A unique model of people-centred communication: Manoj K. Puthiyavila of Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society

When the idea of sustainable development began to take root in India, Kerala distinguished itself as a trailblazer with a pioneering experiment aimed at creating a structured model for its implementation. This pioneering initiative was perfectly timed with the enactment of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which laid the groundwork for decentralisation. Capitalising on the opportunities these amendments presented, Kerala launched a bold and ground-breaking initiative known as the ‘People’s Planning Campaign’ in 1996.

Discussions around strengthening local governments had been ongoing since Kerala’s first democratically elected government. However, implementation had been stalled by arguments that powers could only be devolved once institutional capacities were built. The 1996 government, led by E.K. Nayanar, audaciously inverted this logic: it first devolved power and funds – a substantial 35-40% of state Plan funds – and only then focused on building institutional capacity. Such an audacious reversal of conventional wisdom was widely acclaimed as nothing short of revolutionary.

The Government of Kerala framed the Ninth Five-Year Plan as the ‘People’s Plan’, empowering local communities to identify their own needs, formulate development and welfare projects, and implement them through participatory democracy. To underpin this ambitious vision, an extensive public mobilisation effort, aptly named the People’s Plan Campaign, was launched.

New Pathways in Popular Communication

An unprecedented awareness campaign spread across the state. Two hundred and ten Janadhikara Kalajathas(Performing troupes propagating the idea ‘Power to the People’), organised at the block and municipal levels, travelled throughout Kerala, using art forms—primarily street plays—to present the campaign’s core themes. These performances were reinforced by door-to-door outreach, public meetings, speeches, flyers, posters, newspaper articles, and advertisements, all of which elevated the campaign to the top of the state’s public agenda.

Ward-level grama sabhas (ward sabhas in urban areas) were convened to maximise grassroots participation. Intensive training programmes were launched for local representatives and officials. A commission chaired by Satyabrata Sen was tasked with determining which departmental functions and funds could be transferred to local governments. Accordingly, local-level staff from various departments were gradually reassigned to work under local government institutions.

The training initiative was comprehensive, covering areas such as problem identification, project formulation, review and execution, across sectors like production, services and infrastructure. A four-tiered training system—at the state, zonal, district, and block levels—produced 49,700 master trainers and 22,305 district trainers, who together trained over 100,000 participants. Similar training sessions were held across the six phases of the campaign.

The results were extraordinary. Grama sabhas were conducted in a celebratory spirit, drawing in around three million people—transcending divisions of caste, religion, class, and gender. On average, 180 people attended each ward meeting, with women comprising 27% of the participants. These meetings generated ideas for over 100,000 projects.

The Grassroots Information Revolution

This transformation was made possible by an unprecedented communication effort at the grassroots level—establishing a gold standard for sustainable development outreach. One vital component was the multi-layered training programme conducted over six phases, reaching down to the village panchayat level and beyond. Another cornerstone was the massive public education campaign, including the performing arts troupes that engaged and energised communities. The campaign sought to educate people on the true meaning of development, why their involvement mattered, and how they could actively contribute.

From the Approach Paper to detailed guides on conducting grama sabhas, over 20 books (totalling 2,100 pages) and 12 handbooks covering various thematic areas were published in the first year alone. Each campaign phase came with its own manuals, and by the end, the total printed material exceeded 3,000 pages. The Panchayat Department’s monthly magazine, Panchayat Raj, was entirely dedicated to People’s Planning during this period.

Audio-visual media also played a key role. In the first year, the campaign produced four documentaries (each 25–45 minutes long), eight training videos, twelve analytical videos, thirty-five short videos (4–5 minutes each) showcasing model initiatives, and a television series titled ‘Vazhiyadayangal’ (Pathfinders), which analysed six successful grassroots problem-solving models. Additionally, seven television spots were created.

These 70 productions were broadcast via Doordarshan’s Malayalam channel and the private network Asianet. Both the print and video materials remain timeless references for decentralised planning efforts around the globe.

Data Collection and Comprehensive Planning

The recommendations gathered from grama sabhas—where development needs were first identified—were carefully compiled. Volunteers from the campaign conducted wide-ranging field surveys, collected secondary data, and prepared resource maps. Each Local Self-Government Institution (LSGI) prepared a detailed development report incorporating historical and current information about its area. In total, 1,214 LSGIs created these reports, which amounted to over 100,000 A4 pages!

