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Our clear duty i s , therefore, to investigate the possibility
of keeping i n existence the village wheel, the vil lage crusher and
the vil lage pounder and advertising their products, discovering
their quali t ies, ascertaining the condition of the workers and the
number displaced by the power driven machinery and discovering
the methods of improving them, whilst retaining the i r vil lage
character to enable them to stand the competition of the m i l l s .
Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol.58, p .294.
CHAPTER - V I I I
FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS
Findings
Problems of Village Industries i n Kerala
Lack of Finance
Paucity of Raw Materials
Lack of Infrastructural Facil i t ies.
Problem of Skilled Labour
Problems of Marketing
Problems of Management .
Lack of Consumer Preference
Prospects of Village Industries
Village Industries in Kerala - A Gandhian Crit ique
Suggestions
Conclusions
CHAPTER - V I I I
FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS
8.1 Findings
I n d i a ' s development strategy aims a t the removal of r u r a l
poverty through removal of unemployment. Though agr icu l ture forms
the main occupation of the masses i n Ind ia , the increasing
population pressure and declining holdings have a l ready made it
increasingly difficult to provide gainful employment even to those
who presently depend on it. It is realised t h a t r u r a l industr ies ,
outside the fold of agr icul ture can offer greater scope for labour
absorption i n vil lages. Therefore serious efforts were made i n the
Five Year Plans to revive, protect and promote vi l lage industr ies .
It is i n th i s context, t ha t the present study which analyses
the na ture , administration, status, problems and prospects of
vi l lage industr ies with special reference to Kerala h a s been carr ied
out. This empirical study is chiefly based on the primary data
collected through personal interviews of the workers and
entrepreneurs of vil lage industrial units i n Thiruvanantttapuram and
Kottayam dis t r ic t s . For :his purpose 5: vi l lage indus t r i a i units
comprising of two dis t r ic ts were selected for detailed investigation
using simple random method. Selection of sample un i t s were made
in accordance with classifications and the regis ters maintained by
the Khadi and Village Industries Board. Sample units were selected
in such a way as to give a t least 15% representation to a l l types
of vi l lage industr ies i n the selected dis t r ic ts .
Apart from the primary data . secondary da ta also were
collected by the researcher from various publ ica t ion9 of Khadi and
Village Industr ies Commission, Kerala Khadi and Village Industries
Board, Bureau of Economics and Statist ics, Planning Board and also
the unpublished data from the records of Khadi and Village
Industries Board.
A s revealed by the survey of l i t e ra ture , no academic
research study yet has been made i n search of problems and
prospects of vi l lage industries i n Kerala, with the Gandhian
perspective of vi l lage industries for vi l lage development. The
present s tudy undoubtedly proves tha t khadi and v i l lage industries
play a n important role i n the village development of Kerala. This
sector h a s remarkable potentialities i n providing employment to the
r u r a l folk and at present 1.89 lakhs persons a r e employed in khadi
and vi l lage industr ies under the s ta te Board.
Management of village industry i s a tedious task. The
functions involved i n the management of vil lage industry a re
similar to t h a t of a large industry, which involves planning,
organising, s taff ing, controlling, financing and marketing.
The sample selected for the study constitute 25 co-.operative
societies. 16 chari table societies and 10 proprietorship units.
Entrepreneurs of these uni ts a r e belonging to local a rea and
monetory benefit is the motivation behind the selection of th i s
choice. 51 percent of the entrepreneurs a r e i n their middle age of
41-50. A l l the entrepreneurs a r e l i t e r a t e and the majority of them
have college education. Male representation is dominated among the
entrepreneurs i n the sample units. 53 percent of the entrepreneurs
a re chr is t ians and no muslim entrepreneur is represented i n the
sample. Though it is found t h a t f inancial motive plays a major
4 role i n the selection of vi l lage indus t ry , the entrepreneurs a re
getting very low income from vi l lage indus t ry .
49 percent of the uni ts under s tudy came into existence
during 1980-90. This is because, during th i s period, the
Government with the aid of Khadi and Village Industries Board
conducted a vigourous programme with the following objectives:
1. Providing employment to the r u r a l unemployed.
2. Revival and Promotion of khadi and v i l lage industr ies through-
out t h e s ta te .
