Class struggle – A Division Of The Society

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Adney Young

An Essay And Article on Class Struggle

Co-operation is the basis of life. The very word ‘society’ implies co- operation among its members. In the absence of this co-operation society would have become extinct and man would have reverted to the state of nature which Hobbes in his ‘Leviathan’ speaks of. John Locke, the famous English philosopher, believes reason to be the basis of human life and regards conflict and unreasoned only as exceptions. According to the social contract philosophers, the emergence of Government or society was an effort to rationalize the co-operative spirit of mankind for the common good. And yet some philosophers do not accept this theory; they believe that conflict is the law of life. They regard all development and evolution as a result of a process of conflict which eliminates the weak and preserves the strong and in this way the process of evolution which is still at work is heading towards perfection of the human race, which, they also believe, may come about millions of years ahead or may never come about.

Regarding conflict as the law of life some philosophers have extended its operation from the individual to the classes. Thus, according to Marx, the history of mankind is nothing but the story of struggle between classes, between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nets’. He has interpreted the whole human history in terms of class struggle. The followers of Marx have an unshakable faith in this theory of class struggle, but like Marx they also believe that this class struggle will cease when injustice prevailing in the society goes away. A new social order will emerge in which there shall be perfect co-operation and society will be based on the principle ‘from each according to his capacity and to each according to his need’.

Ideal community Without Class Struggle

That will be the ideal communistic society which Marx speaks of, but which hasn’t yet come about anywhere in the world, not even in the countries which call themselves communist. Walter Bagehot, the famous English philosopher, believes that human history is the “story of conflict between groups.” The strength of the group depends upon its organization. The organizationally well-knit groups are stronger and are in a position to subdue and eliminate those which lack that organization and cohesion. The process of elimination of the weaker groups, of emergence of new conflicts between the different sections of the victorious organizations and then the elimination of the weaker group eternally goes on and in this way the evolution of mankind is preceding ahead. The communists believe in the economic basis of class struggle. According to them, throughout human history there have been two classes i.e., the rich and the poor, or the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’:

The fanner has always exploited the latter. In former days there were these two classes in the form of the feudal lords and the serfs; at present these two classes are the capitalists and the workers. The capitalistic system is based on injustice which the workers aim to destroy. Thus, there is an incessant struggle between the capitalists and the workers. Marx calls upon the workers of the world to unite and to bring the class struggle in their favor. In the process they have to lose nothing but their chains but there is much that they can gain. This struggle will lead to the dictatorship of the proletariat, a transitional stage on the way to the evolution of a communistic society where struggle of all type will cease because the causes of injustice will evaporate. This society will be a happy society where peace, calm, co-operation and tranquility will prevail.

Such a society may never come into existence but the protagonists of this theory of class struggle were able to establish the so- called communistic governments in several parts of the world. The economic basis of class struggle may not be eternally true but there is much evidence to confirm that there have always been conflicts between groups and classes and economic basis is one of them. There are other bases as well like religion, caste, community, language, nationality, the ethnic stock or race and others. The conflicts between the Christians and the jews are well known: also known are the bloody conflicts between the Roman Catholics and the Protestants among the Christians themselves. Then there are two sects among the Muslims, the Shias and Shunnis who are always at loggerheads. The Hindu-Muslim rift is hardly ever to be patched up. Hinduism, perhaps, is the only religion, which is proud of the peaceful co- existence of several ways of worship and belief, which has hardly ever witnessed gory episodes throughout its long history.

Conflicts on caste basis are very much in evidence in several parts of the world; race, language and nationality have also been the issues of conflicts between groups. Thus, to believe that economic basis is the only basis of class struggle is to-overlook other facts of human history. In India the class struggle is round the corner, thanks to the selfish motives of the opportunistic politicians. The politicians have fomented different kinds of divisive tendencies not only between several religious communities but also between different groups of the same community. There is to be witnessed a growing wedge between the higher classes and the scheduled classes. Then backward classes have come to the fore to stake their claim to social benefits which they argue have always been denied to them by the unjust social system. The so-called higher classes and the scheduled castes now seem to’ be clearly on two different and opposite fronts, ready to strike at each other and thus precipitate a class crisis fraught with unimaginable disaster to the Indian body politic.

Development of all the sections and individuals of the society is the best course to be followed. Equal opportunities should be allowed to all. Merit must be recognized wherever it lies. Inferior merit should not be allowed to dominate the superior merit. Those who have been disadvantaged over the centuries should be given every opportunity to come to the level of others, but sheer caste must not determine ‘issues’. Now that the globalization process is going on fast the world has shrunk in time and space. In the world of to-day it is impossible to imagine existence in isolation from each other. The nations of the world are dependent upon each other; trade and commerce and the growing needs of variegated types emerging as a result of complex modes of living have necessitated close international contacts. In this scenario too, there seems to be developing a polarization of interests, of classes, of nations, the basis of which is increasingly becoming predominantly economic.

Better Living For People Fighting With class struggle

Thus the developed world and the developing or under developed world are clearly on opposite sides. Two classes or groups, the one in possession of the greater part of the material, scientific and technological resources of the world and the other deficient in these fruits of civilization, are pitted against each other. What Marx saw in a single country we can now witness it on the global scale. The privileged class of the developed nations is cornering 80 per cent of the world’s resources while the rest of mankind is left with only or hardly twenty per cent-really a most inequitable world order. The ‘have-nots’ countries will ultimately be united and will organize themselves and a conflict with the ‘haves’ nations is a distinct possibility.

If it is divinely ordained, then, it is inevitable. Some authority has certainly been devolved by nature to man also who is in some measure the arbiter of his own destiny. He with the co- operation of his fellow beings, must so strive to shape the world order that iniquities of all types are reduced to the minimum and harmony and adjustment between different classes of people take the place of conflict or struggle, for in co-operation, understanding and goodwill alone will man find peace and tranquility he has been pursuing from time immemorial. Thus class struggle in some form or the other seems to be perpetuating itself throughout human history.

India On Road To Progress – Achievement Of India Since Independence

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Adney Young

An Essay and Article On India On Road To Progress

Agricultural research in India has discovered new methods and techniques to produce more food. Mechanization in agriculture is going apace. With further improvement in methods and techniques and greater mechanization we will have cut for good the Gordian knot of any shortages of food. We shall be producing enough not only for our home consumption but for exports as well. In the field of industrialization we have achieved notable successes and with the setting up of a number of steel plants, machine building plants and heavy electrical factories we have already created the industrial infrastructure which will constitute a base for further industrialization, with prospects of reaching its culmination by 2020 A.D. We are developing our means of communication and transportation and are endeavoring to construct roads and railway lines extensively so that all the places of India including cities, towns, villages and even the smallest hamlets may be linked with one another.

Our means of communication and transport will become cheap enough and the poorest of citizens will be enjoying air travel. We are developing our atomic research and have already built up the base for greater and greater utilization of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. Further development of this cheap and perennial source of energy will ease the strain on the conventional sources of energy and a substantial proportion of foreign exchange earnings that are consumed in importing petroleum and petroleum products will be saved. The funds so saved will be channelized into areas promising better standard of living of our people. In space research we shall have touched new horizons. Like the U.S.A. and Russia we shall have sent our spacecrafts to other heavenly bodies and interplanetary travel might become a possibility.

Living Standards Of People In India

However, we will use our space research not for aggrandizement but for knowledge which may be utilized to raise the standard of living of our people. It shall become easier for us to predict, with far greater accuracy and certainty than at present, the onset of typhoons, hurricanes and cyclones which every now and then cause colossal destruction of life and property. In computer technology India will become a superpower even before 2020 A.D. Every department of life will get computerized. The manufacturing of computers indigenously will become one of the priority tasks before the government and private entrepreneurs. We shall not need to import them from abroad. India has succeeded in developing a super computer of its own and in future she will be able to compete on equal terms with any advanced country of the world. Computer sets will become as common in Indian households as radio sets and television sets.

Wireless communication technology will gain further impetus and its successful linkages with computer technology will add new dimension to India’s advancement in science and technology. Further advancement in electronics will open new vistas in different fields of human activity. The day is not far off when we shall be moving in motor cars driven not mechanically but electronically. Thus science and technology will he developed to a great extent and will be harnessed for useful purposes. The invention of new types of machines and gadgets will save a lot of human labour and human life will no more remain drudgery to most of us. The science of medicine will make further progress and many diseases which are now considered incurable will be rendered curable. Cure for cancer and aids is likely to be developed in India and it will be possible by its efforts to integrate the indigenous system of medicine with the western system of medicine in a more acceptable and effective form. In the field of health Yoga will attain to a glory that it was in ancient India. Its scientific use and application will ensure perfect health and will dispense with the necessity of taking medicines.

All this will bring about happiness and good living to our people who have for centuries been tormented with poverty, squalor and disease. India will thus become a prosperous country like the advanced countries of the world and will at the same time succeed in establishing an egalitarian or socialistic pattern of society in which exploitation of all types will cease and everyone will get the fruit of his labour. Everyone will be earning enough to meet not only his basic needs but also to enjoy some comforts and luxuries. We visualize India of 2020 A.D. consisting of people healthy, happy and prosperous, proud of themselves and their motherland and wide awake and alive to their duties, responsibilities and rights as free citizens of a free and sovereign country in the shaping of whose destiny everyone will be playing an honest and useful role. We shall not lag behind in our military power, for in order to guard our freedom it is indispensable to build up a strong defense. We shall be maintaining an efficient large army equipped with the latest weapons of war, which will be produced indigenously, so that no power on earth may dare to look at our freedom with covetous eyes. With economic prosperity and strong defense at home, we shall be earning a more honorable place for ourselves in the comity of nations. India will become a permanent member of the United Nations. Our voice in international affairs will be heard with greater attention and respect. We will not embark on adventures of conquest of other nations with our military might but will be endeavoring to organize world forces for the establishment of world peace. We have so far painted a bright picture for the future of India.

