Sustained development through people : insights from an experiment

Abstract

Can rural development focus on people? Can village communities identify and develop their own opportunities and resources as part of planned interventions for development? Yes was the answer with which an experiment was started in 1975. Initiated by the late Professor Ravi J Matthai, the experiment has now lasted over a decade and offers us many lessons. Professor Ranjit Gupta, who has been involved in this experiment, narrates it, describes the role the experimenters played, and stresses the self-sustaining nature of the enthusiasm for action that the experiment generated. The insights gained from the experiment may have significant implications for how rural development activities should be mounted.