The capi ta l investment i n these uni ts varied from 18,000
rupees to 2 l akh rupees. Though paucity of raw material is
observed a s a serious problem in vi l lage indus t ry , 51 percent of
the uni ts a r e obtaining raw materials from different p a r t s of
Kerala. Rest of them a r e bringing raw materials from other s ta tes
like Tamilnadu, Karnataka etc. Statist ics reveals t ha t on an
average there a r e 9 workers per unit . Arnr~ny the workers female
representation is dominated and 76 percent of the total workforce in
the sample uni ts a r e women.
Though power driven machines have entered i n the
production field of vi l lage industries sector, 80 percerit of the uni ts
a r e still using hand driven machines.
The workers i n vil lage industr ies differ considerably in -. the i r occupational background/ To most of the workers the meagre
income from the vil lage industry is the only means of livelihood.
What drew them into the vil lage industry sector is the problem of
accute unemployment in Kerala. Only 35% of the workers a r e drawn
from the same occupational background of their family
, \The present study found tha t youth participation is higher b'
i n vi l lage industr ies and the average age of workers is 24 years.
Female domination i s noticed among the workers i n vil lage
industr ies , ~ i e . , 59% of the workers a r e women. The special
characterist ics l ike less bodily exersion, more leisure, nearness to
home and means for contributing to the family income make the
village industr ies mote attractive to women workers. A t the same
time it is observed tha t the underrepresentation of men i n this
sector is mainly due to its less remunerative nature .
-Kerala i s the most l i terate state i n the country. This is c 5
reflected i n the level of literacy of the workers i n village
industr ies> Almost a l l a r e l i terate. It i s further observed that
the l i teracy r a t e among the the selected workers i n v i l l age
industr ies is higher t han tha t of the to ta l population i n Kerala.
The majority of t he selected workers have completed high school
education. However educational qualif ication is not a n eligibil i ty
criterion for t he en t ry into vil lage industries.
(The economic s ta tus of the workers i n vi l lage industr ies is ', not satisfactory;, Most of the workers a r e get t ing very low
,
remuneration from v i l lage industries. The average monthly wage of
a worker i n t h i s sector i s only R s . 190/-. The maximum wage
obtained by a seniormost worker i n t h i s sector is only Rs.600/- per
month. It is pertinent to note that t h i s amount is not suff ic ient to
meet even the primary needs of a family.
An examination of the size of the land holdings of workers
shows tha t the i r holding i s less than the s ta te average. A l l the
workers have the i r own holding and a r e l iv ing i n the i r own houses
which a re very close to their work place while difference is noticed
i n the nature of the houses. A l l of them l ive under t i l ed roofs or
under tatched roofs.
The average family size of a worker i n v i l l age indus t r ies
i s 5 . which is l e s s than the size of an average Kerala family.
The average family income of the worker per month is calculated a s
Rs.537/-. The ana lys i s revealed tha t the percapita income of the
worker is Rs.2,156/- which is less t han the percapita income of the
s ta te viz. Rs. 3 , 4 5 1 / - .
The study shows tha t t rade unionism backed by political
par t ies h a s entered in to vi l lage industr ies sector though it is not
a s strong a s i n the other industr ia l sectors i n Kerala.
i Job security is a serious problem faced by the workers in -- vil lage i n d u s t r i e s ~ It was noticed tha t due to nonavailabil i ty of
r a w materials, pil ing up of finished stocks etc., most of the
vil lage industr ies find it very difficult to offer work to the
employers throughout the year . An encouraging s ign observed in
the present Study is t h a t the reaction of the society towards vil lage
industry is satisfactory. The women workers revealed t h a t a s they ,
become contributing members in the family, their s t a tus i n the
family a s well a s i n society is enhanced considerably.
On the whole, the majority of the workers i n village
industr ies a r e not satisfied with their wage, welfare faci l i t ies and
-\ future prospects. They generally do not have any feeling of
inferiority i n the s ta tus of their job, but compared to their
counterparts i n other sectors, have great concern with the wage
structure and welfare facil i t ies prevalent i n v i l lage industries
sector. Almost a l l the workers expressed dissatisfaction on the
present r a t e of remuneration.
