Catamaran Times

Beyond Maritime Borders: The Indo-Sri Lankan fishing problem

2011-03-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

Newsclick Production, March 11, 2011
V. Vivekanandan, Advisor, South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies, speaks on the issues confronting fishermen in South Tamil Nadu, apropos the problems between India and Sri Lanka over fishing close to the maritime boundary.

http://newsclick.in/node/2039

A Cooperative joke

2011-02-21T21:18:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered why is Gujarat famous for cooperatives and Guajratis so cooperative?

Coz Gujarat is full of "bylas" (bye laws).

The journey called life

2010-09-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

I think life is a process of spiritual realisation.. maybe in the end, we are supposed to realise that true happiness comes from within and not from the things that we touch, see, hear etc etc ..(in other words, the material world) .. theoretically, I see 2 different ways of reaching the destinatioan .. 1. to go after material happiness with all ur energy and perhaps later realise its futility (the rajni-arunachalam way.. remember what rajni's dad did when he saw him smoking secretly, well.. he put him in a room full of beedis and asked him to smoke his heart's content) 2. the second way is to strongly believe in this Final destination concept and
to be happy without a lot of wealth.. i.e to show to oneself that material prosperity is not a prerequisite for internally prosperity thr may be other ways, but i see only 2 ..

Do work that excites you

2010-05-13T00:22:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, when I was at the crossroads in my career and wondering what to do next and how to choose a job out of the offers that came my way, I approached several friends for advice. Many of my friends responded wonderfully and gave a lot of useful guidance. But, still I was finding it difficult to arrive at a decision. Then, a senior and experienced friend told me something which I remember till date. She simply said, "Do work that excites you". No permutations and combinations of what might happen in future or what is more relevant to the community or which field is likely to have a lot of scope in future or which job is likely to pay more. Just a simple and sensible way to take a decision in the development sector.Two years down the line, I am so glad that I took the advice and followed it.

But, the reason for writing this note is not to talk about my career. It is to try and explain why it is important to do work that excites you, especially in the development sector. Issues in the development sector are complex and require a of perseverance and creativity to address them. Things are the way they are because the people involved in a situation think and work in a certain manner. So, for change to happen, this established pattern has to be broken and something new must be introduced. And this new element must last otherwise the situation would return to the original state after the new element is gone.

Therefore it is important for development workers to work with the current situation as well as challenge it in substantial ways so that the situation reaches a higher level of development and continues to stay there. This may require new institutions to establish a new marketing system that challenges the pattern of exploitation of primary producers or an institution that creates a level playing ground for local communities to effectively prevent corporate interests from taking away their rights.

At a personal level, it is important for development workers to have some special quality - say entrepreneurial talent, or tremendous will or perseverance to go the extra mile or a never-say-die attitude or a strong conviction - something different that will introduce change in the situation in which they are working. That's one reason why development workers who are excited about their jobs probably have a better chance at developing the communities they work with than people who work with one eye on the clock and another on the calendar(salary date!!) or something else. As the Chinese say, one man fighting with conviction is equivalent to ten thousand men fighting for a salary.

Saale NGO Waale ...

2010-05-07T05:37:00.000-07:00

Theory of extremes

2010-05-02T02:44:00.000-07:00

Fill up the blanks:
I am extremely .............

it could be friendly, shy, honest, short-tempered, calm, understanding, committed to so and so cause etc etc

My theory is that the opposite of any extreme quality is also there in the same person. Thus, people who are extremely profit minded might become totally charitable one day. Example: Bill Gates of Microsoft started the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

People who are so honest that they will not accept a bribe, or jump a signal or cross a yellow line might end up creating huge scandals. Example: The honest US legislator who was caught in a sex scandal.

People in the social sector whose heart bleeds for the poor, might do unimaginably selfish deeds that ordinary people will not think of. Imagine someone asking "Whats in it for me?" when faced with a problem involving poor people. It is frequently heard in NGO circles, which is supposed to have noble people.

The reason behind this theory is probably that the outward quality that we see in a person might be a repulsion of the inner opposite quality. Thus, the person is constantly trying to stay away from the opposite. When the guards drop, and under certain circumstances the inner person emerges and we see the opposite quality.

The best way to avoid this swing is to be moderate. Be honest, but moderately so. Its ok to cross the yellow line if there is no other vehicle in sight. Be selfless, but moderately so, its ok to demand for a reasonably good salary for your work and to do things to pursue your career.

Dr. Kurien on Professionalism

2010-05-02T02:24:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, the professional must be true to his “science” and committed to the unending pursuit of a mastery of his subject. This is the ethic of the professional.

