Editor,
Apropos the article “Job creation through Entrepreneurship Development” by HH Mohrmen, (ST June 19, 2017), I wish to remind the readers of ST that this Livelihood Programme was launched in April, 2012 and it has already travelled more than five years. The concept and purpose of the Integrated Basin Development & Livelihhods Programme (IBDLP) is indeed wonderful. But somehow, it has lost its way and not touched lives on the ground. In fact it has become a monolithic piece of idealistic concept document, bereft of practicability. Till today, many know very little about this programme for lack of publicity and awareness. In fact many public representatives, including ministers and officers of departments do not properly understand what this programme all about. Quite a few have not even grasped the meanings of partnership and convergence. Many officers in different line departments were not willing at all to partner and converge with each other to ensure smooth realisation of the objectives of the programme. Initially many officers of different line departments were confused. Hence they even refused to co-operate in the convergence process. This is due to ignorance or lack of clarity on the part of the implementing and executing officers of line departments.
Another thing is that there was no wide and proper publicity and awareness on the programmes through the print and electronic media for the public to know about IBDLP and its packages. There are offices at the Headquarters, District and facilitation centres at the Block levels but no proper publicity is given by these centres (offices). Another aspect, which is the most important part, is that most of these offices and facilitation centres hardly reach out to the towns and villages to reach out to the partners (stakeholders). Even if interested partners approach the facilitation centres, they are not properly briefed or guided by the facilitators at the centres because they are not properly motivated, fully equipped and trained to lead and guide the partners in the best way. Hence, many partners got disillusioned, disinterested and disappeared. The few partners who could grasp things and were keen on starting something better for alternate livelihoods got bogged down because they had to run from pillar to post to get things done, despite facilitators and convergence mode. Also the banks laid down various guidelines and conditions which are impossible for the poor but interested partner to overcome, In fact, very few partners managed to jump over the obstacles.
There may be few exceptions and success stories. But again, these few success stories must be analysed from various standpoints, to get into the bottom of such cases. Perhaps, there might be some other factors that led to the success stories and the credit is hijacked by IBDLP! Hence, the partial success of the programme. I have visited many Districts during the last two years but there is no noticeable livelihood transformation on the ground on account of IBDLP. Concerned authorities may say that the gestation period of this programme is long but five years is long enough to see the results on the ground. What is the use of having big and well-furnished offices of IBDLP in the state and the people manning them if results are not forthcoming? Therefore, I term this programme a big hoax. I can point out many other lapses in the implementation of the programme but there is limited space here.
Hence, I suggest that this programme ought to be reviewed and revisited and the defects and gaps ought to be addressed to ensure near 100 per cent success. If not, then scrap the programme for good for our state is too poor to waste its precious resources in such a pompous and high voltage platitude programme.
Except for the providing job placement to the youth and middle aged people who are working in Headquarters, District IBDLP offices and facilitation centres, the IBDLP is a failure because crores of rupees have been sunk into this programme in the last five years. This has become a white elephant and the state can ill-afford to throw its precious resources down the drains like this.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein,
Via email
Alcohol ban
Editor,
Your report “Liquor ban does more harm than good in long run” (ST- June 23, 2017)clearly shows that the complete ban on the production and sale of alcohol, while reducing total consumption, does not imply that alcohol is not available in any state. While complete prohibition has been shown to be a failure, the current permissiveness without the enforcement of regulations also represents a lack of responsibility from a public health perspective. Indian society and governments need to take a longer term view of issues and plan a coordinated and comprehensive approach. But the point is that in spite of knowing that drinking is a dangerous social evil, it has now become a symbol of affluence and social prestige. We need to design our law and policies in such a way that we face minimal loss due to alcoholism.
Yours etc.,
Vinod C. Dixit
Ahmedabad- 15
Why a Dalit Prex candidate is important
Editor,
In his article, “NDA candidate the ideal saffron soldier” (ST, June 23, 2017), Amulya Ganguli has said that Kovind’s selection as NDA’s Presidential candidate confirms that caste is becoming a major factor in choosing the President. This has indeed brought a very pertinent question to the fore. Should we consider demographic credentials of a person in the political arena of a federal and plural country? Or should we focus on her or his merit only? A country which has a rainbow of languages, states, castes, cultures and religions, can in no way ignore demographic credentials of a person in a political space. Indeed, all the Members of Parliament are being elected on the basis of their demographic credentials. Every state of our country sends as many MPs to the Parliament as is proportionate to its population.
No federal country can afford to do away with this system and introduce meritocratic yardstick. Indian cricket team where merit is the sole criterion of selection does not have any representation of many states of our country. It is okay for a cricket team. But it would be ludicrous if our Parliament fails to have representation of all the Indian states.
Moreover, we need to give priority to demographic credentials as century-old brainwash projecting Dalits as eligible only for menial jobs has made such a dent in our mindsets that we have started questioning the eligibility of Dalits for a high post even if the person happens to be a former Supreme Court lawyer with a clean image or a former Speaker of the House with a graceful track record. Not only does such brainwash penetrate into the minds of casteists but in Dalit’ psyche as well. Even Dalits are not free from regressive Dalit – inferiority – complex as was happened in Hitler’s Germany where some Jews themselves started doubting their own potentiality just after a few years of Goebbelsian propaganda.
That was why Mahatma Gandhi wanted a Dalit woman as India’s first President but his suggestion was turned down. At a public address on 27 June 1947, he said, “If I have my way, the President of the Indian Republic will be a chaste and brave Bhangi girl… if such a girl of my dreams becomes President, I shall be her servant and I shall not expect from the Government even my upkeep.”
Dalits have been projected as lesser humans for centuries. But can their symbolic representation at the top of our administration really help break ourselves free from age – old prejudices? To get the answer, we will turn to the article, “What Obama’s victory means about race and class”, where Malik Miah said, “Obama’s victory, more than symbolic, represents a change in attitudes. But the symbolism in and of itself is powerful, because of the country’s racist history. It is that symbolism that every African American understands, including many of those on the right.”
Yours etc,
Sujit De,
Kolkata