Local Solutions to inequality: the Role of Ramakrishna Mission in Tribal pockets of India

Local Solutions to inequality: the Role of Ramakrishna Mission in Tribal pockets of IndiaKalyan Ghadei Ph.DAssistant Professor

Department of Extension EducationInstitute of Agricultural SciencesBanaras Hindu UniversityVaranasi, U.P.-221 005 (INDIA)Respected Chair of the session Dr P. Clark. Learned participants, distinguished audience, officers and staff of Rural Sociological Society, USA. At the outset I would like to convey best wishes to you all for successfully organizing the Annual function of RSS.

Kalyan Ghadei Ph.DAssistant ProfessorI am very much enlighten and guided by the organizers to make this moment possible. I feel interested and excited to interact with you on the topic Local Solutions to social in equality: the role of Ramakrishna Mission in Tribal pockets of India.

Ramakrishna Mission Belur MathRamakrishna Mission, Naraian Pur, Chhattish GarhDear friends, India have the largest concentration of tribal people in the world except Africa. They live in extremely back ward and poverty stricken area. After 65 years of Indias Independence ,the government of India with many NGOs and private sectors are still devoted for their upliftment and main streaming. The Ramakrishna Mission in its own way has been able to bring important interventions to eradicate social inequality. (*ST means scheduled tribes of India)

Tribal Population in IndiaPortraits of Swami VivekandaBeing a faith based organization, established by Swami Vivekanda, The Ramakrishna Mission believes in the motto of Work is worship. It considers service to men as service to God. The Indian scripture says to respect the parents as God but Swami Vivekanda added let the poor, the ignorant the illiterate be your God .Think that to serve them is the highest of religion.

Dear participants, these incredible thoughts of Swami Vivekananda have been embodied by the Ramakrishna Mission. This is the call on the basis of which Ramakrishna Mission has reached to millions of people to love and serve them. By recognizing the activity of the Mission the Government of India honored Ramakrishna Mission in the year 1998 as a best service organization. The qualified monks of Ramakrishna Mission have put the vedantic thoughts in to practice .Beyond all religion and spirituality they dedicated themselves for the cause tribal people in many areas of India.

Ramakrishna Mission is awarded for Tribal serviceRamakrishna Mission monks who are initiated by the ideal of renunciation and service The paper is based on our research entitled the role of Ramakrishna Mission in sustainable livelihood strategy of tribal farmers of Chhattish Garh state in India. The aim of the presentation is to highlight the contributions of Ramakrishna Mission against social inequality. My attempts have been made to show the achievements of Ramakrishna Mission in promotion of livelihood systems of tribal farmers in terms of bio physical, Social, and Economical, Political and human capital.

Locale and Objective Journal of Global CommunicationYear : 2010, Volume : 3, Issue : 2First page : ( 51) Last page : ( 54) Print ISSN : 0974-0600. Online ISSN : 0976-2442.

A Scale to Measure Attitude Among Tribal People Towards Extension Services of NGOsGhadeiKalyan*,NPandey KDepartment of Extension Education, Institute of Agricultural Sciences Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi - 221 005.*Email: kghadei@gmail.com.

Abstract: On the face of mounting emphasis is being laid on bringing the tribal and backward remote pockets to the mainstream of national development through the joint effort of public & private extension efforts in India. A summated rating scale has been developed through five steps to study the attitude of tribal farmers. Based on the review of literature, discussion with the extension experts and tribal farmers, 62 statements were developed and subjected to judges rating on a five point continuum. Considering the relevancy percentage of 43 statements, relevant items were selected and subjected for analysis. The scale was tested for its reliability & validity. The scale has been standardized to measure the tribal attitude towards NGO extension since composing of 22 items.Research Design and SamplingThe study was conducted in ex-post facto research design with group of farmers selected for control group and experimental group through proportionate random sampling method. The total sample size was 220 including 110 from control group and 110 from experimental group.

Conceptual Frame Work

Improvement in Biophysical CapitalThe improvement in biophysical capital was studied on thirteen parameters namely energy, water, transport, communication, land development, waste land development, land use, yield ,harvesting, cropping area, soil health status, use of improved farm technology and forest based livelihood system. Developed cropping system Soil testing lab

The study reveals that there has been satisfactory change in experimental group as compared to control group farmers. In case of energy, the use of kerosene lamp shows a decreasing trend due to the availability of cow dung gas, solar energy and electricity. The dependency on forest shows a declining trend due to intervention of Mission in creation of biophysical assets and forest rules imposed by the Government.

