Radha Rao

Good evening, Mr Chairperson and all the distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for this opportunity to address this assembly on behalf of civil society, it is a real honour.  And thank you also to the organisers and to the government of Egypt, for the wonderful arrangements and for creating such a excellent environment for us to work in.

I would like to use this opportunity to celebrate, together with you, two very important achievements in particular that we have made collectively during the four days of our intensive deliberations together.

The first one is the progress we are making in terms of recognising the importance of attention for human rights in ensuring a people-centred, development-oriented, non-discriminatory information society.  Thus, for example, in the main session on security, openness and privacy, speakers across stakeholder groups couched the debate not any more in terms of security vs. privacy, but in terms of security and privacy.  Security or other concerns, it was consistently argued, while obviously deserving our attention, should not be used to justify curtailing longstanding gains made in terms of human rights; rather, it is an improved implementation of already agreed on human rights instruments that we need to reach our goal of an inclusive, people-centred information society.  The growing recognition of this fact is an evolution that civil society welcomes with open arms.

Another very hopeful evolution during this IGF was the central attention devoted to the question of where we stand in terms of promoting a people-centred, development-oriented information society more generally.  The message that came out of the main session on “Internet governance in the light of the WSIS principles” clearly confirmed the urgent need to pay greater attention to this important issue, and several suggestions were made to address this concern.  These include devoting devoting a main session solely to the topic of Internet governance for development in next next year's IGF, and I sincerely hope that these suggestions will be taken up.

While we thus have important reason to celebrate, challenges of course remain.  Throughout the existence of the IGF, and perhaps increasingly so, the value of the multistakeholder model has been recognised and stressed by all stakeholder groups.  However, at the same time, it has also been acknowledged that we need to continue to work to further strengthen participation from currently underrepresented countries and groups.  I would like to note, however, that it is important that we do not restrict our efforts in this regard to capacity building, significant as that may be.  Perhaps even more crucial is that the agenda of the IGF consistently talks to the concerns of actors in the developing parts of the world as well. 

The reconfirmation of the importance of a development agenda that we have seen in this IGF is thus a very important step forward indeed. At the same time, within this larger development agenda, it is crucial that we also as soon as possible start to discuss some of the specific issues that require our attention on an urgent basis.  For example, within the IGF as elsewhere, it is generally acknowledged that access to knowledge is central to development processes; yet the IGF so far has not paid systematic attention to the ways in which the amazing possibilities that the Internet offers in this regard are increasingly threatened by new policies that seem to make intellectual property regimes more stringent day by day.  From a developing country perspective, finding a balanced solution that can address these concerns is an urgent priority.  Starting the debate on how this can be achieved here, in the IGF, is certain to attract a larger number of developing country participants, including from governments.  

Going by the experience of the past years as well as this particular meeting, I have no doubt that if given the opportunity, we will measure up to the challenges before us. Without wanting to preclude the Under-Secretary General's report, the proceedings during this IGF have made clear time and again its crucial significance in Internet governance processes.  I hope with all my heart that we will continue to get the opportunity to work together on addressing these important issues and on resolving tensions and contradictions as they emerge, with the support of an independent secretariat that can ensure an environment genuinely inclusive of all stakeholders.  Only when such open, inclusive conditions govern our own processes, may we in turn, together be able to create a genuinely inclusive information society which will indeed create opportunities for all.

Thank you. 

Introduction

We live in a divided world where far too many people live in abject poverty. To help these people get out of poverty is good for the world as a whole, for great disparities in wealth will lead to violence and terrorism and no one can live in peace and harmony. None of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can be achieved if we fail to address the problem of poverty and ensure livelihood security for the majority of the poor.

A vast majority of the poor live in the rural areas of developing countries and are dependent on agriculture or fishing for a living. They need information directly relevant to their livelihoods. Agriculture-related information is often one of the most immediate needs, since small-scale agriculture is very important to household incomes in rural areas. Information on current crop prices, fertiliser and pesticide costs, and the availability of improved seeds and low-cost improvements in farm technology can help farmers buy farm inputs and equipment of good quality at the right price, or help them successfully obtain credit.[1] Information on government entitlements and training programmes, opportunities for developing new products, and markets for environmental goods[2] is also useful. Without such information, poor families find it hard to take advantage of new opportunities for generating income and increasing their assets.

Many asset-less poor migrate to cities far and near and are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to work in construction sites, ports, factories and wherever they can be employed. They are often exploited and work in conditions far from satisfactory. They will be happy to have information on where work is available and wages are good.

This report looks at a few examples of how access to information helps improve the lives of people and how new technologies are being used in getting information to those who need it.

Small catch but big impact 

About twelve years ago scientists at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) started working with fishing communities in coastal villages of southern India. The major thrust of the project, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), was to look at how emerging information and communications technologies (ICTs) could be used to make a difference to these people’s lives. But the project managers took a holistic perspective and put people and their needs before technology: they went beyond merely providing online access to information through their internet-enabled Village Knowledge Centres (VKCs). They were concerned about fisherpeople losing their catches, nets, boats and even their lives on days when the sea turned rough. Lives could be saved if only one could have advance knowledge of weather conditions. After some investigation, the MSSRF researchers found that United States (US) Navy satellites were collecting weather and wave height information for the Bay of Bengal, and the Navy website released forecasts based on these data twice daily. The VKC volunteers started downloading this information and made it available to the fisherpeople in their local language through notice boards and a public address system. Ever since this service commenced not a single death in mid-sea has been reported from these villages.

The need for innovation 

Suddenly, the US Navy stopped providing this information and something needed to be done. MSSRF joined hands with Qualcomm, Tata Teleservices and Astute Systems Technology,[3] and these companies came up with an innovative mobile application called Fisher Friend based on third-generation code division multiple access (3G CDMA) technology. With Fisher Friend, the VKCs provide fisherpeople with real-time information on things like fish prices in different markets, weather, wave heights, satellite scan data on the location of fish shoals, and news flashes while they are at mid-sea. Access to these, as well as other information such as relevant government schemes, has improved market transparency and the earnings of smaller fisherpeople. Qualcomm is working on incorporating global positioning system (GPS) capability in the phones, so their exact location can be tracked. This would make rescue operations much easier.

