Rural Reconstruction in India
In view of its importance, some efforts were started even before independence. A State Agricultural Commission was established in the year 1926 to study the rural problems and reconstruction efforts during the British rule. After this, many schemes were prepared for rural reconstruction in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Bombay also. Even before independence, some limited efforts were made for the economic development of the rural community on the basis of cooperatives. Even after this, it is true that practically no important work could be done in the field of rural reconstruction before independence. Immediately after the independence of India, a ‘Planning Commission’ was constituted for the coordinated development of the country and from the year 1951, by implementing various development programs through five year plans, the highest priority was given to rural development.
The efforts made for rural development in the Five Year Plans can be mainly divided into two parts-
(a) the efforts made at the government level, and (b) the schemes implemented at the non-government level.
In the first category, we include many important programs like land reforms, cooperative movement, community development program, Panchayati Raj system, Antyodaya work for grain scheme and ‘Integrated Rural Development Program’. Sarvodaya, Bhoodan and Gramdan are those important programs that started at the non-government level, although later on, many administrative facilities were provided by the government for the success of these schemes. It is only through all these development plans that the true nature of rural development can be understood. In the present chapter, we will discuss only programs like land reforms, cooperatives, Sarvodaya, land donation, adult education, twenty point programme, rural employment program and ‘integrated rural development program’ etc. Community development program and Panchayati Raj system are discussed in the next chapters.