UNIT 2

Sriniketan Experiment

1. In 1922-23 Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, a visionary and a poet started his experiment
on Rural reconstruction in the name of Sriniketan Experiment.
2. The purpose of Sriniketan Experiment was to understand, identify and find solution of
the problems of the villages of rural India in general and villages surrounding
Santiniketan, and Sriniketan in particular in West Bengal.
3. As Gurudeva noted, Santiniketan is the land of peace and Sriniketan is the land of
prosperity. During those days the concept of village survey to understand village
problems was a very new concept. In the year 1926, Sriniketan Experiment started its
functioning with village surveys.
4. Several projects based on the rural economy encompassing economics of paddy
cultivation, irrigation problems, rural marketing issues etc. were taken up for the
purpose of study. Rural development and rural reconstruction were also under the focus
of the said experiment.
5. Short duration trainings were conducted on different items like how to prepare land,
how to select good seeds, optimum use of fertilizer and irrigation, protection of plants
from pests and diseases etc.
6. Hands on training were also arranged for the farmers to let them know how to make
better farming. In the year 1954, Agro-Economic Research Centre (AERC) was
established by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India
and the projects under Sriniketan Experiment came under the purview of AERC.
7. AERC from its early stage of functioning to its present stage has completed many
studies on different issues of agriculture like livelihood, food and nutritional security,
cost of cultivation of different crops, marketing possibilities of different produces etc.

Significance of Sriniketan Programme

1. The experiment was quite successful in small area and in a few villages. The level of
economy looked up and the standard of living of people improved. New awakening and
confidence arose among the villagers.
2. Women’s association played a considerable role in the economic and social welfare of
the community
Drawback

1. The experiment, however, could not be carried out for want of continued professional
guidance and trained personnel.

Gurgaon Experiment

1. Rural uplift movement on a mass scale was first started by Mr. F.I. Brayne, Dy.
Commissioner in the Gurgaon district of Punjab in 1920.
2. The work gathered momentum after 1933 when Mr. Brayne was appointed as
Commissioner of Rural Reconstruction in the Punjab. In 1935-36, the Government of
India granted Rs. One crore for the work which acted as a stimulus.
3. After that the work was transferred to the Cooperative Department and Better Living
Societies were organized to take up this work in the villages.

Objectives:
i. To increase agricultural production.
ii. To stop wastage of money on social and religious functions.
iii. To improve healthy standard of the people.
iv. To organize welfare programmes.

Activities:
i. Appointment of village guides.
ii. Propaganda through films, folk songs, dramas etc.
iii. Rural Economics and domestic Economics Schools.

Short Comings:
i. A one man show.
ii. Village guides were un-experienced and untrained.
iii. No comprehensive planning.
iv. No continuity in the work.
v. Limited to few villages.
vi. Force not persuasion.

Marthandam Experiment
 1. Dr. Spencer Hatch of the Young Menʼs Christian Association (YMCA) set up a
project at Marthandam, 25 miles south of Thiruvananthapuram.
2. The purpose of this experiment was to bring about complete upward development
towards a more complete and meaningful life for rural people three folded
development- spiritual, mental, and physical.
3. To achieve this, they launched five sided programme- spiritual, mental, physical,
economic and social development were also included.
4. The main stress in programme was on the principle that people should not depend on
Government for support because when concessions and help in any field are not given,
the develop in them a feeling of self-help and self-reliance.

RESULTS ACHIEVED
i. Systematic and well-organized intervention by professionals.
ii. Workers helped other states of Baroda, Mysore, cochin etc.
iii. Change in the attitude of rural people.
iv. Animators (Village sevika).
v. Tried to understand the felts need rather than the percieved needs as in sriniketan
experiment.
vi. More fucus on stereotype activities and marketing.
vii. Successful output: egg selling club, honey club.

SHORTCOMINGS
i. Inadequate funds.
ii. Insufficient government help.
iii. Activities organized in Marthandam & village workers do not stay in villages.
iv. Religious bias.
v. Program was centred only on one person. After his death, conflict in questions regarding
the leadership between YMCA and church association.