A s the remuneration from village industr ies is too small to
sustain their livelihoodlithe tradit ional workers do not l ike to
suggest t h i s occupation to their younger generation, which would
result i n the g radua l decline of tradit ional industr ies i n the state.
8.2 Problems of Village Industries in Kerala
Broadly the problems of vi l lage industr ies can be divided
into two types - external and internal. External problems a r e those
which resul t from factors beyond the control of entrepreneurs, while
internal problems a r e inherent i n the enterprise. Apart from the
various ex te rna l problems, the vi l lage industries suf fe r from a
number of handicaps, s ta r t ing from the establishment of industry to
marketing. The in t e rna l problems of vi l lage industr ies include lack
of f inance, shortage of raw materials, lack of in f ras t ruc tura l
facil i t ies, lack of proper management, problem of skil led labour and
lack of proper marketing facil i t ies. These a r e interrela ted a s seen i n f igure - 8.1.
8.2.1 Lack of Finance
The basic requirement for the establishment of any industry
is finance. The i n i t i a l investment for vil lage industr ies comes
mainly from within. Most of the entrepreneurs invest their own
funds or borrowed funds, i n the s ta r t ing period. Though Khadi
and Village Industr ies Board is extending f inancial ass is tance it i s
not sufficient. The entrepreneurs i n th i s sector a r e not i n a
position to offer the security required by the banking sector \ The
procedures for ava i l ing of f inancial support from banks and
government agencies a r e so cumbersome that most of the
entrepreneurs a r e hesis tant to make use of these faci l i t ies . The
procedural delay i n extending f inanc ia l assistance i s another
problem. I t was observed i n some cases tha t it takes more than 6
Directly Affecting Factors
------ Indirectly Affecting Factors
Finance r\
Production u FIGURE 8.1
Intertwined Factors i n Village Industry
I
months to sanction the loan for establishing the unit . The lack of L
proper exposure to elementary f inancial management also makes it
difficult for the entrepreneur to a v a i l of f inancial assistance for
the development of their industries. Some of the entrepreneurs a r e
not e;en aware of a l l sources of f inancial assistance to make use
of it. This general lack of capi ta l creates, i n tu rn , a whole group
of problems relat ing to size and s i te of the enterprise, the quali ty
of labour, market coverage and purchase of raw material leading to
low and poor quali ty of production.
8 . 2 . 2 Paucity of Raw Materials
(;-*adequacy or non-availability of raw materials of proper
quality a t reasonable price is a major problem facing a number of
units. The quantum of raw material is not la rge . However they -.
require it a t proper tin?e., Because of the weak f inancial position,
the entrepreneurs vi l lage industr ies have to ut i l ise the services of
middle men to get raw materials on credit . Such a n arrangement
however, results i n higher costs and it is disadvantageous as the
profit margin of middlemen a r e ra ther high. Their f inancial
constraints induce the entrepreneurs to use cheap and inferior raw
materials, which natural ly affect the quali ty of finished products. -. .
The temporary suspension of the supply of raw materials due to .. climatic changes also affects the productio2>. This problem is not
.I'
only of f ibre unit but many other industr ies such a s Hand made
paper. Cane and Bamboo, Non-edible oil, Cottage match etc. , a r e
confronting s i m i l a r problems. Khadi and other vi l lage industries
l ike pottery. edible oils, blacksmithy, f rui ts and vegetable
processing, processing of cereals and pulses a re obtaining raw
f- materials from different places i n Kerala. \Nan-availability of raw
materials a t required time i n required qual i ty throughout the year -
ac t a s a hindrance i n production.,
8.2.3 Lack of Infrastructural - Facili t ies
It is not easy to decide on location, for the choice involves
considerations of the avai labi l i ty of infrastructural faci l i t ies , the
cost and tenure of acquisit ion, the avai labi l i ty of labour , local
availabil i ty of raw materials and marketing facilities. It is
observed tha t avai labi l i ty of financial assistance is also a crucial
factor i n the decision with regard to location.
The Khadi and Village Industr ies Board extends f inancial
assistance to the entrepreneurs for the construction and maintenance
of the u n i t i 3 But it is found t h a t many of the units lack basic
facilities such a s necessary space for the ar t isans to work, a
secure godown to store the ar t ic les produced etc. (In some cases,
the buildings a r e even leaking during ra iny season, which destroys
the goods produced.'
8 . 2 . 4 Problem of Skilled Labour
I t is evident t ha t the labour resources in Kerala is
higher than the capi ta l resources and the numberof unemployed a r e
increasing year to year . According to the register of employment
exchanges there a r e 31.03 l akhs job seekers i n the state. But the
village industry sector sometimes a r e faces with the problem of
getting talented and skil led workers for the appropriate work. The
poor income from vi l lage industry is the main factor which creates
an aversion to vi l lage industr ies among the unemployed. A s 2 mentioned in Chapter VII, poor remuneration is a factor affecting job
disatisfaction. Another factor which creates disinterest to vil lage
industries i n the ' s t a tus ' consideration of these workers i n society.
A s f a r a s the educated youth a r e concerned, they a r e desperate a s
the work i n vi l lage industr ies sector is unfit to their education.
Therefore, a l l a r e i n search of more remunerative white collar jobs.
Some of the t rad i t iona l a r t i s ans l ike 'pot ters ' a r e unwilling to
follow the hereditary occupational pat tern; because, they feel that
the income from their occupation is a meagre amount, by which it
is hard to sustain their l i fe i n the present socio-economic
condition. Therefore they send their children to the school to have
formal education. They believe t h a t the formal education could
provide their children with a more prestigious and satisfactory
occupation. However what i s happening is t h a t most of them a r e
added to the educated unemployed in the s ta te . It is sure tha t
this trend w i l l put a n end to the t rad i t iona l skil led occupational
patterr. in Kerala. This is not i n confornity with Gandhian ideas
of dignity of labour. This has happened d u e to the change in the
concepts of education, occupation, dignity sr labour and to a la rge
extent the change in the value system of society.
r~ serious handicap for vil lage industries is the problem of
marketing? Though there a r e Khadi Gramodyog Bhavans under -,I
Khadi and Village Industries Commission and Khadi Bhavan under
Kerala Khadi and Village Industries Board for the marketing of
products from khadi and vil lage industr ies , these faci l i t ies a r e
inadequate for the efficient marketing of the products.
absence of proper marketing facil i t ies, some of the entrepreneurs
have to take their products from door to door to sel l their i t e m s 3 - Some of them depend on middlemen.to sel l their products. They a r e
even forced to se l l their products a t unremunerative prices. These
constraints i n marketing adversely affects production.
Competition with la rge scale industr ies is a major obstacle
in the marketing field. There is a notion among the consumers
t h a t the machine-made products have more finish and a r e of low
price. Therefore they prefer machine made goods. I t is evident
t h a t the price of handmade goods a r e usually higher i n comparison
with the .machine made goods. This is because, i n vil lage
industries production i s by masses and therefore labour cost is
higher and productivity is less. Here the remuneration of the
worker depends upon the price of the product and hence the price
.. of the product has increased automatically. While in the case of
large industry productivity i s higher than labour cost. Therefore,
they could sell the products a t lower price.
r a t h e r problems noticed i n the marketing of vi l lage \.-
industr ies a r e lack of quali ty control, poor bargaining power, lack
of service a f te r sales, f inancial weakness, ignorance of potential
markets and lack of knowledge of m a r k e t i n i 2
8.2.6 Problems of Management
The a r e a in which vil lage industr ies have encountered the
/-I I greatest difficulty is tha t of management9 The entrepreneurs a r e
hardly i n a position to pilot their undertaking due to various
problems such a s insufficient finance, paucity of raw material , lack
of marketing facil i t ies, lack of technical guidence and managerial
abil i ty.
he ,poor economic background of the entrepreneurs and the \-
ignorance result ing in non-availability and non-accessibility of
various f inancial assistance for the development of the i r unit
creates f inancial crisis. Moreover, the income and prof i t from
village indus t r ia l units a r e very low. Some entrepreneurs resort to
unfair practices and corruptions which ultimately lead to the
shrinkage of the industr ia l units.