Health projects In India

But let us also listen to what the prophets of doom have to say. Their predictions might never come true but they are useful in as much as they warn us to desist from taking recourse to such habits of action as might spell disaster and ruin. They say that the present anarchical conditions in our public life, glaring disparities of wealth and status, large scale exploitation of the many by the few, the uncontrollable specter of population expansion and the concomitant evils of unemployment, slow pace of development and above all the deplorable state of our morality do not constitute a happy augury for the future of India. These fears are understandable but they may be set at rest only by adopting an optimistic attitude to life. As a matter of fact what is happening all around us and is worrying us is but a transitional phase. There must be no doubt that order will come out of disorder as certainly and as irresistibly as the day follows the night. Every cloud has a silver lining. Let us harbor radiant hopes for our future and work, every one of us, strenuously and assiduously to make India the best, the greatest and the strongest nation of the world by 2020 A.D. Let the spirit of India flutter and fly and spread the message of goodwill, peace and harmony, all around this globe so that humanity be delivered out of the centuries of misery, sorrow and suffering.

Corruption in Public Life And Ways To Eradicte This Social Evil

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Adney Young

An Essay And Article On Corruption

The cancer of corruption has eaten into the vitals of Indian society. The moral standards of the people in a large percentage of cases are at low ebb. It has already done immense damage to Indian society. Righteousness, virtue, honesty and fair play are at a discount. Expediency of the worst short is having a field day. In every field of life opportunism has replaced moral consideration. Those who hold on to truth, righteousness and virtue are ridiculed as simpletons. The virtuous lead a difficult life. They are ignored and blackmailed. It has been seen that some people, when they entered the police department, swore to be honest but they found it impossible to continue to be so, thanks to the pressure from the higher officials who expect something from their subordinates. In such a climate even the most honest has to yield to temptations. Corruption in public life is not an absolutely new thing in the present times. It has existed in the society from time immemorial in one form or the other.

The practice of giving baksheesh to the peons, sentries and other low paid employees by those who managed to get their work done through their agency was very much prevalent in British days. Social corruption like adulteration, weighing less and charging higher than due for items sold and bribery of different sorts have always existed in almost every society. What causes concern is that corruption in the Indian society today has reached its climax and has embraced people in every field of life. It has already crossed safe limits. It is weakening the body politic and undermining the sanctity of the law governing the society. Besides, it has assumed variegated forms and leaves not a comer unaffected by it. Far-reaching consequences Political corruption is the worst form, for its consequences are far reaching. It is the gift of democracy which in fact has not yet assumed meaningfulness.

The Root Of Corruption In Society

Elections and corruption go together. No stone is left unturned for affecting the judgment of the voters in their own favor by different political parties. When elections are over, there is floor-crossing by legislators who do so being allured by the enticement of money. The legislators sell themselves to the maneuvering politicians for huge sums of money which indeed is tainted money in as much as its origin is the black dealings of the capitalists. The recent events of Indian Parliament bear eloquent testimony to the fact that some politicians in India can stoop to the lowest level to get their ends sub served. The M.Ps were tried to be bought at very high prices. So many scams and scandals have been brought to light exposing the involvement of highly placed politicians including Chief Ministers and Prime Minister in multi crore scams. Scores of cases have been registered against a host of highly placed politicians. The cash for query scam in which many members of Parliament were found involved is a sad commentary on the moral fiber of our politicians.

The fodder scam in which high profile politicians have been found guilty is a dark spot on the ethical conduct of the concerned persons. One Chief Minister of a State unsuccessfully tried to subvert popular mandate by offering fabulous amount of illegal gratification to members of the Legislative Assembly. The wary workers of a political party virtually caught him red-handed. It is a shame to those who have thus come to prostitute the nascent democracy of India. When our representatives and leaders themselves, whose every action should be above board, are corrupt, how can we expect honesty and virtue from the people at large? There is corruption in the bureaucracy. This is also very dangerous, for it percolates to the lowest employee. The higher officials accept bribes directly only in rare cases. They do so through their sycophants. There is hardly a fair play in granting quotas, permits, licenses or letters of intent. Officials make huge money out of auctions of licenses to liquor shops. In every office one has either to grease the palm of the employee concerned or arrange for some sources to get some work done.

The revenue department, the town areas, municipalities and corporations are the hotbeds of bribery. In the assessment of house tax the assessment inspectors cheat the householders without any qualms of conscience. Complaints against them go unheard because the persons at- the higher levels are not persons of unquestionable integrity. In the selection of personnel to the services nepotism takes away a heavy share. Recommendations and money are greater qualifications than the merits of the candidates. In Government offices and establishments purchases are made and a good amount paid comes back to the officials in the form of the commission from the suppliers. The things supplied are, therefore, of inferior quality. Even in the construction of government buildings, dams, roads and other public utility works the material used is not of the prescribed type. Dams are giving way, buildings are collapsing in a few years’ time of their construction, roads and bridges are in many cases built only on paper and the funds allotted to them go into the pockets of the unscrupulous sharks masquerading as dutiful public servants.

Fabulous amounts of black wealth are hoarded by those holding reins of political power by way of kick-backs from foreign trading and manufacturing companies in supply transactions. The Bofors scandal, the German Submarine scandal, lately the alleged acceptances of commission from French firms in the purchase of Scorpion submarines are some of the major events in which the high and mighty in the echelons of State power were found involved. Their unabashed conduct is a deep black spot on the fair name of the age-old Indian standard of political and social ethics. Corruption in the society exists in several other forms also. Tax evasion is one of them. Tax evasion leads to the accumulation of black money which in turn spoils the morals of the people. There is the practice of holding benami property, under registrations of the sale and purchase of property. under invoicing of consignment. Then there is adulteration of articles of food by unscrupulous traders who fatten on the society by playing with the health and lives of the people. Factors responsible There are various causes of the existence of corruption in society.

One of them is the very human nature itself. Man by nature is subject to certain weaknesses which he has inherited from his forefathers. But there are other potent causes responsible for this corruption in India, politicians suffer from a lust for power and in order to satisfy it they can stoop to any level. How much harm this 1ust will do the society does not strike the brains of these self-seeking politicians. National considerations are subordinated to personal considerations. Secondly, education in India is faulty which is very much responsible for the deterioration of moral standards of the society. Moral and spiritual values have been cast aside. Worship of the Mammon has remained the be-all and end-all of all people. Thirdly, the punishments that are meted out to the wrong-doers are inad1equate and the path of law is circuitous. The law is so defective that the offenders go scot-free. The fourth cause of corruption is inflation. The fixed salary people find it hard to make both ends meet due to the constant rise in prices. The low-paid employees have no other way than that of earning money by illegal means. Fifthly, our so called leaders have duped the society. They are unable to give the society the required good leadership. They lead a luxurious life on the public money and have no time to think where society is going. Man is by nature imitative. Those in the lower level imitate the higher ones.

Thus corruption starts from the highest places and percolates to the lowest. Sense of social service and spirit of sacrifice are conspicuous by their absence in our leaders. It is an old adage: as the king, so the people. Sixthly, people of India are not yet awakened and enlightened. They fear to call a spade a spade. They would not disclose names of corrupt people for fear of being blackmailed. They are not yet wide awake to the detriment being done by the corrupt leaders to the Indian polity and society. War on corruption Society will go to dogs, if this canker of corruption is not eliminated without any loss of time. Suitable legislation should be enacted to root out corruption associated with elections. There should be changes in the election law itself to make it impossible for the corrupt people to be elected to the country’s legislatures. Right type of education, which may inculcate moral values, is the need of the hour. The laws of the country should be made more strict and stringent. The measure of punishment must be increased. There should be interdepartmental checking to see where the loopholes are. It should be brought home to the people that corruption would not pay. There should be some agency which should serve as a watch-dog of the activities of ministers and high officials.

There should be more courts to dispose of cases of corruption and much time should not elapse between the registration of a case and the delivery of judgment. Special measures have been suggested to curb corruption by the bodies appointed by the government for the purpose from time to time. Mention may be made of Santhanam Committee which made detailed suggestions to deal with the evil. But their suggestions have not yet been implemented in full. Administrative Reforms Commission was appointed to reform the administration so that efficiency may go up and corruption may go down. Recently, the governments of certain states have appointed Vigilance Commissioners on the lines of Ombudsman (a type of vigilance agency) existing in Scandinavian countries, particularly in Sweden.

Inquiry On corruption

These commissioners are vested with wide powers and can register and hear complaints against high officials and ministers. Much has been done and much is being done to curtail corruption in public life. But it still leaves much to be desired, for corruption is not on the wane, but on the increase. Of late, India has been rocked by corruption scandals whose dimensions were so big that they have left an adverse impact both on the political and the economic life of the country. The Bofors gun scandal was responsible for changing the government headed by late Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. The public is not yet satisfied with the investigations done by the government to unearth the real state of affairs. It is believed that large amounts of foreign exchange were received by politicians occupying the highest of positions and were deposited in foreign banks.

The shilly-shallying manner in which the enquiries have been made and the way the people under the shadow of doubt have behaved leave no room for doubt about the complicity of big guns in the deal. The latest bank securities scandal involving over four thousand crore rupees has surpassed all scandals so far having taken place anywhere in the world. One thing that this scandal has brought into light is the fact that our politicians and bureaucracy can even sell the country, if only their palms are satisfactorily greased. That ministers indulge in speculative investment was beyond a shadow of doubt confirmed by a letter written by the Prime Minister to them warning them against the practice. India owes its present economic ills to this sad situation in a large measure. Expeditious and firm steps are needed to curb the menace. Delay in eradicating the evil will wreak disaster for our social and political fabric. Corruption in India thus has reached the climax.