Timely access to relevant information can not only improve the standards of living of a community, but also save lives.

Real evidence, not just anecdotal 

Much of the evidence of the benefits of access to information and the use of technology to facilitate access so far has been anecdotal. In a recent paper in the Quarterly Journal of Economics Robert Jensen of Harvard University has quantified the benefits.[4] He showed that the adoption of mobile phones by fisherpeople and wholesalers in Kerala in southern India had led to a dramatic reduction in price dispersion (the mean coefficient of variation of price across markets over a stretch of 150 kilometres came down from 60%-70% to less than 15%); the complete elimination of waste (from 5%-8% to virtually nil); and near perfect adherence to the Law of One Price.[5] In addition, fisherpeople’s profits increased by 8%, while consumer prices declined by 4% (directly driving a 20 rupee/person/month consumer surplus, the equivalent of a 2% increase in per capita GDP from this one market alone). Sardine consumption increased by 6%. The advent of mobile phones also led to a 6% increase in school enrolment and a 5% increase in the probability of using healthcare when sick. All this with no government programmes, and no new funding requirements.[6]

Several other initiatives involve mobile technology. Nokia recently launched Life Tools in India, a fee-based service, with a view to impacting on the daily lives of people, especially farmers. Life Tools offers timely online access to information that will be of great relevance to farmers, students and the lay public. Nokia has partnered with the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (to gather commodity prices from 291 markets), Reuters Market Light, Syngenta and Skymet,[7] among others. It has plans to introduce Life Tools to other developing countries before the end of the year.

Online access to information through mobile phones and through telecentres has also helped shop owners, traders and the self-employed increase their earnings in many countries. The mobile phone is becoming the primary connectivity tool. With significant computing power, it will soon be the primary internet connection, providing information in a portable, well-connected form at a relatively low price, pushing aside the personal computer.

Conclusion 

Today the “bottom” three-quarters of the world’s population accounts for at least 50% of all people with internet access, says a Pew report.[8] As Turner pointed out in 2007, investment in telecom, which facilitates easy access to information, is more productive than investment in other kinds of infrastructure.[9] The impact is particularly noticeable in developing nations.

ICTs are not a technical solution on their own but are enablers in a process of local prioritisation and problem solving. This report has highlighted initiatives that use mobile technology. But mobile solutions are obviously not the only useful ones. For instance, LabourNet in Bangalore connects employers and casual labourers through an online database that is updated constantly.[10] Thanks to LabourNet, workers, especially at construction sites, get decent pay, training, insurance and safety measures at the workplace. However, the information supplied is more at the administrative level than the grassroots level.

The success lies in embedding ICTs in a holistic approach encompassing a diverse range of development initiatives. The trick is not to emphasise technology but to put people and their needs before technology. Sustainable livelihood approaches need to be people-centred, recognising the capital assets of the poor and the influence of policies and institutions on their livelihood strategies.[11]

Also, the mere ability to access information cannot take one far. What is important is what one can do with that information. Often one would need to have additional skills and capital to take advantage of the information. That is why efforts to provide improved access to information should go hand in hand with efforts to enhance skills through training programmes, and efforts to enhance access to finance through microfinance and the formation of self-help groups.

Rural livelihoods involve a wide range of strategies both within and outside the farming sector. Often farming communities need to augment their income through non-farming enterprises, and here the women and youth could play a role in enhancing household income.

It will be good to remember that a large number of ICT-enabled development pilot projects have remained just that – pilot projects that did not scale up.

References

• Chapman, R., Slaymaker, T. and Young, J. (2003) Livelihoods Approaches to Information and Communication in Support of Rural Poverty Elimination and Food Security, Overseas Development Institute, London.
• Chapman, R. (2005) ICT enabled knowledge centres and learning in the global village, in The Third MSSRF South-South Exchange Travelling Workshop (MSSRF/PR/05/59), M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai.
• Jensen, R. (2007) The digital provide: Information (technology), market performance, and welfare in the South Indian fisheries sector, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122 (August), p. 879-924.
• Quitney Anderson, J. and Rainie, L. (2008) The Future of the Internet III, Pew Internet and American Life Project, Washington. www.future-internet.eu/fileadmin/documents/prague_documents/oc-meetings/PIP_FutureInternet3.pdf
  

1. Chapman, R., Slaymaker, T. and Young, J. (2003) Livelihoods Approaches to Information and Communication in Support of Rural Poverty Elimination and Food Security, Overseas Development Institute, London.
2. Good examples of environmental goods are handicrafts made from locally available material (plant or mineral-based material) and organic products.
3. Qualcomm is a US-based multinational that designs and make chips for telecom equipment. Tata Teleservices is a leading mobile service provider, and Astute Systems Technology is a software company writing applications for the chips.
4. Jensen, R. (2007) The digital provide: Information (technology), market performance, and welfare in the South Indian fisheries sector, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122 (August), p. 879-924.
5. An economic law which states that in an efficient market, all identical goods must have only one price. In other words, variations in fish prices caused by differences in demand and supply at different locations disappeared once both buyers and sellers started using mobile phones.
6. Turner, B. (2007) Cellphones & Development — Evidence, not anecdotes.
   blogs.nmss.com/communications/2007/02/cellphones_deve.html
   
7. Syngenta is a multinational company. One of its corporate goals is to help farmers maximise the potential of their resources. Towards this end it provides technological solutions, as well as information relating to agronomy, land use, etc. Skymet provides weather-related services that allow clients to adapt to a changing environment.
8. Quitney Anderson, J. and Rainie, L. (2008) The Future of the Internet III, Pew Internet and American Life Project, Washington.
   www.future-internet.eu/fileadmin/documents/prague_documents/oc-meetings/PIP_FutureInternet3.pdf
9. Turner (2007) op. cit.
10. LabourNet matches the skills sets of people available for work with the needs of those who use their services, similar to headhunters who match the skills of executives and managers and place them in the right companies at the right levels, Only LabourNet deals with the poor.
11. Chapman, R. (2005) ICT enabled knowledge centres and learning in the global village, in The Third MSSRF South-South Exchange Travelling Workshop  (MSSRF/PR/05/59), M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai..
    

