Author Topic: Poems and Article by Shri Udaya Pant -श्री उदय शंकर पन्त जी के कविताये और लेख  (Read 13252 times)

एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720

  • Core Team
  • Hero Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 40,912
  • Karma: +76/-0
 The Village Scene that Was
            Although the basic amenities in the villages were poor from today’s standards in the Indian villages, the self-sufficient village economies had good things to offer to each and every section of society in the rural areas.  Barring the issues of castes (that too was more social and power-game based); the villagers at large had a symbiotic relationship, with a community feeling and approach.  The prevalence of barter system and ‘food for work’ had humanitarian aspects on a ‘need-based’ support to the poorer people by those who employed them in specific occasions and jobs. People were more socially responsible than the individual family responsibility paradigm of today.

The onslaught of colonialism and commercialization
            One of the first things that the East India Company did, by design, was the disruption of self-sufficient village economies, with interdependent social and agrarian relations, in India.  The commercialization of agriculture and integration of village economy with the market, that served the interest of the British and middlemen, resulted in the breaking down of inter-dependence among the villagers and unemployment.  The old benevolent privileged people of the villages became the collaborators of colonialism.  The commercialization and breakdown of self-sufficient village economies impoverished the rural people and deteriorated their quality of life and livelihood. Their whole traditional system collapsed and got converted to the commercialized system; by integration with the market economy. The small landholders became the landless laborers.

Independence and After
            The Panchayti Raj system was envisaged as reintroducing method of Gram Swaraj by empowering the people to deal with their own problems with the financial and technical support from the provincial and central government. It was the best possible effort at the time of inception. The ground realities in different states are mixed. There are states like Rajasthan, where Panchayats play major role in the democratic governance; and there are other states with varying degrees of empowerment.

Rural development and improving the quality of life in rural areas has been in force in our planning and developmental strategies all along.  The numerous schemes that the Government of India has launched have had a sorry state of affairs in implementation.  The basic public services have not reached the rural areas especially the poor. The functioning of the systems is not encouraging the participation of all sections of the society. The transparency and accountability norms are hazy. The ‘output’ and ‘outcome’ of these schemes with waste expenditure have been poor. 

The IRDP that was planned with good thinking had inherent weaknesses in terms of monitoring and evaluation. It is too common to be further stressed that the benefits monitoring was very poor and there were large scale leakages and inefficiencies in the schemes; that even today are a cause of concern. Nonetheless, it was the first major initiative in the right direction. 

The recent programmes like the Bharat Nirman, PMGSY, SSA, SGRY, BRDF, NFFWP, NREGP, PMGSY, SGSY; and NRHM have been launched with substantial funding.  The effectiveness of these programmes will depend on the implementation by convergence and synergy. Several of these programmes may have the overlapping and complimentary components; if that can be synergized, it will result in huge administrative cost cutting and efficiency in implementation. One can not wait in the infinity to village people acquiring the management expertise. It would rather be more fulfilling to make them learn by doing in the simplest, yet accountable, possible ways.
 

एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720

  • Core Team
  • Hero Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 40,912
  • Karma: +76/-0
 Gram Panchayat Should be the Development Unit for the Villages not Block
           
In most provinces, panchayats are viewed as agencies and not the institution for development and change management. Both, the politicians and bureaucrats, have shown sustained reluctance to make the panchayats as institutions of self government. Even in the ‘spheres of activities’ their local presence is not truly recognized in the Constitution of India; leaving the scope of interpretation open. To some extent, this is made up under the various State Acts; and Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996. However, they have to depend on the states and the centre, for financial resources.

The first thing that should be in place now, is the targeting the village panchayats as the nodal unit for the rural development and not the Block. The justification is simple- the development blocks have not proved effective agents of change in the villages! It is also true that the awareness and the outreach of the basic infrastructure and communication technology are now in a position to communicate directly with the villages. This will ensure the direct access to the problems areas and remedial action both ways.

