Economic Growth & National Integration
Economic Growth & National Integration
Full Text of the Speech Given by Shri PPS CHAWLA at New Delhi on 10th March 06, while he was presented BHARAT JYOTI AWARD by Shri Vasant Sathe and Shri Bhishma Narayan Singh.
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The
United Nations organization in the resolution 40 on Integration of social and
economic policy formed The Commission for Social Development,
The
UNO considered the priority theme for its fortieth session, “Integration of
Social and Economic Policy to examine the importance of integrating social and
economic policy in promoting human resources development and enhancing the
process of development.
To
achieve these objectives and actions, it is important to recognize the
interdependence between social and economic policies and promote their
integration while ensuring sustainable development, promoting the eradication of
poverty, economic growth, full employment and social integration and
ensuring access for all to social services. It is also important to broaden the
scope of sound macroeconomic policy to integrate social and economic policy.
Report
of the World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, 6-12 March 1995 (United
Nations) envisaged
The
maintenance of peace and security within and among nations,
Investments
in the social sector, including education, health, shelter, nutrition and social
protection/social security, are productive
(e)
Improving and restructuring, as appropriate, national tax regimes and their
administration
in order to establish an equitable and efficient system that supports social
development policies and programmes and, inter alia, takes measures to
reduce tax evasion;
development
strategies, both nationally and internationally, to enhance aid effectiveness;
The various objectives of the UNO also envisage the
analysis of food security and food aid policies, services the Committee on World
Food Security for national disaster
and drought preparedness plans, and estimation of optimum national food security
stocks and management procedures.
It
is clear from the United Nations objectives mentioned earlier that
Increasing
Yield,Cultivation of more land, multiple farming ,Crop
Insurance,Irrigation,Power,Water , removing Unemployment, eco-regional planning
and conservation of sites for wild animals and plants on basis of ecological
boundaries such as river-valleys, forest blocks, coastal regions and eco-regions
which cut accross international boundaries are all nowadays dependent on the
economic progress of the Country. Apart from these Connecting Roads to
facilitate faster movement of transport of goods and passengers, Connecting
Rivers to facilitate the availability of water and thus improving the Irrigation
system in the areas of scarcity are the
important projects.
Coming
to the subject of National Integration we look back and see that
The
euphoria of independence was short-lived as partition brought disastrous
consequences for India in the wake of communal conflict. Partition unleashed
untold misery and loss of lives and property as millions of Hindu and Muslim
refugees fled either Pakistan or India. Both nations were also caught up in a
number of conflicts involving the allocation of assets, demarcation of
boundaries, equitable sharing of water resources, and control over Kashmir. At
the same time, India was facing
with the stupendous task of national integration and economic
development.Building a nation would mean stronger social platform, cleaner
health system and a strong rural eonomy
in Indian concept.
We
may now have a look as to what is meant by Nation as per some of the
philosophers.
Now
what a NATION is and what is meant by the life of a nation.
“The
life of a nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and
virtuous.”said Frederick Douglass
Former
US President Jimmy Carter said”
A
strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful,
and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak
nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and
rashness and other signs of insecurity.”
Henri
Frederic Amiel
Against this backdrop we see that Economic progress was one of the serious challenges that India faced at independence. During 1951 and 1964 under three successive five-year plans, under Nehru's leadership, India produced increasing amounts of food. Although food production did not allow self-sufficiency until fiscal year 1984, India has emerged as the nation with the seventh largest gross national product in the world.
Linguistic
regionalism eventually reached a crisis stage. The states became the loci for
democratization of political processes at district levels, for expression of
regional culture and popular demands against a national culture and unity, for
economic development at strategic localities in the rural areas, and for
proliferation of opposition parties that ended the possibility of a pan-Indian
two-party system.
Now
I would like to discuss the National Integration .To understand the philosophy
of Religion I am referring to the Universal Mantra “Om Tat Sat” which
has been mentioned in the Bhagwadgita
Ek
Omkar Satnam is the sloka which is the begining of Guru Granth Sahib.The
similarity and meaning of Om and
Omkar and Sat and Satnam indicates that the philosophy of all these is one.
While we observe the differences between various religious sects and the difference in not only opinions but also the activities of criticizing others I am compelled to remind them Swami Vivekananda's words - "If you are really pure, how do you see the impure? For what is within is without. We can not see impurity without having it inside ourselves. This is one of the practical sides of Vedanta, and I hope that we shall all try to carry it into our lives."