Subhas Chandra Bose- The Man Behind Azad Hind Fauj

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Vireshwar Braria

An Essay And Article on Subhas Chandra Bose

There may have been men greater than Subhas Bose. There may have been persons more glamorous or able than he but there has been none greater than he in self sacrifice and self devotion to the cause of the country. Bose has become almost a legend. He was India’s foremost adventurer and revolutionary personality. He was revolutionary of the type of Simon Bolivar, Lenin and Garibaldi. His sterling qualities of head and heart make him a towering figure and all leaders except a few look pigmies before him. His cup of patriotism was full upto the brim and it was rather overflowing. His patriotic enthusiasm and love for the motherland are unparalleled.

Subash Chandra Bose Biography

Bose was born on January 23rd 1897 in Cuttack. He was a brilliant student and topped the list of the successful candidates in the matriculation examination of Calcutta province and graduated from the Presidency College. Vivekananda’s philosophy and teachings hammered into him an unflinching fervor and zeal for his motherland. Respecting the wishes of his parents he kept himself aloof from the Indian freedom struggle and set out for England to prepare for the Indian Civil Service. He stood fourth in the I.C.S. examination. The news of the -Jallianwalla Bagh massacre filled his heart with anger and remorse. His heart was weeping for his motherland and his blood boiling to do something for his country. He could not complete his apprenticeship and returned to India. He tendered his resignation from the service on the ground that-”I did not think that one could be loyal to the British Raj and yet serve India honestly, heart and soul”. His patriotism was very much evident when he was in the Presidency College. He had a strange and daring quarrel with the European principal of the College. whom, it is said he assaulted for his anti-Indian tirade and attitude. He came under the ennobling influence of Mahatma Gandhi and joined the Indian National Congress and was asked to work with Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das and he soon became an ardent lieutenant of C.R. Das and on the death of Deshpriya J.M. Sengupta he assumed the Congress leadership of Bengal. Rung by rung he climbed the ladder of success. In 1938 he became the President of the Indian National Congress for the second time. Earlier he worked as the Chief Executive Officer but soon on a false charge of revolutionary conspiracy he was sent to Mandalaya prison for two and a half years. But soon his differences with Mahatma Gandhi and his group gradually appeared on the surface. Like other leaders he was an uncompromising leader. At Tripura the issue came to a crisis. Here Bose went out of the orthodox Congress and formed his own party. While Bose stood for continuing the nationalistic campaign intensively and extensively Gandhi emphasized the creed of nonviolence. He resigned from the Congress and founded the Congress Left Wing, popularly called the Forward Block. Bose was jailed eleven times between 1920 and 1941 because he continued his anti-British stance and openly criticized the foreign rule. He advocated complete freedom for India at the earliest.

Many younger leaders saw eye to eye with him and supported him and the Congress was compelled to adopt ‘Poorna Swaraj’ as its motto at the historic Lahore Congress Convention. Bhagat Singh was awarded the sentence of death but nobody raised his voice against it. Bhagat Singh was hanged. His martyrdom and the inability of the Congress leaders to come forward to save the life of the hero infuriated Bose. In a way he held Congress leaders responsible for the death of Bhagat Singh. So much so he started a movement opposing the Gandhi-Irvin Peace Pact. He was imprisoned and expelled from India but his love for his motherland and his daring nature could not hold him back; he came down to India defying the ban and was arrested again. World War II had reached a critical stage. Bose was against dragging India into the war because he knew this move could bring about untold sufferings and losses to India. When the second time he was elected the President of the National Congress defeating the nominee of Gandhi he brought a resolution, a kind of ultimatum, to give the British six months to hand over the administration of India to the Indians. He warned the British that there would be an open revolt if they failed to do so within six months. Many opposed his rigid stand and he resigned. Subhas fears came true as without taking Indian leaders into confidence the Governor General declared India as a waning state. It was a rude shock for the Congress leadership and there was widespread resentment against the British. Bose was utterly against the policy of the British to use India’s men and materials in the war. He started a mass movement and spoke dauntlessly against the shedding of Indian blood for the sake of imperialistic set-up. By then the people had understood the clever moves of the Government and people rallied behind Bose. The British put him behind the bars but imprisonment could not cow him down. He took to a hunger strike and day by day his condition deteriorated. He was freed but was put under house arrest. The British feared violent reactions in India should something untoward happen to Bose in jail.

Bose disappeared into the thin air and dodging the authorities surfaced in Kabul but before he could be apprehended he disappeared again. Nobody could lay his hands on this patriotic son of India. All of a sudden his voice heard on German radio baffled the British but it thrilled the hearts of the teaming millions. This broadcast from German radio revitalized the spirit of the people and they waited for the next move of Bose. Bose was readily accepted by the Axis countries to form an Indian National Army and to conduct an invasion of India by way of Burma. It was India’s first national army that planted its Tri-color flag on the freed soil of Manipur and Kohima. INA freed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and renamed them as ‘Swaraj and Shaheed’ islands. INA marched through Burma and occupied Cox town on the Indian Border. War cry ‘Delhi Chalo’ rented the air. Bose with his army was inching towards success, just then Japan had to bow before the might of Atom Bomb. Bose was in Singapore and he had the mind to go to Tokyo to give practical shape to his next line of action. From that point he really disappeared into thin their air and there was no trace of him. He was 48 only and his death has become the greatest mystery of the world. Some people believe that he perished in a plane-crash but no authentic version of his death is available. A historian has said, “Bose was the stormy petrel on the political horizon of India”. He fought the forces of evil with the straightforwardness of a missionary. Destiny had cut him out for great things. He renounced all comforts which were within his reach to fulfill a mission for which he had taken birth. He resigned from a lucrative government job, remained a bachelor to serve his country with a wholehearted devotion and single-minded attention. He was all daring and was not ready to buzz even an inch from his well-thought-out stand. He was an ardent follower of Gandhi but he revolted on some fundamental principles. He had the guts which ordinary mortals lack. Bose was brave to the hilt and his courage knew no bounds. How he befooled the police and ran away from his home, how he reached Afghanistan disguised as a Pathan, how he managed to reach Germany and then to Japan, how he collected dedicated persons to be molded into fearless soldiers-all these facts are just baffling and compel us to believe that Bose was a superman and depict his matchless organizing power and superb chivalry. His dream was to kick away the British and plant the Indian Tricolor over the historic Redford. He could not live to see this happen but he lives in our hearts. Subhas’ rallying cry was-”Give me blood, and I will give you freedom.” It is very difficult to find a man equaling him in the purity of character, in steadfast determination and in unflinching faith in his principles. He was a true leader ‘Neta’ of the people. His very picture fills our hearts with reverence and respect for the man. Our head bows and we feel greatly indebted to this illustrious son of India.

Long live subhas Chandra Bose!

Vivekananda – A Unique Figure

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Vireshwar Braria

An Essay And Article on Vivekananda And His Works

India cried under the heavy ruts of slavery. She lost her confidence in her ancient culture. Her body and soul felt absolutely fettered. There was no one to challenge the mighty and ruthless oppressors. Natives felt themselves plunged deep into the fathomless chasms of dejection and disappointment, destruction and despondence. Revival from the all-pervasive gloom seemed impossible. Superstitions, dogmas, fanaticism, this ism and that ism prevailed. Illustrious and glorious past of India was being sent into the thick layers of oblivion. Culture and civilization that scaled the lofty heights and touched the zenith was forced to glide towards its nadir. There was no hope. Natives felt helpless’ and looked towards the azure for some miracle. Oppression and suppression made life a burden. Some voices were raised. some hearts did flutter to face the challenges but no change came about. At this juncture there appeared a hero a sun to penetrate that darkness spread by the invaders and plunderers and to kindle hope in the heart of the multitudes.

Vivekananda Biography

Vivekananda appeared like a comet and dazzled the eyes of the oppressors. Narendranath Dutt, later known as Swami Vivekananda came under the influence of an illustrious personality named Ramakrishna Paramahansa and accepted him as his Guru. After the demise of his Guru he organized the Ramakrishna Mission. Decadent state of Hindu society left indelible impact on his heart and gave him excruciating pain and anguish. His clarion call to the nation was-O’ India! Forget not that the lower classes, the ignorant, the poor, the illiterate, the cobbler, the sweeper are thy flesh and blood.” He took in his hands the task of rebuilding India scattered, demoralized and crestfallen under the heavy feet of slavery. His was the message of strength, of the body, the mind and the will. He wanted his nation to have ‘muscles of iron and nerves of steel. He was the greatest spiritual ambassador of India. He tried his level best and he left no stone unturned to rekindle the flame of Indian spiritual Renaissance. He felt that salvation of India did depend on the strength of the individual and the realization by each man of the divinity within. Swamiji made Indians and the world at large aware of their glorious past- “This is the land from whence, like the tidal waves, spirituality and philosophy have again and again rushed out and deluged the world”, He shook Indians out of their slumber and declared-”Life of this nation is religion, its language religion and its idea religion”, Get a hold on spirituality and keep to it. Then stretch the other hand out and gain all you can from other races, but everything must be subordinated to that one ideal of life- spirituality. He thundered-”To shine in the borrowed slight of the great, is the one desire of the weak. Does the ass in lion’s skin become the lion”. He goaded Indians to remember their past which was all lofty, glorious, illustrious and glittering and assured them of a bright future; India would be greater India than ever was. For this he invited Indians to build their mind of the same material as that of which the thunderbolt is made. Vivekananda’s mission was to inculcate strength and manhood, things needed to hoodwink crisis and peril as he thought that these qualities got a scum, temporarily, under the influence of the imported hedonistic philosophies and materialistic view of life. He gave India one great Mantra-”faith in God, faith in ourselves”, This Mantra became the refrain of his gospel. He reminded his countrymen of their glorious past and goaded them to be heroes as only heroes enjoy the world. He infused unbending will into the natives to stand against and fight against the oppressors and suppressors.

