Learning from Gal Oya - Possibilities for Participatory Development and Post-Newtonian Social Science

Development in general and rural development in particular is not a discipline in itself let alone a science. It draws on all disciplines including the sciences, physical and social sciences, and takes into consideration the psychological, cultural and political prejudices of the target population. As such rural development projects are multifaceted in nature and face a myriad of problems. Thus a comprehensive theory may never be developed on how rural development can be implemented with foreseeable risk and some certainty of success. The foremost issues in rural development from a practitioners view point are how to identify and ensure that key success factors continue to be effective in varying political, socio-economic and cultural environments, how to predict and neutralise the occurrences of negative factors which will spell failure to the attainment of the development project objectives, and how development efforts can be replicated. These are alr brought out by Prof. Norman Uphoff very well when he narrates the story of Gal Oya. His book is at times written like a novel and at times like a drama. Even rural development practitioners seldom see in the same light the various events that occur when a project unfolds. One can see the interplay of the multitude of factors and events as the project introduces and puts into operation . the concept of participation in the form of shramadhana, a traditional form of community cooperation to carry out work that would bene,fit all membets of a community. This form of cooperation is common in all Asian countries but had fallen into disfavour due to monetization, commercialization and also due to the disregard shown by politicians and government functionarises