Literacies and Discourses of Development Among the Rabaris of Kutch, India

Abstract

This paper argues that how literacy intersects with notions of development is more complex than generally perceived by those who advocate ‘literacy’ as a development tool. Among the transhumant pastoralist Rabaris of Kutch in Western India, various forms of literacy are increasingly implicated in community development. In a context where Rabaris face the gradual erosion of their livelihood opportunities, literacy for adults is not associated with development; rather Rabaris favour the option of formal schooling and the possibilities it confers for occupational diversification for the next generation. Community governance, meanwhile, is also increasingly shaped by aspects of literacy. Changes to community governance structures have been ushered in by a new generation of literate (but not necessarily schooled) leaders; they use conventions of the wider literate society to lend formal power and authenticity to their work and strongly advocate formal schooling, which combines gaining literacy skills with an enhanced social status. Schooling and literacies emerge as central to Rabaris' aspirations for ‘progress’ in the contemporary world.

Notes

1. The project on which this paper draws was funded by the UK's Economic and Social Research Council, grant no. #R000234699.

2. Transhumance refers to a pattern of migration that sees an annual return to a permanent place of residence, in this case, Kutch. Permanent residence for small animals in Kutch is not possible because the annual rainfall is too little to ensure adequate green fodder for sheep and goats throughout the year.

3. This is the obverse of a national trend towards improving retention rates with slower progress in rates of improving enrolment.

4. Despite its often critical stance towards the State's development patterns, the GSHDR itself apparently espouses this view.

5. It is noteworthy that it is for exactly this reason that literacy statistics that take five years of schooling as a proxy for literacy distort the scale of the international literacy challenge (GMR, 2006), as it is increasingly recognised that children do not necessarily gain stable and enduring literacy habits and skills in poor quality primary schools.

6. Now amalgamated into the overall Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Universal Elementary Education programme).