Much of the failure of development schemes can be attributed to ‘top-down’ planning and approach towards the people.  District or Block level planning can be only generic; while the specific plan for the development of villages should be the domain of the Panchayat.  District and block level establishment should be used for conceptual issues, facilitation and capacity building of Panchayats.  They should have nothing to do with funds allocation, disbursement and projects.  If they have the expertise they can do evaluation and impact assessment, independently.
           
Do Away With the Long Channels and the Hierarchy
            First thing to facilitate convergence and synergy is to remove the long channels of implementation, disbursement and monitoring.  Each channel adds to delay, inefficiency and other problems. It is too well known a fact to be discussed here that in the present system there is always a gap between the funds required in terms of both quantum and timing.  Much of this problem is due to the complex system of percolating down of the funds, possible leakages; and delays at each level.  The remedy lies in empowering, educating and energizing the Panchayat System and allowing funds to be remitted direct to the Panchayats.  The hierarchy within the Panchayat system (District, Block etc. levels) leads to ‘external’ and political influence; as well as other factors that undermine the role and responsibilities of the Panchayats! The simple systems get complicated, to suit everyone’s vested interests in the hierarchy. The decision makers must be the local villagers and the Panchayats.

Community Empowerment
            In the rural areas, the outreach of the administration is not as much as it is in the urban areas. Besides, the villages have common properties and assets in several ways. These are not owned by any single family or person. The community empowerment will ensure the effective participation and indulgence of the people in the spheres of activities of the villages and development.

            One way to ensure the community empowerment is to allow social audit of the major activities and programs of the government and the panchayats. This will ensure the representative groups being the part and parcel of the planning, implementation of development schemes and programs, monitoring and evaluation thereof; and the assets management.
 

एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720

  • Core Team
  • Hero Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 40,912
  • Karma: +76/-0
The Three E’s for Empowerment of Panchayats
   Education and continuing education is essential for any organization. It is heartening to note that most states have prescribed educational qualification for Gram Pradhans.  These educated headmen have the requisite local experience and are well conversant with the basic problems of the villages.  A ‘Gram Pradhan’ is most accessible nodal point for every person in the village.  In contrast with the MP’s where there is no educational qualification required, the Gram Pradhans have had the benefit of education for furthering theirs views and ambitions in life.

   The fact that, presently, Panchayats are more of a voluntary kind of institutions, it requires the attention of the government to make it as a career option for the villagers.  Instead of spending millions on administering the schemes and programs at several levels, it would be prudent and more professional to make Panchayat jobs paid ones.  The villagers and their representatives should have a major say in planning, project proposals and their implementation. In states where Revenue Police system is in place, they can be brought under the Panchayats for a better and effective system of dealing with law and order, revenue matters; and local disputes.

   With such empowerment, the Panchayats will require to be educated on management of priority schemes, financing, and monitoring oversight mechanisms.  The capacity building of the Panchayats and the villagers in several ways can be organized by making the jobs look like simple ones and focused to their own village; or nearby areas in cases of common facilities and shared resources.  Training and capacity building will energize the Panchayats and make them effective implementers of the plans, schemes and projects of which they have been a party. The whole system of Panchayat in the village will have to be energized by involving all sections of the population in the villages.
Low-Key Ombudsman
The monitoring of the effectiveness depends on good management information and accounts keeping. For purpose of accounts keeping regular position of an accountant can be created.  The major concern that we may still have is to keep a proper vigil and watch on the speed and transparency.  I would strongly suggest that there can be a low-key ombudsman type arrangement by hiring the services of retired teachers, retired army officers or any other available eminent people with proven integrity and patriotic feelings.  I will never have doubt about these qualities amongst retired teacher or army personnel who generally work for devoted cause and commitment.
e-Governance
Records keeping and retrieval of information for the land records, common properties, demographic information, assets etc. is generally poor in cases of all the villages. Sometimes, the poor and illiterate people do not even have access to such information. There is a growing need for use of information technology for possible solutions in the area.