Second, the professional has in his hands the instruments of change, the essential tools which society has to command, if it is to achieve the change it requires. The professional, even though he commands these tools, must use them not for himself but on behalf of society at large. In other words, it is about managing on behalf of others. This is the professional focus of the professional.

Third, the professional has to perceive - and even anticipate - the needs and aspirations of his constituency, gathering their diverse threads together and resolving any conflicts in them. The professional accepts the needs and aspirations of his constituency as the spur which drives him on, continuously seeking to improve his own performance. He develops an internalized vision of his constituency’s world that lies outside himself. This is the motivation of the professional.

Fourth, the professional has to be aware of the bureaucracy that he and his colleagues are forever building, allegedly to serve others, but always with the tendency to be self-serving. When he finds that he has erected his own bureaucracy, he has to tear it down and reform it. He has to learn to reject the old and expose himself to what is new. This is the revolutionary role of the professional.

Finally, and in summary, the professional has to keep in mind the difference between what he wants the world to be and what the world is, remembering that large endeavours are only the sum of many small parts.

The professional deals with a kaleidoscope of policies, administrative practices, work cultures, techniques and technologies. Through this kaleidoscope, the professional has to keep clear in his mind his perception of the social and economic impacts of the technologies which he commands. Only then can the professional give purpose to the majority’s awareness of what constitutes desirable change: The professional has to develop a perception of the mind that is neither romantic nor pessimistic. This is clarity of mind - which is the basis of professionalism.

Finding resonance

2010-04-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

Every object has a natural frequency. When vibrations of that frequency occur near the object, the object comes alive(starts vibrating). It is a concept in physics that is useful in daily life. For example, Jawans are asked to avoid marching on bridges. If the frequency of the march matches with the natural frequency of the bridge then the bridge will start vibrating and might collapse even.

Resonance is important in development work. Ideas that are natural and spontaneous tend to resonate rather that ideas that are artificial and implanted on people. That is not to say that plans never work or resonate, but the plan needs to have an element of spontaneity, simplicity and needs to be somewhat natural in order to work.

That's why i think its important for planners and development workers to be in tune with the community, to understand the way the people's lives goes on and what kind of development will be natural to them and find resonance.

When we find resonance, we need not keep pushing things.. we initiate something and in response something happens and we take the next step and something more happens and that way we get sucked into the work. That's when you are not really trying too hard but just being yourself in the situation which you understand is not entirely in your control but feel part of the situation where people are just being themselves.

In India lies hope for sustainable development

2010-04-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

The biggest problem for sustainable development is that there are no good models anywhere in the world which India can emulate. The development process of the US is not worth emulating - lets not forget the massacre of thousands of Indigenous tribes. And the end result is far from satisfactory - the development model of the West is leading to Global warming and climate change. This clearly shows that the consumption levels of the US and European Countries are not sustainable. The world needs need a different model of sustainable development.

Experience shows that Sustainable Development does not happen by design or by planning, but by stakeholders lobbying up for protection of their stakes - be it environment or poor people's livelihoods. Thus, it is important to view the tribal who worships nature as God, not as a primitive trying to preserve the old ways of life, but as a flag bearer of sustainable development.

India is a land of great possibilities. Unlike US of the 17th century, we have a strong democracy and a vibrant civil society. India should be disappointed if it becomes another US or UK in the next 25 years. We have to work towards a sustainable development model that the rest of the world can emulate.

Black leads to Green...

2010-03-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

I saw a mail on an egroup asking people to reduce usage of paper by switching to computers and other advanced technology. In fact the ad campaign by Idea mobile promotes the same Idea. I think its not easy to go green even if one wanted to, for the following reasons:

1. Even today, most of the legal documentation is on paper. In most of the correspondence, people insist on a hard copy as a legal requirement. So, is it not better to draft things on computer and print only the final copy. OR better still, convince legal circles to switch to a paperless world. Maybe not.

2. All our so called "advanced technology" is based mostly on coal based power. It seems browsing one page on the internet produces 7 grams of Carbondioxide. Promotion of this "sub-optimal" technology should be done only after proper analysis of environment friendliness of technology vis-a-vis alternatives. For all you know, paper might be more environment friendly than computers. We could be creating another problem for the environment in the name of saving it.

3. Use of paper is linked to literacy and economic growth. India has one of the lowest per capita usage of paper, i.e nearly 5 kg, as compared to the world average of over 50 kg.(http://www.valuenotes.com/krc/krc_ecoreview_08april05.pdf?ArtCd=34933&Cat=I&Id=) Equity issues apart, what this also means is that the majority of our population is yet to catch up with the paper world and we may create additional barriers by moving ahead to a paperless world of computers, which is known to have a huge digital barrier. Thus, unless we bridge the digital barrier, a paper less world in the name of saving the environment would be against the interests of development of majority of Indians.

