Republic Day Write Up: Villages

The one thing I would like to change about today’s India is the pitiful state (read socio-economic exclusion) of Indian villages.

‘Adopt a village’ – An implementable approach: There are 6.38 lakh villages in India (2001 Census). Companies, organizations small and big, high net worth individuals to start the drive. Any willing individual may also contribute. Apart from contributions via CSR, companies to also urge groups of employees to adopt villages. ‘Adopters’ to commit INR 25,000 a month per village for the next 10 years. Adopters to choose the village that’s near to their working environment and visit it once every half year for auditing and to provide guidance.

The focus areas need to be agriculture, financial inclusion, education (priority to education of women), setting up Self Help Groups, agro advisory groups and education advisory groups. The committed amount is to be spent on the functioning of advisory groups. The advisory groups will find and nurture village entrepreneurs who could collaborate with network orchestrators like ‘Drishtee’ and ‘eChoupal’. These entrepreneurs will bring ICT (Info and Communication Technology) kiosks to the village and thereby help bridge the digital divide.

These kiosks will bring agro advice, commodity prices, educational tools and banking services to the doorstep of every villager whose village is adopted. Also, the adopters can regularly connect with the village mandal leaders by means of these kiosks. With all the mothers in the village literate, in one generation, we could have a fully literate village. The agro advisory group will help monitor and tune the farming practices thereby increasing the yield of the produce. The Self Help Groups will gradually integrate with NGOs and banks. The adopters will share the responsibility of connecting the NGOs with the adopted village. The advisory groups will also encourage in getting a fair market for the small scale industry of the village.

The adopter, with help from his parent company will devise ‘Disaster Contingency Plan’ to take care of the village in times of earthquakes, flood or drought. The SHGs will inculcate saving habit in the villagers and will also urge villagers to pool money for a ‘Contingency Fund’. Such a fund will save thousands of villages (in terms of life, property) during the event of natural catastrophe.

NRIs who are keen to bring money into India for investment into sunrise businesses shall be mandated to adopt a village. They can nominate a person or an institution that will be in regular contact with the village mandal leaders.

This initiative involves Indians in India and the Indian diaspora resident abroad. Also, this model empowers the communities within the village. This gives our villages the confidence to shine from within. For the adopters, this is economic patriotism in the truest sense! A school or a marriage hall will be named after the adopter on 5th year of adoption. On completion of 10 years, the adopter (group or individual) could choose to continue for another term. The government can institute a medal of honor for this.

So, when are you adopting a village?

- Ganga