"Economists the world over talk of development as the development of wealth,
infrastructure, comforts, conveniences, technology, and resources possessed. They see
land, oil, natural resources, buildings, roads, airport, education etc. as development.
But these are the results of development, not development. Again, community
development, national extension service, hybrid seeds, fertilizers, and liberalization are
spoken of as development. These are strategies, programs and projects. They are the means
to development but not development itself.
A social energy helps develop. A
certain will of the society releases that energy. Sometimes that energy is directed
to become a social force. That direction is given by the social attitude and
social goals. An organization in the society converts that force into
social power. The available social skills convert that social power into the
social results mentioned above. The process by which the social energy is converted into
social results is a social process. It is this process that is called
development.
Development is a process and not a
program or a policy. Will, energy, direction, force, organization, power, and skill all go
to accomplish development. All together they make up the development organization
which incidentally includes a part known as organization too. It is this that serves as
the lynch pin for development. In a sense this developmental organization is the backbone
or social structure that enables the process of development to complete itself."
(MSS)
