by Arpit Jain | Published: 03 January , 2024

In the heart of Alwar, Rajasthan, I unraveled a stark contradiction to the narrative of a caste-neutral society, debunking the myth that this region was free from the clutches of caste inequality, an eye-opening revelation from my district immersion as part of the 'Realising India' program.

The Illusion of Equality

Expectations shattered as I witnessed the pervasive subtleties of discrimination in Alwar during my two-week rural immersion. The facade of gender equality crumbled as women, burdened with domestic chores and fieldwork, were denied decision-making rights, reflecting the entrenched patriarchal norms. The Meena tribe-dominated village, Thanaghazi, once heralded as affluent and egalitarian, exposed its disparities. Affluence was confined to a handful of households, leaving others in the shadows of poverty, lacking access to essential services.

Spatial Segregation: A Silent Divide

Walking the streets of Revali, an industrial village, the coexistence of Dalits and upper castes seemed harmonious on the surface. Yet, a closer look revealed a spatial caste-based separation, manifesting as a 'Harijan basti.' This physical divide reflected not only economic disparities but also the deep-seated discomfort among Dalits regarding inter-caste dining, unraveling the normalization of discrimination.

Muslims in Alampur: Economic Choices Echoing Discrimination

Alampur, a Muslim-majority village, unfolded another layer of discrimination. Cattle rearing, the primary income source, showcased a subtle bias against cows. The preference for buffaloes over cows stemmed not just from economic considerations but hinted at cultural biases. This preference, echoing larger societal norms, underscored the need for a systemic and cultural shift to break free from discriminatory practices.

Reflections on Discrimination: The Unseen Enemy

These experiences shed light on the insidious nature of normalized discrimination, often overlooked amid more overt forms of bias. The legitimacy of socially-perpetrated norms poses a more profound challenge, capable of transcending generations. Franklin Roosevelt's four freedoms – freedom of worship, expression, freedom from want, and from fear – underscored the imperative for a cultural metamorphosis to eradicate deeply rooted constructs like caste, class, gender, and religion.

Challenging the 'Normal': Upholding Constitutional Values

In confronting these subtle biases, a significant hurdle lies in the normalization of discrimination. Workplace scientists advocate labeling covert discrimination as overt to curb these biases. Despite being deemed 'normal,' discrimination finds no sanctuary in the constitution, urging us to uphold constitutional values and guard against its justification.

A Call to Action

The evolution of India requires a collective dismantling of ingrained biases and discriminatory practices. The journey towards a more equitable society demands a reevaluation of cultural norms and an unwavering commitment to constitutional principles. The 'Realising India' initiative serves as a catalyst for uncovering these layers of inequality and instigating change.

The ISDM Imperative

In navigating the intricate tapestry of societal challenges, the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM) emerges as a guiding light. As we strive to realize India's potential, ISDM's commitment to nurturing change agents, equipped with a holistic understanding of societal issues, becomes paramount. The need for transformative education, transcending traditional management teachings, is evident. ISDM stands poised to contribute to the evolution of a socially conscious and equitable India, echoing the spirit of 'realising India' in every aspiring change agent it nurtures.

by David Menezes | Published: 02 January , 2024

In the heart of Madhya Pradesh's Satna, a district teeming with the complexities of rural life and industrial significance, I embarked on a two-week immersion as part of the 'Realising India' program, unraveling the layers of India's flawed approach to development.

Introduction

Satna, a vibrant tapestry of rural traditions and industrial dynamism, encapsulates the intricate dance of development in India. Beyond the bustling fields of agriculture lies the beating heart of the nation's cement industry. This juxtaposition creates a canvas where the nuances of development weave a story of challenges, triumphs, and the relentless pursuit of progress.

Satna's Duality: Agriculture and Cement Dominance

Satna, a district predominantly agricultural yet pulsating with the heartbeat of India's cement industry, offers a unique canvas for understanding the intricacies of development. The coexistence of rural life and industrial prowess shapes the narrative of change in this dynamic landscape.

A Tapestry of Stakeholders: Perspectives on Development

Engaging with a diverse spectrum of stakeholders, from industry leaders and corporate social responsibility managers to government officials and grassroots contributors, provided a holistic view of development. The mosaic of voices encompassed farmers, marginalized communities, healthcare workers, and educators, each playing a vital role in shaping the district's destiny.

