The attainment of independence brought with it the challenge of development - equitable growth and economic regeneration of a depleted country. This experiment fired the imagination of scientists. A scene on Homi Bhabha shows how scientists were involved with building institutions and self-reliance.
A trip to Bombay High underlines the fact that India has come a long way from the time when even needles were imported.
The four reporters, travelling in a car, discuss self-reliance, its different aspect and problems. The Green Revolution is often taken as an example of self-reliance in food production. How valid is this claim? We explore this issue through interviews with farmers, an agricultural scientist and an economist.
One of the inputs required by the hybrid seeds of the Green Revolution is water. The proposed system of dams on the Narmada river is expected to make available huge amounts of water for agriculture and electric power for industry. Travelling along the banks of the Narmada, we outline the controversial issues involved. These include the problems of rendering people homeless, the loss of forests, and arguments regarding the economic feasibility.
Independent India has seen various achievements. The application of new technologies have shown results, yet often the price is heavy in the long run, and the benefits inequitable. All this points to the need for greater awareness and participation on the part of the people in the development process.
A recent example of people's involvement in local development is the Baliraja dam in a Maharashtra village. Here, in a drought-prone area, people have formed a water users' co-operative. The first political stage of their struggle is over, but the real test lies ahead. Now they must adopt new technologies to use limited water, to stabilise and develop their agriculture; they must make the co-operative work equitably.
A song reminds us that while we cannot change the past, it is upto us to shape our future.
