Role of Youth in Rural Development
The backwardness and development of our rural areas have invited the attention of not only the planners but also those who are interested in all round development of India also. There are numerous schemes the most important of them is the Community Development Programmes.
Crash programmes have not appreciably raised the standard of the rural classes. The insanitary conditions and the inadequate provision of housing facilities and other means of living have made all to realize that improvement of rural areas is impossible unless an all out effort is made on a war footing. In this connection, the youth who are the citizens of tomorrow have a vital role to play.
Most Indians live in villages. In fact about 80 percent of our total population is involved in agriculture. Most of them have no knowledge of modern techniques of agriculture. What the rural society expects from the priviledged youth of India who live in urban areas is that they come and educate the people in the villages.
No one can expect the youth of rural areas to know all about the latest technological developments in the world and the urban youth cannot be expected to go and do manual labour in the village.
The growth of unemployment in the country compels the youth to stop their flight to urban areas in search of jobs. They can start cottage and small scale industries in the rural areas with the help of finance from banks and co-operate farming agencies etc.
Regarding social problems, the prevalence of untouch-ability has been an eye sore for many years. The lack of education in the villages has been greatly responsible for the lack of change in the attitude of the “upper classes”. The youth can engage themselves in educating the adults.
The illiterate masses living in rural India often fall prey to false political propaganda. The students can educate them to exercise their valuable privileged votes in the right way. All this awaits service from the students in urban areas.