Development's Triad of Challenges

Within the tapestry of Satna's development, three prominent challenges emerged:

Provisional Gap in Demand and Supply:

The aspirations and needs of the community often misalign with the efforts of development professionals, highlighting a critical gap in understanding the grassroots demand for change.

Low Impact on the Ground:

Despite earnest endeavors, the impact of development policies and initiatives at the ground level remains disappointingly low, necessitating a reassessment of implementation strategies.

Conflict of Interests among Stakeholders:

The crux of the issue lies in a conflict of interests among stakeholders, raising questions about the equitable distribution of benefits and decision-making power.

Empowering from Within: The Essence of Development

The essence of development, I discovered, lies in empowering individuals to uphold their rights and interests. The realisation that development is an intrinsic process emerged as a guiding principle. No external force can champion personal self-interests better than the individuals themselves.

A Call for Micro Empowerment

The macro-level approach to development, often viewing it as a unidirectional flow from 'provider' to 'receiver,' oversimplifies the intricate nature of societal transformation. Acknowledging individuals as unique entities within a collective crowd becomes imperative for true development.

Macro Governance and Micro Empowerment

Development professionals shoulder the challenging responsibility of governing at a macro level while concurrently empowering individuals at a micro level. The crux lies in expanding people's capabilities, freedom, and decision-making prowess, creating a harmonious balance between the collective and the individual.

Empowering Diverse Sectors

With over 60% of the country's workforce engaged in agriculture and manufacturing, the need to develop both sectors became glaringly evident during my interactions with tribal farmers and factory workers in Satna. Empowering both groups, ensuring improved lives and enhanced capabilities, emerged as a crucial aspect of holistic development.

Development Doesn't Discriminate: The Right to Improvement

The fundamental principle that development doesn't discriminate resonates profoundly. Every individual possesses the right to enhance their quality of life, with the caveat that such progress does not adversely affect others through the 'externalities' of their decisions.

Regulating Externalities: The Path to Complete Development

The quest for development extends beyond empowerment; it involves the regulation of 'externalities.' Striking a delicate balance that prevents adverse consequences while empowering individuals marks the true fulfillment of the development sector's mission.

Empowerment Beyond Belief: A Comprehensive Approach

Empowering individuals extends beyond instilling belief and confidence; it encompasses providing essential elements for survival and growth. Education, healthcare, law and order, security, and employment are not just public goods but crucial tools of empowerment.

realisation from Within: The Culmination of Development

The true culmination of development occurs when individuals recognize that the impetus for progress must come from within. Striking a delicate balance between empowerment, regulation of externalities, and individual realisation is the hallmark of comprehensive development.

The ISDM Imperative: Nurturing Change Agents for Holistic Development

In navigating the dynamic landscape of development challenges, the role of the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM) emerges as pivotal. ISDM's commitment to nurturing change agents equipped with a nuanced understanding of societal issues becomes a beacon for transformative education. Beyond conventional management teachings, ISDM stands poised to contribute to the evolution of a socially conscious and equitable India, aligning seamlessly with the spirit of 'Realising India.'

Reflecting on Satna's Journey and ISDM's Role

As I reflect on my immersive journey in Satna, the imperative for empowering individuals, regulating externalities, and fostering a realisation from within echoes the ethos of ISDM, guiding the way towards a truly realised India. The nuanced approach of ISDM in nurturing change agents aligns with the challenges unearthed in Satna, emphasizing the need for comprehensive education to drive holistic development. Satna's tale becomes a microcosm of India's diverse developmental landscape, urging us to reevaluate our strategies and embrace a paradigm where every individual becomes an active participant in their journey toward progress.

Tenzin Chorran | Published: 27 January, 2024

A student from the social work courses - Tenzin Chorran from Post Graduate Program in Development Management at ISDM's. During the rural immersion part of the program called 'Realising India', she visited a village in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, where she was appalled by the situation of women in rural hinterlands.

Rural Immersion is a critical component of ISDM's PGP DM program. Our batch was divided into groups and sent to different districts to understand the ground realities of societies and institutions. Along with my group, I went to Sehore for two weeks. The field visits in the rural areas helped me understand the human-nature interactions where most rural communities are still dependent on their immediate natural resource environment, such as forests, for daily livelihood needs essential for survival. The close interaction with the community using Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools helped me identify the daily struggles of marginalised communities, especially rural women, and analyse their knowledge of livelihood conditions.