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In February 2009 we invited the French philosopher Jacques Ranciere to Delhi for the release of his book “Nights of Labour” which we had translated into Hindi, and to have a conversation with a group of young writers and practitioners at the Cybermohalla (“CM”) in Dakshinpuri. The Cybermohalla is one of three media labs that have been set up in different working class colonies in Delhi where young people living in the colony meet, engage in conversations and write about their neighborhood, technology, media, culture and life in the city. Almost six years old, the CMs were set up as experimental spaces to explore ways of looking at the relationship between technology and the urban poor beyond the lens of developmentalism. The CM is presently involved in documenting intellectual life in their neighborhoods and the transformations brought about by media.

In this brief note I would like to raise a few critical questions about the dominant ICT and Development discourse that dominates policy and NGO circles, and I will be using the writings of Ranciere, the CM practitioners, and the conversation between them as the grounds on which to raise these questions. Ranciere began his career as a labour historian, and had initially set out to do a straight forward history of class consciousness in the labour archives outside Paris. What he found surprised him, and informed his philosophy of education and I believe has immense significance for people working on ICT, poverty and development. Ranciere’s rethinking of labour history paves the way for us to start thinking seriously about the hidden domain of aspiration and desire of the subaltern subject, while at the same time thinking about the politics of our own aspirations and desires.

Ranciere goes into an unexplored aspect of the labour archive of nineteenth century France, where he starts looking at small, obscure and short lived journals brought out by workers, in which they were writing about their own lives. But they were not necessarily writing about their work, or their condition as workers. And if they were , they were not writing about it in glorified terms but with immense dissatisfaction. Instead they were interested in writing poetry, philosophy and indulging in the pleasures of thought. They looked enviously at the thinking life that intellectuals were entitled to. At the same time, intellectuals have always been fascinated with the world of work and the romance of working class identity. Ranciere says “what new forms of misreading will affect this contradiction when the discourse of labourers in love with the intellectual nights of the intellectuals encounters the discourse of intellectuals in love with the toilsome and glorious days of the labouring people”

Ranciere’s motley cast of characters include Jerome Gillard, an iron smith tired of hammering iron, and Pierre Vincard, a metal worker who aspires to be a painter. In other words, a series of sketches of people who refused to obey the role sketched out of for them by history, people who wanted to step across the line and perform the truly radical act of breaking down the time-honored barrier separating those who carried out useful labour from those who pondered aesthetics. He says that “A worker who has never learned how to write and yet tried to compose verses to suit the taste of his times was perhaps more of a danger to the prevailing ideological order than a worker who performed revolutionary songs… Perhaps the truly dangerous classes are not so much the uncivilized ones thought to undermine society from below, but rather the migrants who move at the borders between classes, individuals and groups who develop capabilities within themselves which are useless for the improvement of their material lives and which in fact are liable to make them despise material concerns.”

While we ordinarily think of development in terns of an improvement in the material life and living condition of people, it seems from Ranciere’s account that this was not enough. What the workers wanted was to become entirely human, with all the possibilities of a human being which included a life in thought. What was not afforded to works was the leisure of thought, or the time of night which intellectuals had. This is not to say that an improvement in the material conditions of life was not important. On the contrary it was crucially important, but if we are also recognize inequality as being about the distribution of possibilities, then it is futile to maintain a divide between material and intellectual life. The struggle in other words was between time as a form of constraint and time as a possibility of freedom. For Ranciere, a worker then was someone to whom many lives were owed.

If we were to translate what this means for our understanding of ICT and the subject of development, we find that most interventions frame the poor as objects of the discourse of digital access, and they are rarely seen as the subject of digital imaginaries. How do we think of the space created by ICT as one that expands not just the material conditions but also breaks the divide between those entitled to the world of thought, and those entitled to the world of work? In other words, what is the space that we create when we frame the discourse of ‘digital divides’ only as a matter of technological access? How do we begin to look at the technological lives of people beyond developmentalism and take into account the way it changes aspirations and subjectivities?

Suraj, one of the writers at CM, in his conversation with Ranciere says “The capacity of my intellectual life always competes against my imagination. Exploration for me consists of recognizing the continuous pull by others around me (the constant movement), which propels me to the imagination of an intellectual life which always seems to be beyond me.” What this statement forces us to think about is the fact that we all lead intellectual lives, but the distribution of opportunities to lead an intellectual life is unequal, and we need to think through the history of materiality also as the history of conditions which divide people on the basis of those who think and those who work, or the division of time between the days of labour and the nights of writing. It would be tragic if we were to recycle clichéd ideas of the real needs of the elite and the real needs of the subaltern. The development sector seems to have inherited a certain anti intellectualism on the grounds that it is elitist and the left have failed to engage with such desires on the grounds that they were ‘false consciousness’.

But as Ranciere says “What if the truest sorrow lay not in being able to enjoy the false ones.” Ranciere argues that politics has always been about a distribution of the sensible or sensibilities (and this is certainly evidenced in political discourse as well as the critical discourse on technology where we find metaphors of ‘visibility’, ‘silence’ as a way of thinking about the political condition of the underclass). While the focus of the Harvard Forum has been appropriately on the correlation between ICT and poverty alleviation, it is also important to remember that these technologies (computers, mobiles, DVD players) are also a radical redistribution of the sensible. All of a sudden you have a vast number of people whose access to the world of images, texts and sounds have dramatically increased. At the same time they are engaging with the world of the sensible not just as passive consumers but actively producing, sharing and thinking through these new ephemeral forms.

We could ask questions about the larger change that a small experiment like the CM has been able to bring about. Do these young writers have the ability to change the world, is the model sustainable, etc.? The answer would be yes, but perhaps not in the way usually imagined by funders or NGOs. They have already changed the horizon of the possible by reinventing themselves and claiming their space in the world of thought. This also involves a radical rethinking of the very idea of equality itself. The liberal assumption is that equality for something we strive, in other words that we move from inequality to equality. But what if we were to start with equality itself.

