isgp may knowledge grow in our hearts applying spiritual principles to development practice

8/22/2019 ISGP May Knowledge Grow in Our Hearts Applying Spiritual Principles to Development Practice

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May Knowledge

Grow in our Hearts:Applying Spiritual Principlesto Development Practice

Te Case of Seva Mandir

InstItuteFor

studIes In

Global ProsPerIty

Occasional Papers on

Insight and Practice: 2


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May Knowledge

Grow in our Hearts:Applying Spiritual Principlesto Development Practice

Te Case o Seva Mandir

Institute or Studies in Global Prosperity, Inc.Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved


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We need a new language that opens the door o

understanding; not a language o power and domi-

nation, but a language that emerges rom the deptho our sel-discovery, o discovering ourselves as an

inseparable part o a whole that is the cradle o the

miracle o lie. I we manage to provoke such a shit,

we may still experience the satisaction o having

brought about a new century worth living in.

Manred Max-Nee


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Introduction

hrough the ollowing study, the Institute or Studies in Glob-al Prosperity hopes to contribute to the worldwide discourseon social and economic development some o the insights it has

gained into the nature o development work that is cognizant oboth the spiritual and material dimensions o reality.

Te case described here, though o one organization, Seva Mandir*

(emple o Service), an organization working primarily with the

rural and tribal communities in Rajasthan, India, is representative

o the thousands o eorts that draw on spiritual principles and

scientic methods to bring about social transormation.

In its attempts to describe, rom the perspective o Seva Mandir

sta, the nature o the work that they undertake and the chal-

lenges they ace, this document discusses the meaning and

implications o working or the common good, a goal that is

present in Seva Mandir programs in areas such as orestry, health,

and education. Particularly, it tries to capture the way those who

* For more inormation about Seva Mandir, see Appendix III.


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work or the organization apply the concept o interconnected-

ness to all o their activities. Te interconnectedness o all things,

a principle that transcends the physical and visible relationshipsthat exist among phenomena and includes a spiritual connection,

can be considered the organizing principle around which all Seva

Mandir activities revolve.

Te Institutes ultimate aspiration in preparing this document

is to contribute to the eorts made by individuals, groups and

organizations around the world to engender a new consciousness

o how science and religion can work together to create a more

humane and just world.

A Discourse on Science, Religion and Development

Tis study was carried out in the context o a growing body o

knowledge related to development that emphasizes the positive

eects that spiritual values, derived rom religion, have on eortsdedicated to the empowerment o a population to act as the main

protagonist o its own progress. Despite the skepticism o those

researchers and planners who may oppose the incorporation o

religious values in the development paradigm, there is consensus

among many theoreticians and practitioners that i the eld o

development continues to ignore the spiritual dimension o the

human being and the cultural, transcendental and religious as-

pects o peoples and societies, it will ail to bring prosperity to hu-

mankind. Eorts made during the past years by the Institute or

Studies in Global Prosperity to introduce to the broad discourse

on development a stream o thought and practice that promotes a

spiritual perspective on the advancement o civilization have been

inspired by the work o like-minded institutions, or example,

Te International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in

Canada. One particular study published by this organization, Te

Introduction


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Lab, the emple, and the Market: Refections at the Intersection o

Science, Religion and Development, that brings together the views

o scientists rom our dierent systems o religious belie (Hindu-ism, Christianity, Islam, and the Bah Faith) on issues related to

development, has provided a major part o the theoretical back-

ground or the Institutes eorts in the promotion o a discourse

on science, religion and development.

Te present publication expands on ideas presented in Te Lab, the

emple, and the Marketand two additional documents prepared

by the Institute. Te rst is a concept paper titled Science, Religion

and Development: Some Initial Considerationsand the second Sci-

ence, Religion and Development: Some Aims and Challenges(here-

ater reerred to as the Aims and Challenges document). In the

rst document the Institute brings together the results o a year-

long conversation with development thinkers and practitioners in

India on the state o development thought and practice. Te ideas

and principles expressed in this document have animated thediscourse on science, religion and development that the Institute

has promoted in several countries during the past ew years. Te

second document was prepared in response to the expressed wish

o a number o the organizations involved in the discourse in In-

dia to better articulate their own experiences in applying spiritual

principles to their daily work. It consists o ve statements, which

assisted the participating organizations to describe how they draw

upon spiritual principles and employ scientic methods in their

work and to reect on a ew o their common aims as well as some

o the challenges that they regularly ace in putting their ideals

into action.

Tis paper is an account o the reections o Seva Mandir sta

in response to the questions posed in the Aims and Challenges

Introduction


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document*. Te study was carried out over a period o ve weeks

during November and December 2009 and involved a series o re-

ection meetings conducted by two acilitators rom the Institutewith sta and collaborators o Seva Mandir rom various levels

o the organization. In these meetings the Aims and Challenges

document was studied and the questions posed in it were used to

stimulate discussion and reection. Below is a summary o the

ve statements:

Science, Religion and Development: Some Aims and Challenges

Te rst statement in the Aims and Challenges document reers

to the oneness o mankind both as a spiritual principle and as one

o the major aims o social and economic development. It men-

tions some o the challenges that organizations ace as they design

and implement programs that, though inspired by this principle,

also strive to strengthen the will o the people to struggle to

transorm their own environment. Participants reecting on thisstatement are thus encouraged to explore the apparent contradic-

tions between creating unity and struggling or bringing about

change. Tey are then asked to examine the way they incorporate

in their own programs principles such as reciprocity, cooperation

and interconnectedness, and to reect on the direction they give

to the struggles in which they accompany the people with whom

they work.

Te second statement addresses the question o individual trans-

ormation and structural change. It questions two prevalent

ideologies o social changethat social transormation is a mere

outcome o the upgrading o the individual and that no change

is possible unless social structures, mainly those related to mat-

ters o political power, are rst changed. Te statement proposes

* For a ull version o this document, see Appendix II.

Introduction


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that lasting change can only result rom simultaneous eorts to

transorm both the individual and society. o gain insights into

how Seva Mandir addresses this question, sta and collaboratorswere asked to examine their activities and programs in terms o

the changes they promote at the level o the individual and the

way they aect structural change in their areas o inuence.

Knowledge is the main theme o the third statement o the

document. Many development organizations recognize that the

generation and application o knowledge, rather than economic

activity, is the central process o social existence. Development

is not viewed as the mere delivery o goods and services to the

disadvantaged, but as the process that enables the people o the

world, the major protagonists o change, to acquire knowledge

and to apply it to the shaping o their own aairs. Ater reading

this statement, participants are asked to discuss how their organi-

zation strives to bring knowledge to bear on the problems o the

populations it serves.

Te ourth statement ocuses on a conception o the human being

which reects both a material nature, inherited rom millions o

years o physical evolution, and a spiritual one that has gradually

made it possible or human beings to rise above the exigencies o

animal existence and mere physical survival. Te assertion that

development theory and practice must give urgent attention to

the spiritual dimension o human existence arises rom such an

understanding o human nature, and this statement invites par-

ticipants to reect on how this conception inorms their work.

