What is DEVELOPMENT??

Pravah and Internship from Sunderbans has helped me change and question my own views regarding various things, one of which being Development... What is Development?
Well, if you ask me what my views were before internship, i would have said -
1. Infrasturctural development
2. Modernisation
3. Education for all
4. High income, etc

But now i see development as a positive social change, which in our contemporary Indian society will happen very slowly. Its not just economic development but development in all spheres- social, political, economic and basically development of capacities of people. In internship, i could see development of women through SHG's- their financial independence;even though at home same women might fall victim to the subjugation by their male members. Because that is how we women are socialised- to remain dependent on male members.. At young age, its your brother;later on your boy-friend (probably); then husband and later on your son. And this chain of dependency on men can be broken only by women. That would be called Development..
Just by building institutions, making schemes (which dont even reach the masses) and spending huge amounts of money on Common Wealth Games will not ensure development. We are copying west and doing discrimination with our own people and making them more poor by building dams, metros, malls; when 70% of our rural population can not afford going to malls and even using metros. Even they dont get electricity. 70% of rural populations is bearing the burden and facing displacement just for 30% urban population.. How fair is that? And we talk about fundamental rights- Right to equality, Right against exploitation.. We have everything in India but that is just written and not implemented.
Merely copying the west in its developmental approach and not looking at the needs of our people is not going to take us towards a positive move and we all need to realise this. We are a democratic nation and we have all the right to demand justice for all and if Government fails to do so, then we have to take action. Development should be for all and shouldnt cost anyone; not on the theme of maximum benefit with minimum losses bacause who is to decide that who will bear that cost? Just because people are illiterate and a victim of circumstances, doesnt mean that we have any right to further victimise them. They are humans too and the sooner we all realise, sooner we will move towards growth, prosperity and success.