Starting from equality does not presuppose that everyone in the world has equal opportunities to learn, to express their capacities. We recognize immense inequalities in the material conditions of life, but we also recognize that there is always some point of equality when we think of each other as thinking beings, and to think of the process of learning, not as a moving from ignorance to knowledge but as a process of going from what is already known or what is already possessed to further knowledge or new possessions.

It in this context that we also have to recognize that ICT technologies are a serious redistribution of the means of thought and expression. When Victor Hugo, a sympathizer of the working class, was shown a poem written by a worker, his embarrassed and patronizing response was “In your fine verse there is something more than fine verse. There is a strong soul, a lofty heart, a noble and robust spirit. Carry on. Always be what you are: poet and worker. That is to say, thinker and worker.” This is a classic instance of what Ranciere would term as an ‘exclusion by homage’. Thus, the aspiration and desires of the poor have to be ‘something more than fine verse’; the information needs of the poor have to be more than wanting to watch a film or even dreaming of becoming a film maker.

These injunctions certainly tell us more about the fantasies of the state, of the intellectual and of NGOs than they do about people participating in the new realms of the digital, and if we are to avoid collapsing all ICT interventions into ‘exclusions by homage’ then we also need to start thinking about the new landscape via the intellectual possibilities that they hold, and the many lives that they enable. After all, the poor are also those to whom many lives are owed.

Lawrence Liang is founder of the Alternative Law Forum and a Distinguished Fellow with the Centre for Internet and Society.

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"ನಮ್ಮ ಪಾರಂಪರಿಕ ಜ್ಞಾನವನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸಲಿಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂವಹನದ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನವನ್ನು ಸಮರ್ಥವಾಗಿ ಬಳಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಾಗಿದೆ. ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾಗುವ ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನಗಳು ಈ ನಿಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಧಾನಪ್ರಾತ್ರವಹಿಸಬಲ್ಲವು. ಅದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಮೊದಲ ಕೃಷಿ ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್ "ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ" ವನ್ನು ಇಂದು ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡಲು ಸಂತೋಷವಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ" ಎಂಬ ಮಾತುಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಪರಿಸರ ಬರಹಗಾರ ನಾಗೇಶ್ ಹೆಗಡೆ ಅವರು ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರಿನ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ ಒತ್ತಿ ಪರದೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ಪುಟ ಬೆಳಗಿ "ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ" ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನನ್ನು ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಲೋಕಕ್ಕೆ ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿದರು. 

ನಲವತ್ತು ವರುಷಗಳ ಮುಂಚೆ ಯು.ಎಸ್.ಎ ದೇಶದ ಗಗನಯಾತ್ರಿಗಳು ಚಂದ್ರನ ನೆಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಪ್ರಥಮ ಭಾರಿ ಪಾದಾರ್ಪಣೆ ಮಾಡಿದರು. ಇಡೀ ಜಗತ್ತು ಆ ಘಟನೆಯನ್ನು ಕಾತರದಿಂದ ನಿರೀಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಮಾನವನೊಬ್ಬ ಚಂದ್ರನ ಮೇಲಿಟ್ಟ ಪುಟ್ಟ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ ಮನುಕುಲದ ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ಪ್ರಗತಿಯ ಪಯಣದ ಪರ್ವತ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ. ಆ ಕ್ಷಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಭೂಲೋಕದ ಜನರೆಲ್ಲ ಸಂಭ್ರಮಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಅದೇ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಯು.ಎಸ್.ಎ ದೇಶದ ಮಿಲಿಟರಿ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಬೃಹತ್ ಯೋಜನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಳುಗಿತ್ತು - ರಷ್ಯಾ ದೇಶದಿಂದ ಪರಮಾಣು ಬಾಂಬ್ ದಾಳಿ ನೆಡೆದರೆ, ಯು.ಎಸ್.ಎ ದೇಶದ ಸರಕಾರ, ಸೇನಾಪಡೆಗಳು ಹಾಗು ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ಪ್ರಗತಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಅಗಾಧ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸುವ ಯೋಜನೆ ಅದಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಅದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ನಾಲ್ಕು ಬೇರೆ ಬೇರೆ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇರಿಸಿದ ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರ್ ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶೇಖರಿಸಿಟ್ಟರು. ಒಂದು ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರ್ ಬಾಂಬ್ ದಾಳಿಯಿಂದ ನಾಶವಾದರೂ ಉಳಿದ ಮೂರು ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರ್ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅಗಾಧ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತವಾಗಿ ಉಳಿದಿರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಈ ಪ್ರಾಜೆಕ್ಟಿಗೆ  ಅರ್ಪಾನೆಟ್(ARPANET) ಎಂದು ಹೆಸರಿಡಲಾಗಿತ್ತು.ಇದುವೇ ಮುಂದೆ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಆಗಿ ಬೆಳೆಯಿತು. ಇಂದು ಕನ್ನಡದ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಅದೇ ರೀತಿಯ ಸಂಭ್ರಮ. ಕೃಷಿ ಹಾಗು ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣರಂಗಗಳ ಅಗಾಧ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸಿಡುವ ಮಹಾತ್ವಾಕಾಂಕ್ಷೆಯ "ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ" ಯೋಜನೆ ಅನಾವರಣಗೊಂಡದ್ದು ನಾವೆಲ್ಲ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆ ಪಡಬೇಕಾದ ಬೆಳವಣಿಗೆ ಎಂದು ನಾಗೇಶ್ ಹೆಗಡೆಯವರು ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಪಟ್ಟರು.

ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಕನ್ನಡ ಅಭಿಮಾನಿಗಳು ಸದಸ್ಯರಾಗಿರುವ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಸಮುದಾಯ "ಸಂಪದ". ಇದರದೇ ಒಂದು ಭಾಗವಾದ ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದದ ಹೊಸದೊಂದು ಯೋಜನೆ "ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ" ಎಂಬ ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್. ಇದು "ಕ್ರಿಯೇಟೀವ್ ಕಾಮನ್ಸ್" ಲೈಸೆನ್ಸ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ಪ್ರಥಮ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಇದರಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಕಂಟೆಂಟನ್ನು (ಬರಹಗಳು, ಪೊಟೋಗಳು ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ) ಯಾರುಬೇಕಾದರೂ "ಇದ್ದದ್ದು ಇದ್ದ ಹಾಗೆ" ಮರುಬಳಕೆ ಮಾಡಬಹುದು. ಅಂದರೆ ಲಾಭರಹಿತ ಉದ್ದೇಶಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಮರುಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಬಹುದು ಅಥವಾ ಪ್ರತಿಗಳನ್ನು ತೆಗೆದು ಆಸಕ್ತರಿಗೆ ಹಂಚಬಹುದು ಎಂದು  "ಸಂಪದ" ತಂಡದ ಪರವಾಗಿ ಹರಿಪ್ರಸಾದ್ ನಾಡಿಗ್  ಆರಂಭದಲ್ಲಿ ತಿಳಿಸಿದರು.

ಇದೇ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದದ ಸಂಪಾದಕರಾದ ಅಡ್ಡೂರು ಕೃಷ್ಣರಾವ್ ರವರು, ಕೃಷಿ ಹಾಗು ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಬದುಕಿನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕಾಳಜಿಯಿರುವ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ವೇದಿಕೆ ಒದಗಿಸುವ ಉದ್ದೇಶದಿಂದ ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್ ಅನ್ನು ಆರಂಭಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿಸಿ, ಇದರ ಉದ್ದೇಶಗಳನ್ನು ವಿವರಿಸಿದರು.

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ "ಕೃಷಿ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞರ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ" ಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಡೆದ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವಾರು ಆಸಕ್ತರು ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿದ್ದರು. "ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ" ಬಿಡುಗಡೆಯ ಬಳಿಕ ಜರುಗಿದ ಸಂವಾದದಲ್ಲಿ ಚುರುಕಿನ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೋತ್ತರ ಜರುಗಿತು. ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ಸೆಂಟರ್ ಫಾರ್ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ & ಸೊಸೈಟಿ, ಸಂಪದ ಹಾಗು ಕೃಷಿ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞರ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ - ಇವರ ಸಹಯೋಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಯೋಜಿಸಲಾಗಿತ್ತು.

ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್ ಪ್ರತಿಯನ್ನು ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದದ ತಾಣದಿಂದ ಡೌನ್ ಲೋಡ್ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬಹುದಾಗಿದೆ: http://krushi.sampada.net

ನಿಮ್ಮ ಅನಿಸಿಕೆ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿಗಳನ್ನು ಕೃಷಿಸಂಪದ ತಂಡಕ್ಕೆ ಇ-ಮೈಲ್ ಮೂಲಕ ಕಳುಹಿಸಿ ಕೊಡಬಹುದಾಗಿದೆ: krushi@sampada.net