While the sentiment behind the save trees campaign is to be appreciated, I think a lot of creative effort is needed to work out a solution.

In response to the above mail, a reader, Mr.Rama Krishna pointed out
"It seems you are in “divine dilemma” – whether to use paper or not. USE paper, without any guilt, if you HAVE to. But use both sides of the paper; try to use recycled paper, if possible. You may use pencil to write, instead of pen, so that you can reuse the paper. (Per capita consumption of paper is not an indication of economic growth, remotely it may be surrogate indication of literary growth).

If you are browsing, use www.blackle.com instead of www.google.com to save a few watts of clean energy. Without any guilt, use technology; haven’t you seen “kindle”, “digital clip-boards”, “teaching boards” etc. BUT, switch off your computer, monitor, lights, refrigerator, TV, fans, AC, microwave etc when not in use.

All these campaigns are not to sacrifice your pleasures, but to practice frugality.

Above all, PLANT (NEW) TREES; DO NOT CUT TREES.-----------------------------"

The catamarantimes blog which used to have a white background, is now in black, inspired by www.blackle.com.

Another example of Blacking out leading to a Greener Earth. A friend Renita, who is campaigning for the Earth Hour, writes, "The Earth Hour is being observed this year on the 27th March, Saturday from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm.http://www.earthhour.in/home.aspx

This is an "one hour" of switching off all lights to raise and spread awareness about Global Warming, what's more this very exercise works against Global Warming.

In India, the IPL is big, huge.. in fact any form of cricket is!
If the IPL were to pause for say, even 5 minutes, if an entire hour is not feasible, imagine the impact, it would have across the whole of India, and in other nations watching the telecast.
Write in, to Mr Lalit Modi, to help create an awareness against Global Warming on a scale larger than any other possible.http://www.iplt20.com/write-chairman.php
Join in the effort by observing Earth hour yourself."

NGOs and The need to excel

2010-02-16T20:58:00.000-08:00

Every job has certain tags attached with it. Thus, a software engineer is obviously well educated, smart and intelligent and has a good life - friends, parties, work, foreign trips etc. A government officer - works as per rules, comes back home on time, hands are clean or not(You know what I mean) etc etc. However, when it comes to someone working in an NGO, you face all sorts of impressions - Adhe NGO chor aur baaki kaam chor (Roughly translated Half the NGOs thieves and the rest useless).

It is pointless to even try and defend NGOs. My argument is not that NGOs are as good or as bad as Software companies or Government Offices. WHat is crucial to note is that there is very little structure or rules that define an NGO, unlike a software company or Government office which have well defined structures and work as per certain rules. Registering an NGO does not tell you what to do, how to do or anything of that sort. It is entirely left to the people in the NGO to define their own rules and live by them.

The most important aspect in NGOs is freedom to be anything. Thus, there is a wide spectrum of NGOs from the extremely corrupt to the extremely honest , totally useless to the very effective and all shades and colors in between.

What is important for people working in NGOs to understand that unlike people in software companies or Government offices, they dont have the luxury of a good brand name. It is half due to people's tendency to generelise what cannot be generalised and and the reality that NGOs inherently offer very little structure and rules for you to afford to relax.

In this situation, people working in NGOs need to apply their skills fully to their work and aspire to do the best continuously. In my opinion, Only excellence will lead to satisfaction and fulfillment of what one set out to do by deciding to work in an NGO.

Where The Mind Is Without Fear

2010-01-25T18:45:00.001-08:00

Where The Mind Is Without Fear - Rabindranath Tagore

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Need to re-look our life styles

2009-06-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

The Global climate change is no longer a topic for scientific debate only. We, as common people have started feeling the impact. Lengthy summers, unseasonal rainfall, erratic monsoons, severe storms have now started occurring. The reason - Increase in temperature due to higher levels of Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

At the current rate of emission of Greenhouse gases, the global climate might change irreversibly and in an uncontrollable manner. If this is to be avoided, then emissions have to be reduced by 80% of current emissions, by the middle of the century.

Efforts towards reducing emissions are going nowhere. There are issues at various levels.

1. Research/Technology Issues:
No viable alternative to Oil/Coal based technologies has been found yet. Nuclear based technologies carry risks of accidents and unsafe disposal of nuclear waste.