He reminded people of the invincible and impenetrable quality of India’s civilization and culture. “The spider weaves its web where the Caesars ruled”. But India still stands. Vivekananda preached that national union in India must be a gathering up of its scattered spiritual forces. He asked his countrymen to denounce and reject ‘Tamas’ as ‘Tamas’ is the mother of evils such as imbecility, pettiness of mind, superstitions, quarrels and bickering over trifles. He asked his fellow beings to forge unity. Vivekananda never denounced other religions. He simply exhorted Indians to know their true religion. He was aware of the presence of many religions in India and their influence on the masses but the same principles underlying them made him confident of a religious Unity. Religion works at two levels-ethnical and spiritual or Scientific. I believe in Jainism, I am called a Jain; you believe In Sikhism, you are called a Sikh. This is ethical treatment of religion. At worldly level it is a way to mark distinctive identity. Now take scientific or spiritual aspect of religion. There is divine within man. This is the spirit of all religions. This realization links him to all good things of life; purity, love, charity, renunciation, selfless service and what not. Religion urges man to know what truth is. For this finding man has to be Scientific in his outlook and search. The principle of cause and effect he follows, he feels, experiments, analyses, comes to the conclusion. This scientific search does not limit itself to any ethnical group. This way spiritual growth comes in man. The whole universe becomes his. He grows physically, mentally, aesthetically and intellectually. And ultimately he embraces spirituality. The realization that God is within man makes all men one. No men are foreign. Vivekananda stood for nationalism based on spiritualism, or scientific approach to religion. He wanted fundamentals and principles common to all religions be cherished in each and every nook and corner of India.

Vivekananda and His Achievements

This achieved he was cocksure that all disparities would evaporate into thin air. Unifying force of religion would work wonders. In a way Vivekananda emphasized the importance of one religion to bring about national unity in India. Nationalism through spiritualism would be everlasting. Many monks and saints did try to forge this kind of unity earlier but Vivekananda vehemently preached this and without founding any new ethnical religion he advocated unity through spiritualism. Vivekananda was a monk, a saint but was very much in the thick of the contemporary happenings. He was a true patriot and wanted to instill full-fledged patriotic fervor in the hearts of the people. He tried his hard to jolt the people out of their intoxicating slumber. He invoked the pride of the nation. He shook the conscience of the people and asked them not to be ashamed of their ancestors and that aliens had painted a topsy-turvy picture of them. He roared and advised people to stop quarreling among themselves and kneeling before foreigners. He put various questions to his countrymen.

Why the Hindu nation with all its wonderful intelligence has gone to pieces?
Why is it that forty millions of Englishmen rule three hundred millions of people here?
Why was it so easy for the English to conquer India?
He himself answered. Firstly, jealousy was the root cause. Each one struggled for power and in the long run the whole organization came to grief. Being of one mind is the secret of society. Secondly, these forty millions put their wills together and that means infinite power. So to make a great future India the whole secret lies in organization, accumulation of power and coordination of wills. Thirdly, it was because they are a nation and we are not. He goaded people to accept and respect leadership. He asked people to give up their little quarrels and differences. “These quarrels are condemned by our scriptures, forbidden by our forefathers and those great men whom we claim our descent whose blood is in our veins look down with contempt on their children quarreling about minute differences”. He relied on the capacity of the young people and asked them to come forward to revive the nation. For Vivekananda religion is a manifestation of the divinity in man. So all respect should be given to man. “You have read-look upon your mother as God, look upon your father as God but I say-the poor, the illiterate. the ignorant, the afflicted-let these be your God. Know that service to these alone is the highest religion.” He wanted a sea change in the outlook of his people. He was a great reformer but he said-”I am no preacher of any momentary social reform. Political and social improvements are necessary but they are secondary and religion is primary.” He wanted elevation of the masses without injuring their religion. No religion on earth preaches the dignity of humanity in such a lofty strain as Hinduism and no religion on earth treads upon the necks of the poor and the low in such a fashion as Hinduism-This was what Vivekananda felt and he knew the fault-Religion is not in fault. It is the Pharisees and Sadducees in Hinduism, hypocrites, who invent all sorts of engines of tyranny. Vivekananda was a Vedantist, believer of Monism. He saw unity of all religions as their fundamentals resemble. The goal of all religions is the same-to realize God. So sectarianism, bigotry and fanaticism have no place in religion. Religion is to uplift man and lift him above his genetic, tribal and socio-political limitations. Still we see strife, persecution and fights. There has developed a revulsion against religion. Science has gained more important place because of its love of truth and the spirit of free inquiry. World has seen nonstop growth of agnosticism and atheism. So we see stagnant ethical religion has always been a negative force. Today all religions are looked at as superstitions. Vivekananda sided with this idea to some extent. He found Indian religion in its stagnant ethnical form. It boosted untouchability, caste exclusiveness and other anti-human attitudes. Vivekananda rejected this vehemently and advocated scientific study of man’s spiritual growth. Vivekananda knew the importance of a leader, a teacher and a reformer. He gave in details the qualities of such persons. A reformer should feel from the heart, know the remedy, his motivation should be pure and his will be indomitable, believe in renunciation, worship through service. A teacher must be a transmitter. He is not to stimulate only the intellectual faculties. Some power real and tangible goes out from the teacher and begins to grow in the mind of the taught. So a teacher must be true and must have a tremendous personality. He must have something to give. He must help in the manifestation of the perfection already in man. He should remove all obstructions from the way. A leader should have the quality to hold people together. He must be a servant of servants, no Jealousy or selfishness. He must be ready for self sacrifice, be impartial and impersonal, have sympathy and tolerance. Above all he must lead like a baby. A baby is dependent on others but he is the king of the household. So is a leader. Vivekananda considered existing education as negative. Education in the West is general, it penetrates into the masses. Our is not a man-making education. Seldom are we given to understand that great men were born in India. We do not know how to use our hands and feet. Education is not the amount of information put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested. We must have life-building-man-making, character-making, assimilation of ideas. We must have the whole education of our country, spiritual and secular, in our hands and it must be on national lines through national methods as far as practical. If the poor can’t come to education, education must reach them. Organize Sannyasins as teachers. They will bring religion and education to the door of everyone. So we see for Vivekananda combination of preacher and teacher is the best solution to propagate education and spirituality. Vivekananda reminded people that they were superior to the West in many ways. He was pained to see Indians imitating the West blindly. He believed imitation is not civilization. Imitation, cowardly imitation, never makes for progress. He advised Indians not to become others. They should receive but mould it after their fashion. He asked ‘Indians not to feel puffed up because of their glorious and illustrious past and they must be ready to sit at the feet of all to learn and they should be both students as well as teachers. In the case of reforms also he said reforms must unite in themselves the culture of both the East and West. At the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago on September II, 1893 he praised India’s tolerance and universal acceptance. The audience saw eye to eye with him. Swamiji’s writings and utterances cover varied subjects like philosophy, religion, sociology, art, architecture and music. Through them he tried his utmost to make people feel proud of their lofty past and think that they were superior to all. He aired the cinders of patriotic fervor, jolted the people out of their age-old slumber and coaxed them to regain their glory and shatter the fetters of slavery once for all. Vivekananda was a unique figure in the true sense of the term.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar- Messiah of Untouchables

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Vireshwar Braria

An Essay And Article on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Biography of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Dr. Bhimrao Ramjee Ambedkar [1891-1956) was born In the Mahar caste which is an untouchable Maharastrian community. So right from an impressionable age he came in contact with realities, killing and depressing ones, prevalent in the Hindu Brahmin cal social structure. He got firsthand knowledge of the indignities, humiliation, frustration and helplessness being faced by the untouchables. These atrocities perpetuated on the downtrodden and the deprived shook his conscience and gave him excruciating pain and filled his sensitive mind with anguish and bitter resentment against the prevalent social system. Atrocities could not cow him down; rather they gave him inner strength and bestowed on him impregnable will power to fight against atrocities with unflinching determination. He was precocious and by dint of sheer intellect he excelled in all spheres and even shamed his oppressors. Ambedkar with two doctorates, one from Columbia University, New York and the other from the London School of Economics began his active public career as social worker, politician, educationist and jurist. One of the stalwarts of modern India he was the founder of the Indian Constitution. His concern for the millions of untouchables in India led him to ban untouchability constitutionally. He hoped that the era of social inequality would now come to an end but he was totally disillusioned and bewildered when he found that the upper caste still dominated the deprived. A steadfast friend, philosopher and leader of the millions of untouchable outcastes in our society renounced the Hindu fold and embraced Buddhism out of disgust. When he breathed his last he was embittered to find that, untouchability still persisted in India. Ambedkar spearheaded numerous Satyagrahas for asserting the rights of his community and relentlessly struggled for their status and well-being. As a leader of the depressed classes he attended the three Round Table Conferences in London.

Being a gifted jurist he was professor of jurisprudence, Member of the Governor General’s Executive Council and Law Minister of Nehru’s first cabinet. Being the chairperson of the Constituent Assembly’s Drafting Committee he successfully piloted the Indian Constitution. Disappointed and dejected at his lack of influence in the government he resigned in 1951. He was not at all power hungry and he is an exemplary figure for the ambitious politicians of today. Prevalent social and political conditions and forces shaped Ambedkar’s career. The Maharaja of Baroda became instrumental in his advanced studies in the USA. Ambedkar was all clear in his campaign against atrocities inflicted on his fellow beings. First of all he wanted to spread awareness amongst the people of the upper castes and the lower castes about their cruelty and their submissiveness to that cruelty respectively. Further his aim was to make the depressed classes militant and aggressive as he knew submissive attitude would not bring out any change at all. Above all he wanted to pressurize the government and caste Hindus to accede to his rational and reasonable demands and thereby correct the wrongs of history. He tried his utmost to make the people conscious of their rights and to prepare them for any eventuality to realize those rights. Through his write-ups he presented the true picture of society and endeavored to show the real face of society in the mirror. He elaborately put forward the problems of the Shudras and the untouchables and substantiated his argument with rational analysis. He denounced the old lawgivers who, by hook or by crook, devised ways and means to keep deprived. His contempt was clearly evident for the oppressors of society.

