Leadership in Village Development

12 April 1978
Bangladesh Observer

Without leadership no organized goals, functions or aims can be achieved: strong, well-organized and well-knitted leadership may only ensure fruitful and far-reaching results. If leadership becomes weak, flexible and oscillating total expectations of the desired goals might be frustrated, however, attractive and pragmatic they may appear to be. As developing nation’s economy is based on agriculture, so leadership in village areas is the prime concern for all. Because leadership in village area means strong guidance in the field of agriculture, husbandry, cottage industry and so forth that in the end resultantly increase GNP and thus standardize national life both internally and externally.

If we look at the villages in Bangladesh we find leadership in village areas primarily originate from the following sources, 1) Village Mohajans. 2) Mathbars and 3)Traditional families (Middle Class or upper middle class). Of them, village Mohajans and Mahtbars are permanent village dwellers who are well acquainted with the problems of village but most of whom are away from institutional education educational and hence their understanding, conception of ‘democracy’ ‘co-operative societies’’ etc. are not up to date and tuned to scientific and technological developments..They capture village leadership due to their holding of a vast land and capital they inherently enjoy a kind of privileges or to say in the extreme language a kind of ‘prerogatives’ to dominate and influence the poor peasants, handicraftsmen, fishermen and others, Wealth and power together in hands of a Mohajan and Mathbar make him overconfident, overenthusiastic and tyrant. They can easily motivate the poor people to suit their own purposes and interests. Such legacies are not so easy to wipe out in a day or month or year. It has been created over the periods of years after years, generations after generations. So, it requires years after years to put the system on the standing of fairness and justice ensuring the maximum benefits to the majority population. ‘Input’ of political system i.e. political socialization, political recruitment etc. cannot be well spread and well- rooted under this type of leadership. Therefore, a sense of poverty of self-drive all the time chase and hunt them.

On the other hand traditional families also come forward for leadership in village areas. We also find two categories of traditional families’ leadership in village areas (1) First Category comes from permanent village living traditional families who are rightly called Middle class. (2) The other category is they who live in town or city but who have residence or land in village areas also try to control village leadership from there. They are also called Middle class, though sometime upper middle class comes under this category but its range is very arrow.

The main characteristics of these two categories of leadership are that, they are educationally and politically very conscious. Family inheritance traditional reputation, economic condition and so on highly support them in different ways by dint of which they are able to be more constructive and stronger in thinking and leadership, Needless to mention that the actual development lies in these middle classes initiatives, efforts and leadership.

Under the leadership of them ‘Input’ of political system f. e. Political socialization Political Recruitment, Articulation and aggregation may be well implemented as they take vigorous rigorous steps to make the policy of Government a great success.

The 19-point program of present Government have ushered in among the people specially the villagers. But if leadership in village areas are not constructive and benevolent development schemes may not materialize. Extension of banking system, emphasis on cottage industry and agricultural development, adequate credits to peasants and other facilities should be extended to rural areas in order to hasten the process of development activates----

* Leadership in village areas should be formed in such a way so that all types of personalities may take part in molding society.

* In case of leadership of the middle class it should ask proper help from Mohajans, Mathbars and others Similarly Mathbars and Mohajans should extend their helping hands towards any development schemes.

*Village politics that create hindrance to development should be brought to play their role in a constructive way and thus make development a great success.

* Educationists, doctors, engineers and other professionals should go to villages which greatly help to create strong leadership in village development. Because leadership is the product of environment also.

* Growing educated young generations may play very positive role in this field. It is our great hope that the number of educated people in villages is increasing day by day. This bears sign for creating fair atmosphere for village areas.

And finally it can be said that with stable and constructive development of villages people will be able to have the fruits of democracy, polities, and Shanirvar arthanithi.