2. Policy/Framework Issues:
The global response to tacking climate change, in the form of Clean Development Mechanisms(CDM) lacks the sincerity and the depth to address the issue of climate change. The fundamental premise that emissions in Developed Countries can be compensated by reducing emissions in Developing countries is itself faulty. Even if were to work perfectly, it would reduce emissions by 5% only by 2010. Nowhere does it address the main objective of reducing emissions by 80%

3. Implementation Issues:
The implementation of the CDM is far from efficient, with an estimated 50% of CDM projects (claiming credit for reducing emissions), based on false documents and not reducing emissions only on paper. These are part of the problem and not part of the solutions as claimed. Scientists say that in the period when emission was supposed to be reduced by 5%, it has actually increased by about 15%.

4. Awareness:
The underlying responsibility for the global climate crisis not surprisingly, lies, not with the industry or the Government, but with the common man. The hard truth is that our energy consumption levels are unsustainable with the technology currently available. Lets face it, an 80% cut in emissions is not possible without:
a) A dramatic technological breakthrough that helps to support our lifestyles without causing damage to the environment, a silver bullet or panacea so to say.

b) Energy consumption by individuals, society and nations reduces by 80%, thereby reducing demand for energy and forcing industries to cut down on emissions.

The question remains: How are we, as individuals, society and nations, going reduce our energy consumption by 80% in the coming days?

Is Environment a stumbling block to growth?

2009-06-13T02:16:00.000-07:00

The statement issued by the new environment Minister, Jayaram Ramesh, is depressing. He says, Environmental issues wont be a stumbling block to Economic growth. Then comes the politically correct blah blah -"that doesnt mean we'll not follow laws and all that." See http://www.indianexpress.com/news/environment-wont-be-stumbling-block-to-grow/468186/

Now its official. The government is no longer interested in protecting our environment. Neither are the Courts. The entire system has been in favor of the rich and the powerful. Now, the Government's anti-poor bias has become official in the name of industrial growth and nation's development.

The worst hit, if the environment deteriorates, are the poor. If industries pollute the air, the rich sit in AC rooms and travel in AC cars, unaffected, it is those who cant afford an AC that suffer. If the water is polluted by industries, the rich can drink mineral water, it is the poor who drink the polluted water. By not safeguarding the environment, the UPA Government is being anti-poor.

With an Environment Minister who sees environment issues as stumbling blocks, and not important issues that need to be addressed with seriousness, the Ministry will become, not that it already hasn't, a mere formality that will oversee the destruction of the environment.

Like the British who had these namesake commissions to safely vent the anger of the Indian public, the Ministry will become the safety valve of Environmentalists and an eyewash for the gullible Indian public, who still think there is someone out there who is protecting our environment.

Brakes and Accelerators

2009-06-09T08:53:00.001-07:00

Its been a long time since I wrote on this blog. I thought of making amends by writing more frequently.

The work with the Waghers has picked up momentum. More details on http://masskutch.blogspot.com

Without delving into details of work with MASS, I wish to write here about a question that we confront frequently. Are you guys not anti-development/anti-industry. Are you not out of touch with the times, what with the world progressing at such a fast pace?

I am not satisfied with that politically correct answer that we are not anti-development or anti-industry, we are all for development, but with consideration for rights of poor.

I think that a voice for the environment or for the poor, affected by projects is a must and that doesn't mean that such people are anti-development.

Lets look at a simple analogy of a car. Why is it that a car has both accelerators and Brakes. While the main idea of having a car is to move and reach destinations, it doesn't mean that the car keeps moving no matter what and stops at nothing. A car has to move when its supposed to and slow down where it has to, and stop where it must. Thus, brakes and accelerators are equally important for a balanced drive.

In the same way, people raising their voice in support of environmental consevartion, and people raising their voices for the survival of poor are as important as those who are pushing for industrialization. However, in recent times, forces of indstrialization have grown so strong that the forces of environmental conservation and pro-poor voices have relatively become feeble. Thus it is now acceptable for courts to say, "Its ok for a little environmental damage to happen in order to make way for such a large project". Its now up to the common man to stand for the silent ones - the environment and the poor.

Wagher Community's Social Fabric

2008-07-29T08:07:00.002-07:00

The Wagher way of life and threat from SEZs - Part 2

Wagher is derived from the word gher, which means to surround. The early Waghers were fishermen in the Persian gulf from where they migrated to this region. The Waghers of Kutch are muslims. But, there are Hindu Waghers as well in other areas. The basis for the Wagher community is its profession - fishing.

