Rural Development Programme
Rural Development Programme
Rural Development in a democratic society is not a matter only of plans and statistics, targets and budgets technology and methods, material and professional staff organization and machinery to administer them, but one of using these mechanisms skillfully as means for changing the mind, heart and actions of the people in ways that in improvements educationally, socially, economically and morally. Hence, the process is of working with people, not for them, of helping to become self-reliant, not dependent on others, of making people the central actors in the drama, not the stage hands or spectators.
So the key to rural development in a free society is the human element, not material aid. The central means is education of the people in ways of improving their farms, home and community. This change must emerge from the people’s own decisions to act, result from their own efforts, and utilize their own resources to the maximum. To progress along these lines requires careful mobilization of the resources for promoting advancement and sharp focusing of them on changing the minds of people educationally.