8.2.7 Lack of Consumer Preference:
The surv iva l and development of a l l production uni ts depend
upon the demand for their products. I t is found t h a t there is not -.
much demand for vil lage industry products.) This is happening
because of two factors. Village industr ies proposed by Gandhiji
meant for the production of necessary goods needed by the people
for fulfi l l ing the i r need, and not their greed, ie . , production
should be i n concomitance with consumer preference. However a t
present the goods produced i n vil lage industry sector a r e production
oriented than need based. Therefore they lack consumer preference.
6 n o t h e r reason for lack of consumer preference is the change i n the L.-.
value system. I n the present society the basis of selection of
goods is economic profit ra ther than humanistic concern. 6s the
machine made goods a r e cheaply avai lable people ignore the costly
handmade articles. People also believe t h a t machine made goods
are more durable and have more finish than handmade
8.3 Prospects of Village Industries
Gespi te its problems, the prospects of vi l lage industr ies a re
wide. There is no doubt t h a t the potentiality of vi l lage industries
i n providing employment is very high. It is evident t h a t the main
reason for unemployment is the replacement of human labour by
machines in agr icul ture a s well a s i n l a r g e scale industries.
Though the number of l a rge industr ia l uni ts i n Kerala a r e .
increasing only a few people have got employment i n th i s sector,)
This results i n mass production instead of production by the
masses. Gandhiji realised th i s demerit of large-scale industries
and asserted t h a t " the big industries can never, they do not hope
to, overtake the unemployed millions. Their aim is primarily to
make money for the. f e w owners. never the direct one of finding
employment for the unemployed millions".' I n this regard the
employment potentiality of vi l lage industr ies is quite appreciable.
(AS the women constitute the majority of unemployed in the s ta te ,
vi l lage industr ies offer a hopeful choice for them. There is a n
accentuation t h a t t h e remuneration from khadi and vil lage
industr ies is low. However a s the unemployed a r e concerned, the
meagre amount from vi l lage industr ies is a contribution to their
personal income. A s the wage payment i n vil lage industries is on
piece r a t e the earn ing of a worker i n th i s sector is related to his
sk i l l and capacity to produce>
Statist ics reveal t ha t the number of khadi and vi l lage
indus t r ia l uni ts a r e increasing every year . The Kerala Khadi and
Village Industr ies Board i s giving f inanc ia l assistance to establish
the uni ts a t reasonable crediG For s ta r t ing khadi units the Board
provides credit-less loan and for vi l lage industries a 4 percent
credit loan. The entrepreneurs a r e not fully satisfied with th i s
a id a s they have to fulfil certain formal requisites for avail ing of
financial ass is tance. However th i s f inanc ia l assistance serves a s
an incentive for the unemployed to s t a r t a vi l lage industry.
Considering the problems i n obtaioing raw materials the
Boari has consolidated various federations such a s soap federation,
1. M . K . Gandhi, Collected Works of Mahatma Candhi, Vo1.61, p.f+16.
match federation, etc. The tasky collection and distribution of r a w
materials for the soap unit and match uni ts is vested on these
federations. It is observed tha t some of the vil lage industries a r e
bringing raw materials from other states. This is clearly a
distortion of the concept of village industries, which means ' the
conversion of locally avai lable raw materials into useful products
by using man power. These difficult ies ar ise because of the
inappropriate selection of the industry. Before s ta r t ing a n industry
the entrepreneur should ascertain the local avai labi l i ty of raw
materials. This w i l l eliminate the need for dependence to the
sources for raw materials. ,
8.4 Village Industr ies in Kerala - A Gandhian Critique
Originally vil lage industries by concept and practice was
meant for creating a new mode of l ife for facil i tat ing a welfare
society. Gandhi j is tar ted the programme for the development of
vil lage industr ies a s a strategy for village self-sufficiency. H i s
idea behind vi l lage industries is t h a t one should look to the
villages for the satisfaction of one 's daily needs. To him village
industry connotes a way of l ife ra ther than a means of earning.
However a t present village industries a re considered a s a
means of income rather than a way of l i fe . The motivation behind
the selection of vil lage industry a s an occupation is reduced to
monetary benefits alone. The wake of vil lage industries under KVIB
necessitated some element of entrepreneurship i n village industries.
