a search for "Grameen"....on http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2003/tc20030819_4285_tc126.htm
led to this article.... http://www.tech.gfusa.org/conceptpaper.shtml http://www.gfusa.org/yunus32501.html Has anyone interacted with this organization? They are really doing good work....., it so seems! Any feedback? South India has some projects.... thanks, Partha �Micro credit can help in rural development� By Our Staff Correspondent DIBRUGARH, Sept. 28: Those closely associated with the theoretical aspects of the Indian economy, as well as those applying these in real life, have a common conclusion: that for real rural development, micro credit to the farming society is a compulsion. And that, the Bangladeshi model suits India well. This is the gist of the deliberations at a two-day seminar at the Dibrugarh University, which concluded on Thursday. The seminar was on �Rural indebtedness in North East India: pre and post liberalization scenario,� and was organised by the varsity�s department of economics, with logistical help from Nedfi, NEC and NABARD. Those who spoke at the two-day event are all masters in their fields: Dr Jayanta Madhav, Prof. R Mehrotra, Emeritus Professor at the Sagar University, Prof. Robin Kumar Chowdhury, formerly of the Gauhati University, and 102 other economists and academics, all of whom are doing notable work in economics and finance. The organisers invited Prof. Mohammed Yunus, the guru of micro credit in Bangladesh. Though he could not make it to Dibrugarh due to pressing preoccupation, he sent a note on the activities of the Gramin Bank of Bangladesh. The bank has managed to transform the rural scenario in several Bangladesh provinces through its small loans to farmers. Prof Yunus mentioned in his note that the massive transformation of the poorest in Bangladesh contributed much to the overall well being of society at large. Speaking at the inaugural session, Dibrugarh MP Paban Singh Ghatowar said micro credit to farmers in the form of Kisan Credit Cards is a viable experiment and that this needed to be fully implemented. He was critical of several banks in being uncooperative in extending small, short-term loans to farmers. �Unless our farmers get some financial assistance, it is no use talking about scientific farming and mechanized agriculture,� he observed. Sri R P Kharpuri of the North Eastern Council observed that economic progress does not threaten any indigenous culture, and that the frustration in the region�s rural areas is mostly due to economic poverty. He gave an account of the functioning of the NEC and how the body is working in areas of planning and development of the eight northeastern States. Prof Atul Sarmah, vice chancellor of Arunachal University also felt that the financial institutions in India have not come up with adequate micro credit schemes for small farmers. He called for a change in the mindset of the bankers, and �take a leaf out of the lessons of the Gramin Bank of Bangladesh.� He was of the opinion that unless the financial institutions establish market linkages to their banking norms, banks would continue to be viewed upon as lending bodies for the moneyed persons alone. In his deliberations, Prof Mehrotra said the failure of the cooperative credit structure led to the emergence of regional rural banks. He referred to the findings of the Khusro Committee and Narasimhan Committee and used these to analyze the failures and weaknesses of rural micro credit in India. He said he is hopeful that in the post liberalization era, banks would view rural micro credit with a new pair of spectacles. �This should infuse new strengths in the rural credit structure,� he said. At the end of the two-day deliberations, it was generally agreed to that extending loans to the poor farmers does not mean that their conditions have improved. Several speakers called for sound finance management in order to service the debts. This calls for persuasion and motivation of the farmers with a package of ideas and examples, opined the speakers. They also agreed that change cannot be brought about overnight, and that a long term approach to the issue is quintessential. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Gogoi, Partha" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Mahesh Baishya (E-mail)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 7:55 AM > Subject: FW: Grameen > > > Mahesh-da, > here is an email from Sanjoy-da. I have asked a few of my friends for > details on how the Grameen Tech Center has been implemented in Tamil Nadu. > Waiting for it. this Tamil guy (a batchmate) told me that their Tamil > Science Society put it together....will be nice if we can replicate some of > the usefulness in Assam/NE. > > > I met up with Binoy-da the other day at the picnic. like you said, his > simplicity really makes one like him instantly! we spoke a lot about > different ideas - I also introduced him to Tulika, the AID representative - > who has co-ordinated Sanjoy-da's trip to DC and has taken initiative to help > AID make inroads into the NE. Will write those emails to the two societies > soon. > > Cheers, > Partha > > -----Original Message----- > From: Sanjoy Hazarika > Sent: Friday, September 26, 2003 3:07 PM > To: Gogoi, Partha > Subject: Re: Grameen > > > during my various trips to bangladesh i have met people from > grameen. dr. yunus is the founder and they are internationally > respected. have won many awards and are replicated across the > world for their focus on women. sanjoy da > From: Gogoi, Partha Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 5:25 PM To: Mahesh Baishya (E-mail); Monalisa Bora (E-mail); Krishanu Kaushik (E-mail); Sanjoy Hazarika (E-mail); Shantikam Hazarika (E-mail); Atul Sarma (E-mail); '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'; Debo Gogoi (E-mail); Mitra Kalita (E-mail); Nitin Sood (E-mail 2); Gutchians (E-mail) Cc: Assam DC Metro (E-mail) Subject: Grameen Tech Center a search for "Grameen"....on http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2003/tc20030819_4285_tc126.htm led to this article.... http://www.tech.gfusa.org/conceptpaper.shtml http://www.gfusa.org/yunus32501.html Has anyone interacted with this organization? They are really doing good work....., it so seems! Any feedback? South India has some projects.... thanks, Partha ===== Partha Gogoi Fairfax, VA __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam
