Post No. 8487
Date uploaded in London – – – 11 August 2020
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
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BOOKS INDIANS SHOULD READ- 12
Chapter 4 – Part 3
R. Nanjappa
Some general Issues
In a separate chapter, the book deals with some general ideas on NGOs- their sources and
uses of funds; the decline of the West and what it means for India;the generally unrecognised role
of our own forms of charity ( in contrast to the much hyped Bill Gates and Warren Buffet who
operate charity for tax saving); how mobile phones have created revolution in the services in Uninc.;
how to get the World Bank off our back; and interestingly, holds up Bollywood and BCCI as the
quintessential Uninc.-though govt is trying to control them!
Where do we stand
The role of India Uninc. in our economy is very significant, but the politicians,Western oriented
planners, brainwashed bureaucrats, leftist intellectual crooks – each group has its own set of blinds on
its eyes, and prejudices on its mind.
The Western models- either state socialism or crony capitalism will not work here. The West forgot
two six-letter words: SAVING, and FAMILY. Precisely these have been our strength. Westerners
theorise and invent models and expect people to conform. But this is not how people live or
economy functions.
More than 85% of our people are self or contract-employed. The share of India Uninc. in
national income, savings, capital formation,exports, employment, and also the growth rate
of our economy is high, but this is not adequately recognized by the ruling establishment.
The govt is just obsessed with some 40 to 50 big companies, FII, FDI as if these constitute
our whole economy! The govt and corporate sectors employ less than 15% of our people,
but govts concentrate on this!
More than 80% of the people are becoming socially vulnerable as the joint family system is breaking
down, but the govt is hardly aware! We are still following Western models, while the West itself is in
turmoil.
Where do we go?
The professor concludes with a remarkable statement:
“It is required that India go beyond Marx and Markets and thinks up a paradigm which
accommodated the primacy of families and communities. We are relationship-based society
and to destroy it to make a fully rule based society may not work. We are an adaptive
society since we are heterogenous. We need to rework the idea of India to suit our own
ethos and thousands of years of culture and civilization. …India needs to show a third way
to the world in the coming decades. “
[Gandhiji showed such a third way- but it was discarded by Nehru and successive
governments, who put Gandhiji’s picture on currency notes!]
I have been a student of economics for 60 years. This is a very remarkable book, and has taught me
Indian Economics As It Is. Indian economy has worked, is working, not because of govt, but in spite of it.
That is the genius of our people in the Uninc. sector!
The book is closely argued, every idea and argument is supported by statistics. There are no loose or
polemical statements . The book is full of statistics, and charts. But these are eminently readable, and
the book reads simple and straight, without resort to jargon. That tough ideas could be so simplified and
presented so straight is itself a sign of the grip the author has on the subject. The book is based on
years of study and reflection. No matter what one’s background or interest is, one is sure to benefit by a
reading of it. This is an important book for any one who desires to be a truly informed and intelligent
citizen of India.
As a life -long student of Indian Economics, I place this on top of my shelf.
” The corporate tail seems to be wagging the dog of the Indian economy.”
xxxx
Tamil and Vedas 