Development in the underdeveloped world is a tricky game. It brings prosperity but can also affect the social fabric and norms structures. Pakistan’s experience of development has not been a much happier story. Historically, Pakistan had been an agricultural country. 71 per cent of the population is directly dependant on agriculture. Social structures are shaped and formed under the heavy influence of agriculture and values associated with it.
Agriculture has an essential role in the society and economy. Major crops are wheat, sugarcane, fruits and vegetables. Pakistan is famous for its canal irrigation system, the biggest in the world. Sahiwal district’s Qadirabad area is famous for its fertility. Punjab’s canal irrigation system is the backbone of the province’s agriculture. Climatic conditions have long supported high yields and diversity of agricultural products. Cash crops like tobacco, rice, maize and mustard do very well.
James Scott, the anthropologist, has discussed the interplay of development and society in his celebrated work, Seeing like a state. He says, “The state, as I make abundantly clear, is the vexed institution that is the ground of both our freedoms and our un-freedoms. He says, certain kinds of states, driven by utopian plans and an authoritarian disregard for the values, desires, and objections of their subjects, are indeed a mortal threat to human well-being.”
When a developmental project is initiated at the macro level, establishment and authorities shall see the ground realities at the micro level. The micro development examines the nature of local knowledge. Scott used the word “metis” for the local knowledge and their perception. The “metis” is necessary to the successful practice to initiate any programme at the local level. It is probably best learned by daily practice and experience.
Development practitioners must pay attention to local knowledge, be suspicious of totalizing experiments in transforming society or nature and trust the people affected by the proposed policies to contribute to their design
In Qadirabad, local people have strong social relationships with the older generations. These social relationships were embedded, representing blood ties, kinships, caste, religious interactions, and socio-economic interactions. The waves of economic development around Sahiwal coal power plant has disturbed the family structures and the social status of a community long attached to agricultural lands. 80 per cent of the local population considers utilising the agricultural resources for their survival and living activities. Field observations showed that most of the area produced cotton, wheat, and fodder. The people raised cattle and utilised animal products. Agriculture provided crucial resources of their strong social ties and a barter system of respect and values.
A person in Qadirabad said, “our lands are like our mothers.”
These lands were not only the source of income but also of cultural and social identities. He also said, “Families involved in coal power plant also have some supportive businesses and jobs.” Very few of the labourers earn enough. There are no social benefits.
The impact of industry did not discriminate between social or economic classes. The average income has declined. This has shattered the joint family system, long understood to guarantee prosperity. The lands were purchased by the government for the establishment of the project. This reduced the resources for agricultural income.
The limited resources built an environment of competition among the people of the community even within families. , This divided the families and weekend the affiliations. None of the government organisations has taken into account the local wisdom. In a normative way, they always say local wisdom is the vein of the policy, but they never encouraged local people to participate in policymaking. The perspective here is not anti-scientific or anti-modern. Instead, it is fundamentally anti-authoritarian: the high-modernist impulse coupled with the power of the modern state has led to massive human disasters.
Development practitioners must pay attention to local knowledge, be suspicious of totalizing experiments in transforming society or nature and trust the people affected by the proposed policies to contribute to their design. There is no doubt that CPEC is a sustainable project at the macro level. However the authorities will do well to ensure that social and anthropological aspects of development are also considered.
The feasibilities studies of the projects should include social research. Government policies should be people friendly at the local level to ensure sustainability. Through cultural sustainability, the government can satisfy the masses. Most people are not opposed to development. However, they also desire sustainability. Local knowledge must be taken into account while designing and considering big development projects like Sahiwal coal power project. This will make for development that can be absorbed into the social structure and is amenable to local norms and values. Otherwise, the projects would destroy the social fabric. Inclusion of local knowledge will be beneficial for both the state and the people. They should pay attention to formulating micro-policies. It’s better not to have to cry over spilt milk.
The writer is a PhD scholar at Sun Yat-sen University, China