During one such visit, I met *Savita, a 25-year-old woman from Bhilai Khari, a tribal village in Nasrullaganj block of Sehore district in Madhya Pradesh. She wakes up at 5 am every morning, walks a few kilometres to gather some fuelwood, fetches water on the way back from the hand pump and starts cooking meals for her family on a chulha. She represents most women in her village who do this daily because half of their households do not have an LPG gas connection.

Based on conversations with other women from the community, I realised that the struggle of fetching fuelwood and water for domestic consumption is an everyday task, requiring vast amounts of physical labour. The bundle of fuelwood that these women carry ranges from 5-10 kilograms, and they usually make multiple trips to collect water from the hand pump. The summer months are typically parched, and the water in the handpump dries up, which means that these women have to travel at least three kilometres to a nearby pond to extract water.

All the households in this village have the traditional chulha, and out of 40 homes, 20 of them got the LPG connection three years ago. We gathered that this was through the government's introduction, Ujjwala Yojana. The remaining households had their connections either wrongly delivered to other people even though they had filled the forms or refused to shift to the usage of LPG in their homes.

The Ujjwala Yojana aims to empower women and decrease drudgery by shifting to clean methods of cooking which can save time and energy and avoid health-related issues among women in rural India. Unfortunately, the scheme has been made redundant due to a lack of affordability and availability of services. The local rural communities cannot afford the refilling of the LPG cylinders due to financial restrictions, which is Rs 700/- for every refill. Almost twenty households with LPG connections have not been able to refill their cylinders due to a money crunch and rely on the chulha again. Apart from behavioural biases for the chulha preference, another reason is the inability to carry cylinders to their houses due to limited doorstep availability of services.

It is perhaps important to note a wide gap between the implementation of government schemes and the primary stakeholders' requirements of that particular scheme. For instance, in the case of this small village in Nasrullaganj, many women like Savita might not be able to benefit from the Ujjwala Yojana, considering innumerable gaps which presently exist. Addressing these gaps, and effective community participation should encourage the bottom-up decision-making processes. Policymakers partnering with the government need to stress the importance of evidence-based decision making. The focus here should be evidence collection through the participatory method, constantly rechecking and evaluating the reach of social security schemes to ensure their success

Tenzin Chorran

*All names have been changed to protect identities

Published: 18 January, 2024

Suchananda Roy is a student of ISDM's Post-Graduate Program in Development Management. During the rural immersion part of the program called 'Realising India', she met a strong and bold woman in her sixties who had served as a Sarpanch from 2004 to 2009 in Goth Gram panchayat in Ambah block in Morena. Her story is inspirational because she did this in a highly patriarchal society, where the practice of ‘Sarpanch Pati’ is still prevalent.

Shivani*, a dynamic woman, faced backlash from a male-dominating society when she stood for elections about a decade ago in Ambah block in Morena. According to reports, there is a 17% difference in literacy rates between men and women. However, Shivani’s strong willpower enabled her to serve humanity and uplift the conditions of women in her village. Her determination made her surpass any odds; she did that and came out with flying colours.

Her fearlessness and confidence exuded when she narrated her life story. According to Shivani, the ghungat (a veil to cover her head) is obligatory for every bride since societal custom dictates it. Though she wore the ghunghat, she didn't allow it to stop her tremendous ambitions to bring change to society. She believed change could only occur when a woman in her home started a conversation with her family. Even though, as Development Management programme students, we had been taught about gender equality, it was something else altogether watching Shivani practice it.

Fifteen years ago, societal pressures shackled Shivani but not her vision. She was a one-woman army when it came to working for the development of people and her village. I imagined how difficult it was for her to be in a position to govern the system while facing humiliation from her society. Even today, the concept of 'Sarpanch-pati' prevails in the district. In one of the Gram Sabha meetings that I attended, the Sarpanch, a woman, was not present. Her husband represented her in the Gram Sabha proceedings. More than ten years ago, Shivani overcame the same bias through sheer perseverance, and soon people recognised her sincere efforts and respected her.

Still from a Gram Sabha meeting in Morena.

