Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya’s philosophy of ‘Integral Humanism’ articulated the idea more clearly. Among the numerous quotes on the subject, the clearest was, “It is essential, therefore, to use up that portion of the available natural resources which nature itself will be able to recoup easily. …
From our Independence to approximately 2010, the greatest problem with developmental work was that they were discussed and formulated at the National level with inputs from the Districts and States – but without people's participation. This ‘top-down’ approach ignored core local issues and the requirements of the particular area. It also ignored awakening a sense of ownership and initiative in the people involved. As a result, these cost-intensive rural development schemes were unable to achieve their objectives. As Pt. Deendayalji had said, "The process of development begins from the bottom and moves to the top. The roots of our nation lie in rural India. So the development of our society and country must begin from the rural area." People's participation and initiative in rural projects increase their scope, stability and success rate.
The Government, both at the Centre and the States appear to have recognised the problem, and have initiated a dialogue at the grassroots to try and bridge the gap. Although there are still large gaps, and much lacunae, there is progress.
