Musings on Development

Is Industrialization really necessary in this region? Actually, it’s hard to say whether industrialization is really necessary in any region. Here (Dhartale) I talked with a local who only corroborated what I’d heard and seen over the last few days. The land here is barren, eroded and rocky. The soil type is red and loamy and ideally suited for fruit cultivation. Orchards are more frequently seen here than farms. Being a non-labour-intensive occupation, this has resulted in lack of work for the non-landed class. It is common to find at least one member of each family in Bombay, doing some small-time job - usually sea-oriented.

Surprisingly, the employment the government has generated by building roads, fish processing centers, etc. has not helped the locals much. Most of the workers here are from neighbouring Karnataka. Is this because, as one guy said, the locals are lazy and inept and prefer easygoing jobs? It might be. Laziness is evident in every aspect of this slow (or maybe peaceful) life, right from the slow, deliberate style of talking to their lack of knowledge about their own region.

Development in a sense is necessary. The number of schools, health facilities and other essential services is really low. But will industrialization help this? The Dabhol Power Company we saw seems to provide well for its employees, but what about other, smaller concerns not visible to the media?

The locals seem opposed to the industrialization path due to the change and instability it will bring in their lives and environment. They seem indifferent to the employment it would generate.

It is tough to predict what the result of industrialization would be. At any rate, the path the Central and State governments have chosen will ensure that a cycle trek a few years hence over our route would enjoy half the countryside we saw and half the boat rides we had. They might also receive half the hospitality we experienced.