He openly criticized diplomacy and hypocrisy of Brahmanism and held it responsible for all exploitation of the backward and untouchable segments of the Hindu society. Ambedkar never believed in the hypothesis of an Aryan invasion of India. So he never accepted the theory that Shudras were dark-skinned aboriginals kept captivated by the invaders. He was convinced that they too were Aryans belonging to the Kshatriya solar dynasty. Some social and political forces downgraded them. He held that society divided in four Varnas bred inequality and solidified caste-system and untouchability. His foe number one was the caste based Hindu feudalism. He knew it was difficult but not impossible to fight for the untouchables against an overwhelming majority of the caste Hindu. He raised his voice against the so called nationalistic personalities because in the name of political rights they were safeguarding the privileges of the upper castes only. He was against this political game to maintain the hegemony of the upper castes. The situation took an ugly turn. The Brahmins non-Brahmins and the stooges of caste Hindus amongst the untouchables collaborated and it became all the more difficult to fight for the rights of the untouchables.

Ambedkar declared- “Brahmins are not our enemies but those people who are moved by Brahmanya are our enemies. Hence, a Brahmin shorn of his caste consciousness is closer to us than a non-Brahmin with caste-consciousness”. He sided with ‘Satyashodak’ movement launched by Mahatama Phule because it was a movement to bring about a society based on principles of equality and justice. His movement against untouchability was to restore self- respect to the oppressed and the depressed. He took the banner and called upon the untouchables to fight against the injustice inflicted on them by the caste Hindus. Ambedkar believed in the philosophy propounded by Lord Krishna that people should fight with their own people if they deprive them of their rights. He wanted the caste Hindus to liberate themselves from their fallen morality and treat untouchables decently and treat them as their equal counterparts. So he always wanted to color the institution of Satyagraha in the color and hue of aggressiveness. He differed from Gandhi on the question of non-violence and attached more importance to the ends than to the means. To achieve ends means could be flexible. End should be morally justified and any means could be employed to realize it. Ambedkar relied on two means, resistance and boycott. Untouchability should be resisted in speech and action. He favored creation of such conditions where vital interests of the upper castes were endangered as strength should be met with strength. So there was nothing wrong if untouchables boycotted them or disobeyed them and stopped doing functions performed for caste Hindus. Ambedkar knew very well that boycott could bring sufferings to the depressed also but that was the only way to establish order in chaos, conciliation in retaliation. The sufferings which boycott could cause to the oppressed attracted the attention of Ambedkar to uplift the depressed economically. He thought that Mahars should switch over to new professions and should try their luck in the cities and like American Negroes should become financially independent. The British government too favored the Brahmins and was not ready to extend human rights to the untouchables. Now Ambedkar was to run a battle at two fronts on behalf of the untouchables-fight against the caste Hindus and the British government. In the mean time the Congress party came into existence and it raised its voice for political reforms but it did nothing for the oppressed. It engaged itself in appeasing Muslims and in due course the government granted separate electorates to the Muslims but not to the untouchables. Ambedkar spoke openly against the policy of the Congress and accused it for siding with the Brahmins.

Being a man of guts he criticized Nehru Committee’s report openly and dubbed it as an instrument of oppression. He demanded separate electorates for the untouchables to be politically Viable. He knew that in mixed constituency it would be extremely difficult for an untouchable to be elected and thereby get self respect. He had no faith in any national movement as he was of the considered view that no leader was interested in the welfare of the downtrodden. Then he realized that mere social resistance and boycott would not do. He thought that without political power there could never be any change. Why should caste Hindu extend basic human rights to untouchables? Ambedkar did not like the Congress party because so far it had done nothing to uplift the lot of the poor untouchables and he decided to work independently without the fetters of discipline Imposed on him by the party. He worked out his political strategy and his pressure politics worked wonder.

He got separate electorates for untouchables but this infuriated the caste Hindus because they felt if untouchables got separated their political strength would get a dent. Gandhi went on a fast unto death against the award of separate electorates for untouchables and Ambedkar had no way out but to sign the Poona Pact with Gandhi that did away with the separate electorates and in its place joint (reserved) electorates were accepted. Untouchables remained in the Hindu fold. Ambedkar had lost faith in the Congress and its policies and he got convinced that a separate political entity was Indispensable to realize the cherished objectives of getting justice and rights for untouchables. He established his own Labour Party and like Marx he gave a clarion call to all the toiling classes and masses to unite and later he established a party-the Scheduled Caste Federation to safeguard the interests of the scheduled castes. It was the time of transfer of power and to safeguard and protect social, political and economic rights of untouchables he presented some demands: education facilities to depressed classes, representation by the depressed classes in the state and central legislative councils, jobs in the state and central government services be reserved for the poor depressed, separate electorate for them, separate settlements for the depressed. Ambedkar glanced the future and was having apprehensions that even after Independence untouchables would not get their due and so his strategy was to continue political pressure tactics. His demands met half success as the demands of separate electorates and separate localities were not acceded to. Ambedkar got roaring success when provisions of equality before law and equal protection of laws to all citizens were incorporated in the Indian Constitution. With one stroke the scourge of untouchability was removed and its practice was made an offence punishable under law.

Ambedkar wanted social democracy as he thought political democracy without social democracy could not survive long. He opined. “There can be no gainsaying that political power has too long been the monopoly of a few and the many are not only beasts of burden but also beasts of prey. This monopoly has not merely deprived them of their chance of betterment; it has sapped them of what may be called the significance of life. These downtrodden classes are tired of being governed. They are impatient to govern themselves”. Throughout his life Ambedkar fought for the lights of untouchables and he tried his level best to jolt the conscience of the caste Hindus to feel the nerve of time and give untouchables their due. He vehemently criticized degenerated caste-system and warned his countrymen of the impending catastrophe if the downtrodden were not given their legal rights and treated as equal citizens in all spheres of life. Ambedkar, a lion-hearted man, a man of nerves of steel stood like a rock shielding the interests of the downtrodden. He ruthlessly highlighted the social problems of the untouchables, not only highlighted but put forward practical solutions to dilute those problems. In his solo struggle he made many his foes but unmindful of the dangers he went on marching ahead and 10, in- numerable souls followed him and he was not alone. He was not a dreamer chasing a utopian ideal. Keeping his feet firmly planted on the mother earth he soared high to analyze social problems from all angles and he succeeded in his endeavors. Anyhow, 40 years after the Constitution came into force in 1950, India’s highest honour. Bharat Ratna was posthumously conferred on him by the President, Shri Ramaswamy Venkataraman on April 14, 1990. Paying glowing tribute to him the year 1990-91 was declared a year of social justice and serious efforts to uplift the lot of the underprivileged were promised. His followers feel pride in glorifying him as a Bodhisattva of the 20th century. His words will go on ringing in the ears of all the Indians-”learn to live in this world with self-respect”.

The statue of Dr. Ambedkar adorned the very exterior of the Parliament House.

Power of Writers- Using Pen As A Sword

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Vireshwar Braria

An Essay And Article on Writers

What Writer can do?

The history of mankind is a perennial tussle between rational and Irrational forces, logical and illogical thinking, between knowledge and enlightenment on one hand and Ignorance, prejudice, fatalism and evergreen lust for power on the other. Powerful and the thinker always come in conflict and there is a constant desperate attempt to outshine each other. History is full of great minds whose writings did leave indelible impact on society. Their write-ups changed the course of time. Plato’s ‘Republic’ exercised tremendous influence on human thought. Aristotle earned fame as an infallible guide and teacher. They both did a lot for their age and also for posterity because writers belong to all ages as their ideas are eternal and immortal. Writers influence man’s thoughts and direct them into the right channels. A writer is a transmitter. What will he transmit if he has not spiritual power in him? To give a simile: If a writer is hot, he can convey heat vibrations, but if not it is impossible to do so. He conveys his mental vibrations to the readers. It is a question of transference and not of stimulating only our intellectual faculties.

Power of a writer

Some power, real and tangible, goes out from the writer and begins to grow in the mind of the readers. So a writer must be true. We hear most wonderful and hyperbolic orations, most reasoned out discourses but the moment we enter our home we forget them all. At other times we read a few words in the simplest language and they enter into our lives, become eternally imprinted on our hearts and produce lasting results. The words of a man who can put his personality into them take effect but he must have powerful personality. A writer must have something to give. Negative thoughts weaken men. Where parents are calling their children fools all the time the latter do actually turn out to be so. Kind words encourage them and they are bound to improve in time. This theory holds well in the region of higher thoughts. If you can give positive ideas people will grow up to be men and learn to face realities. In language and literature we must point out mistakes in a subtle manner to coax readers to move towards a better position. Pointing out mistakes directly wounds a man’s feelings. A writer fills the brain with high thoughts, highest ideals, places them day and night before you through his words and out of that will come a great society. The vast majority of persons are groping through this dark life without any ideal and this ideal a writer supplies. Out of the fullness of heart the fingers work and write-ups come out. A writer to influence must be mad with an idea. Taking a nibble here and a nibble there will not do, Wars weakened France and the people grew discontent. Under Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette the plight of the masses further aggravated and deteriorated. The royalty cared a fig for the masses.

