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Time for introspection
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The quality of life and productive capacity of the people will improve only when everyone born in the country gets equal opportunity to learn, work, and receive remuneration, according to a nationally accepted equitable policy on prices and incomes.
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HUMANITY, HAVING acquired considerable knowledge in all walks of life, could have utilised these to usher in an era of peace and prosperity for all. But instead of doing so, it is moving towards chaos and self-destruction. Global war against terrorism will fail to achieve its objective of global peace; because there are reasons for every situation, and unless those reasons change, the situation cannot change.
India too is trying hard to link its problems with those of international terrorism. No doubt, trouble in Jammu and Kashmir is partly due to cross-border terrorism. But what about the growing anarchy within the country? Is it not a fact, that more murders, dacoities and other heinous crimes are taking place in Lucknow, the capital city of U.P., than in Srinagar, the capital of J&K. In other big cities like Mumbai and Kanpur, the incidence of crime is no less than in J&K. Was the recent attack on a police station in Jharkhand, in which 13 policemen were killed, any different from such incidents in J&K? Will peace be restored in Northeast India, if J&K problem is resolved? Will the attacks by the People's War Group in A.P., casteist wars in Bihar, and the growing Naxalism throughout the country come to an end, after achieving victory in the global war against terrorism? Is internal anarchy less destructive than external terrorism? The obvious reply to all these questions is "No". We should first think, why anarchy is spreading fast within our own country?
It is time for introspection by the nation of its past performance, and future prospects. While our politicians are trying hard to create the impression that we are now moving ahead at a much faster rate towards prosperity, and will soon emerge as a great industrial power, the reality is that we are moving towards a more unequal and explosive society.
India has no doubt made some progress, if we compare our present with our past. But if we compare our present with the contemporary world, we find that we have lagged further behind than where we were, say 50 years ago. In 1950-51, in GDP, India had occupied the 10th position in the world; now it ranks 11th. In 1950, India's share in world exports was 2 per cent; now it is only 0.6 per cent.
It also needs to be realised, that mere growth in national income does not necessarily ensure the well-being of the nation; particularly so, if the bulk of the increase in national income goes into the pockets of the already well-to-do classes. Can our politicians deny the following facts?
Disparity
* That out of the additionally generated GDP of Rs. 4,30,402 crores between 1993-94 and 2000-01, at 1993-94 prices, less than 11.4 per cent has accrued to agriculturists, who still constitute nearly two-third of our total population, and more than 88.6 per cent has gone to non-agriculturists? Disparity ratio between average incomes of agriculturists and non-agriculturists has been increasing since long. It was 1:2 in 1950-51, 1:3 in 1970-71, and is now about 1:5.
* That the number of undernourished persons in the country instead of decreasing has increased in recent years. The growth rate in foodgrains production during the last 5 years has been slower than the growth rate of population, which has resulted in more undernourishment of our people. The percentage of our undernourished children, below the age of 5, has been estimated to be 53 per cent — the highest in the world except in Bangladesh, where it is 56 per cent.
* That plan expenditure on Agriculture, Rural Development and Irrigation, which was 37 per cent of the total plan expenditure during the First Plan, has been reduced to less than 20 per cent during the Ninth Plan. The gross capital formation in agriculture, as percentage of the total in the country, which was 18 in 1980-81, has now sharply declined to about only 8. Consequently, the growth rate of foodgrains production is now lower than what it was in the pre-green-revolution days.
* That the organised sector (private and public combined) has failed to generate additional jobs, even at the rate of one per cent per annum, while our population has been increasing at the rate of 1.95 per cent per annum. The farm sector too, on account of capital shortage, has failed to generate more employment, leading to large-scale exodus of poverty-stricken people, from villages to the already overcrowded cities.
* That illiteracy rate in rural areas is 50 per cent higher than in cities. Between 1971 and 2001, the number of teachers in primary schools has not increased in proportion to the increase in the number of rural children. That is why, nearly 40 per cent of those who get enrolled in class I, leave the schools before they pass class V. The quality of education at all levels in government-aided schools has sharply declined, due to lack of adequate number of teachers. It is the quality of education which makes or mars the future of any individual, and collectively of the nation as a whole. This is also the most effective means to promote social justice. While it is not possible to equally distribute the physical assets of the country, intellectual assets can be made available to all. Universalisation of education is also essential for control of population and faster adoption of new techniques of production, not only in industry but also in agriculture. Against the world average of expenditure on education at 5.2 per cent of the GDP, our expenditure on education does not exceed 3.2 per cent.
* That infant mortality rate in villages is 50 per cent higher than in cities (rural 77, urban 45 per 1000 live births). Total death rate is also nearly 50 per cent higher in villages than in cities. No trained medical attention is available to 46.7 per cent of villagers, during their last sickness; whereas in cities, this percentage is only 14.1 per cent.
* That the crime situation in the country has been rapidly deteriorating.
Defective planning
Unemployment, poverty, and even crime are the consequences of our defective planning. These cannot be eradicated by illusory promises, or even distribution of state charity. Only better education and faster growth of agriculture can resolve our two major problems of poverty and unemployment. The crime situation will not improve, unless there is reduction in poverty and unemployment. But this will not happen till a more equitable policy is adopted towards the rural masses, most of whom are agriculturists. All those who have been in power at the Centre — including the present NDA Government — have failed to evolve and implement an equitable agricultural policy. The Government of Japan had enunciated its agricultural policy just in one sentence: "It would be the government's responsibility to raise agricultural productivity, and to close the gap in incomes and welfare amongst the farm and non-farm people." Why can't our government adopt a similar policy? Even our Constitution has laid down that the state shall strive to reduce disparities in incomes and welfare amongst different groups of people. The only difficulty is that our politicians dare not go against the vested interests of the country, which are benefiting at the cost of agriculturists.
Yet another reason for growing anarchy in our country is the delayed dispensation of justice. Crores of cases are pending for final verdict in appellate courts. Lakhs of prisoners are languishing in jails against whom guilt has not been finally proved. When people do not get quick justice, they tend to take the law into their hands. This situation is further aggravated by corruption, which is rampant at all levels in the government.
The new path
The basic defect in the development strategy pursued so far has been that we have ignored the common man, his needs and aspirations. The recent policy changes, called the Economic Reforms, will not alter this situation. All that has been done is to facilitate the entry of foreign capital and technology in our country, hopefully for more efficient utilisation of our natural resources. This in itself may not be wrong, but this will not lead to any significant improvement in the lot of the common people, who are not in a position either to buy the shares of the huge companies being floated, or to purchase the elitist goods that these will be producing. In fact, socialist gigantism has given way to capitalist gigantism. Excluding only small territories like Singapore, Hong Kong, etc., no big country has ever succeeded in making real progress unless it had first developed its human and agricultural resources. The U.S., E.U. countries, Japan, S. Korea and even China had first developed their human resource and agriculture, before indulging in gigantism. The path of pomp and show that we have been pursuing since independence has consumed most of our financial resources, leaving very little for human and agricultural development.
At least from now on, we should pursue the path of humanism i.e. of ensuring the well-being of the nation as a whole, and not merely of its upper strata. Humanism is based on the belief that the progress of any country ultimately depends on the knowledge and character of its people, and not on what it can get from abroad. We should pay more attention to developing our own knowledge and capabilities, instead of depending on outside help, which will never be unconditional. The quality of life and productive capacity of our people will improve only when everyone born in the country gets equal opportunity to learn, work, and receive remuneration, according to a nationally accepted equitable policy on prices and incomes.
BHANU PRATAP SINGH
Former Governor, Karnataka
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