In the first and second lockdown, it was
expected that India would control the pandemic of Covid-19. But as of now, with
the first phase of unlocking, the government and the Supreme Court have more or
less accepted inherently that the pandemic has become a community spread and
now safety of the people is dependent on their own understanding and caution.
The challenges before the country, such as security, unemployment, starvation,
poverty, etc., outside and within the borders, have forced the governments to
believe that this pandemic is not going to be contained due to their efforts,
and now everyone has to learn to live with it.
But, at that time, all the attention of
the political leaders was in the forthcoming assembly elections in the second
week of February. Today's central leadership has developed a tendency to
glorify the state level elections more than needed, over and above the interest
of the country. Day and night, the overzealous devotees crying every time for
nationalism and Bharat Mata completely ignored this impending crisis on the
country. Well, as is the intention, so is the implication. As the election
results did not come to expectations in five states, with the minds aggrieved,
the centre was totally entangled in all this rubbish. When they came out of this total intoxication of elections and the
ensuing hangover of disturbing results in the third month of March, it was too
late. Now the curfews and lockdowns were the last ways left.
The situation that has arisen today is a
result of poor understanding of global conditions, wrong priorities of
politics, poor thinking of pseudo spineless experts and very wrong policies. For example, the Trump administration's
proposal on the border dispute that China has generated with India was very hastily
rejected, while this was a great opportunity for India to expose China. Suppose
India accepts this proposal and China does not accept, the message in the
international community will go that China is not willing to have peace and
tranquility. The Trump proposal to mediate in Pakistan's case was, of course,
totally different and unnecessary.
The
role of the media is misleading in many cases.
Some press media, social media and many doctors of corona are claiming that the
corona has weakened in India and the world's mortality rate is seven percent
whereas that is only 2.5 per cent in India. It is a totally wrong assessment.
The period of doubling of corona positives in India is still going on for 16
days. In this respect, the correct mortality rate is more or less seven per
cent in India as a percentage of corona positive patients 16 days ago. So, it
is not proper to take it lightly.
The difficulty of the present leadership
and followers is that in political and professional matters, their intellects
run in a very fine way with unnecessary complexity. But as soon as it comes to
the national interest, their superficial nationalist minds get heated very
easily, the omissions of the opposition from Nehru till today are so dominating
their minds that their creative rationality is easily disturbed and, at least, in
the case of the Novel Corona, they could not rise above the note and vote
politics, timely lapses happened and the national interest was really and
completely ignored. The compulsions of pseudo-capitalism and
crony-capitalism have left no stone unturned to entrap the country in corona.
Their tendency of getting irritated and perturbed over every criticism by the
opposition and negating even constructive suggestions of theirs has proved to
be disastrous for interest of the nation. The people at the top leadership exhort
spirituality, yoga, religion, culture and 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam' in a very
waxed manner, it has also proved to be beneficial in the politics of vote, but
there is a great lack of in depth understanding and sincere meditation on these
issues, especially the brilliant indications of the supreme consciousness;
their understandings and skills of yoga and spirituality are very superficial.
So, in this the most important matter of national interest, they failed to take
decisions with due wisdom in time. Now it is their compulsion to blame others
for covering their mistakes and hurling other things around for diversion.
In economic policies, 'Make in India'
is fit for the short run only for the sake of transfer of technology and
foreign capital. It is fair weather friend. In the long run, it is only a way
to impose capitalism and the opportunism of outside companies on the system. The
sustainable path is 'Made in India'. It is also advisable to run 'Make in
India' under at least 51 per cent government/public control.
The resurgence of the local economy has now become an immediate obligation.
I suggest that give top priority to labour-intensive techniques,
projects and activities in the short run. In the long run, capital intensive
techniques should be carried out through coordinated cooperatives in
medium-sized enterprises and the large enterprises and projects under at least
51% public and government control.
Most of the agricultural holdings have
been quite small in size and hence inefficient. They should be pooled into coordinated
cooperative farming. Each farmer pooling his land in such cooperative
should be guaranteed individual ownership right for return of that land when
the venture is closed or restructured. In case he goes out earlier the society
may resort to four options depending upon consent of the two parties.
a) The society may continue giving him
rent in cash or kind for use of his land.
b) The society may simply return his land
if feasible.
c)
The society may purchase the land from him by paying adequate compensation in
cash or public bonds or both as the resources permit.
d) The state government may allot him
equivalent land upto his satisfaction.
Managerial,
attitudinal and conceptual training as well as technical and accounting skill
support as per need should be arranged from time to time by the governments and
cooperative bodies as an enabling measure. It is far more important than direct
financial support as part of turning around the weak and loss prone
cooperatives.
Decentralized planning has to be adopted
at village and block levels. The central government has announced a plethora of
schemes for small businesses and farmers. These can be taken advantage of
properly through coordinated cooperatives. Governments should also announce a
scheme for promotion of and also for giving priority to coordinated
cooperatives and self help groups in support and lending. It is necessary to
divert all incentives and subsidies of individual farmers and businesses to
coordinated cooperatives and self help groups for the sake of efficiency and
promotion of teamworking.
In order to ensure speedy use of local resources
in the short run, the states and schemes should be restructured by bringing the
local politico-economico-cultural voices and identities into effect at the
earliest. Inclusion of these people in the operation of units through
coordinated cooperatives in construction; industrial production; production,
processing and marketing of agricultural produce, dairying, services etc. is
one important way.
Prof. R.P. Singh,
Department of Commerce,
Gorakhpur
University
E-mail: rp_singh20@rediffmail.com
Contact : 9935541965