The writings of Jean Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu and Voltaire paved the way for the French Revolution. Their views stirred the very imagination of the common masses, stimulated and goaded them to do something and the people revolted against the tyrannical rule as their faith in the institution of royalty faded away into the thin air. People simply were in need of a leader and in the writings of the great minds of the time they found a leader more emphatic and more impressive than a leader of flesh and blood. The French Revolution with its aspiring slogan of liberty, equality and fraternity ushered in a new dawn of hopes and aspirations. So long as the writers kept quiet there could not be any change in society. Writers being very sensitive study and analyze the problems faced by the society. They judge the efficacy of the present institutions and finding any flaws in them raise their voice for radical changes. Silently, like the sea, they march forward and eat into the banks and create new place for new ideas. Distance and space do not pose any problem today as fast means of communication and transportation have shrunk the world beyond imagination. People have come closer. An event, a disturbance taking place in any part of the globe can be flashed on the television screen in a jiffy all over the world. We feel as if happenings are happening in our neighborhood. But unfortunately this new phenomenon has inflicted us with a strange psychological ailment and that is, we are closer but still distant. This closeness has not inculcated goodwill and understanding. Everywhere man’s instincts are the same but our reactions to same happenings are not the same. We judge and evaluate them differently and this habit, this attitude is the harbinger of conflict, prejudices and misunderstanding. The need of the hour is to bring about common standards of judgment. This done, there would be emotional and sentimental harmony and oneness. We have done away with geographical barriers and today the need is to do away with mental and sentimental barriers. This can’t be brought about by the common masses. This is the slot where a writer can fit in and nobody else. Materialism has given birth to so many evils. The writer can play a crucial role in stemming the increasing tide of vulgarity, sexuality, violence and extremism.

Degradation of artistic and cultural values can only be checked by him. We want reconciliation of values and oneness in understanding and the writer can establish them through his deep and effective write-ups. He can tell what is wrong and what is right, what is tolerable and what is intolerable create a congenial atmosphere where all hearts throb and palpitate in unison. By stressing the similarity rather than the difference between people and people he can bring heaven on this earth and lessen anguish and agony, trials and tribulations. pains and pangs, conflicts and contradictions, prejudices and false pride. He can be instrumental in the establishment of world peace. World is sitting on a volcano that can erupt any time. Brute force rules, violence is justified and glorified. Villains thrive and flourish. Lambs are suffering whereas wolves are enjoying. Cut-throat competition has kicked away all human values. Ideologies have gone rigid and compromise is considered synonymous of weakness. All this has let loose the dogs of class struggle, racial struggle, this struggle and that struggle. Danger of strife and conflict has increased manifold. These struggles send wrong signals that there can be no understanding and oneness whatsoever. Conception of goodness and justice, idea of harmony and cooperation look fluid. Exploitation, brutality, explosions, killings are being perpetuated in the name of nationalism and patriotism. The misunderstanding that ‘we are the chosen sons of God’ still persists. Human civilization is at stake.

Only the writers can bring about a U-turn of this barbarism. It is they who can tell the world that Ideologies which are rigid are not ideologies at all. It is they who can tell the world that violence does not exist by itself, it is always the offspring of falsehood and false propaganda. It is the writers who can focus the search light of truth on human frailties. Our century’ has perhaps seen utmost degradation of human nature. Man has become a mere machine. All isms have been tried and rejected because they were based on narrow parochial approach. There is increased regimentation in all spheres of life. Individualism has been replaced by the concept of welfare state but man who should be the pivot of all activities has been reduced to a mere robot. Hedonistic attitude has gripped mankind. Death is taken as the end of life. Body has been fed but soul has been starved. Body which is nothing has become all in all. Man has become a deer running from place to place in search of that musk which is present in the body itself. It is the writers who can establish the truth and place man on the higher pedestal and save him from further degradation and bring about sanity and balance. It is they who can tell men what his real goal is. It is they who can shake him out of his age-old slumber and bring about awakening, mental and spiritual. Industrialization and urbanization have made severe dents on the beauty of nature, polluted the atmosphere and darkened the skyline with clouds of soot. Socio- economic evils have polluted Society. Human soul hungers for beauty but it is denied to it. Industrialization has deadened artistic sensibility. Manual arts have vanished and aesthetic satisfaction is hard to find. It is the writers only who can supply the necessary quota of aesthetic satisfaction through their creative work and can be balm to the bleeding hearts. Beautiful works of literature can fill the desert of human heart with oasis and greenery. Scientists and technologists cater to the material needs of man, the writers supply his spiritual demands. Intellectual and spiritual food which man’s spirit pines for can only be supplied by creative writings. Industrial revolution let loose evils of capitalism and many writers came forward to check out these evils and they coined the word ‘socialism’. Marx’s socialism was not any reaction but was the outcome of a thorough scientific study of the history of society. Communism gripped the world and there came the October Revolution in Russia. An idea shook the world and established its supremacy. Tradition and customs, rites and rituals die very hard. People think they embody the wisdom of ages. A sudden departure from traditions may erupt social upheavals and there can be conflict between tradition and modernity.

Revolutions usually bring about bloodshed and bloodbath as they degenerate into violence. This puts a very heavy responsibility on the shoulders. of the writers. They must be cautious enough not to challenge the social norms recklessly. Before throwing their ideas in the arena of society they must measure if the Society is ready for a change. If writers work recklessly posterity will censor their moves. A writer must be honest towards his efforts and should have no ulterior or selfish purpose in framing his philosophy. He should be progressive and look progressive and should not be a pure theorist. He must not have pre-conceived notions and prejudices. He must weigh all pros and cons before giving his writings to the society. He is a realist but his realism must have delicacy and beauty and no coarse brutality and Indelicacy. His writings should not be the meat market of middle-aged sensuality, mere fictions of his imagination but be based on his experience molded to an artistic perfection. They must not be creations of the hour but creations for all time. Since a writer possesses a Vision of life he does not stop at pointing towards the evils of society. He provides guidelines for better conduct. He depicts not only what is but what ought to be. In short we can say he gives us lesson in the art of living. In literature and writings where aesthetic satisfaction is aimed at a writer is usually inclined to express things that would best stir the passions. Since art grows out of life and that since morality is the regulator of life, so art must obey life and the law of life that is morality. When a mirror is to be held up to nature, the mirror must reflect truly, or not at all. Writers today care a hang for pleasing ‘pruder’ and ‘prigs’, they describe life as it is- with its spots and spotlights but they must guide society how to improve. Pen creates revolution in the minds of men. Holy books have changed the lives of millions and billions of human beings. Who make the laws?-MPs. These law makers follow public opinion. But who creates the public opinion?- The writer. The legislators follow the writer. The world is moved not by armaments but by great ideas. Mind is more powerful than the Himalayas. Pen is mightier than the sword. A writer is the leader of the people’s parliament. He does not get his mandate from the people but he gives the mandate to them. He rules over a kingdom that cuts across political and religious barriers. Responsibilities of the writers are many. They are to seek answers to lingering questions on life and death and salvation of the soul and thereby show path of righteousness. The contemporary writers are seeking to build a new civilization based on western science and technology and the western ideas of secularism, parliamentary democracy and socialism. Society is bogged down by many maladies and our politicians are exploiting the situation to their advantage. The writers today are faced with the challenge of leading people from darkness to light, from Ignorance to knowledge, irrationality to rationality and from narrow-mindedness to broad- mindedness. Their duty is to create order in chaos, friendship in animosity, sanity in brutality, harmony in disintegration and above all give the masses light of truth. The writers can’t evade these responsibilities and they should not.

The writer must be allowed to express themselves freely and unhampered.

Will the UNO meet the Fate of the league of Nations?

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Adney Young

An Essay And Article On UNO

The First World War fought from 1914 to 1918 left 10 million people dead. An idea cropped up to have a world body to promote international cooperation, to . decide disputes and to promote the cause of peace. The League of Nations was established in 1920:
(i) to end wars and to decide international disputes peacefully;
(ji) to inculcate friendly relations among nations;
(iii) to bring about equality among nations;
(iv) to create the spirit of international cooperation;
(v) to help nations in the development of social, economic, cultural and political life.

Even these noble aims could not save the League of Nations from extinction. It failed to exercise any control on the big and powerful states. It condemned Japan’s attack on Manchuria and Japan withdrew its membership from the League. Italy captured Abyssinia and the League remained a mute onlooker. Germany too attacked Holland. The League had no coercive power to have effective control over the disturbing events. Its members lacked international spirit. It could never compel any state to abide by its decisions because it had no military power. ‘Some people fear that the UNO may not survive as its future is not bright. It suffers from many weaknesses.

Aim Of UNO

The UNO smacks of inequality. The right of veto given to the big five powers puts them on a superior level. These big five have established their permanent control on this world body, it is a fact. The UNO has failed to solve many problems. It has failed miserably to prevent conflicts-Korean war, Vietnam War, Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the three Gulf wars, Iraq war, and Israel-Lebanon conflict. Not only this it has failed in conflict resolution also. It seems vested interests do not allow conflict resolutions to materialize. If conflicts are resolved many missions, observer groups and consultants and advisers to the Secretary General would go defunct and futile. To keep these agencies kicking resolutions are kept in doldrums. Prevention of nuclear proliferation could not get exclusive attention of the UN. Some fear has kept it away from even condemning some states which indulge in nuclear activities.

China has helped Pakistan in development of nuclear weapons and has given it the know-how of technology to develop missiles and even nuclear capable missiles. The UN kept mum in spite of protests from India and other nations. Similarly, the help which China rendered to North Korea in building up long range and nuclear capable missiles attracted no adverse comments from the’ world body. Pakistan supplied nuclear weapon technology to North Korea but this revelation could not stir and shake the UN to criticize Pakistan. No reaction on the part of the world body displays its weak character. Terrorism has placed the whole world on a volcano. Terrorists have threatened that they would not hesitate to use nuclear, chemical and biological weapons against humanity. Terrorists’ threat is more than the threat of a war.