Wherever possible, e-Governance should be supported. It is a myth that right now it is too early for the e-Governance in the rural areas. There are the problems of skills; but the same can be enabled by hiring people or associating the NGO’s. A case in example is the Ernakulam district panchayat in Kerala, who has taken up a unique model of e-governance to establish information networks as part of their plan projects; with a view to strengthen the decentralised planning system.  However, due care has to be given to the fact that most rural population will require handholding and assistance in the new scenario. The stems in place will have to very responsive to the concerns and queries of the villagers.

एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720

  • Core Team
  • Hero Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 40,912
  • Karma: +76/-0
Convergence of Schemes/Programs
   The convergence of all ministry specific schemes in the Panchayat’s Plan for implementation should have an overriding provision to reprioritize the schemes during the financial year by utilizing the available resources, for local modified needs. Here we are presuming the oversight and monitoring mechanisms  enabled in the system. The rural knowledge bank available with the senior citizen will come handy to decide as to what is more important for the village as a whole at any given time.

In any case, the canalizing funds directly through the Panchayats will result in synergy and economy by containing the wasteful expenditure incurred in the name of administering the grants for the schemes. The resultant reduction in government jobs can be utilised by redeployment of skilled staff in the Panchayats; and as independent consultants operating privately. The system must ensure that there are ex ante targets fixed for ex post results and benefits monitoring, quantified in both physical and financial terms.
Local modifications in Schemes/Programs
   Local modifications may be allowed to cater to the needs of the varying geographic conditions, allowing for the cultural factors; and better value for money derived. The housing or the water supply projects can never have the same specifications in the mountain areas of North- East or the middle Himalayan states. The development of local specific and user friendly technology in the projects will help achieve the goals better than any standard scheme or projects for all states.
Social Solutions and Holism
   The dynamics of interrelationship of land holding, agricultural growth, employment; and poverty have to be understood in holistic way and strategies have to be devised to tackle them in tandem. People–centric  and people oriented methods will entail the participation of the civil society, self-help groups, stakeholders, NGO’s and other institutions to help achieve sustainable rural development with a clear vision and focus. Fragmented and piecemeal efforts will only remain attempts without being translated into outcomes; and a burden on public exchequer.
   Several of the complex problems do not require economic or political solutions; but the social solutions . We seem to be going overboard in bringing in more and more economic and political solutions, at the cost of neglecting the social solutions. The social changes are slower than even the slow process; but can be brought out only by tackling the social elements in association with the other measures and variables. The core areas of thinking shall be the holism of rural development :
“But holism requires much more – it must include the sense of all inclusive totality.   Interestingly, this emphasis on all inclusive totality places at the disposal  of less developed societies, an inexpensive volume of relevant R&D at the highest level of the corporate world which is struggling hard on the same problem of development – how to change the ongoing in order to survive in the world of future.  Why? Complex dynamic systems, whether physical, biological or societal, have the same underlying internal dynamics and exhibit common emerging patterns. All that is needed is the cultivation and development   of re-investment skills.”


एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720

  • Core Team
  • Hero Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 40,912
  • Karma: +76/-0
Convergence of Schemes/Programs
   The convergence of all ministry specific schemes in the Panchayat’s Plan for implementation should have an overriding provision to reprioritize the schemes during the financial year by utilizing the available resources, for local modified needs. Here we are presuming the oversight and monitoring mechanisms  enabled in the system. The rural knowledge bank available with the senior citizen will come handy to decide as to what is more important for the village as a whole at any given time.