One is tempted to call this social arrangement a kind of caste system, because the children inherit the parents' profession. But, the other characteristic of the caste system, namely caste hierarchy is not to be seen. Like the Waghers, there are other "castes" like the Kumbhars(Potters), Khojas(Agriculturists - farmers n labourers), Hajas(Barbers) in the same village. Each group practises its own trade, but all are equal, as muslims. To cite an example, the panchayat leader of the village, who is a Kumbhar, is seen by Waghers as "hamara aadmi" - someone belonging to their own community.

Within the caste, there are several sub castes. Among Waghers, there are Manjalias, Godhos, Maneks, Gadhs, Kungras, Chamadiyas and others. The basis for the sub-castes is not clear. To me, it seems like the sub caste denotes the place of origin of these people before they settled in Kutch as Waghers. The Maneks, for example were Hindus earlier, who took to fishing and became Waghers.

Marriage Alliances are fixed within the community itself. Marriages are allowed within the same family, cousins are allowed to marry, the only restriction is that no two persons who have been fed the same mother's milk are allowed to marry. Thus, brothers and sisters or cousins who have been brought up by the same aunt, are not allowed to marry.

Marriages are pomp occasions and are generally held during the four month off season. Wedding Ceremonies are held at both the boy's as well as the girl's place. The boy's parents incur an expenditure of nearly 80,000 Rs and the girl's parents incur an expenditure of nearly 50,000 Rs for the marriage. There is no system of excessive dowry among the Waghers.

The girl child is preferred over the boy child. While one boy is a must in the family to become heir of the family, the girl child shoulders a lot of responsibility of the household. In the Wagher way of life, both boys and girls, men and women have important roles to play in their daily life and livelihood and these roles are well recognised by the society. The Waghers believe that the family is blessed if a girl child is born first.

Coming up next: The Wagher Pramukh or Patel and the Joint family system of the Waghers - Dont miss Part 3 of this series. I hope readers are enjoying this at least a fraction of as much as I'm enjoying writing this. Comments are welcome!

Waghers way of life and threat from SEZs Part 1

2008-07-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

The Waghers have an incredible way of life. Actually, they have not one, but two lives - one at the bunder (fish landing centre) and the second in their village. If you took a look at their village and their bunder, you would be amazed and would probably wonder how the same people manage to live in both places that are so very different.

The village is like any other Gujarati vilage, pucca houses, tiled roofs, tar roads, electricity (non-stop 24 hours thanks to Gramjyothi scheme), water and the regular Government facilities you would find in any village - Primary health Centres, schools, ration shops and so on.

But, the bunders, usually 5-10 kms from the village present a different picture all-together. On the way to the bunder itself, the difference becomes apparent. The roads, if you can call them roads, are kuccha, and are really mud tracks that still remain because they are used so frequently by people on foot and donkey carts.

The Bunders look like a desert at low tide and a sea at high tide. On the Bunders, People live in shacks made of gunny cloth, plastics, tyres and other readily available materials. These shacks are made on the high mounds that remain out of water during high tide. People live in Bunders for 8-9 months(the fishing season). They then return to the villages for 3-4 months(offseason) to mend their equipment and prepare for the next season.

Fishermen from South-India who went to visit their counterparts in Kutch, were reduced to tears upon seeing the pitiable conditions at the Bunders. There is no electricity, water supply or any Govt facility in the bunders. No schools, no health centres. Its a primitive life. The reason is that the bunders (fish landing centres) are not recognized by the Government, which sees these dwellings as illegal encroachments.

To make things worse for the traditional fishfolk, SEZs(Special Economic Zones) are coming up in Kandla and Mundra port adjoining the Bunders. The SEZs, being constructed by Adani Group, which is making huge investments, plans to put up world class facilities for export businesses. That includes Airfields and Golf parks. Good. But, at what cost to the local ecosystem? Already Mangroves along the Kutch coast have been cleared. The air strip cut off access of hundreds of fishermen to their traditional fishing areas. A large portion of the creek may be filled to reclaim kand for the SEZs.

Whom do the fisherfolk approach for their rights? The Government already sees them as illegal encroachers. There is no significant civil society action in the area. They filed a PIL in the Supreme Court, but the court, after initially staying the work on the SEZs, gave orders to resume work. The fisherfolk have also conducted agitations and protests to fight for their rights.

Lets try and take a look at the society of the fisherfolk, which is at serious threat by the ruthless advance of modernisation. The fisherfolk are from the Wagher community. Wagher is derived from the word gher, which means to surround. This comes from a fishing technique used by early Waghers. The Waghers of Kutch are muslims. They are a close knit community(more on their social aspects in Part 2), but have very little interaction with other Muslims.

