Dear All, The email by Mr. Dayanidhi Marandi describing the efforts put up by a group of individuals to improve the conditions in his village appeals to me.Without any help from any one if they can bring about changes in their village and improve the earning powers of people it is remarkable. Rather than blaming every one if we can try to improve our micro environment it will have an impact. I have recently toured the Malkangiri, Koraput and Rayagada districts of Orissa to educate myself about the problem there. I find very little impact of development there. Government is almost nonfunctional in Malakangiri area.If such self help groups can be created in the villages there after identification of local youth who will take the initiative then things will improve slowly. Even 61 years after independence we do not see any visible developmkent there. So we need to think of other alternatives. While the intellectuals of this country are mostly not interested and are not getting involved we should try the model where just literate unemplyed youth can be motivated by activating self help groups then things can change. Santosh Kar