Gandhiji envisaged t h a t the management of any production unit
should be a co-operative effort of both the owner and the worker.
Both of them should work as trustees, the owner a s the t rustee of
h i s wealth and the worker a s the t rustee of his ski l l . Therefore
there is no channel for exploitation and capi ta l labour disputes.
Though a t present t h e management of vi l lage industr ia l units a r e on
the co-operative basis , what is happening is tha t the owner is
considered as the authority of the uni t and the worker a s a tool
for production. This will not justify Gandhian idea of vi l lage
industry for vi l lage development, because i n h is idea l society there
is no distinction between the employer and employee.
In the Gandhian scheme of vi l lage industries both vi l lage
industry and agr icu l ture a r e interrelated. The agricul tur is ts
provide raw materials required by the local a r t i sans i n re turn to
which they produce necessary goods required by the vi l lages .
Therefore the a r t i sans can make use of the locally ava i lab le raw
materials. But i n Kerala the si tuation is different. The
entrepreneure has to depend on dis tant places or on other s ta tes
for the fulfilment of the i r raw material requirements. Some
industries i n Kerala a r e ava i l ing of r a w materials Erom
neighbouring vi l lages while others depend on neighbouring s ta tes
Like Tamil Nadu, Karanataka etc., for ravr materials. The main
reason i s t h a t the agr icu l tura l sector in Kerala is not
capable of providing necessary raw materials for vi l lage indust-
r ies. However to a certain extent these industr ies convert +
a
natura l resources and waste materials into useful products thereby
fulfi l l ing Gandhi j i ' s idea of vil lage industr ies .
The production i n vil lage industry, a s proposed by Gandhiji,
is need based and therefore the demand for the product is high.
Howeverat present the demand for the products from village industry
is low. This is because. necesary goods produced by small scale
and la rge scale industr ies a r e ava i lab le at cheap rate . Therefore
the KVIB h a s made a n attempt to improve production through the
diversification of the products.
Gandhiji suggested the idea of a l iving wage to the workers.
This is recognised a s the basis of wage system i n khadi and
village industr ies . The study revealed tha t the average monthly
income of a worker i n vi l lage industry is R s . 190/=. It is evident
tha t i n the present socio-economic condition th i s amount i s not
sufficient to sat isfy the basic needs of a n individual.
A s noticed i n previous chapters some sort of simple
machinery a r e used i n production i n which the consumption of
electricity is l e s s . Here machinery i s used not for increasing the
quantity of production but for improving the quali ty of the prcduct
and avoiding h a r d labour of workers. Gandhiji was not against
these simple machinery i n which negligence of human labour is
limited. It i s observed tha t these industries fu l f i l certain aspects
of Gandhiji 's idea of vi l lage industries, viz.
i. An engagement t o solve the boredom of idle hours.
ii . A s a means for bodily labour.
iFi. A method for a t ta ining vil lage self-sufficiency.
i v . A st ra tegy for decentralised production. !F igure - 8.2 presents th i s schematically.
8.5 Suggestions
The ana lys i s so f a r conducted reveal t ha t the programmes
and policies implemented by the Government help to revive the
vil lage industr ies i n Kerala. However they have not yet achieved
the desired resul t due to various problems confronting the sector.
The problems, which ac t a s hindrances in the development of
vil lage industr ies a r e pointed out i n preceeding discussions.
Though suggestions have already been made a t appropriate places
with a view ' t o improve the conditions of each industry, the venture
to suggest suitable solutions to solve the problems i n vi l lage
industry sector i n general is important. Based on the ana lys i s and
problems identified i n the study following suggestions a re made to
ensure the betterment and prospects of vil lage industries i n Kerala.
1. The motive behind the implementation of the unit should be the
service of the society, ra ther than the monetary benefits.
2 . Before s tar t ing a n industry, the entrepreneurs should be
convinced of the locally avai lable resources both material and
hurian.
3. Measures should be taken to avoid unnecessary delay i n
extending f inancial assistance for the establishment and rev iva l
of vil lage industries.