Here
I am also tempted to quote Lord
Krishna as per the second chapter of Geeta, “Man does not die, Only body
dies and the soul changes the body to assume a new one just like a man changing
old Clothes. And this soul could not be burnt, wet or dried. It is stable and
everywhere”. In fact this postulates the theory of re- incarnation. It amuses
me as to how these narrow-minded sectarians would react if they were to know
that they might take birth in the same religion against which they have been
suffusing venomous propaganda.”
So
instead of criticizing others we must introspect and control ourselves.I would
like to place here a few more quotes
from some of the present day
philosophers who say that
About
Religion George
H. Bush
said
One
gives praise to God not only through prayers of thanksgiving, but also through
obedience to His commandments and service to others, especially those less
fortunate than ourselves.
My
religion is very simple, my religion is kindness.
Dalai
Lama
While philosophically one would find the aforesaid quotes to be perfect and wish that these would rule and make way in everybody’s mind.But practically instead of contemplating on the subject from this angle we have to reorient the concept of Religion in the way as François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire and George Bernard Shaw saw it.
And
François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire said “
When
it comes to money, everyone is of the same religion.”
In
the twentieth century the power and prestige of religious institutions and their
highest bodies have been witnessing phenomenal growth and the old princely
states have been fading out. The time has come when one has to shift the
concentration from religious institutions to Financial Institutions and amongst
these the Stock Exchanges have a very vital Role to play.
There
may be interstate differences, there may be intercaste differences and there may
be interreligion differences but The concept of shares does not understand the
barriers of region,caste and religion whether it is Wipro
, Ranbaxy , RIL , TATAs or Birlas.Their shares are held by all and
sundry.The faster incoming of Money from
abroad whether it be US , China , Korea, Malysia, and other countries
is an indication of the faith of these variant Religio Based Countries in
Indian Economy.It is a faith in Indian Management.Be it Private or PSU never
before there has been witnessed such a huge faith in the Indian Companies be it
PVT or PSU.The acceleration of this historic movement could be done by the
entrepreneur ship , endeavours and vision of one man whom i would like to
mention and that great person has been LATE Shri Dhirubhai Ambani.Who has been instrumental in bringing and
understanding the meaning of the word Stock Exchanges to everybody.Now these
names have become household.I wish if he had been around for a few more years to
see this happen.
Karl
Marx ( May 5 1818 10 1883) , the philosopher ,social scientist, historian and
revolutionary of 19th Century great
socialist revolutionary had said that
“All
growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or
intellectually without effort, and effort means work.”
Calvin
Coolidge said that
“Without
continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and
success have no meaning.”
Further
to emphasize the theme related to the subject I am tempted to quote here a
philosopher Thomas Jefferson who
said that
“Whenever
there are in any country uncultivated lands and unemployed poor, it is clear
that the laws of property have been so far extended as to violate natural right.
The earth is given as a common stock for man to labor and live on. The small
landowners are the most precious part of a state.”
To
understand more about the farmers and the landowners I present here a quote from
Bill Bryson who said that
“There
are only three things that can kill a farmer: lightning, rolling over in a
tractor, and old age.”
Benjamin
Franklin had said “There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire
wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did, in plundering their conquered
neighbors. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally
cheating(manipulating or trading). The third by agriculture, the only honest
way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in
a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favor, as a
reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry.”
Truly
understanding the concept of the rural development in India’s Development and
the society as a whole I feel that the Budget last year and this year is
indicating the significance of the rural development and apart from the
Government there have been very
important developments and the initiatives taken by two industries.One is ITC
and other is RIL.They have gone in agritech business sourcing the commodities
from the Rural areas and it is believed that this is going to open a new chapter
in the Indian Industrial Development vis a vis Rural/Agricultural Development.
Gradually
this is likely to motivate others also to enter into this business and thus this
may result in better prospects for the Farmers who would be knowing and
contributing to the development of these Businesses.This may further induce them
to Cultivate more and more land.This may be remembered that in any Geographical
Area it is the Exploration of the natural resources embedded in it.One one side
if it is effort to try to explore the Oil and Gases , minerals simultaneously
the cultivation of more and more land is likely to add multiple growth
opportunities.
I
am tempted to quote here Abraham Lincoln’s famous quote
Democracy is a form of a Government of
the people for the people by the people.
So
I reminiscice it with Economic Progress and National Integration is possible by
work of
everybody , by everybody for
everybody.Irrespective of the Caste Creed and Religion.And here the
infrastructure development in the rural area is going to play a major role.