Passive Resistance

2008-07-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

3 yrs after tsunami, Nagai is wearing a deserted look as far as NGOs are concerned .. but, its not just lack of opportunity, i don't feel like touching NGO money .. am working with local NGOs as a volunteer .. i see no other way to show "passive resistance" to unethical practices in the development sector.. ideas are welcome ..

i've almost decided to take up job as a lecturer in a college in Nagai .. the principal said that mostly rural youth study here, that brought a wide grin to my face ..

What they dont teach you at Rural Management Schools

2008-06-06T03:20:00.000-07:00

We've gone through a lot of sector non-sector debate during college days. After one year, I think its an opportune moment to look back and reflect.

I read an article in rediff, just a few lines honestly written and thought, "How true" It said, Its not advisable to join NGOs looking for a stepping stone for a good career or expecting a stress free work environment far from the rat race of corporates. All that is crap. NGOs are second only to politics in being dirty. I see no exceptions to this rule.

Dealt with properly, poverty is a beast that can be tamed. If you extremely passionate about development and clear about your end results and like Arjuna, can see only the bird's eye, then, you are one of the eleven youth that are, as Vivekananda said, required to turn this country around.

If one strays into NGOs without conviction, one might end up being a scavenger making a living out of poverty, which is what most NGO leaders are doing today.

Lost kid in a crowded mela..

2008-05-03T07:47:00.001-07:00

The title best describes how i would have looked in a function last week.

The occasion was the handing over ceremony of houses constructed by my organization for a Dalit Hamlet in a Tsunami affected village.

On stage were a lot of eminent personalities - eminent in the development world - some only in the local area - but all eminent nonetheless.

As speaker after speaker took the centre stage, I was going through an experience of a different kind.

First came the CEO of my organization. I told myself, look he's so powerful, I gonna be like him one day, he's my role model.

After that came the advisor of my organization and listening to him speak about priciples which lead to the success of the project, my mind changed and so did my role model.

Then came the District Collector and spoke about how he turned around a school for adivasis - the school's pass %age was 16% one year and thanks to the shock treatment meted out by him to the school principal, the pass percentage jumped to 73% the next year and now they aim for 100% .. wooow .. my mind swayed again and the collector was my role model... until the president of the Panchayat Union spoke.

This guy had been in the thick of action since the day the Tsunami struck. He was there to help people, leading his staff right from the front. Finally .... hey .. wait who's next .. He was my hero until the head of an activist organization spoke. The activists were instrumental in pressurising the District Administration and the NGOs to provide relief to the Dalits.

So .. is my role model this activist .. or .... so I thought until a gentle man who was sitting quietly on stage came to speak. he was the Vice President of HR in a reputed MNC. This was the company that funded the project, but nowhere had they publicised their contribution. Many people in the function were surprised to hear the donor's name as the MNC had maintained a very low profile throughout the project.

Several stereotypes - Of corporates as profit minded Shylocks, politicians as self-centred crooks, Collectors as bureaucratic robots, NGO Leaders as spineless weasels were broken that day.

The dhobi and the barber

2008-02-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

Sounds like a title of a Tinkle story? But, two people I'll never forget in my life as a development professional.

It was six months back. While waiting in the bus stop on the highway NH 47A near my village, I noticed a frail old man in the opposite bus stop. The bus top is a cement structure with slabs for people to sit. The old man was busy ironing clothes on his cart which was parked in front of the bus stop.

I needed some help with washing/ironing my clothes, so I approached him. While talking to him, I noticed some vessels and some things kept inside the busstop. It took a while to realise - the bus stop was his home.

After a brif chat, we struck a deal. So far he was only ironing clothes, but, he would start washing clothes for me - I was his first customer in his new job as dhobi. And he asked for a good price for the work which I immediately agreed. But, then came the catch. He didnt have the money to invest in buckets and soap needed to wash the clothes. I thought for sometime and then offered to pay an advance. He immediately refused. He wouldnt accept money without completing the work. I was filled with pride to see a poor, old man with so much self respect.

After that, he did a lot of work for me, always prompt and good at work. Even when there were no clothes to give, as I waited in the bus stop, we used to chat about his health, weather and his work. His simple life style was something I used to admire. The way he used to walk, head held high and open chest and bold steps - he walked like a man who owned the place.

But, there were problems. His health was failing. Sometimes, he would not be able to accept clothes as it was raining, but I used to wait for some time and go back to him, talk of customer loyalty. Increasingly, his health wouldnt permit him to take up work. He started looking tired and weak.

A month ago, he explained his woes and said he was considering asking me for a small advance. That was surprising.. a man who had flatly refused to accept any advance a few months back was being forced into taking help.

The next day, I saw that the bus stop was empty. He had gotten into an argument with people living in nearby huts and they had chased him away. I heard he had shifted to a nearby village.

