%0 Journal article %A Ghosh, Arun and %I Sameeksha Trust %D 1997 %G English %@ 0012-9976 %@ 2349-8846 %~ Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Kunstbibliothek %T Literacy Campaign, Land Literacy and Watershed Development %V 32 %J Economic and Political Weekly %V 32 %N 6 %P 280-288 %U https://www.jstor.org/stable/4405071 %X

Even political organisations with the best of intentions and honesty believe in 'doing good' to the deprived in accordance with their perceptions, subconsciously shunning community empowerment for fear of losing influence. Such groups would prefer to depend on their elected candidates bound by party discipline to follow their dictates. Unfortunately, this is today the reality in West Bengal, which has otherwise made good progress on the rural front. The only viable alternative is to pursue a protracted rural campaign of various interlinked facets. This should encompass literacy, health, land literacy and participatory planning and development. Such an effort is certain to generate confidence, articulation and the capacity of the people to press for their rightful dues. The emerging democratic awareness and power of the rural electorate will boost this process of empowerment and self-reliance substantially. Some space has also now been created by those in power, maybe for motives of their own, for starting such a campaign. Socially motivated voluntary organisations and political groups with faith in secularism and democracy should grasp this opportunity.

%Z https://katalog.skd.museum/Record/ai-55-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuanN0b3Iub3JnL3N0YWJsZS80NDA1MDcx %U https://katalog.skd.museum/Record/ai-55-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuanN0b3Iub3JnL3N0YWJsZS80NDA1MDcx