(ಮೈಕೇಲ್‌ ರಿಗ್ಸ್. ವಿಶ್ವ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯ ಆಹಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಘಟನೆಯ ಜ್ಞಾನ ಮತ್ತು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ನಿರ್ವಹಣೆ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿ. ಐ.ಸಿ.ಟಿ. (ಇನ್‌ಫರ್ಮೇಶನ್ ಅಂಡ್ ಕಮ್ಯನಿಕೇಶನ್‌ ಟೆಕ್ನಾಲಜಿ) ಅಂದರೆ, ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಮತ್ತು ದೂರಸಂಪರ್ಕ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನವನ್ನು ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿಗೆ ಬಳಸಲು ಪ್ರೇರೇಪಿಸುವುದು ಅವರ ಜವಾಬ್ದಾರಿ. ಆಗಸ್ಟ್ ಕೊನೆಯ ವಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಬಂದಿದ್ದ ರಿಗ್ಸ್ ಕನಿಂಗ್‌ಹ್ಯಾಮ್‌ ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ದಿ ಸೆಂಟರ್ ಫಾರ್ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಅಂಡ್ ಸೊಸೈಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಷಣ ಮಾಡಿದರು. ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನದ ನೆರವಿನಿಂದ ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಸುಲಭ ಎಂಬುದು ಅವರ ಮಾತಿನ ಸಾರಾಂಶ. ಆ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಜರಿದ್ದ ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ ತಂಡ ಗ್ರಹಿಸಿದ ವಿವರ ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ)
ಒಂದು ಸರಳ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಸಾಧನವೊಂದು ನಮ್ಮ ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಪ್ರದೇಶದ ಬದುಕನ್ನೇ ಪ್ರಗತಿಯತ್ತ ಕೊಂಡೊಯ್ಯಬಲ್ಲುದೆ? ವಿಶ್ವ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯ ಆಹಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಘಟನೆಯ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿ ಮೈಕೇಲ್ ರಿಗ್ಸ್ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಅದು ಖಂಡಿತ ಸಾಧ್ಯ. ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಅವರು ನೀಡುವ ಉದಾಹರಣೆ ಮೊಬೈಲ್.
ಮೊಬೈಲ್‌ ಯಂತ್ರದ ಬಳಕೆಯ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆಗಳು ಅಪಾರ ಅಂತಾರೆ ರಿಗ್ಸ್. ಇದರಿಂದ ರೈತ ಮತ್ತು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಭಂಡಾರದ ನಡುವಿನ ದೂರ ಇಲ್ಲವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ರೈತನಿಗೆ ಬೇಕಾದ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ ಅಥವಾ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ತಕ್ಷಣ ಅವರಿಗೆ ತಲುಪಿಸಬಹುದು. ಬರ, ಅತಿವೃಷ್ಟಿ, ಕೀಟಬಾಧೆ, ಬೆಲೆ ಏರಿಳಿತ, ಯಾವ ಪ್ರದೇಶಕ್ಕೆ ಯಾವ ಬೆಳೆ ಸೂಕ್ತ, ಬಿತ್ತನೆ ಹೇಗೆ, ಕಾಲಕಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ಅನುಸರಿಸಬೇಕಾದ ಬೇಸಾಯ ಕ್ರಮಗಳಾವವು, ಯಾವ ಮಣ್ಣಿಗೆ ಎಂಥ ಬೆಳೆ ಸೂಕ್ತ- ಹೀಗೆ ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಬಂಧಿ ವಿಷಯಗಳೆಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಮೊಬೈಲ್‌ ಮೂಲಕ ಅಪ್‌ಡೇಟ್ ಮಾಡುತ್ತ ಹೋಗಬಹುದು. ಒಂದೇ ಸಂದೇಶವನ್ನು ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಎಲ್ಲ ರೈತರಿಗೂ ಏಕಕಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ತಲುಪಿಸುವುದು ಮೊಬೈಲ್ ಮೂಲಕ ಸುಲಭ. ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಅಲ್ಲ, ರೈತರೈತರ ನಡುವೆ ಕೂಡ ಇದು ಸಂಪರ್ಕ ಸಾಧನವಾಗಿ, ಮಾಹಿತಿ ವಿನಿಮಯಕ್ಕೆ ನೆರವಾಗಬಲ್ಲುದು.
ಇಂಥದೇ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ವಿಡಿಯೋ ಕಾನ್ಫೆರೆನ್ಸಿಂಗ್. ರೈತನ ಹೊಲದ ವಾಸ್ತವ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಏನೆಂಬುದನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ತಕ್ಷಣ ಅರಿಯಬಹುದು. ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ರೈತರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ನೇರವಾಗಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿ, ಸೂಕ್ತ ಪರಿಹಾರ ಕ್ರಮಗಳನ್ನು ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಬಹುದು. ಇದರಿಂದ ಹಣ ಮತ್ತು ಸಮಯದ ಅಪಾರ ಉಳಿತಾಯವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಪರಿಹಾರ ಕೂಡ ಶೀಘ್ರವಾಗಿ ಲಭಿಸುತ್ತದೆ ಅಂತಾರೆ ಮೈಕೇಲ್‌ ರಿಗ್ಸ್.
ಈ ಎಲ್ಲ ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗಳು ಕೇವಲ ಆದರ್ಶಗಳಲ್ಲ. ವಿಶ್ವಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯ ಆಹಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ ವಿವಿಧ ದೇಶಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇದನ್ನು ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಯೋಗಿಸಿದೆ. ರೈತರೆಂದರೆ ಏನೂ ಗೊತ್ತಿರದ ಜನ ಎಂಬ ಭ್ರಮೆಯನ್ನು ಬದಿಗಿಟ್ಟು, ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನವನ್ನು ಅವರ ಕೈಗೆ ತಲುಪಿಸಿದರೆ ಪ್ರಗತಿ ಖಂಡಿತ. ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಪ್ರದೇಶದ ಜನ ಹೇಗೆ ಬದುಕುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎಂಬ ಕಲ್ಪನೆಯೇ ಬಹಳಷ್ಟು ಕಡೆ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿಲ್ಲ. ಹೀಗಿರುವಾಗ, ಅವರಿಗಾಗಿ ರೂಪಿಸುವ ಯೋಜನೆಗಳು ಅವರನ್ನು ತಲುಪುವುದಾದರೂ ಹೇಗೆ ಎಂಬುದು ರಿಗ್ಸ್ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ.
ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನವನ್ನು ಬಳಸಿ, ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಪ್ರದೇಶವನ್ನು ಕಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳನ್ನು ಅರಿತುಕೊಳ್ಳಿ. ನಂತರ, ಅವನ್ನು ನಿವಾರಿಸುವ ಕುರಿತು ಯೋಜನೆಗಳನ್ನು ರೂಪಿಸಿ. ಅವುಗಳ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದವರಿಗೆ ತಲುಪಿಸಿ. ಅವರೂ ಈ ಕಾರ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಕ್ರಿಯವಾಗಿ ಪಾಲ್ಗೊಳ್ಳುವಂತೆ ಉತ್ತೇಜಿಸಿ. ಮೊಬೈಲ್‌ ಕಂಪನಿಗಳು ಕೂಡ ಈ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಕೈಜೋಡಿಸಬಲ್ಲವು. ಆಗ ಯಾವೊಂದು ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಯೂ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಉಳಿದುಬಿಡದೇ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳ ಗಮನಕ್ಕೆ ಬರುತ್ತದೆ. ಆಗ ಪರಿಹಾರ ಸುಲಭ. ಹಲವಾರು ಬುದ್ಧಿಜೀವಿಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞರು ಸೇರಿ ರೂಪಿಸಿದ್ದು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಮತ್ತು ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ಬಳಕೆಯ ಈ ಐಡಿಯಾ. ಹಿಂದುಳಿದ ದೇಶವಾದ ಕೋಸ್ಟರಿಕ, ಭೂತಾನ್‌, ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿಶೀಲ ದೇಶಗಳಾದ ಶ್ರೀಲಂಕಾ, ಮಲೇಷ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಪ್ರಯೋಗ ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾಗಿದೆ  ಅಂತಾರೆ ರಿಗ್ಸ್.
'ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಪ್ರದೇಶಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ರವಾನಿಸುವುದು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲೂ ಎದುರಾಗಿರುವ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಸವಾಲು. ಇವತ್ತಿಗೂ ತುಂಬ ಜನ ಇದು ಕಷ್ಟಕರ ಎಂದೇ ಭಾವಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಅವರ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಎಂದರೆ ಅಕ್ಷರರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುವಂಥದು. ವೆಬ್‌ಸೈಟ್, ದಿನಪತ್ರಿಕೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುವ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ರೈತ ಓದಬಲ್ಲನೆ? ಎಂಬುದು ಅವರ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ. ನಿಜ, ರೈತನಿಗೆ ವೆಬ್‌ಸೈಟ್‌ ನೋಡಲು ಆಗಲಿಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ, ಸರ್ಕಾರ ನೋಡಬಹುದಲ್ಲ? ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳು ನೋಡಬಹುದು. ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಹೆಕ್ಕಿದ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ರೈತನಿಗೆ ತಲುಪಿಸುವುದಷ್ಟೇ ಮುಂದಿನ ಕೆಲಸ. ಮೊಬೈಲ್‌ ಆ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನು ವೇಗವಾಗಿ ಮತ್ತು ಪರಿಣಾಮಕಾರಿಯಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಬಹುದು. ರೇಡಿಯೋದಂತೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಒಮ್ಮುಖ ಸಂಪರ್ಕ ಇಲ್ಲ. ರೈತ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ನೇರ ಸಂವಾದ ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿರುವುದರಿಂದ, ಸಮಸ್ಯೆ ಬೇಗ ಪರಿಹಾರ ಕಾಣಬಲ್ಲುದು' ಎಂಬುದು ಮೈಕೇಲ್‌ ರಿಗ್ಸ್ ವಾದ.
ಹೀಗಾಗಿ, ವಿಶ್ವಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯ ಆಹಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನದ ನೆರವಿನಿಂದ ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಪ್ರದೇಶಗಳ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿಗೆ ಮುಂದಾಗಿದೆ. ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ವೇಗವಾಗಿ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಹೊಂದುತ್ತಿರುವ ಭಾರತದಂಥ ದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ, ಪ್ರಗತಿಯ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆಗಳು ಅಪಾರ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಮೊಬೈಲ್‌ ದರ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಕಡಿಮೆ. ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚು. ಹಲವಾರು ಕಂಪನಿಗಳು ಕಣದಲ್ಲಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ಸ್ಪರ್ಧಾತ್ಮಕ ದರದಲ್ಲಿ ಸೇವೆ ಸಿಗುತ್ತದೆ. ರೈತರ ಯೋಜನೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಇನ್ನೂ ರಿಯಾಯಿತಿ ಪಡೆಯಬಹುದು. ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಮನಸ್ಸು ಮಾಡಿದರೆ, ಖಂಡಿತವಾಗಿ ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಕೆಲಸ ತೀವ್ರಗೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂಬುದು ರಿಗ್ಸ್ ಮಾತಿನ ಸಾರಾಂಶ.
ಇಷ್ಟೊಂದು ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ಬಂದಿದೆ. ಆದರೂ ಹಸಿವೆಯನ್ನು ಹೋಗಲಾಡಿಸಲು ಆಗಿಲ್ಲ. ಎಲ್ಲ ಪ್ರದೇಶಗಳಿಗೂ ಒಂದೇ ರೀತಿಯ ಯೋಜನೆ ರೂಪಿಸುವ ಸಾಂಪ್ರದಾಯಿಕ ವಿಧಾನಗಳಿಂದ ಉಪಯೋಗವಿಲ್ಲ. ಮೊಬೈಲ್‌ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನವೊಂದನ್ನೇ ಬಳಸಿಕೊಂಡರೂ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಹಳ್ಳಿಗೆ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಬೇಕಾದ ರೀತಿಯ ಪರಿಹಾರ ಕ್ರಮಗಳನ್ನು ರೂಪಿಸಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯ. ಆಗ ಭೂಮಿಯ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಮೂಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ರೈತನೊಂದಿಗೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿಯ ರೈತ ಸಂಪರ್ಕ ಹೊಂದಲು, ಮಾಹಿತಿ ವಿನಿಮಯ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯ. ಹೊಸ ವಿಚಾರ, ವಿಧಾನ ಆತನಿಗೆ ದಕ್ಕುತ್ತವೆ. ರೈತನೊಳಗೊಬ್ಬ ಕ್ರಿಯಾಶೀಲ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನಿ, ಕೆಲಸಗಾರ ಕಣ್ತೆರೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಹೊಸ ವಿಚಾರಗಳು ಹರಿದಾಡುವುದರಿಂದ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ವೇಗವಾಗಿ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತದೆ. ನನ್ನ ಎಂಟು ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಅನುಭವ ಹೇಳುವುದಾದರೆ, ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಎಲ್ಲ ಗ್ರಂಥಾಲಯಗಳನ್ನು ಜೋಡಿಸಿದಾಗ ಸಿಗುವ ಮಾಹಿತಿಗಿಂತ ನಮ್ಮ ಹತ್ತಿರ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಸಂಗ್ರಹವಾಗಬಲ್ಲುದು ಅಂತಾರೆ ರಿಗ್ಸ್.
ಸಮುದಾಯಗಳನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು. ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತರಿಂದ ನೂರು ಜನರಿರುವ ಸಣ್ಣ ಸಣ್ಣ ತಂಡಗಳನ್ನು ರಚಿಸುವ ಮೂಲಕ ನಾವು ಗುರಿಯನ್ನು ಸುಲಭವಾಗಿ ತಲುಪಬಹುದು. ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಸಮುದಾಯವೂ ದೂರ ಸಂಪರ್ಕ ಸಾಧನಗಳ ಮೂಲಕ ಪರಸ್ಪರ ಸಂಪರ್ಕ ಹೊಂದಬೇಕು. ವಿಚಾರ ವಿನಿಮಯವಾಗಬೇಕು. ರೈತರ ಇಂಥ ಸಮುದಾಯ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಎಲ್ಲ ಭಾಗಗಳ ಜನರನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು. ಏಕೆಂದರೆ, ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಎಲ್ಲ ರೈತರ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಪರಿಹಾರಗಳೂ ಒಂದೇ ಆಗಿವೆ. ಏಕದಿಂದ ಅನೇಕ (ಒನ್‌ ಟು ಮೆನಿ) ನೀತಿಯಿಂದ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ರೈತರು ಪರಸ್ಪರ ಸಂಪರ್ಕಿಸಬಲ್ಲರು, ಮಾಹಿತಿ ವಿನಿಮಯ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬಲ್ಲರು. ಒಂದು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಜನರನ್ನು ತಲುಪಬಲ್ಲುದು. ಕಳೆದ ಎಂಟು ವರ್ಷಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ಕಂಡುಕೊಂಡ ಯಶಸ್ಸಿನ ಗುಟ್ಟಿದು ಎಂದರು ರಿಗ್ಸ್.
ಸಿಐಎಸ್‌ (ಸೆಂಟರ್ ಫಾರ್ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್‌ ಸೊಸೈಟಿ) ಈ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಮುಂದಾಗಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಆಶಿಸಿದ ರಿಗ್ಸ್, ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಜನತೆಯನ್ನು ತಲುಪುವ ಕೆಲಸ ನಿಮ್ಮಿಂದ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭವಾಗಲಿ ಎಂದರು. ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಯಾವೊಂದು ಸಮುದಾಯವೂ ತನ್ನ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಯನ್ನು ತಾನೊಂದೇ ಪೂರ್ತಿಯಾಗಿ ಪರಿಹರಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ, ಸಮುದಾಯದ ಪಾಲ್ಗೊಳ್ಳುವಿಕೆ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ, ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಜೊತೆಯಾಗಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡೋಣ. ಆಗ, ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳು ಹಗುರವಾಗುತ್ತವೆ. ಲಾಭ ದುಪ್ಪಟ್ಟಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂದರು.
ಮೈಕೇಲ್‌ ರಿಗ್ಸ್ ಹೊಸ ರೀತಿಯ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಹಾಗೂ ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ಪ್ರಗತಿಯ ಕನಸನ್ನು ಬಿತ್ತುತ್ತ ನಡೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಅದನ್ನು ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಪ್ರದೇಶಕ್ಕೆ ತಲುಪಿಸುವ ಜವಾಬ್ದಾರಿ ನಮ್ಮೆಲ್ಲರದು.

