State Governments also. It has to be ensured that this money is utilised most effectively for the benefit of the poor.
The process of rural development encounters financial constraints and awaits technical breakthroughs. Sustained efforts are called for bridging these gaps. The most important gap, however, is that of good management. This is where institutes like IRMA, its alumni and the graduating students can play an important role.
As students of rural development and rural management you would do well to bear in mind that the elimination of food imports has nod meant the elimination of undernourishment in respect of large segments of our people. Neither should you be blind to the fact that substantial areas of the rural economy are yet to benefit from the green revolution and the growth of industry. The Green Revolution has, essentially, served to give us a reprieve. It cannot be said to have marked a total solution to the food problem. For instance, we continue to import -- on a large scale -- pulses and edible oils. And even with regard to foodgrains, our dependence on truant monsoons continues. The demands on our agriculture are therefore likely to increase rather than decrease and there is every evidence of a continuation of the pressure on our capacity to feed our people and to meet the demands of industry for raw materials, in the future.
The modernization of our agriculture and of rural institutions will require growing numbers of trained and dedicated managers. Dr. Kurien has pioneered the way by both pointing 'to the need for professionalism in the management of agriculture and, more significantly, by doing something about it in the shape of this Institute. But the scale of our requirements strongly suggests that we need more IRMAs, or at any rate more institutions that are similarly structured and motivated. There is little doubt that substantial changes continue to be called for in our systems of education and in the orientation of our educational institutions. It is high time that both in terms of trained manpower and research effort, the much neglected needs of the rural sector are met on a priority basis.
The pattern of land ownership in the country, for instance, has changed very little. Employment in the villages is generally seasonal. In single-crop and dry land areas, the unemployment spell is fairly long. Structural inequalities in society are also important facts to be reckoned with.
Redistributive land reforms, improving the access of the poor to important services like credit and agricultural inputs, the implementation of the Minimum Needs Programme; and planning special programmes for disadvantaged groups are some of the urgent measures necessary for alleviating rural poverty.
More attention has to be given to proper planning, particularly of the linkages required after the asset is given, to make it optimally productive. Such linkages include supply of raw materials and facilities for marketing. For instance, a rich farmer who cultivates fruits has all the facilities to store them, including cold storage facilities. He can, therefore, preserve them for a long time, sell them as they are or prepare jams and jellies. On the other hand, a poor farmer is not in such a happy position. It means that assistance given to the poor for cultivation of fruits will be productive only if they are also provided with marketing and necessary storage facilities. These areas require the professional skills of graduates from Institutes such as this.
Another aspect is the need for better linkages of the programme activity with other plans programmes and sectoral activities. Special development projects, linked with certain ongoing activities, need to be developed on a project basis to improve the effectiveness of the programme. Examples of these types of projects could be sericulture for tribals in States like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, development of dairy units linked with Operation Flood areas, fruit and vegetable cultivation linked with the Mother Dairy, prawn farming and fishing in the coastal region.
As you are all aware, a major thrust has been made in the current year's budget on revitalising the drought-hit rural economy through programmes aimed at boosting farm output with cheaper inputs and greater use of irrigation water, besides far-reaching measures for the over-all welfare of the rural sector.
These measures offer an opportunity for the development of production groups among the rural poor.
A computerised rural development information system is being introduced in all District Rural Development Agencies. This will enable the District Level Administration to monitor closely the progress as well as the quality of the schemes under implementation. With computerisation, information will be freely available to the public and people's representatives as well. This will also enable us to verify the claims of the administration with the data made available. District level planning will also become easy and more meaningful when computerised micro-level data are available.
There are however limits to what the Government can do, and that it is unfair to look to it for answers to all of one's problems. Such dependence saps initiative and self-confidence. Our most precious resources are the energies and creativity of our enormously talented people. Why should not there be a mutually reinforcing partnership, for achieving the common goal of human development, growth and welfare?
Involvement of people's representatives is indispensable for carrying out the programmes designed for the rural poor. Action through the voluntary sector is also an important means of channelising public cooperation. The Council for Advancement of People's Action & Rural Technology (CAPART) has been able to identify and evaluate the capabilities of voluntary organisations in the country. It has been continuously interacting with them to increase the level of participation from the voluntary sector.
As I have already mentioned, we are engaged in a relentless battle against poverty. In this crusade, all of you who are graduating from IRMA have a crucial role to play. Equipped with the necessary know-how and skills you will be fully competent as rural development managers to spread the management skills to the villages.
It only remains for me to once again congratulate all you young men and women who are graduating today, not only on your success but, more significantly, on the social concerns that you have revealed in your choice of a career. It is people like you and the batches that have preceded you, that can make our future more secure. I have every confidence that all of you, and others like you, can lead us forward towards the goal of human happiness.
I wish you all success.