The UNO has not been successful in sidelining terrorists and devise effective measures to contain them and bring them to book. Terrorists roam the streets, they are well-known and their hide-outs are no secret; even then the world body is at a loss to do something to curb terrorism. There is dire necessity to revamp the Security Council. The question of revising the membership of the Security Council has gained momentum. Many members want to get it reshaped. The existing pattern of representation in the Security Council is out of place as the world has changed politically. The third world countries are pressing for representation. Japan and Germany have an express case to be permanent members of the Council. Japan and Germany contribute more than France and Britain. Their claim is solid. Brazil, Nigeria and India also stand good chances to be in the Council.

So far nothing could materialize. It is just possible the affected party may be putting hurdles in the way of reshaping the Security Council. It seems the original members do not want to lessen their importance. Many members advocate abolition of the veto, but it is not that easy. This power has reduced smaller player’s pigmy all the more. It is felt the world body is for the big five, by the big five and of the big five. Many a time members feel cheated and humbled at the hands of the powerful members. If no reform is brought forth it may toll the death knell of the world body. The UNO has no coercive power and as such it can’t compel member-states to abide by its decisions. The possibility of a permanent peace keeping force should be explored. Without coercive power the world body will remain ineffective.

Role of UNO in World Peace

The primary role of the UNO is to secure the international community against the scourge of war but it has failed to a large extent. USA, has no hesitation in bypassing the UNO. The UNO has taken up humanitarian issues and it gives priority to them; the result is it has removed it away from its major role to save the world from the scourge of conflicts. Most of the funds are devoured by the agencies engaged in humanitarian work. Bureaucracy of the UN is too big and too heavy. On elaborate functions money is spent lavishly and there is no recovery at all. It will not be wrong to say that the UN has become a welfare association. Its 18 independent specialized agencies and 14 major programs and funds reach out to each part of the world. The UNO is at a critical juncture of its existence and if it does not counter the United States’ tactics of bullying the weak nations it may lose its credibility. Its organs should be restructured to make them more representative. It is facing many challenges.

South Korea and North Korea may become the cause of a major conflict. Kashmir problem may start a fight between India and Pakistan. Domestic war is going on in Sri Lanka. Iraq’s problems remain unsolved. Terrorism has engulfed the whole globe and it can strike anywhere at its will Middle East and Africa are more conflict prone. Rogue states with their nuclear proliferation pose a solid danger to the world and many such problems have put the very effectiveness of UN to test. It is true that UNO can’t be a world government. It can have its own armed forces drawn from the troops of the member-countries. These troops should station at their respective countries and they should be sustained by the parent nations. If called for any action they should be ready to act under the command of the UN.

This arrangement can be given a trial. At present the upkeep of PKO (Peace Keeping Operations) drains out financial resources of the world body for no tangible result. Countries like China which do not financially contribute anything should not qualify for permanent seat in the Security Council but who will bell the cat? Handicaps and limitations of the UNO are many and keeping them in view we can safely say its work is praiseworthy. Success of any organization depends on the constituent members only. Organization can’t be blamed for any lapse. Today distances have no meaning. So it is imperative that nations should sit together and solve their problems- in a friendly way. People are afraid of the third world war and its outbreak, will certainly lead to wide conflagrations. So there must be a world union which may nip the germs of war in the bud. It is not possible these days that in some parts of the world there may be plenty and prosperity and in others the people may live in poverty and misery.

Such economic and social disparities must be solved on an international scale. These things make the need and importance of the UNO all clear. In spite of many shortcomings and limitations ‘ the UNO remains the only hope. Member-states will have to cooperate to make it a success. The UNO is more powerful than the League of Nations. It is hoped that it will not meet the fate of the League. It all depends on the attitude of the member-states and their willing cooperation and submission to the dictates of the world body. Above all the world has gone used to the UN through Its agencies doing remarkable and extraordinary service in social and economic fields.

The world has become wiser and it knows the consequences of the third world war as it would annihilate the whole mankind. This fear would not allow any war to happen and for smaller conflicts and disputes the UNO is equipped enough to contain them. The world body will not meet the fate of the League of UNO as it belongs to almost all nations of the world unlike the League.

Pitfalls of Communism and Indian Experience

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Adney Young

An Essay And Article on Communism

Eliot has the answer to the question-what is a communist? One who has yearnings for equal division of unequal earnings? We find some vague hints of communism in Plato’s Republic. It was Karl Marx who presented communism as a scientific doctrine. Marx’s ‘Das Capital’ Is the Bible of Communism. Communism believes that there are only two classes -the haves and the have-nots, the exploiters and the exploited, the masters and the common men. The rich rob the workers of the fruit of their labour. The poor masses must destroy the capitalists and bourgeoisie. Dictatorship of the proletariat must be established. So we see communism is the staunch enemy of capitalism. Communism takes it for granted that the producer of wealth gets a poor share, while the idle capitalist makes merry and enjoys life.

It has found a remedy-nationalize means of production. Government should be the owner of means of production. Materialistic interpretation of history by Karl Marx attracted the attention of the masses. Brawn overtook brain and communism spread like wild fire. Many countries adopting communism appeared on the globe. They dreamed that the rich and the poor would be equalized. Land, industries and business enterprises were nationalized. But soon the reality surfaced. The government agencies and nationalized industries proved soulless machines. They worked methodically but without sentiments. Drop in efficiency occurred. Marx’s ideas that applied to the circumstances prevailing 80 years ago have lost their sheen today. Some of the ideas have gone obsolete.

For example, the slogan “From each according to his powers; to each according to his need” proved impractical. Power corrupts individual and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Very soon the ruling members became dictators and all the drawbacks which we see in government agencies anywhere crept into communistic system also. Centralized power proved counter-productive. Thus communism had to face many pitfalls. Developing countries are in dire need of investment in areas like heavy industries and infrastructure. These fields require substantial capital but they show results and yield returns only in the long run. They are often highly risky. They are, often, in the form of public goods with a good deal of beneficial externalities.

Communism in Politics

The political, social and economic institutional structure in these countries is far from congenial for the advance and enhancement of economic development. It is, therefore, taken for granted that government’s role can’t be overlooked. It is confirmed that without the government playing a positive role these institutional constraints can never be overcome effectively. Heavy industries and requisite infrastructure will not see their dawn without the active participation of the government. Government’s active participation is seldom taken into consideration in private cost-benefit calculations in free market economics. Still a better environment to be handed over to the future has become an economic policy objective.

Market failure in free market economies justifies government intervention. Should we leave all aspects of the economies in government hands? Ideal solutions from the social point of view would result into if this is done. But the experiences of communist economies display that this is simply not true. Economies practicing central planning under scientific socialism have had serious and tangible difficulties. These difficulties arose on three counts. Firstly, it is an uphill task to find out the consumer’s tastes. Secondly, practical difficulties arose in collecting adequate inputs to produce planned outputs. Lastly, these economies failed to keep pace with other economies in terms of technology. As a result countries with communistic leanings faced many insurmountable odds and difficulties.

In communist countries the planning authorities have the sole authority to decide the basket of goods to be produced. Prices are fixed arbitrarily. Market forces do not play any role in this regard. So market mechanism that operates in the free market economy does not go through birth pangs in such economies. What happens then? Consumers do not buy items. Unsold stock of goods adorn the stores. People clamor for goods which are in demand but are not produced in large quantity by the planners. World has shrunk. Goods produced in the free economies are introduced to the citizens through various channels. Planners produce something else while customers want something else. This tug of war put heavy dents on communism. Many communist countries try to overcome these lacunae. They are allowing market forces to play their part. In the communist countries input-output table is prepared on the basis of information collected from different sectors. Material balancing is done through input-output technique.

Unfortunately detailed information is seldom available and deliberate misinformation is sent. These Input bottlenecks are not taken seriously. Authorities try to overcome them through trial and error. Inputs are generally diverted to priority sectors like spacecraft. Consumer durables are neglected. This thinking that raw material may be needed by priority sectors any moment results into heavy: stock of unused raw material. Planners are trying to make socialism market friendly. Private ownership of means of production is being allowed. Communist system was such that there was little incentive for enterprises to go in for continuous technological up gradation.

They depended, more or less, on borrowed technologies. Lack of incentive is due to–
(i) enterprises are state monopolies.
(ii) The benefits of up gradation may not necessarily accrue to that particular enterprise.

Benefit may go to other enterprise when no up gradation is undertaken. So there is no spur of competition. There is no desire to capture the market. Consumers have to buy what is produced by the planners. They have no choice. The state decides how much each producer has to produce. There is no rivalry to improve quality. All this results into lowering of quality. Lack of incentive often blunts quality. Up gradation means more Inputs and so extra labour to produce more outputs. What for? Management shirks if more responsibility Is put on them. Thus up gradation is seldom welcome. Unlike in a free market economy there is no direct relationship between effort and reward. Profits made by an enterprise are not allowed to be used at its discretion. This acts as a disincentive against technological Improvements. In non-priority sector communist countries are still using outdated technology. Management has to use it as there is no way out.

Communism Affecting National Economy

The Indian economy has also experienced a sea change in the role of the government. Till around the 1980s. Our objective was to have planned economic development without adopting extreme forms of capitalism or communism. Heavy industry and infrastructure were under the thumb of the government. It decided the priority sectors. Measures of command and control were used to a large extent. Our government failed to provide adequate infra- structural facilities. Indian economy has grown but this growth has not trickled down sufficiently. Government owned enterprises in basic and heavy industry used outdated technology. Command and control measures did not give breathing space to private sector also. It could not flourish. India experienced slow rumbling of change in its economic policy from the 80s.