The rural areas are suffering with extreme poverty and isolation.  Such isolation has led to many miseries and tragic consequences in many families. This trend is more evident due to the absence of joint family system, which has deprived the supportive role of family members. It is seen that mobile phones have to some extent end isolation and therefore proved to be most transformative technology of economic development in recent times. The mobile phone technology has been so powerful and costs so little that it has now proved possible to sell mobile phone access to the poor.

The rural poor have access to wireless banking and payment systems. The mobile revolution is creating logistics revolution in farm to retail marketing connecting farmers to food retailers enabling them to sell the produce at high farm gate prices without delay.

Mobile telephony has become a part of everybody’s of life. This has also become a symbol of progress. If rural telephony grows by 1% there will be an increase of 0.6% in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) showing the impact of growth of rural mobile telephony on Indian economy. 70% of the population of the country is still left behind so far as mobile telephone connectivity is concerned. This indicates that there is an excellent potential for growth in rural areas.

The rural population deserves to shift to mobile telephones in view of the delipitated, ancient and almost useless fixed line infrastructure. They have proved to be an effective instrument of empowerment of rural masses. It is a welcome sign that mobile operators have now shifted their focus to service the rural areas. The once neglected, non profitable areas with high operating costs with low income subscribers is now seen as a proverbial pot of gold with technological advancement and better network management.

Karnataka being in the forefront of Information technology revolution has not lagged behind to harness the Information and communication technology for strengthening the rural masses. Communication is a major challenge and serious impediment in taking the fruits of development to our farmers in the country. IFFCO has realized that a reliable and economical communication medium, as well as, useful services of relevance over this channel have the potential to transform the quality of living in our villages. The need of the hour is to take valuable information inputs to farmers- directly to their ‘ears’ & ‘eyes’ using latest information media like mobile technologies, in addition, rural friendly technologies which are simple, affordable and can address the basic needs of our farmers need to be designed, developed and supplied in all the villages of our country. IFFCO was amongst the first in India to realize the importance and benefits of information and communication technology (ICT) for the development of rural India and applied the technology under 'ICT Initiatives for Farmers & Cooperatives'.

As the country witnessed a boom in Communication in the past decades, most of the developments had been limited to urban areas. It is well known that communication plays a vital role in overall growth in country. It has been proved that mobile telephony has a positive and significant impact on economic growth. But communication infrastructure is still lacking in rural areas.

'IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Limited (IKSL)' is IFFCO's initiative tying up with telecom giant “Airtel”to take further the application of ICT to the benefit of Rural India through a mandate to design, develop, source and supply state of the art, economical & environmentally friendly rural communication & other technologies with value additions of content & services. The focus is to empower people living in villages by taking advantage of appropriate technology to address issues relating to farmers who are in need of communication, access to input from experts and services of reliable quality.

IFFCO has always been in the forefront in spreading the benefits of latest in science and technology for the upliftment of quality of life in rural India. Service to farmers is an integral part of the marketing in gaining trust of rural masses. IFFCO has distinction of floating institutions with focus on rural India like IFFCO- TOKIO General Insurance (ITGI), CORDET, IFFCO Foundation, Kisan Sewa Trust and IFFDC. Unique initiatives of ITGI like 'Sankat Haran Bima Yojna' and ‘Barish Bima Yojana’ have become very popular

IKSL is harnessing domain strength of vast resources of expertise both within and outside IKSL by leveraging organizations engaged in communications & rural friendly technologies. Partnerships have been forged with giant companies like Airtel and Freeplay.  Innovation, dynamism & sense of purpose guide IKSL in its journey towards harnessing technology for the betterment of life in rural India.

Value added services are designed to disseminate through mobile channel five voice messages of current importance to farmers in local languages every day free of cost. The broad areas covered are: recommendation on best agricultural practices, nutrient management, animal husbandry, problems & possible solutions for the specific location, information on mandies, weather & climate and several other areas. In Karnataka IKSL is entering into an MOU with University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore & Dharwad for developing content in the form of message bank and helpline services which is enhanced and updated on a continuous basis.