An interactive session with P Sainath, the man known as the “rural reporter” of India with an in-depth discussion on “Transformation of Rural India” took place at the Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar (XIMB) here on Wednesday.
The session stretched across topics covering the complex nature of rural India, its diversity and understanding its beauty. Sainath threw light on the dying Indian languages and the threat of extinction of various technical skills, craftsmanship and knowledge in rural India and the impact of migration.
He described the various aspects of Indian agriculture and the very sensitive topic of farmer suicides in India. He discussed the census and the various technical nuances that go into measuring them and how census in India needs to be rectified in the coming years.
The impact of migration in rural India was the focal point of the session with various ideas on how to restore rural livelihoods, especially in agriculture and the steps to be taken to ensure sustainability. Sainath shared his views on water conservation and the economics behind it and also gave the students an in-depth analysis of farmer suicides in India. The session concluded with an interactive question-answer round where the students got an opportunity to tete-a-tete with Sainath, who also shared his ideas on his upcoming projects and invited students to contribute to his vision.