In any case, the canalizing funds directly through the Panchayats will result in synergy and economy by containing the wasteful expenditure incurred in the name of administering the grants for the schemes. The resultant reduction in government jobs can be utilised by redeployment of skilled staff in the Panchayats; and as independent consultants operating privately. The system must ensure that there are ex ante targets fixed for ex post results and benefits monitoring, quantified in both physical and financial terms.
Local modifications in Schemes/Programs
   Local modifications may be allowed to cater to the needs of the varying geographic conditions, allowing for the cultural factors; and better value for money derived. The housing or the water supply projects can never have the same specifications in the mountain areas of North- East or the middle Himalayan states. The development of local specific and user friendly technology in the projects will help achieve the goals better than any standard scheme or projects for all states.
Social Solutions and Holism
   The dynamics of interrelationship of land holding, agricultural growth, employment; and poverty have to be understood in holistic way and strategies have to be devised to tackle them in tandem. People–centric  and people oriented methods will entail the participation of the civil society, self-help groups, stakeholders, NGO’s and other institutions to help achieve sustainable rural development with a clear vision and focus. Fragmented and piecemeal efforts will only remain attempts without being translated into outcomes; and a burden on public exchequer.
   Several of the complex problems do not require economic or political solutions; but the social solutions . We seem to be going overboard in bringing in more and more economic and political solutions, at the cost of neglecting the social solutions. The social changes are slower than even the slow process; but can be brought out only by tackling the social elements in association with the other measures and variables. The core areas of thinking shall be the holism of rural development :
“But holism requires much more – it must include the sense of all inclusive totality.   Interestingly, this emphasis on all inclusive totality places at the disposal  of less developed societies, an inexpensive volume of relevant R&D at the highest level of the corporate world which is struggling hard on the same problem of development – how to change the ongoing in order to survive in the world of future.  Why? Complex dynamic systems, whether physical, biological or societal, have the same underlying internal dynamics and exhibit common emerging patterns. All that is needed is the cultivation and development   of re-investment skills.”

Financial Management
   Financial management and records keeping of any system is very important. We cannot expect the local bodies to perfect them without any regular support staff and system. Right from planning to outcomes reporting, skilled staffs are required. As said, elsewhere in this paper the management of Panchayats should be a career option for the villagers; and the requisite internal expertise has to be available in the organization.

Panchayats must have their own Budget and some sources of Income, by having powers of levy taxes, user charges etc. in the local sphere of activities. This will automatically involve everyone in the village administration, through the concerns of the tax payers and the users of services. While the bulk of the sources of expending will continue to come from the State and Center’s funds, the funds raising powers of the village panchayats will make them more aware of the areas that can be governed more effectively at the village levels. The maintenance of various existing and future assets that always starve for funds, will also find a new source for this purpose.

   The large paraphernalia of the multi-tier system will provide the surplus manpower for redeploying in the Panchayats. It will in fact result into savings for the government in several ways. To begin with the panchayats may keep their cash based accounts on the ‘single entry system’, that reveals much more information on the transactions than the double entry or accrual system. The systems have to be made simple and transparent, unlike the complicated data that is sought under the development schemes at present. In a fully accountable and transparent system, enabled with internal controls and audit, micro-management must be left to the Panchayats and only monitoring and evaluation should be the concern of the State and Central governments.
Internal Audit
   An institutionalized mechanism of internal audit by independent agency/NGO or even a kind of social audit system (of course making it simple) can be put in place.  Most government institutions in the provincial and district administration also require having similar arrangement to make them accountable for their decisions.
Learning from Others
   The empowerment of the rural local bodies will ultimately ensure that the ‘rural-living’ is more prestigious than living in urban areas.  In most European countries, living in the countryside is considered more prestigious than living in cities.  Countries like U.K., Austria, Switzerland, and France are telling examples of that.  Why they have such a situation is due to the comparable or better schools, hospitals, playgrounds, water supply, roads and general environment. In Alpine countries of Europe, there have been trends of reverse migration, with the upgraded rural livelihood.