A week ago, I met this man again. Now a Hunch back and unable to stand erect, he was clinging on to a stick. In his other hand, he had a vessel, a begging bowl. When I first saw him, I didnt realise all this, I greeted him the way I always used to greet him. Upon seeing me, he looked stunned for a moment and then hobbled away wailing.

I didnt follow him, I just walked away. It took me a while to completey grasp the meaning of what I had just seen. A self respecting man had just been reduced to a beggar by bad health and poverty. In just six months ....

Poverty is worsening before my eyes ...

The barber's story is very short. He was our family barber. He was the one who tonsured my brother's head and mine after we were born. He was a chirpy jubilant man who we all liked. After I came to my village eight months ago, once in a week, I would make a call to him and he would come to my home and give me a shave. He used to get a good price for his work. And I was a loyal customer to him. But, nearly two months ago, I got to know one morning.. he passed away in a heart attack. All of a sudden, no warning whatsoever..

I didnt shave for nearly a month.

After that, his son took over his job. But, things are not good. He's very slow in responding to calls- one day he turned up at 12o Clock noon when I called him at 6 in the morning. So, im back to shaving by myself and get him to do the haircut on a holiday.

Sometimes, I wonder, does it require more than means and good intentions to help the poor. Life can be cruel, especially when you are vulnerable. There are several people living on the fringes, the margins, thay can anytime be knocked into utter poverty. We need structures that assist these people to stay afloat. A old age home, or a mobile ambulance could help people like the dhobi and the barber.

All this, especially the dhobi incident happened when we were in celebration mode for some success at work. If development means wiping every tear from every face as Gandhi said ... the battle against poverty seems like the Lagaan team taking on Australia. Winning over poverty requires a fight of a different order. One or two isolated successes will not do - poverty will slap you in the face if you take it too lightly. What is needed is a coordinated effort from all of us(little drops of water make a mighty ocean), a rethinking of our way of life(love thy neighbour), a restructuring of our society(all for one and one for all), a silent revolution(at the height of success against poverty i think there will be no celebration, there will be only calmness, silence and peace(internal).. thats my aim now), spirituality and moral strength is needed to win over poverty.

Big Fat Moderately Ugly

2008-02-13T06:44:00.000-08:00

These days im putting on a lot of weight .. i wanted to know how it feels to be overweight.. its no good .. i wanna be my usual self again .. 1 month ..

But, wats good is im still healthy .. thanks to regular yoga for six months until i had to quit a month ago ...

which ever job one is in, pne has to live a good life .. The key to good life is moderate habits .. moderate eating habits, sleeping habits and working habits ..

im glad i exercised in the last six months .. development work has a lot of inertia .. thus its tough to get going, you have to push real hard for the development wheel to turn .. and once it starts turning, it pulls you along .. after six months of pushing, my work is pulling me along .. to keep pace, I need to be "fighting fit" ..

thats the important thing .. while working in the rural development sector, we need to take good care of ourselves, eye the long term and keep telling ourselves.. mountains however huge are climbed step by step .. so never push oneself beyond the limits which you have prepared your body and mind to face without damage.. respect the limits ..

Schindler's list

2007-12-13T02:08:00.000-08:00

Im not really interested in completing the previous post .. to cut the long story short, it was a very forgettable experience.

Have you seen this movie.. wud like to highlight a scene towards the end. Schindler, a German himself, saves hundreds of Jews from sure death by various means, bribing Nazi officers, using old contacts, using his assets he created as a shrewd, fraudulent businessman. The war is about to end and British army is about to enter German territory. Fearing Schindler's arrest, his Jewish friends ask him to leave. The farewell scene is touching. Schindler, after having saved 100s of people unknown and uncared for, breaks down as he looks at his car,his only means to escape - it could have saved a few more Jews, his ring, one of his last possessions could have saved a few more, so could his watch.

Everytime one thinks one has succeeded,done something gr8, bettered the good one has to recall this scene. It reminds one.. no matter how successful one is, when one is up against poverty, one is going to fail. That is for sure. I think Gandhi felt the same way, Even Dr.Yunus, is going to feel the way Schindler did.

When I see NGOs competing, cutting corners and plotting other's downfall, Im sure their world view is too narrow. Only in other's success lies even a remote chance of our success. The basis of cooperation hold true even in the NGO world. We are all up against one enemy - poverty. So, let us pray that others succeed,let us let live first and then live.

