Comments on: A Part Of The Solution? http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/ Issues & insights Wed, 9 Jul 2008 02:09:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Abhi http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-334 Abhi Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:23:52 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-334 <i> India would do better — if governments and political parties stopped being a part of the problem </i> More like, if government stopped being at all ... India would do better — if governments and political parties stopped being a part of the problem

More like, if government stopped being at all …

]]> By: Vamsi Galigutta http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-331 Vamsi Galigutta Mon, 26 Sep 2005 07:26:39 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-331 This is an excellent point of view. I was at a meeting a few months back where the keynote address was delivered by Vivek Paul, and this India Vs China issue was raised. He listed all the areas where India was structurally weak - Roads, Power, etc., has to contend with misguided policy framework - inflexible Labour laws to restrictions on FII, Lack of basic facilities - health care, schools that provide primary education. For emphasis, he threw an astonishing figure - 75% of the government primary schools do not have a working toilet. One of the audience was a retired bureaucrat, who argued that India has done quite well in the recent years and is moving ahead with new dynamism. He said that India is poised to become a great power, inspite of small issues like toilets in primary schools. The problem with such people is that they think India is moving ahead because of what the Government is doing. When will they realize that we are moving inspite of what the government is doing or nor doing. Or may be they realize - it looks like a no brainer - but personal motives take precedence. Of course the gentleman who tried to put forth this this argument was busted by Mr Paul in the most convincing way. He informed how Wipro, the company he was then heading, was contributing to Primary Education in rural India, which was none of their business. He explained how other corporations are trying to take things up where GOI has badly fallen short. The contrast between New India and Old India couldn't have been sharper. This is an excellent point of view.

I was at a meeting a few months back where the keynote address was delivered by Vivek Paul, and this India Vs China issue was raised. He listed all the areas where India was structurally weak - Roads, Power, etc., has to contend with misguided policy framework - inflexible Labour laws to restrictions on FII, Lack of basic facilities - health care, schools that provide primary education. For emphasis, he threw an astonishing figure - 75% of the government primary schools do not have a working toilet.

One of the audience was a retired bureaucrat, who argued that India has done quite well in the recent years and is moving ahead with new dynamism. He said that India is poised to become a great power, inspite of small issues like toilets in primary schools.

The problem with such people is that they think India is moving ahead because of what the Government is doing. When will they realize that we are moving inspite of what the government is doing or nor doing. Or may be they realize - it looks like a no brainer - but personal motives take precedence.

Of course the gentleman who tried to put forth this this argument was busted by Mr Paul in the most convincing way. He informed how Wipro, the company he was then heading, was contributing to Primary Education in rural India, which was none of their business. He explained how other corporations are trying to take things up where GOI has badly fallen short.

The contrast between New India and Old India couldn’t have been sharper.

]]> By: Amit Varma http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-330 Amit Varma Mon, 26 Sep 2005 05:29:30 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-330 Anand a] I agree with what Kulkarni says in the excerpt I quoted. b] No one is disputing the massive poverty that needs to be resolved, and that can only be done so through <i>more</i> economic freedom for the people. I called Utsa Patnaik deceitful because she was deliberately drawing conclusions from selective data to implicitly support her (wrong and preconceived) conclusions: that the liberalisation of 1991 was misplaced, and economic freedom should be rolled back and the role of the state expanded. The deceit was in her argument, and thus in the solution she stated, not in the problem itself. Anand

a] I agree with what Kulkarni says in the excerpt I quoted.

b] No one is disputing the massive poverty that needs to be resolved, and that can only be done so through more economic freedom for the people. I called Utsa Patnaik deceitful because she was deliberately drawing conclusions from selective data to implicitly support her (wrong and preconceived) conclusions: that the liberalisation of 1991 was misplaced, and economic freedom should be rolled back and the role of the state expanded. The deceit was in her argument, and thus in the solution she stated, not in the problem itself.

]]> By: SJ http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-326 SJ Sun, 25 Sep 2005 14:22:19 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-326 thanks for the link. visiting here for the first time. very good site thanks for the link.

visiting here for the first time. very good site

]]> By: Raj http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-325 Raj Sun, 25 Sep 2005 13:56:45 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-325 India is fortunate to have many business establishments inovantive enough to help transform india if only goverment would get out of running business and focus on improving basic infrastructure and education. India is fortunate to have many business establishments inovantive enough to help transform india if only goverment would get out of running business and focus on improving basic infrastructure and education.

]]> By: Simon Young http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-324 Simon Young Sun, 25 Sep 2005 11:03:20 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-324 Interesting site, I heard about this from your post on the Ad-Marketing listserv. Here in NZ, I've been hearing vague echoes in the news about the rising economies of India and China, so will be interested to follow this blog. I appreciated your new dichotomy between the new problem-solving India and the old attitude. A much more helpful dichotomy than the city vs. country one! Interesting site, I heard about this from your post on the Ad-Marketing listserv. Here in NZ, I’ve been hearing vague echoes in the news about the rising economies of India and China, so will be interested to follow this blog. I appreciated your new dichotomy between the new problem-solving India and the old attitude. A much more helpful dichotomy than the city vs. country one!

]]> By: Anand http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-323 Anand Sun, 25 Sep 2005 07:52:00 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-323 Interesting link, Amit. It strikes me that Kulkarni talks about <i>a gathering agrarian crisis</i> in our impoverished villages. You are in agreement with this when Kulkarni says so? A <a href="http://indianeconomy.org/2005/08/23/six-eggs-a-year/" rel="nofollow">month ago</a>, you called Utsa Patnaik deceitful, when she said the same thing! Interesting link, Amit.

It strikes me that Kulkarni talks about a gathering agrarian crisis in our impoverished villages. You are in agreement with this when Kulkarni says so? A month ago, you called Utsa Patnaik deceitful, when she said the same thing!

]]> By: Prashant Kothari http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-322 Prashant Kothari Sun, 25 Sep 2005 07:51:34 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/25/a-part-of-the-solution/#comment-322 <i>.Which is why, from businessmen to school establishments to charitable organisations, just about everybody who is driven by the zeal to aim higher feels that they would do better — and India would do better — if governments and political parties stopped being a part of the problem and started being a part of the solution. For wherever they have been a part of the solution, they have helped old India’s mutation into new India. </i> Unfortunately, for many (most) Indians this disillionment with government and political parties seems to leave them with only one option --apathy, cynicism and indifference. There's a sense of fatalism in their thinking. However, there's scope for more activism and engagement, without getting caught in the muck. As Nitin Pai points out in an earlier post, re the IT companies in Bangalore http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/24/finding-its-political-feet/ "..a more sophisticated approach is to also fund institutes, policy think-tanks and industry organisations that can advocate and articulate industry interests. They must get their op-eds in the regional language press and their talking heads on local TV channels." .Which is why, from businessmen to school establishments to charitable organisations, just about everybody who is driven by the zeal to aim higher feels that they would do better — and India would do better — if governments and political parties stopped being a part of the problem and started being a part of the solution. For wherever they have been a part of the solution, they have helped old India’s mutation into new India.

Unfortunately, for many (most) Indians this disillionment with government and political parties seems to leave them with only one option –apathy, cynicism and indifference. There’s a sense of fatalism in their thinking.

However, there’s scope for more activism and engagement, without getting caught in the muck. As Nitin Pai points out in an earlier post, re the IT companies in Bangalore

http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/24/finding-its-political-feet/

“..a more sophisticated approach is to also fund institutes, policy think-tanks and industry organisations that can advocate and articulate industry interests. They must get their op-eds in the regional language press and their talking heads on local TV channels.”

]]>