As an enterprise that is envisioned to bring prosperity to the entire

human race, development is oten concerned with processes that

lead to the generation and distribution o wealth. Tis concept,

however, has been treated contradictorily in every period o social

Introduction


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evolution. Some ideologies have conceived o wealth as the cor-

rupter o the human soul while others have venerated it as the

ultimate dispenser o happiness. Te th and nal statement inthe Aims and Challenges document suggests that the concept o

wealth needs to be re-examined in the context o a development

process that contributes to the spiritual and material advance-

ment o the human race. In this regard, participants are invited

to discuss how their organizations programs strive to meet the

ollowing conditions, which, based on spiritual principles, make

the acquisition o personal wealth acceptable: Wealth must be

earned through honest work, physical or intellectual, and its

acquisition by the individual must not be the cause, no matter

how indirectly, o the impoverishment o others. Moreover, the

legitimacy o material possessions depends equally on how they

are earned and how they are used. One should enjoy the ruits o

ones labors and expend ones wealth not only or the good o ones

amily but also or the welare o society.

Te nature o the responses

Beore presenting the results o the discussions with Seva Mandir

sta, a ew words have to be said about the nature o the language

being used here to analyze these responses. Clearly, the language

used by the sta to describe their work did not correspond di-

rectly with the language used in the documents presented by the

Institute. Dierent people used dierent words to describe the

very deep and complex issues that were being discussed in the

meetings. Moreover, no attempt was made in such conversations

to dene precisely the terms that were being used. Some elt more

comortable with words that have less religious connotations and

preerred to reer to terms such as ethical, human, and social to

describe the concepts that were being discussed. Others were

more at ease with religious terminology. Tose in the Institute

Introduction


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who analyzed the responses had to try to penetrate the meaning

that each participant was trying to convey and understand it in

the context o the kind o activity they were describing. What ol-lows, then, is the Institutes understanding o these conversations

in a language that it eels conveys in a consistent way the ideas

that were discussed. Introduction


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Spiritual principles or a better society

Where there is the darkness o ignorance, it is there that SevaMandir should reach out. Tis phrase uttered by Mr.Mohan S. Mehta, ounder o Seva Mandir, echoes loudly in

the minds o many o his organizations sta. One member o aSeva Mandir village development committee explained that this

phrase paired with Seva Mandirs sloganService, devotion,

revolutioncaptures the organizations philosophy well. We

want our children to receive education, to have a green orest, to

live with truthulness, love and unity. We want to advance. Tis is

our purpose, he explained.

Love, unity and truthulness eatured prominently among the

spiritual values to which Seva Mandir sta and collaborators

requently reerred throughout the conversations that were held

at dierent moments and at dierent levels o the institution.

Educating the younger generations was reerred to as one o its

goals; preserving the environment as another. For many o those

who work at Seva Mandir, all o these aims are grouped together

under one overarching purpose: learning to work or the common


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goodan aspiration that reects the organizations perception o

spiritual and material progress.

o work or the common good, many emphasized, requires an

awareness o the interconnectedness o all things, a principle that

is present throughout all o creation. Seva Mandir sta and collab-

orators believe that their programs have gained their vision, direc-

tion, and impetus rom the recognition o this spiritual principle.

According to Mr. Mohan Singh Kothari, a long-standing collabo-

rator and a member o its board o trustees, such consciousness

reinorces and is in turn deepened by the actions people take or

the common good: An awareness o interconnectedness gener-

ates motivation to work with others or the well-being o all, and

every action taken in concert with others in turn expands and

deepens this sense o interconnectedness. Spirituality, thus, is not

conceived o merely in terms o the personal, but as an aspect

o the human being that expresses itsel in the love and concern

people eel or one another. Spirituality has to do with collec-tive well-being, not just individual well-beingwe try to bring

this into society, said Mr. Hemraj Bhati, Seva Mandirs general

secretary. Spiritual and material progress, then, are achieved when

members o a community, convinced o the interconnectedness o

creation, engage in action that transcends individual interest and

benets the whole.

In working with communities to dene, protect, and preserve

collective assets such as pasturelands and orests, Seva Mandir

puts this vision o spirituality into action. Eorts in this area

draw to the ore another dimension o interconnectednessthe

understanding that nature and human beings are part o a single,

interconnected creation. Resources o nature are the property o

all, a trust, according to Mr. Kothari, that the present generation

holds or uture generations:

Spiritual principlesor a better society


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Spirituality says that all assets belong, depending on whatlanguage you are speaking, to God, or to the earth, Mother

Earth, and they are not or exploitation or personal gain at the

cost o the deterioration o those assets. Tere is a theme song

o Seva Mandir: Sampurn srishti mandir manav.It means that

we regard the whole creation as a temple. Now, in a temple,

you dont desecrate ityou dont misuse it or steal rom it.

Sta who participated in the meetings requently made mention

o love and empathy as two pivotal values in Seva Mandirs work.

Ms. Neelima Khetan, the chie executive ocer o the organiza-

tion, reerred to love as a undamental element o Seva Mandirs

approach to education. She used the example obalwadispre-

school level educational centers promoted by the organization

to illustrate this idea:

I you boil it down, its a relationship between a woman and

small children. I you have love there, you can do anything,

but i there is no love, little children will not come. You can

give them toys, you can give them ood, but i there is no love

they will not come. Love is present in everything, but in the

balwadi it is so apparent. It will not work and somehow in

whatever we do, we have been able to invoke the love in the

sanchalika(balwadi in-charge).

Another sta member rom Badgaon block provided a concrete

example o how members o this committee try to show love

and empathy even towards those who may at a given moment

be harming the common good. I a person takes odder rom the

common land beore it is distributed, he mentioned, the village

committee will meet with him and try to elevate his understand-



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ing*. He emphasized that the committee will try to resolve the

matter without using violence or orce. He added that by showing

love and by preserving unity in its problem-solving approaches,the committee sets an example o how rank and loving consulta-

tion can serve as a tool or solving problems.

Some members o Seva Mandir sta reerred to the connection

that exists between Seva Mandirs understanding o love, empathy

and interconnectedness and Mahatma Gandhis philosophy and

worldview. Ms. Khetan spoke o this connection in the ollowing

manner:

In terms o theory, one question is Where is the problem? I

you theorize development in terms o the state has not done

this, then it is the otherizing o the problem. Tat will lead to

solutions o a dierent kind. But suppose your analysis is say-

ing that maybe we are all part o the problem, then it is not

that there is someone who is the exploiter and another personwho is exploitedTere are no black or white categories.

Maybe there was a time when you could lay blamemaybe

in the reedom strugglebut even then, Gandhi resisted call-

ing the British the enemy. So how do we today go and do it

when there isnt even some [group like the] British to go and

point ngers at?

As illustrated by the above comments, Seva Mandir sta does not

conceive o interconnectedness, love, and empathy as abstract

ideas, but as aspects o human existence that are maniest in

every-day human behavior. Te application o spiritual principles

* Te odder needs to grow or a certain amount o time beore it is considered by thecommunity to be ready or distribution. I people ignore the rules and the odder is cut

prematurely, it will not grow properly and the community will not be able to benet asmuch as i the odder had been allowed to grow to maturity.



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to the practical aspects o lie, however, requires the adoption o

methods that are consistent with such principles.



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Building consensus throughopen and rank dialogue

In their comments, Seva Mandir sta and collaborators ex-pressed the view that the means o social change need to beconsistent with the ends. o express the spiritual reality o onenessin our social lives we need to adopt approaches that are uniying

rather than divisive. According to Mr. Kothari, enduring social

change can only be achieved through processes o consensus

building. Consensus building requires people to eel empathy, he

emphasized, drawing attention to the way that conrontation can

obstruct eorts to bring about deeper changes in the hearts and

minds o people: Troughout the history o all these spiritual

people that we have heard about, or know about, he said, you

will nd casesrom Christ to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

that when you see someone who is a wrongdoer, you dont hate

him, you dont conront him; you change his heart, because these

things require a change o heart and a change o heart cannot be

brought about by these sudden revolutions.