Reinforcement of national programs and activities through decentralized decision-making and capacity-building has been undertaken by most of the countries in the Eastern Europe. Activities range from development of farmer support groups to the establishment of central and regional development councils, as in Hungary, which are responsible for regional planning, priority setting and allocation of financial resources for various regional development projects. Through the Estonian Village Movement, rural communities have been active in appealing to the Estonian Government for assistance in rural development issues. The first Rural Assembly for Villages was held in Estonia in 1996 and concluded with the formation of the Estonian Movement of Villages and Small Towns (KODUKANT), a non-governmental organization.

The international community recognizes that concerns about the impacts of globalisation and the free market, nutrition, supply of safe drinking water and energy, and improvements in education and health. Government measures would go a long way to solving problems of poverty, but improved coordination, cooperation, and targeting of investments was needed. The unique characteristics could be exploited to capture niche markets for products and services such as organic food products and eco-tourism.

The availability of such amenities and infrastructure enables the rural tourism to compete strongly with the city tourism. One the rural tourism catches up, the rural people will find jobs in their backyard of their ancestral village home; the pain of cutting the umbilical cord will also be minimized. This sounds very simplistic but requires a lot of investment, will and long term planning.  Cities as ‘Engines of Growth’ will provide jobs and income; but certainly not rural development as most investment analysts think.

   The road to emulating the European countries is not straight one.  We have to have the town planning, drainage system, roads, schools, hospitals, safe drinking water, access from the cities, communication, etc. will provide the basic amenities comparable to the cities. The emerging concepts of ‘Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas’ (PURA), have to be translated into reality. An intensive R & D is required to be carried out in agriculture, materials and renewable energy technologies.

Conclusion

The time is ripe to have a fresh look at the prevailing system and empowering the village local self government. The panchayats should be made the development units for the rural development and not the ‘Block’. The creation of marketing infrastructure and village cooperatives, to integrate the farmers with the market directly, will be the path to the prosperity of the villages. The community feeling and participation in every sphere shall hold the key to its success and implementation. The decision making along with the accountability shall vest with the villagers, with a very vigilant internal oversight system. Those who think that the rural development can be done by the outsiders alone need to revisit their knowledge base and outlook.

एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720

  • Core Team
  • Hero Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 40,912
  • Karma: +76/-0
By   Udaya

 कह लेने दो     आज कह लेने दो गीतों को मेरे ऐसा कुछ
 अब भी ज़िन्दा हूँ मुझे बस ये यकीं हो जाए
 
 चुप रहा बरसों मैं यहाँ किसी न किसी डर से
 सोचा न कभी कब डर ये मुझे भी खा जाये
 अब मैं बोलूँगा बिना किसी से भी डर कर
 दामन में लगा हरेक दाग़ मेरा यूँ धुल जाये
 
 मैंने देखे हैं कई वो ज़ुल्मो सितम औरों पर
 जाने क्यों न करी इनकी खिलाफत मैंने
 खाता हूँ क़सम अब ये ख़ता न होगी मुझसे
 मेरा हर नगमा नया इंसाफ़ के नाम हो जाये
 
 ज़ुल्म सहना भी गुनाह है ज़ालिम की तरह
 है ये भी ज़ुल्म जब नज़रंदाज़ कोई कर जाये
 ये ज़हां है नहीं मिल्कियत बस चंद लोगों की
 सबको हक है कि उन्हें भी इन्सां समझा जाये

   Posted by   Udaya     

एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720

  • Core Team
  • Hero Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 40,912
  • Karma: +76/-0
 Whither    
 I had seen him working like a slave
 Yet he found it hard to keep going
 Struggling for the two square meals
 He seldom relied on other people
 Except for being given work to him
 That was necessity for his survival
 He was often abused or underpaid
 In spite of delivering the good work
 He thought he had no rights at all
 No one care when he had no work
 Unaware of the benefit schemes
 Run by governments in his name
 There was some whisper at times
 That he is being looked at by state
 But he saw always was clean slate
 People trying words and meaning
 From where it lacked any scribbling
 He had laughter with a whimper
 Smile with full of agony and pain
 He guessed that elections declared
 Many people now were by his side
 As if the momentary celebrations
 Withering away of attention again
 Whither the uplifting of the poor?
 Before he was given hard jobs to do
 To struggle even harder all alone
 Forgotten after the election fervor
 And thus his life goes on and on
 Unsung, unheard till next elections!