Based on these reports, each LSGI held a day-long development seminar. Sector-specific working groups then spent several days formulating projects, supported by rigorous training. These projects were scrutinized, refined and ultimately approved by District Development Committees. To assist these committees, Voluntary Technical Corps (VTC)—consisting of retired professionals and volunteers from various disciplines—were formed in every district.

At the time, terms like ‘innovation,’ ‘sustainability,’ ‘local-level planning’ and ‘people’s planning’ were largely unfamiliar to the public. Scepticism abounded regarding the quality of projects that could emerge from such a process. Yet, in the very first year alone, over 65,000 development projects were formulated. A healthy competition soon developed among local governments to improve their annual plans, leading to continual enhancements in both quantity and quality.

Exchange of Innovative Models

Even before the formal launch of People’s Planning, the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) had been conducting local resource mapping and piloting development models in partnership with research institutions across various local governments. Several exemplary models emerged from these efforts and were later integrated into training programmes. The first year of People’s Planning itself witnessed a proliferation of participatory initiatives throughout the state.

For instance, in Vaniyamkulam, Palakkad district, villagers donated 3,600 human-days of labour just in 3 days to build a check dam across the Bharathapuzha—the state’s widest river—reclaiming six acres of farmland. In Chapparappadavu, Kannur, the local community constructed a river bridge, while 2,350 volunteers worked for 62 consecutive days to build a bus stand, aanganvadi and other utilities. There were several similar success stories including agricultural innovations in Kanjikuzhi, Alappuzha and a mini-hydroelectric project in Meenvallam, Palakkad to illustrate the people-led development efforts that emerged state-wide which saw huge participation of public.

To showcase this ‘developmental spring’ sweeping across Kerala and to highlight replicable models, around 100 exemplary projects were curated into a state-level poster exhibition. Displayed at major campaign events, the exhibition inspired thousands. Recognizing that some 250 posters could not do justice to the richness of these initiatives, a decision was made to document 50 adaptable models in detail. These were compiled into a 260-page book titled Janakeeyathayude Ponkani (Golden Nuggets of People’s Participation), which became a vital training resource.

Despite these efforts, practical implementation continued to raise questions. The solution came through study visits to locations where model projects had been successfully executed. Local government functionaries engaged in mutual learning tours, which were accompanied by seminars delving into the specifics of each model.

At the time, newspapers—then the most influential media—were becoming increasingly localised. Consequently, even large-scale people’s initiatives often found space only in the regional sections. All efforts were made to counteract this limited visibility.

As new models continued to emerge annually, documenting them through books or seminars became impractical. This led to the launch of a citizen journalism initiative: local correspondents were appointed and trained in every block panchayat to report on unique development models. These correspondents submitted their stories to Panchayat Raj magazine and local newspapers. Although a proposed state portal to host these reports didn’t materialize at the time, the PRISM project now serves a similar purpose and is widely used by the media.

The Essence of Sustainability Communication

The exchange of sustainable development models remains a critical component of progress. Between 1996 and 2001, Kerala’s People’s Planning Campaign developed and tested an exemplary model of sustainability communication. While direct training programmes proved most effective and will remain indispensable, modern tools such as video documentation and digital dissemination can now augment this model.

No method of communication supports sustainable development more effectively than grassroots-level information exchange. At its heart, sustainable development is rooted in care—for the environment and for one another. This sense of care is strongest for our immediate surroundings: the people, creatures and ecosystems around us. This local sensitivity is the foundation of the phrase ‘think global, act local,’which is essential for understanding and addressing nearby challenges. As such, development must be decentralised, people-centric and people-driven.

The People’s Planning Campaign of 1996–2001 offers invaluable insights into such sustainability communication. The unprecedented participation of women both in the People’s Planning and in Kudumbashree movement – another contribution of Kerala to the world, which encouraged the state government to pass the bills reserving 50% representation for women in the LSGIs in 2009 – acknowledged how the communication pierced through various strata of the society. Its effectiveness in empowering local governments became strikingly evident during Kerala’s recent floods and the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Chief Minister announced one evening that all local governments should establish community kitchens during COVID, the directive was implemented within 24 hours! A thorough review of Kerala’s responses to the floods, landslides and the pandemic underscores how deeply this empowerment had taken root. Now the People’s Planning is the normal practice of Kerala LSGIs. The communication which made all these possible is a potential topic for research even now.