I am delighted to participate in the award ceremony for felicitating the Banks, Government Organisation and self-help groups organized by the DWCRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas). I greet the awardees and the organizers of the Self-Help movement for making intense effort in generating financial resources for creating rural self-employment leading to poverty alleviation of our rural community. The concept of Self Help Groups, particularly for rural development is very important. I am happy to know that the DWCRA Programme as mobilized a corpus of around Rupees 1650 crores, which includes approximately Rupees 925 crores savings from the self-help groups. Very rarely any banking industry participates in this type of working together with the rural people and come out with such good results. I congratulate the banks and the government organization for providing loans for the scheme and managing the overall self-help group activity.

My early experiences

When I see the Self Help Groups, I am reminded of handicrafts products made by our rural women. I realize that handicrafts work is a task of family tradition uniquely preserved in various parts of our country. Crafts and artisan area provides large-scale employment to rural masses.

As you all know, I come from Rameswaram Island. I remember, it was in 1940s, I have witnessed in many houses, and palm leaf basket making was done. This activity was supposed to be an additional unstructured small-scale business. Each day, a trader used to pay and collect all the finished products from these craftspeople. Even in Pulicat area, crafts work is predominantly done.

Also, during my young days at Rameswaram, I have seen, many houses were involved in seashells crafts work. They used to get these shells from the sea, clean it with acid and do etching. These come out in beautiful shapes and wonderful artwork. The crafts work and handicrafts, what I have seen in Ramanathapuram district and many other parts of our country should be nurtured with value addition. Today, one of the major problems is how to market handicrafts with value addition by technology, how to integrate multi departments and provide assistance in an integrated way in a mission mode. It should also be noted that these days eco-friendly environment through biodegradable plastics are insisted. But it will take some time. Hence the natural material usage for making products has tremendous opportunity.

Role of Banks, NGOs and Self Help Groups

Self Help Groups should create employment opportunities for villagers through generation of viable products. Social organizations, governmental departments and banks need to give technological and commercial assistance at this juncture. Banks must be proactive in providing loans for self-help groups with innovative ideas, without insisting on collateral guarantees. NGOs and Government organizations should find the core strength of the village community and organize technology infusion through specialized training. DWCRA programme should also arrange vocational training programmes in groups of villages for promoting higher level of productivity of the aesthetic products. In addition, DWCRA should tailor the product to the market needs, enabling easy marketability of the product. Also the marketing can be done through village level co-operatives for maximizing the returns to the villages. In this respect, they can study the Kurien model of milk co-operative societies in Gujarat.

Knowledge powered rural complex

The work of craftspeople and artisans is the result of creativity. This creativity comes from traditional knowledge. The crafts products from this traditional knowledge are of constant attack from urban industrial and multinational products (e.g. palm leaf, coir and rubber products versus plastic products). The traditional knowledge is in isolation in rural environment. This traditional knowledge has to be integrated with technology with value addition and pro-active co-operative societies to empower craftspeople and artisans, village self-help group for financing and making avenues for direct marketing/selling. Instead of craftspeople coming to urban marketing centres, the reverse phenomena have to take place. How is it possible? Knowledge powered village complex has to be generated in numbers in every State. That means, 20-30 villages linked through a circular road (10x6 kms) with highways connectivity and electronically connected and also continuous functional transport system. In the periphery, there can be schools, primary health centres, craftspeople working & training centres, silos for storage of products and markets for promoting products of craftspeople, cottage industries and Self Help Groups. This knowledge powered village complex will also have markets attracting urban business.

Employment Generation through entrepreneurship

Unemployment among the rural masses can lead to instability in the social structure. We need small enterprises backed by employment opportunities. A multi pronged strategy is needed to make village industry more attractive and simultaneously create employment potential - how do we do that?

Firstly, we should prepare the students from school education to get oriented towards setting up of the small scale industrial enterprises and any ventures in our rural areas which will provide them creativity, freedom and ability to generate wealth. Apart from entrepreneurship, the youth should have the spirit that "we can do it". Secondly, the banking system should provide venture capital right from every village level to the prospective entrepreneurs for undertaking new enterprises. Banks have to be proactive to support the innovative products for enabling wealth generation by young entrepreneurs by setting aside the "conventional tangible asset syndrome". Definitely this involves certain amount of calculated risks, which can be eliminated by making an analysis of successful venture capital enterprises. Thirdly, there is a need to identify marketable products and enhancement of purchasing power among the people. DWCR can provide know-how in identifying the marketable products based on their business intelligence.

Conclusion

I take this opportunity to congratulate the Bankers, Government Officials and the Self Help Groups for working together to promote prosperity to rural India.

I am reminded of Desha Bhakthi poetry by Gurajada, translated from Telugu by Sri Sri Mahakavi.

Your country, brother, shall be your love!

Good unto better you shall improve!

Great deeds indeed are needed now!

Work hard, work long in farm and factory!

Let the land be abundant in milk and honey!

Flood the land with goods, all made at home!

Spread your hardwork all over the world!

Are you a patriot? Do not shout it alone!

Bragging never did any body any good!

Quietly do a fine deed instead!

Let the people see it, it is they that decide!

Now I would like to administer an Oath:

Declaration by the village citizens

1. Children are our precious wealth

2. We will give equal importance for male and female children in providing education and rights for growth of our society.

3. For health and prosperity we will have a small family.

4. Earnings come out of hard work. We will not waste it in gambling and liquor.

5. We need to tell our children about the importance of education as learning gives knowledge and knowledge makes the children succeed.

6. We need to jointly protect our forest and prevent pollution.

7. We will plant at least five trees/saplings.

8. We will become the role models for our children.

I wish you all success in this endeavor.

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