The Hindu Business Line : Globalising the Indian village

MOHANDAS Karamchand Gandhi was a lawyer by profession. But the economic model that he offered still has the potential to address rural woes. Gandhiji wanted people to lead a healthy, simple and contented life close to nature and preserve their traditional economic activities.

The world is beginning to understand the importance of living close to nature. Global warming, depleting ozone layer, extinction of millions of plants and animal species, and ravages followed by the tsunami, the super cyclone, landslips, floods and droughts in different parts of the world have led people to seek comfort in things small and beautiful.

Gandhiji's the economic model may not only restore nature's balance but also bring back people's faith in village economic activities. Agriculture and cottage industries with marketing support can generate employment and prevent people from migrating to cities.

Between 1901 and 1991, the urban population increased 30 times. The UN predicts that 634 million people will be in India's urban centres by 2030 and the unchecked exodus will lead to extreme urban decay.

According to a scientist, "We are myopic in terms of our visualised growth, especially industrially. India could see huge flooding by middle of this century."

The cure for the ailing cities lies in the villages. The state should set a time frame to provide quality infrastructure in the villages; mainly road, drinking water, hospital, schools and a sound communication and transportation network.

More than infrastructure the villages need a people-friendly administration, which will help economic activities thrive. This will make educated people village-centric and check the problem of absentee officials.

A transparent marketing network for village products will foster economic growth. The state must assure villagers their share of profit from the global market for their products. Village products — agriculture commodities and handicrafts — have a huge market potential all over the world. The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts has set a target of Rs 32,700 crore by 2010.

Though more than a dozen MNCs and Indian business houses source products from the villages, the manufacturers have not gained much from global trade.

Instead, traders and middle-men reap the maximum benefit in the absence of a transparent market information system.

And thus rural manufacturers so far have not performed to their full potential and continue to live at the mercy of the traders and the middle-men.

Worse is the polarisation that often happens in the villages on the basis of caste, which mocks at India's boastful status in the 21st century. The political class must understand that economic progress is not possible without social reform.

Throughout his life, Gandhiji fought a relentless battle to bridge the caste divide, free villages from illiteracy and backwardness.

It is high time the villages were freed from the caste system, the moneylender, and the babudom, the unscrupulous politicians and the feudal lords.

Gandhiji wanted to build a self-sustainable village economy. He was confident about the marketability of products from cottage industries. The utility and decorative items made by rural artisans always had a huge domestic and foreign market.

Today, Gandhiji would have been happy to see the world turning to biodegradable village products. India has so many more things to offer: The rural life, the folk arts and tourism, local cuisine, agriculture products and handicrafts.

Politicians need to display the much needed will to protect and preserve the village economy.

(The author is a Pune-based freelance writer.)

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