Baroda Experiment
1. This movement was started by V.T. Krishnachari in 1932 in the Baroda state where he
was Dewan at that time.
2. The first objective was to bring about a rapid increase in standards of living,
industrialization and rapid expansion of the educational system.
 3. The second objective was to increase agricultural production through the provision of
basic necessities.
4. Many programmes such as gardening, poultry-farming, bee-keeping, spinning and
weaving were organized.
5. Re-stabilization of Panchayats and other programmes of village progress were
organized.
6. The adult education had been extended.

Working System

i. By personal education and contact by the village guides.

ii. To use the school teacher of village in the extension of programme.
iii. To use the traditional means of extension.

Nilokheri Experiment

1. The programme was originally started to rehabilitate 7000 displaced persons from
Pakistan and later integrated with the 100 surrounding villages into what came to be a
rural cum urban township.
2. It was built around the vocational training centre that was transferred from Kurukshetra,
in July, 1948 to the 1100 acres of swampy land on the Delhi-Ambala highway.
3. The central figure of this project was shri S.K. Dey, later Union minister of Community
Development and cooperatives up to 1965.
4. The scheme called "Mazdoor Manzil" aimed at self-sufficiency for the rural-cum-urban
township in all the essential requirements of like.
5. The colony had school, an agricultural farm, polytechnic training centre, dairy, poultry
farm, piggery farm, horticulture garden, printing press, garment factory, engineering
workshop, soap factory, etc.

Firka Development Programme (1946)

This programme was started by Government in the last quarter of 1946 in Firkas throughout
Madras state. It was extended to another 50 additional Firkas at the rate of two Firkas per
district.
Selection of Firkas
i. Based on their backwardness.
 ii. Possibilities for increasing the production of handloom clothes and other cottage
industries.

Objectives
i. To tackle the rural problem as a whole.
ii. Preparation of short term plans for the development of rural communication, water
supply.
iii. Formation of panchayats and organization of cooperatives.
iv. Long term plan to make the area self sufficient through agricultural, irrigational and
livestock improvements.
v. Development of Khadi and Cottage Industries.

Method of work
1. The collector, was primarily responsible for the successful working of athe scheme in the
district.
2. Each Firka was divided into 5 to 10 groups of villages which were put in the charges of
Gram Sewaks. Each Firka or Group of Firkas was provided with special staff like
agricultural field man, administrative officers, P.W.D., Supervisors and minor irrigation
oversees.
3. At the state level, there was a state Rural welfare Board comprising the heads of the
departments and influential and constructive social workers. This board drew up the
comprehensive plan of Firka Development October, 1947.

Etawah Pilot Project

The idea of this pilot project was conceived in 1945 but was put into action in September, 1948
at Mahewa Village about 11 miles away from Etawah (U.P).
Initially 64 villages were selected which then increased to 97, were covered under this project.
Lt.col. Albert Mayer of USA, who came to India with the American forces in 1944, was the
originator of this project for his scheme, assistance was given by USA and UP Government.

Objectives: of etawah pilot project

i. To see the extent of improvement possible in an average district.
ii. To see how quickly results could be achieved.
iii. To ascertain the permanency and applicability of results to other areas.
iv. To find out methods of gaining and growing confidence of the villagers.
 v. To build up a sense of community living.
vi. To build up a spirit of self-help in the villagers.

Activities: in etawah pilot project

i. Broadening the mental horizons of the villagers by educative and persuasive approach.
ii. Training of village level workers.
iii. Co-ordination between Departments and Agencies.
iv. Conducting demonstrations.
v. Covered subjects like crop yields, soil conservations, animal husbandry sanitation and
social education.