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In order or these ideas to become a reality rather than a mere

enunciation o hope, certain methods are required. Pivotal among

these is the employment o rank and open dialogue. Tis is nosmall eat in a social context in which ones age, gender, class, or

caste usually determine whose opinion matters and whose voice

is heard. Te groups and committees that Seva Mandir creates

at the level o the grassroots provide spaces in which many o

these principles are enacted. It is in such spaces that consensus is

built among those who participate in the organizations dierent

programs. According to Mr. Kothari the sense o togetherness is

intensied in people when they come together to discuss common

issues, express their points o view openly, and advance in their

collective understanding o these issues. As people express their

opinions reely and listen to one another, they realize that the

collective good does not contradict the interests o the individual.

For people to talk to one another openly, they need to respect each

other. Te preservation o the dignity o the individual is thus one

o the aims o the groups that are being ormed by Seva Mandir.Empathy and respect must be expressed in peoples speech and in

the way they interact with one another.

Regarding this matter, a member o the village development com-

mittee o Malaria said:

When there is conict among the committee members, even

i it is with one person, then it will aect everyone else. So to

prevent this, we are very careul about the way we speak to the

villagers and to one another. We make sure to be considerate

o each others eelings.

Ms. Khetan explained how Seva Mandir sta strive to maintain

the dignity o people under all circumstances. Even i an indi-

vidual or a department is behaving poorly in some way, she said,

Building consensusthrough open and

rank dialogue


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rather than labeling the respective party as bad, the behavior

itsel is addressed. Te ollowing example given by her illustrates

this point:

Even when there were corruption cases in Seva Mandir, the

way we have dealt with those involved has not been to demean

them and show that they are thieves. I think that there has

been a lot o eort put into trying to understand why this

person deviated rom the path. Why did they cheat or become

corrupt? I we had to part ways, it has not been done in a

vindictive way. We have not tried to get their money; it has

been very civilized. Even ater theyve gone, weve sometimes

taken them back when we elt that there was true remorse on

that side.

Seva Mandir has played a key role in creating the conditions or

ree and rank dialogue and an environment where everyones

opinions are heard. Te organization has set guidelines regardingthe way the committees and the sel-help groups it creates oper-

ate, and it trains the members o these groups and committees

and ollows their progress. Te ollowing example provided by a

sta member rom Badgaon illustrates the role that Seva Mandir

workers play in acilitating these group discussions:

It happened that hal o the people in one o the village

development committees wanted to allocate money to build

a community hall, and the other hal didnt. But [the ormer]

hal didnt want to speak because they were araid o breaking

the unity o the committee. However, they discussed it and

Seva Mandir played a acilitating role to enable rank discus-

sion and to make sure that peoples opinions were heard and

consensus was reached. Finally they all decided to allocate

Building consensusthrough open andrank dialogue


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money rom the village development und to build the com-

munity hall.

Building consensusthrough open and

rank dialogue


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Creating structures that reect noble values

o bring about change, Seva Mandir has chosen constructivework*. Tis includes developing the capacities o the people,said a sta member rom the Natural Resource Development unit.

Such constructive work, he urther explained, involves encour-aging people to come together, consult, and work in cooperation

with one another. Te progress o both the individual and society

has always been the main objective o Seva Mandir. We do noble

work, and noble work should be done in a noble manner.

But to carry out noble work, structures that reect noble values

are needed. Good individuals will not accomplish much in society

i they are obliged to work in institutions that do not reect the

values that they cherish. How can people work or justice through

structures based on injustice? How can equality between men

and women be established when the institutions o society are

governed by norms that discriminate against women? o make

sure that those who participate in its programs can pursue their

* Te concept o constructive work was developed by Mahatma Gandhi. It was based on

the idea that the people themselves had to work or their own social, economic and moraldevelopment.


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noble goals, Seva Mandir creates spaces at the level o the grass-

roots that are governed by norms such as justice, collaboration

and cooperation:

Tese kinds o platorms are created or people to come

together. Nothing can be done in a vacuum. You cant just

talk about this. You have to create a place where people can

practice these qualities. (A sta member o the Women and

Child Development unit)

Te constructive work aspect has helped peoplesocial

transormation through constructive work. Doing something,

seeing the benet o that change, adding to your condence,

through that process also cleaning up whatever internal con-

tradictions are there, and then demanding changes in the

structure. (Neelima Khetan)

In Seva Mandir, working togetherbrings about a lot o con-quering o the ego without any bombshells coming rom any-

where. Te same applies to groupsthe ego will be questioned

and gets rectied automatically. (Mohan Singh Kothari)

Spaces o this nature also provide all community members with

the opportunity to participate in and benet rom the activities

that are being organized. Seva Mandirs eorts to ensure inclusiv-

ity through universal participation are derived rom the recog-

nition o the principle o interconnectedness. Acting according

to this principle implies ensuring that programs reach everyone,

particularly the poorest members o the community. We try to

reach where the government does not, said a sta member rom

Badgaon block. In cases where a amily or an individual is ex-

tremely poor, the rst opportunities are given to them, a member

o a village development committee o Dulavaton ka Guda ex-

Creatingstructures

that refectnoble values


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plained. Everyone sits together and prioritizes. We see who needs

what, which household really needs more, who is younger, who

is older. We make a plan to give benets to the weaker ones rst,oered another member o a committee rom Malaria village.

Ms. Swati Patel, in charge o the Women and Child Develop-

ment unit at Seva Mandir, expanded more on the role that the

village development committee plays in ensuring that all action

is directed towards collective well-being. According to her, Seva

Mandir has aced situations in which people have wanted to work

only or their own sel-interest or that o a small group o people.

For instance, on one occasion a ew prominent individuals work-

ing at the grassroots were asked to make bathrooms, wells, hand

pumps, or cattle sheds which were expected to benet everyone.

Yet they made only a ew o these items or their own benets.

We saw, she commented, that otentimes people werent able

to see beyond their own sel-interest or beyond that o a certain

group o people. Most people could not tap into these benets sowe decided to orm these village committees, most o which have

about 12 members.

According to its sta, the committees and groups ulll several

objectives or Seva Mandir. First, their existence at the level o

the villages implies more opportunities or the participation o

larger numbers o people. Tis means that new people in the vil-

lages have access to knowledge and resources that have tradition-

ally been in the hands o a ew. In addition to this, through their

participation in these groups, people learn to work together in

an environment o mutuality. Capacity is built at the level o the

villages to assume greater responsibility or their own progress and

to learn rom experience.

Creatingstructuresthat refectnoble values


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Seva Mandir sta and collaborators described how these groups

and committees serve as spaces where social issues are discussed,

community needs are addressed, and plans or action are designed.Trough their participation in these spaces more and more people

come to take responsibility or the development o their villages.

Village committees are responsible or providing leadership and

managing a variety o local development activities including

convening village meetings, monitoring and evaluating ongoing

development work, paying village-level workers associated with

Seva Mandir, and acilitating interaction with ormal government

bodies.

