Chapter 10 Development

The term development broadly conveys ideas of improvement, progress, well-being, and the aspiration for a better life. It represents a society's vision for itself and how to achieve it. However, 'development' is often used in a narrower sense, referring to limited goals like increasing economic growth or modernizing society. Unfortunately, it has often been equated with achieving specific targets or completing projects (like dams or factories), sometimes without considering the broader vision or its impact on all sections of society.

Deciding what constitutes development for a society is a complex process. It can involve simply following models from other places or planning democratically, considering the good of the whole society and the rights of those affected. Leaders can prioritize implementing plans regardless of protests or involve people democratically.

Questions have been raised about whether development processes have respected rights, whether benefits and burdens are justly distributed, and if decisions are made democratically. Development has become controversial, with existing models criticized and alternative models proposed. A broader understanding of development as improving overall quality of life can serve as a standard for evaluating development experiences.

10.1 Introduction

This section serves as an introduction to the concept of development, contrasting different approaches to planning and decision-making, highlighting that deciding what constitutes development involves choices that affect everyone in society.

10.2 The Challenge Of Development

The concept of development gained prominence after the mid-20th century, when many countries in Asia and Africa gained independence from colonial rule. These newly independent nations were often impoverished, with low living standards and poor access to basic facilities. They were commonly referred to as 'underdeveloped' or 'developing' in comparison to the wealthier Western European countries and the United States.

In the 1950s and 1960s, these nations faced urgent problems like poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, illiteracy, and lack of basic amenities. They attributed their backwardness to colonial exploitation, arguing that their resources had been used for the benefit of their colonial masters. With independence, they aimed to reallocate resources for their own national interests and overcome backwardness to achieve living standards comparable to developed countries. This spurred ambitious development projects and policies.

Initially, development focused on catching up with the West through economic growth and modernization. Goals included rapid industrialization, modernization of agriculture, and expanding/modernizing education. The state was seen as the primary agent capable of driving this change. Many countries launched ambitious mega-projects (dams, steel plants, mining, etc.) with international aid, hoping for economic transformation and increased national wealth. The 'trickle-down' theory suggested that benefits of growth would eventually reach the poorest, reducing inequality. Emphasis was placed on adopting latest science, technology, and setting up institutions (e.g., IITs in India) with international collaboration.

However, the models of development adopted by India and other countries faced significant criticism over time, leading to a rethinking of development goals and processes today.

A cartoon by R.K. Laxman from The Times of India, illustrating a critical perspective on development projects and their potential negative impact.

10.3 Criticisms Of Development Models

Existing development models have faced considerable criticism, highlighting significant costs and unintended consequences.

The Social Costs Of Development

Development models have incurred high social costs. Large populations have been displaced from their homes and communities due to projects like big dams, industrial activities, and mining. Displacement often leads to loss of livelihood, pushing people (especially rural agricultural and tribal communities) to the margins of society as urban/rural poor. Traditional skills and cultural ways of life accumulated over generations may be lost when communities are uprooted and relocated. Displaced people have not always accepted their fate passively, leading to social struggles and movements (e.g., Narmada Bachao Andolan protesting Sardar Sarovar Dam's displacement and environmental impact).

An image related to the construction or impact of the Sardar Sarovar Dam project on the Narmada river, highlighting the controversy surrounding displacement and environmental issues.

Environmental Costs Of Development

Development has also caused extensive environmental degradation. This affects not just displaced populations but the entire populace. Examples include destruction of natural barriers like mangroves (increasing damage from tsunamis), air/water pollution, deforestation, and unsustainable resource use contributing to global warming (melting polar ice, sea level rise, threats to low-lying areas). The long-term ecological crisis threatens everyone. In the short term, indiscriminate resource use disproportionately harms the underprivileged (e.g., poor relying on forests for firewood, women walking longer distances for water due to drying sources). The current development model's heavy reliance on non-renewable energy sources raises concerns about resource depletion and environmental burden for future generations. Ken Saro-Wiwa's struggle against environmental damage and exploitation by oil companies in Nigeria's Ogoni region exemplifies the link between development, resource extraction, environmental harm, and the dispossession of local communities.

An image representing the environmental consequences often associated with certain development models, such as deforestation or industrial pollution.