FIGURE 8.2
Role of Vfflage Industries i n the Development of Individual and Society
L
Village Industries
A
., Means
- for
Employment Self- reliance,
Income Social- Service Body Labour
This
. V V V W
Physical and Social Status Economic Social mental condi- condition condition tion
Development of Indivudual and Society.
w i l l help to improve
4. The inf ras t ruc tura l faci l i t ies of the bui ldings should be
J
improved i n such a way t h a t it will fac i l i t a te the working
conditions of a r t i sans .
5. As the remuneration from v i l lage indus t ry is very low
'1 measures should be taken to improve the wage structure of
ar t isans .
6. To solve the problem of paucity of r a w material and to
improve production provide them with necessary raw material a t
required time.
7. To ra i se the labour productivity and earn ings upgrade the
sk i l l of a r t i s ans through t ra in ing .
Introduce the welfare measures suggested for improving the
/ l iv ing conditions of a r t i s a ~ s .
2. Training should be given to t he entrepreneurs for proper
management of vil lage industr ies .
10. The Government should take necessary s teps to entrust the
monopoly of the production of cer ta in goods .such a s match, , soap, agarbathy, leather goods, decorative items, processing of
cereals, pulsus, f rui ts , vegetables etc . , on vi l lage industr ies
sector and prevent the l a rge scale sector from laying their
hold on these goods.
11. Attempts should be made to promote t rad i t iona l cra:tmanship so
a s to solve the problem of skil led labour .
12. Measures should be taken to avoid the contradiction in the
promotion of certain types of indus t r ies so a s to make the
functions of Khadi and Village Industries Board more effective.
13. Action should be taken to eliminate corruption at all levels i n
khadi and vi l lage industry sector.
14. Measures should be taken to a t t rac t the consumer's preference 1 7
to the products from village industry. For tha t following
precisions should be taken:
a . Standardisation of products whereever possible.
b . Quality improvement of products.
c. Better designing.
d . The price of the product should be controlled so tha t it
does not exceed the price of the m i l l products.
e. Proper advertisement, a s the people are not aware of the
materials produced by vi l lage industr ies sector.
15. Conscientise the public regarding the Gandhian vision of
vil lage industr ies and vil lage self-sufficiency. This w i l l help
the public to be aware of the role of vil lage industr ies i n the
attainment of v i l lage self sufficiency and thereby to give
preference t o v i l lage indus t r ia l products.
8.6 Conclusion
The present study was a modest attempt to analyse the
problems and prospects of vil lage industries i n Kerala. I t i s
revealed that vil lage industr ies play an important role i n the
vil lage development of Kerala. There is no doubt t ha t the clearing
out of the problems a s evolved from the study w i l l help the
development of v i l l age industr ies i n Kerala, which can ultimately
contribute to the process of vil lage deve10~ment-i" The study also
found the need for a more concrete study i n th i s a rea , which w i l l
facil i tate the functioning and promotion of vil lage industry sector.
The study l e a d s to the conclusion tha t it w i l l take time to
achieve Gandhiji 's idea of village self sufficiency through vil lage
industries. The present socio-economic and political environment
seems to be sceptical regarding the legacy of Gandhiji 's ideas i n
the upliftment or r u r a l folk. Therefore what i s needed is a n
ardent and earnest attempt to come back to real ise Gandhian vision .
of vil lage industr ies for vi l lage development.
The goal of Gandhian ideology i s t he attainment of
'Sarvodaya' or welfare of all, not only of human beings but also ,
of a l l the l iving organisms i n the universe) However the basic
trend i n the present society shows a deviation from Gandhian
ideology and the motive behind a l l programmes is more selfish
ra ther t han social. This occurs because of the a t t i tudinal change
and change i n the va lue system of the present society. Hence there
i s the need to have a basic change i n the motives and values
which can reactivate a positive spir i t of r e a l development model i n
man and society. Considering the peculiar characterist ics of India ,
there is no doubt t h a t Gandhian ideologies still have its relevance.
I t i s certain t ha t the proper implementation and application of a l l
programmes imbibing the t rue spiri t of Gandhian ideology alone w i l l
help in solving many of the problems confronting the nation.
Flourishing of such a value system w i l l lead us a long way in the
fulfilment of Gandhian vision of village industries for village
development.