Government soon realized that gradual changes would not do. The unprecedented crisis in economy in 1990-91 was the last straw on the camel’s back. Foreign exchange reserves fell to an all time low level of $2.2 billion. Inflation rate crossed the double-digit figure. Fiscal deficit rose to 8.4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). India’s creditworthiness saw a setback. Shock therapy was the need of the hour to correct the Indian economy. The World Bank offered help but with certain conditions. Subsidies were rationalized and wasteful government expenditure was minimized to reduce fiscal deficit. The rupee was devalued.

Structural reforms were agreed to make the economy competitive and attain a high rate of growth with social justice. Measures should be taken to liberalize and globalize the economy. Rethinking started to minimize difficulties and to come out of the economic mess. Steps were initiated in the 1980s and they gathered speed in the 1990s. A sea change came about in the economic role of the government. Many public sectors were thrown open to the private sector. Commands and controls yielded place to guidelines incorporating the market mechanism. Lesson has been learnt that everything about the economy can’t be left to the state.

Communist countries are gradually introducing market forces and adopting more decentralized planning techniques. It will not be wrong to say that economic roles of the government in the capitalist and communist countries are overlapping. Dissimilarity is disappearing. We are leaving the age of Adam Smith and Karl Marx. Modern era is of Adam Marx and Karl Smith. Two thoughts are experiencing amalgamation to a great extent. Both types of government are leaving no. stone unturned to ensure economy success. Market failures and state failures would soon become things of the past. Hope communism comes to an end soon.

Development of Industries In India

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Adney Young

An essay And Article On Development Of Industries in India

Indian producers had a world-wide market and the exports consisted chiefly of manufactures like cotton and silk fabrics, calicos, artistic wares, silk and woolen clothing. The impact of the British rule and the industrial revolution there decayed the Indian handicrafts. Machine made products started coming to India. Modern Industry could not flourish because of the British policy of encouraging the imports of finished products into and export of raw materials from India. Capital goods industries were not fostered. There was low capital intensity, predominance of small enterprises, limited development of factory sector and imbalance between consumer goods and capital goods industries.

The process of industrialization initiated under Industrial Policy Resolutions of 1943 and 1956 involved heavy investments in basic and heavy industries besides those in consumer goods industries. India now has a well- diversified industrial sector along with growth in technological and managerial know-how for efficient operation of the most modern and sophisticated industries. Historically industrial development has proceeded in three stages. First, industry was concerned with the processing of primary products-milling grain, extracting oil, smelting ores etc. The second stage involved transformation of materials-footwear, metal goods, cloth, furniture and paper. The third stage consists of- manufacture of machines and other capital equipment. The heavy-industry strategy helped in creating a strong industrial base.

Industrial Revolution In India

The structure of Indian industries changed in favor of basic and capital goods sector. India opted for a mixed economy with both private and public sectors complementing each other rather than competing. The scope of each sector was well-defined. Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956 was the major policy announcement. Industrial policy during the British period was motivated by the supreme consideration of using India as a Colony. The British were not at all interested in making India an industrial segment. To keep India as an appendage of the British Colonial system the British did not encourage capital goods industries in India. The Industrial Policy Resolution of 1948 advocated a mixed economy that allows coexistence of the public sector and the private sector.

The government classified industries into four categories:

(i) Exclusive monopoly of the state-manufacture of arms and ammunition, production and control of atomic energy, ownership and management of railway transport.

(ii) New ventures-there industries include-coal, iron, steel aircraft manufacture, shipbuilding, manufacture of telephones, telegraph and wireless apparatus, mineral oils

(Iii) Industries of basic importance-automobiles, tractors, heavy machinery, heavy chemicals, fertilizers, non-ferrous metals, cotton and woolen textiles, cement, sugar, air and sea transport. These are to be under the regulations of the central government

(iv) rest’ of the industries for private sector. No nationalization for the next 10 years if not urgent. The policy welcomed foreign investment but the control of the government would be supreme.

The basic purpose of the policy of 1948 was to bring about economic stability and generate an atmosphere for more investments. The government accepted the establishment of a socialist pattern of society as the aim of policy of 1956 replacing the Industrial policy of 1948. The government was to establish new ventures in heavy and basic industries as the private players could not afford lumpy investment and wait for long gestation period with low profitability, Classification of industries did not create water-tight compartments and interdependence of public and private sector was accepted. In the public interest the state could nationalize any industry. Main emphasis was to foster the development of the mixed economy. The state could encourage rapid growth of village and small industries. This was to be done by restricting the share of the large sector in production.

The state also pledged to establish enterprises scattered all over the land so as to remove regional disparities, so that benefits of industrialization reached one and all. This policy also underlined the importance of improving the working and living conditions for labour force. Towards foreign investment the policy followed the provisions of the policy of 1948. The basic aim of the policy was to develop a socialist democracy along with the mixed economy. The private sector developed some apprehensions. The fear of nationalization loomed large on the private sector. By establishing heavy industries and providing infrastructure the state helped the private sector to grow. Several areas hitherto reserved for the public sector were thrown open to private sector-coal, oil, fertilizers, chemical engineering etc.

As a result private sector investment Increased manifold. Apprehensions of the private sector proved liars. Much progress was made but unemployment increased, rural-urban disparities widened. Industrial sickness surfaced. Then came the Janata Party, dominated by Gandhians. So the Industrial Policy of 1977 emphasized growth of the small sector. “It is the policy of the government that whatever can be produced by small and cottage industries must only be so produced. So far 180 items were reserved for small industries; the government made it 807 items by May. 1978. District Industries Centers (DICs) were established to augment the establishment and production of the small Industries. Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) was established to assist small Industries financially.

Basic thrust was that large scale industries must become self dependent and maximum financial assistance should go to small scale industries. Public sector was allowed to play a role in consumer goods also. It was also suggested that if foreign knowhow was no longer needed, renewal of collaborations would’ not be sanctioned. In hundred per cent export-oriented cases the state might consider even a fully-owned foreign company. This policy did not give blanket assurance to the sick units. The Janata Government could not stop big players from producing ordinary items which would have been reserved for the small scale sector. The big business houses did not like this policy as it prohibited their access to public financial institutions and banks for expansion. The policy wanted to prevent concentration of economic power.

Paucity of time did not allow the Janata government to give concrete shape to the policy announced. Indian big houses and multinational flourished. The Industrial policy of 1980 promoted the concept of economic federalism to bring about integrated growth of the small and large sectors and redefined the small units as per changed conditions. To generate employment and increase per capita income in the rural areas eco- friendly industries were favored. Handlooms, handicrafts and Khadi would be given special attention. It was decided to establish units in remote regions to correct regional imbalances. Sick units would be taken over only in the public interests. Viable sick units would be encouraged to merge with healthy units. It was also decided to regularize unauthorized excess capacity upto 25% in private sector.

Many criticized the blanket sanction given for regularization of unauthorized excess capacity to one and all. It should have been given only to the essential units. The policy of 1980 hinted at liberalization. Some even say this policy underplayed the employment objective. The industrial policies pursued till 1990 helped in developing a big and diversified industrial structure, but generation of employment could not be upto the standard. Regional disparities and poverty could not be rooted out. It was realized that government controls proved counter productive and dampened growth. Lack of competition did not allow attention to be paid to reduction of costs, up gradation of technology and achievement of standards. Industrial policy of 1991 renewed its commitment to the basic objectives: rapid industrial growth, expansion of employment, reduction of social and economic disparities, removal of poverty and attainment of social Justice. To achieve these objectives there arose a need to integrate domestic economy with international economy.

Ability to pay for imports from exports was the main objective. Industrial Policy, 1991 introduced changes with respect to: industrial licensing. foreign investment, foreign technology agreements, public sector policy and MRTP Act (Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices). Licensing proved to be a hindrance in the way of industrial growth. Licensing was abolished practically in toto. Special permission needed under MRTP Act to start new ventures by private players was done away with. Industries got freedom and flexibility to expand existing capacity. Opening up of economy boosted the growth of information technology. The government changed its role from exercising control to that of facilitator. Industrial deli censing created free entry situation in Indian industry. Sick units could not attract that much of attention.

Liberalization of trade reduced costs, bottlenecks and promoted technology up gradation to meet the challenges of the changing industrial atmosphere. Internationally competitive and hassle free environment for exports was provided. Foreign investment was actively welcomed and foreign direct investment was encouraged. Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) helped a lot in this area. By 2004 direct investment by foreign players was welcomed almost in all sectors except those of strategic concern such as defense, railway, transport and atomic energy.

Industries For Technological advancement

For technological dynamism automatic approval for technology agreement was made possible within prescribed monetary limits. Repatriation of capital to parent lands was allowed. Domestic companies wore allowed to hire the services of foreign technicians. On the whole IP, 1991 introduced radical changes in India’s foreign investment policy. Industry was exposed to domestic as well as foreign competition and it resulted into rising of quality as well as productivity. The public sector would be confined to strategic, high tech industries and essential infrastructure. In February, 1992 Non-Statutory National Renewal Fund [NRF) was established to help the workforce of the closed and unviable public sector units. Government’s share holding would be brought down through disinvestment. Public sector units were, given autonomy to perform better.

Many areas hitherto reserved for the public sector were opened up to the private sector. But in public sector excessive government and bureaucratic controls persisted. These reforms have started yielding results. Industry has reached double digit growth. It was all due to the emphasis given to running of the public sector on business lines and liberalization. However, nothing much has been done to allow the exit of inefficient units. Capital and financial markets have progressed a lot and there is scope for further improvement and privatization may prove a boon to see Indian economy at its pinnacle. Today science and technology have gained unquestionable supremacy.

The level of industrial progress of a country has become the yardstick to judge its actual development and progress, Indian industry has progressed much and the day is not far away when it will shine as an industrial power if the pattern of reforms being undertaken continues. India has transited from a low income to a middle income country and this is not a mean achievement. Development of industries will take India to high income country.