http://uspant.blogspot.in/

एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720

  • Core Team
  • Hero Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 40,912
  • Karma: +76/-0
पर्वत प्रदेश में पावस ...सुमित्रानंदन पन्त (By Udaya Pant Ji)
पर्वत प्रदेश में पावस पावस ऋतु थी, पर्वत प्रदेश, पल-पल परिवर्तित प्रकृति-वेश। मेखलाकर पर्वत अपार अपने सहस्‍त्र दृग-सुमन फाड़, अवलोक रहा है बार-बार नीचे जल में निज महाकार, -जिसके चरणों में पला ताल दर्पण सा फैला है विशाल! गिरि का गौरव गाकर झर-झर मद में लनस-नस उत्‍तेजित कर मोती की लडि़यों सी सुन्‍दर झरते हैं झाग भरे निर्झर! गिरिवर के उर से उठ-उठ कर उच्‍चाकांक्षायों से तरूवर है झॉंक रहे नीरव नभ पर अनिमेष, अटल, कुछ चिंता पर। उड़ गया, अचानक लो, भूधर फड़का अपार वारिद के पर! रव-शेष रह गए हैं निर्झर! है टूट पड़ा भू पर अंबर! धँस गए धरा में सभय शाल! उठ रहा धुऑं, जल गया ताल! -यों जलद-यान में विचर-विचर था इंद्र खेलता इंद्रजाल ( सुमित्रानंदन पन्त )   Posted by   Udaya   

एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720

  • Core Team
  • Hero Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 40,912
  • Karma: +76/-0
 गुज़रा सो गुज़र गया(by Udaya Pant)
 
 चाहतों के सिलसिले कभी हमारे घरौंदे में थे
 बस एक तेज़ हवा के झोंके ने सब बदल दिया
 घरौंदा बिखर गया मेरा साथी भी बिछुड़ गया
 तो क्या हुआ ये संसार मेरे अकेले का हो गया
 मुझे करना होगा नए सिरे से यहाँ संघर्ष फिर
 जो होना था नसीब में मेरे वो अब हो ही गया
 दुनियाँ की रीत ही कुछ ऐसी है इधर शायद
 कभी न कभी तो हर कोई अकेला ही रह गया
 अब ज़ज्बात को रखना होगा क़ाबू में हमें भी
 ज़िन्दगी और अभी जो गुज़रा सो गुज़र गया
  Posted by   Udaya   

एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720

  • Core Team
  • Hero Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 40,912
  • Karma: +76/-0
 तुम्हारा क्या(By Udaya Pant)
बादल तुम अपना रुख कहीं और कर लो
 वसंत की धूप को खिल कर तो आने दो
 मुझे फिर से जीवन के रंग दिखाई देते हैं
 ज़रा तुम ठीक से नज़ारा तो कर लेने दो
 ये बयार जो बह रही है खुशबुओं के साथ
 इसे नर्म धूप सहित भी तुम आ जाने दो
 जब आयेगी रुत गर्मियों को फिर से इधर
 तब आ जाना अभी तो ये लुत्फ़ उठाने दो
 तुम्हारा क्या मौसम के साथ बदलते रंग
 किसी और को भी अपने रंग में छाने दो
 तुम भी लोगों की तरह हो बिलकुल यहाँ
 मज़ाल कि कभी खुल कर ख़ुशी आने दो
  Posted by   Udaya

http://uspant.blogspot.in

 

Sitemap 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22