Shivani’s model village began inspiring surrounding villages facing similar challenges. Despite prevalent patriarchal norms, she not only stood for local elections but ended up becoming the first female head of her village panchayat. Adding a feather to her hat, she won the award of 'Adarsh Gram Panchayat' during her tenure. She received many such awards during her term from various levels of government.

During our conversation, Shivani mentioned how she was proactive in building water resources so that no woman would have to walk several kilometres to get the same. She even went to the teacher's home and asked why they were not in school during teaching hours in case of uninformed teacher absenteeism, which shows how she was concerned with the children's education. She shared that while she didn't get the opportunity to study beyond class ten, she wanted to ensure that this should not happen with other children due to a lack of infrastructure.

During her tenure, Shivani continuously raised her voice right from the Gram Sabha to the Chief Minister's office for building good infrastructure, library, and playground in the school's vicinity so that no child is left behind and the overall growth of a child can take place. She was determined and sincere towards her idea of developing a village and put all her efforts into making a self-sufficient village.

President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam recognised her efforts, inviting her to the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Inspired by 'Rani Laxmi Bai's stories, she remained courageous when working for her people. She said, "Kisi ka dam hai to rokke dikhaye, mai sherni hoon, kabhi har nai manungi". Due to Shivani's poor health, she didn’t contest any further elections. However, with her progressing health, her aspirations are back as she aims to become an MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly). She feels that she will not see the envisioned change unless she enters the system.

Shivani is a role model not only to me but many women in her village, and you can see why that is. Her principles give many young people strong notions of how a woman can contribute to society by removing the gender stereotyping roles and bringing gender equality into people's minds.

Suchananda Roy

*All names have been changed to protect identities

Published: 24 January, 2024

I chose to drop science post 10th grade and study commerce.At 17, I went to Delhi University for graduation. I chose to finance my own education.  I chose to study literature. I chose to work in an NGO. After working for 6 years, I chose to quit my job and study a program that was absolutely new in the sector. At an age when most girls get married, I chose not to. What underlies all of this and much more is the power of choice. However, having the privilege of making choices and pursuing what one wants to do is the privilege of just 1% youth in our country. This reality has been enough for me to have a burning desire to impact a social change.

I spent 12 days in Jaunpur district in East Uttar Pradesh for a rural district immersion program called ‘Realising India’. No amount of words can do justice to all that I experienced during this journey.

As much as it was about inspiration- from people and places, it also brought out indifference, discrimination (caste, class, and gender),and lack of care for fellow humans. Children are deprived of their right to education. People are surviving through unbelievably difficult living conditions, uncertainty, powerstructures, lack of voice and expression, ignorance and so much more. In the same community, there are people working endlessly to make their ends meet just so that their children can go to school. At the same place there are people who don’t send their children to school just because they thinkit’s not important. The so called higher caste community does not talk to the so called lower caste community, forget supporting and empowering them.

Interactions with people from different age, caste, socio-economic backgrounds made me re-realize my privileges and how I just take things for granted. During a conversation with a primary school principal I asked how soonthe authorities would respond if there was a problem in school? What if there was a short circuit?(I took this example as I had experienced this in the school I taught). She said the school has existed for past 4 years but there is no electricity in the school. I had nothing more to say.

I didn’t have to go to a community school where I would be made to learn books about my religion and follow it without a choice, even being, at times, oblivious to what it meant.I wasn’t indoctrinated into a blind belief system (even though there were definitely some staunch beliefs that I grew up through)andtoday I have the courage, education and support to choose what I want to believe in. Vandana doesn’t have this. My parents did make a lot of sacrifices so that I could get the best of education, because they understood the importance of education. That was my privilege.Shashidoesn’t have this privilege. He dropped out of school towork in the fields. These are just few examples of many other stories that would go unheard, unnoticed forever.

Just by the virtue of birth I have a life which is unimaginably different from children who deserve as much as I do.

At the end of the day, all I think about is my privilege and power of choice that brought me where I am today.

Should I feel happy that I am here or feel sad that I belong to less than 1% of India’s population who have all the basics in place which others don’t have?

I shudder to even think that:

I could be that girl who couldn’t study as much as she wanted.

I could be that girl who didn’t have basic sanitation facilities.

I could be one of those children studying in the school with no electricity.

I could be the one dropping out of school to work in the fields.

Because I am not, I believe that I owe my service to the betterment of these lives.