Yesterday a man came to see me and asked a qn - why dont you come to my village and do something. There are hazaar NGOs in the coastal areas, not in my area. He is a successful businessman and i could see how much he wanted to do something for his village. I gave him loads of strategic fundas. Then he asked me, do you have an NGO in your village. I was dumbstruck. I told him, "We NGOs work where money is available and not where community needs us". Thats cute, except it raises a Qn, why is thr a disconnect between whr money is available and where community needs NGO intervention. I think most experts sitting in Donor Agencies are not experts but only speak like experts. One dumbo actually asked me, " Nagapattinam village is in which State". 3rd anniversary of Tsunami just coming up.. I sent a map of India, hoping she'd get the message.

I have the privilege of working with one of the founding members of SIFFS. He's a down to earth simple man. He was saying the trend among development professionals these days is to look at poverty in a faceless, dirtless way. Earlier, people used to spend lot of time in the field and face issues from the front ranks. I too think its true .. strategies have to be worked out in the field rather than in the comfort of the board room ..

The Collectorate

2007-12-05T09:44:00.001-08:00

It was my first visit to Nagai collectorate. its a magnificent building. It raises ur hopes. A tricolor fluttering on top fills u wid a sense of belongingness. Yeh apun ke desh ka building. iska maalik mein.. nah, thoda zyada ho gaya.nahi? So i entered the building with my heart swelling with emotions. i made some enquiries and headed towards my first tryst with a Gov t dept. I entered the office of the women's welfare dept. A few ppl in a huddle in the middle of the room jerked their heads towards me, like Jurassic park T.Rexs looking ready to pounce at my next step. I avoided eye contact and turned to face the person at the nearest table. He was writing vigorously and my presence must have disturbed his sadhana.. to be concluded.

Deciding quickly in a participatory manner

2007-11-25T19:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's Resource Management Committee meeting(of representatives from Nagai villages) was interesting. I listened intently, didnt miss a word and thought the discussion was of very high quality indeed. I didnt speak in the meeting, partly because I was a newcomer, mainly because, all my ideas, and more, were expressed in a frank manner by the committee members.

The meeting was to discuss the bylaws for the proposed Resource Management Organization. The main issue that came up during the meeting was the doubt whether grassroot implementation of any decision taken by the committee, will actually be possible. Will fishermen accept any control measure that is decided by the committee. After long discussion, the conclusion of the forum, was, we cant force a decision on anybody, all we can do is discuss with villagers, try and convince. It will be a slow process and to start with, we have to build goodwill by taking up some welfare activities(where consensus is there) before taking up difficult issues.

I had some experience of working in committees in IRMA. Our batch had an effective placement committee. We faced problems, learnt our lessons and evolved. By the time we reached placement, our batch had developed the abilities to decide quickly in participatory manner. Imagine participatory decision making, a week before placements. I wish to share our batch experiences.

We started badly, committee taking decisions in committee meetings and announcing it in GBMs (General Body meetings). Our first decision was strongly opposed, all efforts to convince the batch failed. The authoritarian option was always there. But, we decided against it because we knew it would lead to several problems in future.

We went for a vote taking and arrived at the SAME decision. The majority was happy , the minority was concerned. But the committee assured the minority that it is the committee responsibility to make that extra effort to address the minority's concerns.

But, that meeting lasted FOUR hours. We realised that we can neither afford frequent nor lengthy GBMs.

So, the committee announced that the committee requires a degree of autonomy if it has to function effectively. Batch agreed.

But, in the very next issue, batch again demanded a vote and this time, the committee decision was over ruled by the majority. It was an embarrassing situation, as executive volunteers had started working on the earlier decision and the turnaround left them red faced.

The committee realized that the batch rejected our decision making process, rather than the decision itself. We learned that Autonomy is not taken by asking once, it has to be earned.

But, we didnt give up on participation. Next time onwards, we started meeting our batch mates in their hostels and informed them not just the decisions, but discussed the reasons why the particular decision was taken. Involving the batch in the decision making process worked. This way, we could speedily implement several decisions. Sometimes, we would have to address concerns we have overlooked, at times slightly modify the decision, we would take up vote only as a last resort and in the most contentious issues only. With time, the batch developed trust in the committee's decision making process and after a while the committee could decide by itself with a fair degree of autonomy. We were able to effectively negotiate with the Insitute's management on very difficult issues.

In the case of placements, it was a 7 member committee representing 72 participants. In case of the Nagai Resource Management commitee - 25 members represent nearly 8000 fishermen(80 villages, assuming 100 fishermen per village). I fully understand when you say it is a time consuming process.

But, I fear, at the rate at which the process moves, will it be too late by the time we manage to do anything at grass root level.

I think we have the technology to speed up the participatory process. (Radio Alagal & Community Media, VICs)