Mr. Kamal Lal Ahari, a member o the village development com-

mittee o Madla, oered the ollowing on this subject:

Earlier the proposals or development would come rom the

government, but now with the help and training received

rom Seva Mandir, we are able to design our own develop-ment programs based on our needs and the requirements

o the village and then we are able to propose these to the

government, through thepanchayat(village council, a govern-

ment body) and gram sabha (village assembly). Te village

people themselves have made the village development com-

mittee; the entire community looks at the problems, consults

on them, reects on them and then takes the proposal to the

government.

A member o the village development committee o Dulavaton ka

Guda village commented:

Beore we had a village development committee we used to

only meet to discuss unerals and weddings. But now we

Creatingstructures

that refectnoble values


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have a platorm that enables us to meet every month and dis-

cuss a range o issues.

Creatingstructuresthat refectnoble values


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Adopting new attitudes

hose who participated in the reection meetings or thisstudy reiterated many times that the best and most appropri-ate social structures will not ulll their purpose unless people are

empowered, their vision and consciousness is raised, and they areenabled to possess the qualities, skills and intellectual capabilities

that allow them to work or the common good. But what qualities

and attitudes should people who wish to work or the betterment

o society acquire? How are these qualities developed? Tere is a

termmanviya mulyaor spiritual qualities or human values:

truthulness, dedication, sacrice, responsibility, collective ben-

et, said Mr. Abhishek Jain, a sta member rom Jhadol block.Ms. Lakshmi Takur o the Women and Child Development unit,

reerred to another important aspect o the work. raining,

and more training, she said. I you want to change the mindset

o the people and bring about change without violence and con-

ict, you have tochange their way o thinking. Tat can only

be done through training. It is through these trainings, according

to one o the members o a village development committee in


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Dulavaton ka Guda, that people develop within themselves the

desire to stand up and become champions o justice.

Over time there has been a great improvement in the under-

standing o the villagers. Trough meetings people are made

aware o their rights and responsibilities, and this also helps.

People are aware o the development and changes taking place;

they are made aware o these through meetings and trainings.

Working or gender equality is an important area o work or

Seva Mandir. When we orm committees we say we need ty

percent women. In the beginning we couldnt reach that, but now

its happening, Mr. Jain explained. In Seva Mandirs work we

believe that without the participation o women, no work can

be accomplished. When women have a role in decision making,

then change can come. But to achieve equality, attitudes towards

women and commonly held ideas about their status in society

have to change. Educating both men and women about gen-

der equality is an important aspect o Seva Mandirs work. As

Ms.Patel explained, We talk to the men-olk and nd out why

this is a problem? What can we do about it? Why do we behave

this way? Why is it mainly against women that there is this savage,

violent behavior?

We pose the same questions to women, she said and urther

explained:

We try to raise awareness by showing them that they need

to stand up against violence. Just because there is this belie

thatpatiisparmeshwar(husband is lord), that doesnt mean

that the wie should accept everything. We had a workshop

with 30 women, and asked them about violence; they said it

Adopting newattitudes


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is accepted that the men hit them. I you dont put enough

salt in the ood, then your husband is going to beat you. Te

attitude was, What can we do? I we did something wrongthen the husband will hit us. We deserved it because we did

the wrong thing, and what can I do about it? So when we saw

the situation, we decided to ask some other older women who

had experienced similar violence to speak to them about why

it is wrong. Ater this, there was a change. Tis was a way in

which we raised among these women the awareness o what

they can do about violence and that they should also not per-

petuate it, because in the way that they educate their children

or daughters-in-law they teach them to expect it.

According to Ms. Patel, although the establishment o equality

between men and women requires changes in the attitudes o

every member o society, special attention has to be paid to the

uture generations: A ew years ago, a 15-year-old boy told me

that I my wie makes a mistake I will hit her. When I heardthis, I realized that i this is his thought process now, then later on

when we work with these men, o what use will it be?

But equality between men and women cannot be established in a

society that is permeated by other kinds o prejudices. Tere are

two levels o unityunity between women and men, and unity

between women o dierent backgrounds, added Ms. Patel.

Tere are a lot o prejudices between womenyou are Johar, she

is Adivasi, you are Meghwal (dierent castes). But i the women

arent rst unied, then how can we ever struggle or equality with

men? Seva Mandir tries to eliminate these prejudices by creat-

ing bonds o riendship among people: Te Kaya raining Centre

helped a lot because the rule was that all have to eat together, and

all the women have to sleep in the same roomit was not that the

Brahmins (considered the highest caste) would eat separately



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otherwise they wouldnt sit with the others. Sometimes things are

addressed openly, sometimes indirectly, Ms. Patel explained.

She later shared an example o how the organization discovered an

indirect way to encourage younger women who were intimidated

by the attitudes o older women to participate in Seva Mandirs

programs:

Te older women would always come to the Seva Mandir pro-

grams, but we also wanted to encourage the younger women

to attend. So what we did was encourage them more by hav-

ing more programs catering to their needs, such as discussing

adolescent problems or younger womens issues, which really

didnt concern the older women...I the older women would

shout at the daughters-in-law, they wouldnt do anything or

stand up or themselves. So these programs encouraged the

daughters-in-law to know their rights and stand up or them-

selves. Also, only the younger daughters-in-law would havetheir young children come or the balwadis, so it opened a

space or Seva Mandir to work with the younger women, oth-

erwise they couldnt even leave the house. Tey made separate

groups or married and unmarried, and adolescents, to tackle

these problems also. In issues or married women, like repro-

duction, pregnancythese are younger peoples problems, so

it became very easy to encourage the younger women to come

or these programs.

Te dierent values and expectations that people hold are inu-

enced by many actors and will not change overnight. Ms. Vidhya

Bhati o the Women and Child Development unit explained, or

example, that even though Seva Mandir trainings emphasize that

people should share their ideas, ask questions, and speak, it is


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26

challenging to overcome the many other cultural actors that keep

women silent:

Peoples socialization is based on all o their interactions in

society, not just with Seva Mandir, so changing behavior is di-

cult. People sometimes go and talk to them and the women

just sit quietly. One o the rural ladies went with me to talk to

a balwadi sanchalika. And while the sanchalikawas talking, the

lady was just looking on and staring at her ace, but she wasnt

talking or contributing anything. And ater a while the sancha-

likaasked me, Does this lady have some mental problem?

Because she was just sitting there and staring blankly. Ten, o

course, I said, No, she doesnt. Once the sanchalikahad let,

I told the lady, Why werent you sharing your thoughts and

opinions? You have so much knowledge and practical experi-

ence; why didnt you share it? Te sanchalikawas telling her

exactly what she had been told in another training session, but

she was just sitting there, listening. She never explained thatshe already knew that inormation.

o deal with these challenges, then, Seva Mandir also has to direct

its attention to the amily and the community. It has to address

the culture in which men and women are immersed. According to

Mr. Devilal Katara o Jhadol block, the rst step to change culture

is to involve all members in the decisions the amily has to make,

and to begin to educate the children and treat the girl and boy

child the same way.

