аЯрЁБс>ўџ 24ўџџџ1џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС7 №П $bjbjUU &07|7|JД џџџџџџl\\\ f rrr†JJJ8‚ Ž†ьЖЖЖЖЖ‘‘‘$| œ –5r‘‘‘‘‘5YrrЖЖлJYYY‘drЖrЖY‘Y‚YлrrлЖЊ €oJЖќЦ†ФJѕлл4`0л2 ѕd2 лY††rrrrй The Journey Downhill  Anil C Shah Few people would be as fortunate as I have been. At sixteen, I was already a volunteer fighting for India’s independence movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. I was sent to prison but released before I completed my sentence so that I can resume my university education. But the British had not yet left India. I thought that since I was not engaged in the freedom struggle, I should do community work in villages. My father, who was a teacher, insisted that I complete my education first. Since I was good in studies I got scholarship and completed my MA in 1949. By then, the British had left India, and the fight for independence was over. I was keen to work for rural reconstruction. . When I got engaged, I had even warned Induben (my wife to be) that we may live in a village. She agreed to do so, though I am not sure what was in her mind! I was invited to join the newly launched community development programme which was to determine the country’s agenda for development. The goal of the programme was to create a new man --“Destination: Man". It was a win-win situation for me! I would be engaged in the task of re-shaping the nation but without hardships and in fact with the conveniences of a government position. Since then I have not looked back. How can there be boredom or fatigue in building a new nation? I was not working for someone else; this was my own chosen field. Fifty-four years have passed in the uphill journey that I had begun in 1952. I have had the opportunity to work in different fields and in various parts of the country. But I have always had “Destination: Man” in focus; in my mind, in my work. His progress, his self-reliance was our goal, our aim was to help him find developmental path for his progress. When the community development programme started, Ravishankar Maharaj had blessed the work with these words, "It will be the villager who will have to push the pedals after he is helped to get on the bicycle. We have to wish him well and encourage him" This approach has produced amazing results, as can be seen in the watershed development programme and the participatory irrigation management programme of the Development Support Centre ( DSC). In the last four years, the governmental water rate has quadrupled in 117 DSC-supported irrigation cooperatives (ICs) in Dharoi command. Even so, the ICs have raised the water rate by another 51%, and they have still recovered 100% of the dues in the Rabi season of 2004-05. Together, no less than Rs. 46 lakh have been added to their corpus by the ICs. ICs which have been functioning for more than five years have each built up the corpus of Rs. one lakh, ICs like the Rangpur Cooperative have Rs. two-and-a-half lakh in their corpus, and ICs which have been established this year have no less than Rs. 10,000 in their corpus., Such widespread success is unique in the whole country. Professor Alagh has suggested that apart from talking about the past and the present, I should also talk about how I visualise the future.. At my age, future is a dream as the prospects of producing results by active participation are uncertain. Even then, honouring Professor Alagh’s suggestion, I can say that there are unlimited opportunities for loan-based development in rain-fed agriculture in the watershed-plus phase of the programme. Mr Vijay Mahajan, my successor Chairman of DSC, is a pioneer in the field as well as internationally recognised expert in micro finance.. Secondly, DSC has worked in three medium-major projects in North Gujarat, where it has shown that there is scope for improvements in government-run irrigation projects. Cooperative irrigation model, promoted by DSC in Dharoi irrigation project can be adopted to spread the “blue revolution” to the rest of Gujarat and indeed, to the whole country, just as the Amul cooperative dairy model has spread through the country the “white revolution”. There is a need for new, calm and resolute leadership which can understand the potential, wisdom and keenness of the farmers and engage on their behalf in an uninterrupted effort to empower them. I used to tell late Manubhai Pancholi, Darshak, who was my guide in matters cultural and social, “Although I have stopped wearing khadi,. I am engaged in Gandhi’s work.” He would look at me in amazement.” Nothing was closer to Gandhiji’s heart than to enable people to become self-reliant for their own development and reduce their dependence on government or anyone else. This is precisely what I am doing.” As one climbs uphill, one encounters valleys also, but we have to focus on the peak - “destination: man”. Sometimes the clouds will hide the peak; but sometimes peak after peak will open up. The fervour to go higher and higher has to be sustained . Community development work is usually equated with the task of poverty eradication. But I am not interested in distributing equally a small loaf of bread; I would like to make that loaf bigger and give share that will be enough for everyone. My cherished ideal is wealth and prosperity. I think I am reaching the highest peak as management of government canals and watershed projects are being handed over to farmers: These are tangible results of the schemes which I was instrumental in planning. And still I can see before me a several shining peaks of sustainable prosperity that others should now strive to reach. Today in my journey downhill, I am thinking of many colleagues and people from the villages whom I came to know in the last five decades: Dudabhai from Luvarsal, Lakhamanbhai from Sendarda and Muljibhai from Vanthali left us long time ago. Roodabhai from Samdhiala, Harjibhai from Bamanbor, and Amrutbhai, Iqubalbhai, and Bhuriben from North Gujarat. The list is endless. As if a treasure of buried gems is opening up in front of us. Whom shall I remember from and whom shall I leave out? But I must mention one name: late Mr D.A. Anandpura. It would be ungrateful of me not to mention him. I am going to always miss him.. Even as I turn eighty today, I still do not feel that I am moving away from my chosen field of work. I know that I will never be able to refuse an invitation from the DSC, or Gujarat or Central Government . When I had left Amreli, a budding poet and my colleague in the District Panchayat, Ramesh Parekh, had written the following lines when I was laying down in 1969 the office of District Development Officer, Amereli. You have moved away but have not left us Your name has been engraved in stone. Just as I have gone back to Amreli time and again, when someone calls me for supporting participatory approach, I know my response would only be “I am coming”. People who have set up and nurtured an organisation at late age, given it the shape and the direction, , will naturally be concerned about its future, but I am not. DSC’s professional team has developed sound understanding of the goals of the organisation and built capacities to meet them under the leadership of Mr Sachin Oza. In the final analysis, it is in the interest of the organisation that it be managed by a full time professional rather than an honorary chairman. Furthermore, luckily for me and for DSC, Mr Vijay Mahajan was selected as my successor and he consented to take charge. I feel confident that his excellent education, long-term vision, and wide experience will take DSC to new heights. When the gradual descent has started, until I reach the bottom of the valley, I hope I will have in my two hands the flags of creativity and joy. Before I finish, let me share with you a picture that I visualize on today’s special event. After illuminating various parts of the earth, as the full moon is slowly fading in the west and disappearing in the vast waters of the ocean; on the eastern horizon the sun is slowly appearing offering with its festive rays a message of hope and cheer .  Speech delivered by Shri Anil C. 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