Tagore Approach to rural development community

Tagore as a great visionary realised the logical, scientific, and realistic way of the solutions to
problems associated with the lives of the rural mass.
1. First phase of Rural Reconstruction- East Bengal Experiment
i. Tagore came into direct contact with the rural Bengal after he took the charge of their
Zamindari estate at East Bengal
ii. It was during that period the idea of rural reconstruction came in his mind. That was the
beginning of his rural reconstruetion1 Programme.
iii. His programme included health, education, cottage industries agriculture, fisheries,
weaving etc
iv. He introduced the experiment of tractor for cultivation, furnace potteries and ceramics, a
husking machine for paddies.

v. An all-round development of a village was his ultimate objective which to his mind was
necessary for making a self-sufficient and self-confident society.
2. Rural Bank
The concept of rural bank occupies a very significant place in Tagore's Rural Reconstruction
Programme. While acting as a Zamindar, he observed that one of the mass reasons of rural
poverty was the ruthless exploitation by Zamindars, the middlemen and the money lenders.
The only way to rescue the villagers was to lend money at a rate lower interest. With this
objective, Tagore established Patisar Bank in 1905.
3. Rural Industries
Tagore felt it necessary to revitalize the decadent cottage industries and to train the local
artisans and village youth so that they could make use of the new innovations. With this idea
he set up Shilpa Bhavana at Santiniketan.
4. Institute of Rural Reconstruction
The Institute of Rural Reconstruction started operating through two broad divisions of work. It
maintained several demonstration and service units concerning agriculture, animal husbandry,
cottage industries, health, education and village organization. The institute manifested itself in
three different types of activities namely research, extension, and education.
5. Rural Library
Rural library was an essential part of the rural reconstruction programme of Tagore. The utility
of library has been always recognized by Tagore. So, from the very beginning there was a
central library for learning and research. Another local library to serve the local people and to
grow interest for reading and learning among them.

Gandhi Approach to rural development community

Gandhian strategy of rural reconstruction was based on village swaraj and swadeshi movement.
The basic principle of village swaraj as outlined by Gandhiji are trusteeship, swadeshi, full
employment, bread labour, self-sufficiency, decentralisation, equality, Nai Talim etc.

The Gandhian Model of rural development is based on the following values and premises
1. Rural India is found not in its cities, but in its villages.
2. The revival of villages is possible only when the villagers are exploited no more.
Exploitation of villagers by city dwellers was ‘violence’ in Gandhiji’s opinion.
3. Simple living and high thinking, implying voluntary reduction of materialistic wants,
and pursuit of moral and spiritual principles of life.
4. Dignity of labour : everyone must earn his bread by physical labour , and one who
labours must necessarily get his subsistence.
5. Performance to the use of indigenous (swadeshi) products, services and institutions.

6. Balance between the ends and the means : Gandhiji believed that non-violence and truth
could not be sustained unless a balance between the ends and the means was maintained

The Principal components of the Gandhian Model are discussed in below in brief:
1. Self-sufficient Village Economy
Gandhiji insisted on the self-sufficiency of Indian villages. Self-sufficiency was advocated by
him as a basic principle of life because dependence brings in exploitation which is the essence
of violence. The poor is exploited by the rich, the village by the city and the undeveloped
country by the developed ones due to lack of self-sufficiency.
2. Decentralisation
Gandhiji believed that human happiness with mental and moral development should be the
supreme goal of society, and that this goal should be achieved through decentralization of
political and economic powers.
Gandhi firmly believes that village republics can be built only through decentralisation of social
and political power. In such a system decision-making power will be vested in the Village
Panchayat rather than in the State and the national capital. The representatives would be elected
by all adults for a fixed period of five years. The elected representatives would constitute a
council, called the Panchayat.
The Panchayat exercises legislative, executive, and judicial functions. It would look after
education, health and sanitation of the village. It would be the Panchayats responsibility to
protect and uplift ‘untouchables’ and other poor people. Resources for Gandhian Approach to
managing village affairs would be raised from the villages.
3. Khadi and Village Industries
For Gandhiji, khadi was an instrument of decentralization of production and distribution of the
basic necessities of life, and of ensuring ‘work to all’. He also favoured the promotion of other
village industries, such as hand grinding, hand pounding, soap making, paper making, mental
making, oilseed crushing, tanning, etc. He advocated the use of manual labour and opposed the
introduction of machined, fearing that they would displace human labour. But he appreciated
the role of new technologies if they were appropriate, indigenous, and did not affect the level
of employment and standard of living.