But to change those cultural elements that are impediments to the

ull participation o women in society is not a simple task. Various

sta members gave examples o some o the elements o the local

culture that have to change and o ways in which Seva Mandir



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addresses them:

During womens monthly menstrual cycles, they are told thatthey are dirty and must stay separate rom everyone until

their cycle ends. Tereore, we make an eort to educate these

women about the scientic causes o these monthly cycles and

help them to understand that it is not their ault in any way

and that they should not eel dirty or unwanted. (A member

o the Women and Child Development unit)

Te entire community sits together and they evaluate what are

the correct and incorrect norms and practices being ollowed

and try to bring about change. For example, child marriage

was a practice that was morally and socially incorrect so the

entire community sat together to discuss this. We now ensure

that all marriages are registered and the committee also ensures

that child marriages do not take place. (Mr. Kamal Lal Ahari)

With regard to aspects o the culture that are resilient to change,

Seva Mandir has sought to distinguish between those issues that

are to be addressed directly and those aspects o the culture that

need to be dealt with gently and worked around. A sta member

o the Women and Child Development unit remarked:

According to Rajasthani culture, women are not encouraged

to attend any event alone or unaccompanied, hence we kept

this aspect o culture in mind and when Seva Mandir orga-

nized programs or women; i men-olk wanted to accompany

them, then this was allowed. Similarly, there is also aghunghat

(veil) culture among women, so we do not insist that they

should remove theirghunghatwhen they come or activities

and workshops. We also do not criticize them or say that

ghunghatwearing is wrong, but slowly and with encourage-


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28

ment we tell them that they can share their thoughts even i

they do not want to remove theirghunghat. We use a similar

approach in the case o women who want to bring their chil-dren along with them.

In addition to seeking to change those aspects o the culture which

have been sources o oppression and injustice, Seva Mandirs work

also involves eorts to draw rom some o the positive attitudes

and values that are embedded in a regions culture. Any part o

the culture that is or the common good, the larger good, we have

adopted, explained Mr. Kothari, but we have not adopted any

part which does not t into that denition, because society has its

own superstitions, so we have to use discrimination.

An existing cultural value is the recognition o human solidarity.

Seva Mandir builds on this sense o collective identity that exists

among the people o the region; this sense lends impetus to a

desire to work or the common good. According to Mr. Kotharithere is a general eeling among the people that what is in the in-

terest o the collective ultimately proves to be in the interest o the

individual as well. I you have a proper dialogue with people, he

said, this idea is inherent somewhere in their heartsalthough

it may not be clear in todays thinking or vocabularythat what-

ever is or the larger good may also be good or me in the longer

run.

Te ollowing are Mr. Aharis words in relation to the concept o

solidarity:

Some amilies, i they dont have many people to work on

their land and are poor, they perorm handa* during the har-

* Handa is the local term or a practice whereby the villagers o a certain area come

together as a group and they go to each others homes to help one another with theirharvesting as needed.



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vest time. Tey put out the word in the village that they need

help and everyone comes to help with the harvest. Tis is part

o the culture. With weddings and unerals, too, everyonecontributes.

o preserve and to promote these values urther, Seva Mandir

uses the eective means o social communication provided by the

local culture. A ew sta members reerred to Gavri, a tribal es-

tival which involves dance-drama perormances, as a medium or

raising awareness about government campaigns, and educating

people about immunization, the environment, and aorestation.

Others spoke o how in its orestry work Seva Mandir has adopted

a cultural practice called kesar chadkao (saron sprinkling), which

involves throwing saron on trees to discourage deorestation.

Te saron, considered to lend the area an aura o sanctity, is

sprinkled by a recognized religious gure. Tey also reerred to the

useulness o sacred grovesareas o the orest in which a temple

is builtin encouraging the preservation o the orest around thetemple. Mr. Madhav ailor o the Natural Resource Development

unit observed: In the last 50 years, most o the orest has been

cut, but only the sacred groves remained. Tey even had to divert

roads around them.


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Working or the common good inthe midst o contrary orces

A

pplying spiritual principles to social processes that become

more materialistic with every passing day is not an easy task.

Endeavoring to work towards the common good in a world inwhich individuals are urged to pursue their narrow sel-interest

is challenging. Given the great inuence that individualism and

materialism have on the lives o people, it is not surprising or

Seva Mandir sta to encounter people in their work who are more

interested in their own short-term gain than in a vision o collec-

tive betterment. A ew Seva Mandir collaborators eel that during

the past years the people rom the villages have begun to lose theirsense o connectedness. As one collaborator explained, those who

participated in the projects in earlier stages had a long-term vision

o their purpose and work with Seva Mandir. According to him,

the number o people who see the payment that they receive or

their labor as an end in itsel has increased signicantly.

Aware o the diculty o controlling most outside inuences, Seva

Mandir sta try to ensure that at least the trainings they provide


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or raising up village leaders do not increase in the participants

the desire and the capacity to pursue their own sel-interest. Ms.

Takur explained this challenge in the ollowing way:

Usually when were promoting leadership programs in villages,

there are certain people whose understanding is better than

othersSo, unconsciously, one o these people gets promoted

by Seva Mandir. But then the same person goes and does just

the opposite o what he is taught. He starts working with oth-

ers, but or his own sel-interestTey dont work honestly,

they avor their own people. Its not possible to work with

everyone at the same time. You have to work with a ew people

at a time. But how do you go beyond the ew you begin work-

ing with and reach everyone? How do you prevent individuals

rom working or their own sel-interest?

In addition to raising participants awareness o the importance o

behaving in ways that will benet everyone, sta at Seva Mandirhave to address the question o nepotism at the level o the vil-

lage committees. People, especially the committee members, do

take advantage o their position and take extra benets, a Bad-

gaon sta member observed. Te village development commit-

tee sometimes wants to give the position o balwadi sanchalika

(in-charge) to their own daughters-in-law or amily members,

another member commented. So we had to develop a system to

make the process transparent...We sit with the committee, share

the sanchalikas paper with the committee and discuss why they

have chosen her.

Other members explained that, by incorporating more and more

people into its programs and raising their capacity to be able to

serve in these committees, Seva Mandir tries to avoid the cre-

ation o a group o elite who are in charge o the aairs o each

Working orthe common goodin the midst ocontrary orces


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32

community. Tey explained that through discussions held with

both committee members and the entire village Seva Mandir sta

remind villagers o the responsibility they have or the develop-ment o their communities. o ulll this responsibility, they are

to avoid ollowing anyone blindly. Te committees are there to

serve them. Tey, too, as community members should assist the

committees in their task by reminding them that the choices they

make have to be based on their moral judgment rather than on

their own interests. Putting spirituality into action, said one Seva

Mandir sta member, means acting as a responsible member o

the community.

Another challenge that Seva Mandir collaborators are aware o

is the challenge o ensuring that the promotion o qualities such

as empathy and love, and the use o methods based on building

consensus do not inadvertently lead to passivity in those who par-

ticipate in its programs. o say that one should neither express

anger towards others nor use violence is not tantamount to tellingpeople that they should be passive, merely accept what comes to

them, and not strive or change. One can struggle or justice and

yet still show empathy towards others, said Ms. Khetan. For

example, we all agree that a man has done something wrong when

hes beaten his wie, but you can conduct a conversation with him

either with empathy or with rage. For Ms. Khetan, the path to

societal improvement is long and involves many gradual and in-

cremental changes. In response to critics who may question an

approach o building on consensus rather than on conict, she

said:

You should look at it and tell uso the womens groups

youve seen, the changes youve seen, are they undamental

changes or not?You look at the Van Utthan Sangh [a ed-

eration o orest protection committees in the region created

Working orthe common good

in the midst ocontrary orces


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Working orthe common goodin the midst ocontrary orces

by Seva Mandir]it is not a small achievement that they have

altered the nature o the discourse. From a private approach to

land, they have shited it to a more common kind o owner-ship and approach. So are these shits undamental, deep, or

not?...I they are deep shits, then maybe our method may not

be that weakIt cant be just a conversation on I think this is

the theory, you think this is the theoryit has to be on social

change in practice.

