Ram Harijan is generally credited with identifying the late-development syndrome as a psychosomatic condition to which people in late-developing countries are particularly prone to (Harijan 1992, p.46).

Background

In a 1975-speech to Britain's South West Labour Party Conference in Taunton, Somerset, Dr Harijan warned that the transformation from candle-lit developing economies to post-modern developed societies involved not just economic development. National development involved an essential psychological element for which education that instilled a can-do mentality had a crucial role to play (Harijan 1975, p.3). In subsequent speeches in Blackpool 1976 (Harijan 1976, p.132) and Brighton 1977 (Harijan 1977, p.251), this 'psychological' dimension was further amplified and clarified. A common theme running through all these speeches was Dr Harijan's assessment that the philosophy behind 'sustainable development' (Schumacher, 1973) and 'non-formal education' (Freire, 1971) which were in vogue in much of the 'third world' in the 1970s did not address this psychological dimension in developmental economics or developmental education. Dr Harijan's letter to Russian President Gorbachev in 1988 reflected the same theme (Harijan 1988, p.32).

Earlier Research by others

That national late-development had an individual psychological dimension was not a new idea. Earlier developmental researchers had already identified a number of late-developmental effects which, in their views, impeded rapid economic development. The major ones were:

* Alienation and negativism towards government arising from a lack of faith in one's own government (Inkles & Smith 1974, p.171).

* Dependency on outsiders to sort out one's problems arising from a diminution of self-worth. (Mendes, T 1974, p.76).

* Attraction to paper qualification arising from a diminished confidence in one's own ability to do things without the backing of supporting papers (Dore, R 1976, p.87).

* Outward brain-drain of skilled and qualified people arising from a lack of belief in one's own country's ability to utilize one's talents and skills (Portes 1976, p.54).

Harijan's contribution

What Dr Harijan did was to combine these diverse late-development effects and identify the primary symptoms which caused those effects.

To state that national development has a propensity to produce individuals with the late-development syndrome is not to say that every individual in every late-developing country has the syndrome or that no individual in developed countries has it. All people in late-developing countries are not deprived or disadvantaged. Nor are developed countries free of pockets of deprivation and disadvantages. What is true is that a greater proportion people in late-developing countries live in relative and absolute deprivation compared to developed countries. Those who want to combat the syndrome need to address that (Harijan 1992, p.46-49).

Symptoms of LDS

The primary symptoms which Dr Harijan identified were:

* A diminution of self-worth

* Diminished confidence in one's own ability to do things without the backing of supporting paper qualifications

* General lack of faith in one's own government to improve things

* Lack of belief in one's own country's ability to utilize one's skills and talents (Harijan 1992, p.49).

Causes

According to Harijan, the late-developing syndrome (LDS) is caused by one or more of the following factors:

* A deprived and disadvantaged environment of illiteracy, poor healthcare and inadequate communications.

* A sense of having been late, 'missing the bus' of development and of being left behind.

* A recent history of foreign conquests, occupations and colonialism which produce a fear of foreigners and a closed mind to foreign ideas (Harijan 1992, p.47).

References

• Dore, R. (1976): The Diploma disease: Education, Qualifications and Development, Allen & Unwin, London

• Freire, P. (1971): Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Penguin

• Harijan, R. (1975): Speech to the South West England Labour Party, North Devon Journal Herald, March 31, Barnstaple

• Harijan, R. (1976): Speech in Report of the 75th Labour Party National Conference, Labour Party, London

• Harijan, R. (1977): Speech in Report of the 76th Labour Party National Conference, Labour Party, London

• Harijan, R. (1978): Speech to the South West England Labour Party, Western Morning News, March 28, Plymouth

• Harijan, R. (1988): Letter in Fischel, L. et al (1990): Dear Mr Gorbachev, Cannongate, Edinburgh

• Harijan, R C (1992): Targeted Input of Computers to combat the Late-Development Syndrome: An Indian Case-Study Reading University

• Inkles, M & Smith, D.(1974): Becoming Modern, Heineman, London

• Mendes, T. (1974): From Aid to Recolonisation: Lessons of a Failure, Harrap, London

• Portes, A. (1976): Modernisation for Emigration' in Journal of Inter-American Studies and World Affairs, 18(4)

• Schumacher, E.F. (1973): Small is beautiful, Harper & Row, New York