The State and Drought: Villagers' experiences

How do public policies look from the perspectives of citizens in rural areas? How do citizens perceive them? What kind of spaces do they have for collective action to rework the design of public policies? This KICS research study by Dr Chitra Krishnan builds on some of the earlier work on looking at irrigation infrastructure from below (download here) by extending insights on irrigation projects to canal systems in the village of Gubbi in Tumkur district, Karnataka and understanding the existing bottlenecks during implementation of government welfare schemes. This research study supported by KICS seeks to provide insights on public policies as experienced by villagers themselves - especially in drought affected times. It aims to provide a grounded picture of the conditions under which rural lives are circumscribed today.

In this study, Dr. Chitra Krishnan shares the experience of listening to two villagers and compiling five stories relating to different rural development schemes of Gubbi. She explores the connections between these seemingly varied stories belonging to different sectors and tries to understand -1) What is the actual nature of involvement of beneficiaries?  2) What are the potential spaces provided for them to engage with the scheme? 3) The results of their involvement (or lack of it) and 4) The influence of other actors in bringing about results. In examining these aspects, she tries to throw more light on the theme of collective action - when is it needed, when could it be expected and how this is shaped during a drought year.

Report:

The State and Drought: Villagers' Experiences

The Second part of the report is in Kannada as narrated by the villagers.