Achieving consistency between the personal conduct o Seva

Mandir sta and the aims and practices they are trying to promote

in the communities the organization serves was another challenge

Seva Mandir sta and collaborators identied. In this connection,

Ms. Patel commented:

Whether you look at Seva Mandirs aims or the Women and

Child Development units aims, the rst struggle is with

yoursel. Because until we make and eel these changes withinourselves, it is hard to talk to anyone else about it. It will be

very supercial. For example, i I say that people should treat

childrenboys and girlsequally, and that is what we want

to bring about, a change in attitudes towards gender relations,

then i I dont believe in this or Im not practicing these at

home, it may become dicult to tell others to do it. It is very

empty. It is like this with any area o Seva Mandirs work. Until

we practice it ourselves, it is dicult to tell anyone else to do

it. Sometimes it does happen that we say one thing and prac-

tice another. We may yell at the servant at home, but at Seva

Mandir we say we are equal and should treat others equally.

Sometimes we do it consciously, sometimes unconsciously. It

is a big struggle, because sometimes you do one thing inside

and another thing outside. Sometimes I eel like I have di-

erent identities. In Seva Mandir I have a dierent identity.


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Working orthe common good

in the midst ocontrary orces

When Im at home it is dierent. And at my home in Pune,

my identity there is also dierent. Tere are lots o dierent

struggles.

In relation to this theme, a sta member o the Natural Resource

Development unit said the ollowing:

Sometimes we do something ourselves then go to the village

and tell them not to do it. Development isnt just or tribals;

its or us all. We have dierent masks, but we should analyze

this. Morality is not just a subject in our textbooks; what is it

in practice?

Although the challenge o achieving higher levels o consistency

between ones own behavior and the aims one espouses in ones

work with communities is inevitably great, Seva Mandir does

oer spaces or reection or its sta to meet and discuss such

challenges. Tis assists individuals to become more aware o anycontradictions that may exist and strive towards greater consis-

tency. I the sel-help group is not united, then how can they

share benets with others? I we have a contradiction, how can we

help others? asked Mr. ailor.


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May knowledge grow in my heart

Mara ghat mein upje gyan (may knowledge grow in my heart)were the words Mr. Kothari uttered, reerring to a line romthe theme song o Seva Mandir. He urther explained the mean-

ing ogyan, the Hindi word or both scientic knowledge andhigher understanding:

Te line that comes out o it is gyan. Tis is a complex word.

It means knowledge, understanding, and also a sense o the

larger good, enlightenment. Tis is all encompassed by the

word. Tis song has been sung by thousands in the Seva

Mandir programs over the years and it appeals to the higher

sense that is inherent in people. Te second line that comesis, Human lie/is an important jewel/without striving/it is

worthless. Tis means striving to have a higher understand-

ing. Tis makes sense to the people we work with even today.

Knowledge, then, in Seva Mandirs perspective, is the impulse

that drives and gives direction to change, it is the inner yearning

o the soul that drives the individual to seek understanding.


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Mr. Shailendra iwari, head o the Natural Resource Develop-

ment unit, reerred to a prayer that expresses this meaning o

knowledge:

De gyan, Saraswati Ma (give us knowledge, Mother Sara-

swati) the prayer says. It is a soul-cry. It is not simply literacy,

it is gyan. We need both Lakshmi (goddess o wealth) and

Saraswati (goddess o learning and knowledge). Te soul is

crying or knowledgeabout education, lie, the environ-

ment, everything. Gyan means exposure, which can generate

demand or development.

Where is one to nd this kind o knowledge? According to Mr.

Niranjan Ameta, a member o the Natural Resource Development

unit, the source o this knowledge is not only the major urban

centers like New Delhi, as is oten assumed. Rather, knowledge

can also be passed rom one village to another. Other members o

the sta elaborated on this idea. While local knowledge is impor-tant, they said, development eorts can benet rom combining it

with modern science, technology and other sources o knowledge

rom outside the community in an appropriate manner. Local

knowledge and outside knowledge are both used; we combine

both. We dont say only local knowledge or outside knowledge

is always good, Mr. Bhati commented. Both have a place, Ms.

Khetan added. Both bottom-up and top-down happen because

the issue o womens empowerment, not beating children, doesnt

come rom the bottom. Our society has always believed that i

you hit the children, they will study, that there is nothing wrong

with that. [Te idea that it should not be like this] was not in the

discourse. Te way the caste panchayats exclude women is not

good, nor are all local things good.

May knowledgegrow in my heart


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Sta members rom Badgaon block shared examples o how local

and scientic knowledge combine in a ew areas in which Seva

Mandir works with the community. With respect to agriculture,one o them explained:

Old seeds oer less yield, so we teach community members

how to use the new seeds using modern scientic techniques.

We are not bringing in hybrids, but are improving the ones

that exist in the local area. In the training or the traditional

birth attendants, we use scientic methods, teach them what

medical practices they should use while helping mothers

give birth, the schemes available or pregnant women, and

immunization.

Indigenous technologies are also preserved and used in Seva

Mandirs work. Mr. ulsi Ram, a sta member rom Jhadol block,

noted the ollowing with respect to some o the local technologies

used and developed by the people o the region:

Tey have so many dierent technologiesthey do a kind

o engineering to connect two streams and make a wooden

bridge between them. When the water is channeled rom di-

erent streams, they make a barrier and a third channel at a

cross point and use that to bring water to the lower elds.

Tey measure it and build a bridge across.

Mr. Katara added:

Tey have lots o dierent types o water engineering that

even engineers dont know. We combine the dierent types o

knowledgelocal and modernto give them the maximum

benet. We see how they can benet rom modern agricul-

tural technologies.


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And what is the source o spiritual knowledge? Seva Mandir stawere asked. Te source, many answered, is the common spiritual

knowledge that has been accumulated by populations throughout

the centuries. Tere is a conviction among the sta and collabora-

tors that certain principles that orm part o this knowledge are still

relevant, but at the same time, the organization is not inexible.

Tere is a constant dialogue with these ideas with the intention o

rst nding those principles or belies, especially those rom the

local culture, which have proven ecacy. Ms. Khetan remarked,

Tese are maybe principles espoused by Christ to Ramakrishnaji,

but Seva Mandir came to it not through any religion; the villagers

taught us this. It has arisen out o our experience.

Spiritual knowledge comes rom the conviction that qualities

such as love and truthulness and principles such as the oneness o

mankind are real and that they can contribute to the constructiono a better world. People in the villages possess this knowledge

because they have lived it all their lives. When the arms o some

amilies in the village were burned and the amily had nothing to

eat, the whole village got together and arranged to provide ood

grains or that amily. We think that way, a committee member

rom Bada Bhilwara explained.

A committee member in Dulavaton ka Guda stated: Human-

ity is one and God created us all. Were all Gods children, so

why these dierences? Another member rom that village com-

mented: Every person together makes up the society and each

person has to answer at the end o his lie or what he has done. I

you have ollowed the path o truth, you will nd truth.



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Naturally, making sure that a holistic conception o knowledge

permeates all o its activities has certainly not been without chal-

lenge or Seva Mandir. For one, the agency has had to strive tothink critically about its own approach in order to avoid being un-

duly swayed by the dominant discourse in the eld, and increas-

ingly by the modern educational system, which has encouraged

more proessionalization and specialization and a narrower ocus

on science. In this context, it is easy to lose sight o an integrated

understanding o knowledge or gyan. Reerring to an approach

increasingly taken by actors in the development eld, a sta mem-

ber o the Natural Resource Development unit commented:

Most ocus on only one particular sector o development, the

area in which they are specialized, and tend to ignore the other

areas. We oten lack a holistic approach in developmentwe

are ocusing too much on science.