Assessing Development

Development has brought some positive effects, including economic growth in certain countries and modest poverty reduction. However, overall, inequality persists or has widened, and poverty remains a major issue in the developing world. The 'trickle-down' assumption, that benefits of growth automatically reach the poorest, has not fully materialized; benefits are often concentrated among the already privileged. When economic growth and equitable distribution don't go hand in hand, inequality increases.

There's a growing recognition that development needs a broader definition beyond just economic growth. Excessive focus on growth has caused widespread problems. Development should aim to improve the quality of life for all people. Measuring development solely by economic indicators is inadequate.

Alternative measures are being sought. The Human Development Report (HDR) by the UNDP annually ranks countries based on social indicators like literacy, education, life expectancy, and maternal mortality, using the Human Development Index (HDI). This approach views development as expanding people's meaningful choices, which requires fulfilling basic needs (food, education, health, shelter). The 'basic needs approach' emphasizes that freedom from want is essential for individuals to effectively make choices and pursue desires (slogans like 'roti, kapda aur makaan' reflect this sentiment). High infant/maternal mortality rates or children working instead of schooling are seen as indicators of underdevelopment.

Environmentalism, a movement advocating for protection of natural resources and ecosystems, maintains that human development should harmonize with nature, criticizing unchecked exploitation that risks leaving a degraded planet for future generations. Environmental groups work to influence policy towards sustainability.

10.4 Alternative Conceptions Of Development

Given the limitations and high human/environmental costs of existing development models, there is a push for alternative ways of understanding and pursuing development that are more equitable and sustainable. Critics highlight the 'top-down' nature of previous models, where priorities and projects were decided by political leadership and bureaucracy with little consultation with affected communities. This often ignored local knowledge and interests, making development a process primarily benefiting the ruling sections. Debates on alternative models integrate concepts of rights, equality, freedom, justice, and democracy, giving them new meanings in the development context.

Right Claims

One issue raised is whether affected populations can claim rights when development projects cause harm (displacement, environmental damage). In a democracy, do people have a right to be consulted on decisions directly impacting their lives? Do they have a right to livelihood when government-sanctioned activities threaten it? Can communities claim traditional rights to natural resource use (especially tribal/aboriginal)? This raises the question of ownership of natural resources (local community, state, humanity). Negotiating competing claims and balancing present needs with future generations' rights is a task for democracies.

Democratic Participation

Development and democracy are linked by the goal of common good. In democracies, conflicts over resources or visions for the good life are resolved through debate and respect for rights, not imposed from above. For development plans to promote common good, everyone with a stake in a better life needs to be involved in their formulation and implementation. Active participation in decision-making is empowering and allows people to align resources with their specific needs (e.g., local bodies deciding on roads, services, small projects). Decentralized approaches can utilize traditional and modern technologies creatively, shifting from a 'top-down' model that treats people as passive objects of development.

Images documenting the satyagraha protest by the Narmada Bachao Andolan activists in the village of Domkhedi, Narmada Valley, as they resisted displacement due to the Sardar Sarovar dam construction.

The Narmada Bachao Andolan's protest against the Sardar Sarovar dam is a prominent example of popular resistance to a mega-development project, raising issues of displacement, loss of livelihood for tribal/Dalit communities, environmental impact, and questioning the claimed benefits of big dams versus alternative solutions like small dams.

Development And Life Style

Alternative development models also question the high-cost, ecologically wasteful, technology-driven approach. Development shouldn't be measured solely by material indicators (cell phones, car size) but by the quality of life, happiness, harmony, and satisfaction of essential needs. This involves conserving natural resources, using renewable energy (rainwater harvesting, solar/bio-gas, micro-hydel), often at a local level requiring high public involvement. Small-scale projects can lead to significant improvements with less investment and displacement compared to large projects.

Debating alternative lifestyles might involve scaling down reliance on non-renewable resources, potentially seen as limiting choices but also opening avenues for freedom and creativity through alternative visions of the good life. Such changes require cooperation between governments and people globally, involving democratic decision-making. If development is seen as enhancing freedoms and people as active participants, agreement on these issues is possible, extending notions of rights, freedom, and justice.

Conclusion: Development is the powerful desire for a better life. Current critical scrutiny of traditional development models leads to a search for more equitable, sustainable, and democratic alternatives. This process reinterprets political concepts like equality, democracy, and rights. The challenges of development highlight our interconnectedness (impacting others, other species, future generations) and the need to choose carefully, considering long-term interests beyond present needs.