Sl. No.Source of energyControl group Experimental group Difference in percentageFrequency (%)Frequency (%)01.Kerosene lamp102 (92.73 )97 (88.18 )-4.5502.Gobar gas plant02 (1.82)05 (4.55 )2.7303.Solar energy03 (2.73 )07 (6.36 )3.6304.Electricity25 (22.73 )35 (31.82 )9.0905.Cattle dung cake02 (1.82)09 (8.18 )6.3606.Fire wood110 (100.00)107 (97.27 )2.73Table: 1. Change in Source of Energy Use (N=110) Improvement in Social CapitalAs far as the social capital is concerned the Role of Ramakrishna Mission was studied on six factors namely Social development, Access to education, Access to health, Liquor consumption and local migration. It was seen that there was increase in percentage but there was decreasing trend of liquor consumption and local migration in experimental group due to intervention of Ramakrishna Mission (Naik and Jayramiaha 1997)

Sl. No. Liquor consumptionControl groupExperimental groupDifference in percentageFrequency (%)Frequency (%)01.Change in liquor consumption98(89.09)88(80.00)-9.09Table: 2.Change in Liquor Consumption N=110 Improvement in Economic Capital The attempt of Ramakrishna Mission in formation of Economic capital was analyzed. It was found that the creation of Vivekananda Gramya Seva Kendra (VGSK) is major intervention for saving and credit access of the farmers. They have been channelized to use the bank, Farmers credit Card and SHGs for financial Management. In addition to that the advisory service and input supply system of Ramakrishna Mission has benefited the farmers.

A picture of VGSK.

Improvement in Political CapitalThe political awareness in India is in a rising trend. We know that a good politics is required for a good governance. So, Ramakrishna Mission being a non political institution has educated the farmers to take part in political domain and to harvest the benefit of Government programs and schemes. The farmers have been aware about right and duties, right to information and right to vote.

Pictures of the Ramakrishna Mission farmers

Improvement in Human CapitalFriends ! Swami Vivekanda used to ask his disciples Which is more important? Man or money. Yes money is important but it is man who makes money. The factors which studied under the Human capital are the institutional mechanism created for the tribal farmers , girls education, training programs, demonstration, exposure visit, information agencies, and distribution of literature, farm mechanization, knowledge and skill activities and labor managementSwami Vivekanda and his western disciples -Sister Nivedita and J.J.Goodwin

It was revealed that there is significant difference in control group and experimental group with respect to linking the farmers with information service centre, availability of custom service centre, initiation of community pond, increasing enrollment in girls education, participation in training program and demonstration, access to information sources, farm mechanization ,knowledge and skill development and access to useful literature.

Female Students in a parade

Concluding .Friends the time is short. Physically I am away from you. Proper communication begins with involvement of physical and emotional factors. Without going to too much tables and statistical details let me show some of the activities of Ramakrishna Mission in selected tribal areas of Chhatish Garh of India

Photo 1. Water harvesting initiated by RKM at Brehbeda- village, Narainpur

Photo-2.Check dam at village- Palki,Narainpur

Photo 3. Front line demonstration of Brinjal at village- Gadhebengal, Narainpur

Photo 4. Preparation of vegetable nursry initiated by RKM at village- Gadhebengal, Narainpur

Photo 5. Learning pesticide application as demonstrated by RKM S.A.D.O.(Shri Chandrakar ji) at RKM farm, Narainpur

Photo 6. Farmers training programme organized by the RKM at village- Palki, Narainpur

Photo 7. Inter state farm visit conducted by RKM

Photo 8. Farmers learning about Vermi compost at village-Palki, Narainpur

Photo 9. Researcher with S.A.D.O. (Shri Ramesh Vyas ) at Swami Vivekanand Seva Samittee Agriculture seed & pesticide selling centre at village-Brehbeda, Narainpur

Expressing Sincere ThanksFriends , I will be very happy to get your suggestions and feed back about my presentation. I would try to answer if there would be any questions from the house.

Thank you very much for your patience hearing to this virtual presentation.

feed back at: kghadei@gmail.com