Another member o that unit said:

We come rom an era o scientic imperialism and when we

started to implement policies, we were taught that we had

to teach the tribals, that knowledge has to be brought rom

outside. In other words, the knowledge rom the West and

centers o learning have to be brought and provided to the

villagersinstead o making eorts and encouraging people

at the grassroots to generate local knowledge. Our current

education system teaches people to work and aspire or jobs

in the cities rather than devoting ones time to agriculture in

the villages. o bring about a change in this kind o mindset

is extremely challenging, as we have rom the beginning been

brought up in this kind o culture.


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Te sta o the organization have themselves been brought up in

an educational system that largely values modern science above lo-

cal knowledge and values urban employment and liestyles aboveagriculture and rural lie. Tus, encouraging people at the grass-

roots to generate and apply local knowledge and to value their

agricultural liestyle required sta to reorient their own thinking.

Another challenge or the agency in seeking to encourage people

to generate and apply knowledge is or the sta members to re-

ally believe that the local people have the capacity to do so. Te

organizations sta had to change patterns o behavior inherited

rom the culture they grew up in, which hindered their ability to

build the capacity o others. In addition, though it was not ini-

tially easy, they had to learn to convince community members

particularly segments o the population which have historically

been oppressedthat they possess knowledge and that their views

matter.

Ms. Patel explained the process she went through in order to

overcome cultural assumptions that someone with more ormal

education has all o the answers:

Te culture o asking questions did not exist in India. What

your parents or school teachers say is correct and you are not to

question it. So when I studied at a very amous university and

came here, I thought I knew all the answers. But aterwards

I also realized the signicance o giving other peoples views

importance. Tey have more practical knowledge. We have

come rom ar away, but [they] are here, so [they] have more

practical knowledge. Its very important that people should

condently share their opinions, especially women.



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Ms. Bhati described the approach the organization takes to help-

ing community members, especially women, realize that they pos-

sess knowledge and their views are important to the consultativeprocess:

Otentimes we assure the people o their valuewhether

you are rom the village or rom the city, your viewpoint and

opinions are also important. We encourage them to share. For

a change to be brought about in these women you have to

encourage them to know that their opinions are important.

Tis helps bring about a change, because they will share more,

express more. Because rom the beginning they are taught that

they dont know anything; but when we tell them that their

opinions are important, this gives them condence and helps

to bring about change. Tey realize that they also have under-

standing and they can use this. Tis [encouragement] we do

through the medium o trainings. So then they also eel that

women also have a standing in society and our thoughts alsohave some importance.

Another challenge Seva Mandir has aced pertains to the role o

knowledge drawn rom religion. While religion holds much value

as a source o spiritual principles, insights and motivation or the

development process, many people hold belies that are part o

their religious traditions but that prove to be a great hindrance to

the development process. Much gender inequality, hatred, con-

ict and prejudice has been upheld and promoted in the name

o religion. Due to this, Seva Mandir has had to sort through the

various belies held by the members o the communities in which

it works. It has endeavored to distinguish between those belies

and traditions that are ound to be valuable rom others that cause

harm. A sta member o the Women and Child Development


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unit commented:

When there is violence against women, we try and addressall these misconceptions about women that we claim come

rom religionhow much actually comes rom religion is yet

to be known. Scientic methods are used to explain various

conceptsWhen we talk about development o children, we

explain to them about the entire process in a scientic manner.

Whatever programs we carry out, we try to use both religious

and scientic knowledge. I religion is saying something about

a particular issue then what does science say about the same

issue.


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Rising above the exigencieso material existence

What is it that makes human beings human, motivates themto love, to sacrice and to give o themselves? What impelspeople to sustain their work or the common good? Answers tothese questions are, or many, grounded in the spiritual nature o

the human being. o say that human reality is spiritual is an a-

rmation o human potentialities and not a denial o the material

dimension o existence. It suggests that we as human beings can

rise above the natural and material exigencies o our existence,

and implies the need to raise our consciousness, to realize that

we are bound to others in spirit, that we share the same reality,

and that we are united and connected both to each other and to

nature. Maybe it is such aith in the capacity o human beings to

develop their spiritual qualities, to grow, and to transorm them-

selves that motivates many development organizations to work

or a better society.

o work or the common good requires sacrice. But what makes

people give up their own comort or others? What makes them


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44

love and trust people they barely know? What motivates them to

see beyond their own interests? Seva Mandirs answers to these

questions are derived rom its belie in the goodness o the humanbeing. It is on that dimension o human nature, which inclines

the individual toward qualities such as honesty, selessness, and

trustworthiness, that it ocuses its attention. Te human being...

is not only a selsh being. Tere is a higher plane to that, Ms.

Khetan observed. She believes that the intrinsic nobility that

people have within them enables them to respond to appeals to

strive or the common good. It is to this nobility that Seva Mandir

appeals when it calls people to transcend the promptings o the

ego and o narrow sel-interest, which also orm part o human

reality.

Te movement o the individual towards higher ideals is a process

that takes time, said Mr. Bhati. Te ego doesnt get conquered

all at once. It is a process rom stage to stage. Mr. Jain explained,

I a glass is hal lled some people think it is hal-empty. We lookmore towards the positive side and hope the negative side will be

drowned in it.

Many at the organization believe that people should be treated in

such a way that their lower nature is not unnecessarily provoked.

Mr. Ameta said:

In a person, there is the lower nature and the higher nature;

they can go in both directions and the capacity has to be used

in the right direction. Everyone has the same reality, no one

is just an animal. You have to use the person well, treat them

with dignity and understanding and their reaction will be di-

erentAt whatever level the person is, we have to see the

positive in them and take the positive orward. I a person has

enthusiasm and capacity, we need to take it in the right direc-

Rising abovethe exigencies o

material existence


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Rising abovethe exigencies omaterial existence

tion, otherwise they can become unmotivatedIn our work

with the commons, Seva Mandir tried to give everyone work

on common lands. I we had not involved everyone, somepeople might have opposed it. When you let the animal na-

ture start to develop rom a small level, then it just grows.

Mr. Arun Maheshwari, a member o the Natural Resource Devel-

opment unit, concurred:

Sometimes developmentwill stimulate the animal na-

ture. Tere is always the animal nature, but certain things in

the environment inuence it and can bring mans animal or

positive nature out. I you oer benets to one amily and

not to another, then you can bring out the bad sides. Peoples

animal nature doesnt come out because people are poor and

uneducated, it oten actually becomes worse when people are

more rich and educated.

Te way the organization is managed is also a reection o its

belie in peoples capacity to rise beyond the limitations o the sel.

Te atmosphere, according to Ms. Khetan, is not one o supervi-

sion. We give people space and trust that they want to do work.

According to her, this trust has been paid back to Seva Mandir in

ull measure. Its not that weve trusted in people and have then

been taken advantage o.

She then reerred to the ollowing example to demonstrate the com-

mitment that Seva Mandir sta have towards the organization:

Sometimes in the board meetings we engage in such hard dis

cussionsshould we take a salary raise or not at this time?

We are one o the ew organizations who have increased the

work hours; we used to work rom 10:00am to 5:00pm and


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we made it 9:30 to 5:30, and everyone discussed and people

agreed to it, and no union came up to protest. In this day

and age where can you nd people on such low salaries sayingwell increase our work hours, even though we brought down

the number o holidays?

Regarding the atmosphere o trust and mutual support that exists

in the organization, a sta member in Badgaon recounted, I had

an accident and needed money or treatment, then I received a

transer o unds to my account rom Seva Mandir. We really take

care o each other and treat each other like amily members. Tere

is a lot o trust.

I avoiding approaches to development that try to satiate peoples

limitless material desires is dicult, building an organization

based on trust and mutual respect is even more demanding. Seva

Mandir sta commented on some o these challenges:

I we give people the capability to decide, they can also op-

press others. (Mr. Nitin Verma rom Jhadol block)

In our work with the commons, Seva Mandir is always trying

to give everyone work on the pasture lands, but sometimes

i a person does not get work then he goes and opposes all

the other programs o Seva Mandir. (A sta member o the

Natural Resource Development unit)

Consumerism tries to create needs and people try to ulll

those needs. Ten it creates even more needs and orces people

to do wrong to ulll these unjustied needs created by the

market and consumerist society. (A sta member o the Natu-

ral Resource Development unit)


material existence


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Rising abovethe exigencies omaterial existence

Te inuence o a culture that continually creates new needs and

wants in people makes the task o encouraging individuals to live

up to higher idealsto share, to be generous, and to sacrice orthe well-being o the communityeven more challenging. Ac-

cording to its sta, the organization has sought to orge ahead

patiently in its eorts to promote sustainable development by

bringing out the good in people, even when the behavior o

certain individuals has been less than cooperative. An individual

rom the Natural Resource Development unit said:

During Seva Mandirs work and programs, i we eel that an

individual is not cooperating or is incorrect in their approach,

then we try and maintain tolerance. We are constantly striving

to be more tolerant and to accept others views and opinions

no matter how dicult it is. Te aim is to pursue a common

goal but not compromise individual benet while we ac-

company people. We motivate people byappreciating their

viewpoints and recognizing their eortswe encourage morepeople to work together and in cooperation with one another.

Tis approach takes longer but it is more sustainable.

While seeking to give people reedom to decide, Seva Mandir

avoids creating structures that place power completely in the

hands o individuals. As Mr. Nitin Verma explained:

In order to avoid the reedom o the individual becoming the

cause o the oppression o others, we join people together into

collectives. People are ree to express their opinions, but we

ask all to share their opinions and make a collective decision.

People can express it i they dont like a decision, so no one

can orce others.


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material existence

In the context o Seva Mandirs view o human nature, the or-

ganizations view on reedom reected, not so much a desire to

promote unbridled liberty, as much as a commitment to createspace or individuals to rankly and openly exchange views, take

responsibility and make decisions or their own development. Mr.

Bhati remarked:

Everyone has reedom to express ideas; its not just that Nee-

limaji (the CEO) said it and so thats it. Tere can be debate.

Tere is a space created. I a proessional comes, he can speak,

and i a villager comes, so can he. At all levels, people can

speak and have equality. Whatever seems best ater discussion

is carried orward.

Ms. Sunita Kumari, in-charge o the Peoples Management School,

commented that this reedom comes with responsibility. She de-

scribed the organizations work as building peoples capacity to

make decisions, ostering their ability to work together in groups,and to uphold the rules o those groups. Tey are taught that they

have not only rights, but also responsibilities.


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Material means and the common good

In their reections on material possessions, Seva Mandirs staand collaborators spoke o wealth as a means to urther theprogress o the community rather than as an end in itsel. Based

on such understanding, then, the purpose o work is to contributeto the common good. It is through their work that individuals

can generate material means that can benet themselves and

their amilies as well as their neighbors and other members o the

community.

An emphasis on collective good implies that individuals can-

not amass wealth at the expense o the well-being o others. Mr.

Kothari shared his insights on the purpose o wealth:

Adoration o wealth as the ultimate dispenser o happiness can

become a problem, and this sense o collective good and larger

interest helps to counter this. When you are seeking the whole

wealth o the world or yoursel, then you are impoverishing

the community, depriving it o something else. So I think this

sense o the larger goodo what is proper and how much to


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strive or money and by what means to strive or moneythat

sense comes, and I think Seva Mandirs work entails that.

He later spoke o the idea o balanced and appropriate develop-

ment in the ollowing manner:

Even when we discussed the process o development in one o

these Seva Mandir unctions, I made a statement that was a

dicult statement to make. I said that we must aim or bal-

anced development, and people must accept development

based on balance and wisdom. We cannot expect to all become

millionaires, because i every villager started expecting that,

it will either be an impossible task or it will set into motion

greed to such an extent that it will pervert society. Tat was a

dangerous statement to make. But the sense that we convey to

the people we work or and work with is that by joining our

movement you arent going to become millionaires, but the

aim is development in which your needs, not your greed, willbe met. Tat understanding exists in Seva Mandir. Te chal-

lenge remains in the present scenario because o this attraction

o endless acquisition o goods and gadgets and luxuries.

A number o activities undertaken in the communities in which

Seva Mandir works demonstrate this understanding o work and

wealth. Te organization has helped many communities establish

village development unds, in which community members con-

tribute a certain percentage o their earnings to be used or the

development o the village. Village development committees that

provide a space in which people can develop and practice qualities

such as selessness and sacrice have also galvanized community

eorts to contribute voluntary labor in order to construct com-

munity centers and roads. Regarding the village development

und, Mr. Jain said:

Material meansand the

common good


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Material meansand thecommon good

Te village development und is or allall people contribute.

I they are using it, it should be invested in something that can

result in earnings, so it is revolving.

Te und not only provides material means; it also contributes

to uniying the members o a community and creating a sense o

shared responsibility. Mr. Ameta remarked:

Many times in the traditional orums or decision-making,

people decide to use money they would use or alcohol to

put in the village development und insteadthey make

sacrices.

Te village development und reects an understanding o wealth

as being a shared resource or the development o the community.

Te und is used or a variety o development eorts. For example,

in Madla, the unds were used to hire extra teachers in order to

provide education to the children o the village. Te local govern-ment school had only 2 teachers or 230 students, so the village

development committee met and decided to hire 2 more teachers

rom among the educated but unemployed youth o the village.

Te committee pays the salaries o these 2 teachers out o the

interest received rom the village und. Tey hold classes in the

village library established by Seva Mandir.

Te sense o balance and moderation in regards to material wealth

is not imposed by Seva Mandir on the communities with which it

works. In general, rom the perspective o the communities, true

wealth is social wealth. It is recognized that while individual wealth

yields temporary benet, collective unds have more lasting value.

Tere is a consciousness o the need to use wealth to contribute to

collective well-being. For example, Mr. Ahari remarked:


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In the village the prevalent mentality towards wealth is that i

a person does not have wealth or money then everyone helps

him, individually we help him and as a community we helphim, too. In the entire village people who earn a lot o wealth

are ew, but whatever wealth is received is shared with amilies

who are needy. We also try to prevent corruption rom enter-

ing the village. Te attitude in the village towards work is a

positive one. Work is something that should be done or the

benet o all. Tere is a eeling o sacrice and ownership.

Te understanding that has traditionally existed in the village is

that good character is more important than the possession o great

wealth. A sta member in Badgaon commented:

I you have a good child, but little wealth, that child can

eventually earn thro

isgp may knowledge grow in our hearts applying spiritual principles to development practice

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