INDIA on the MOVE

Being presented in a series Serial - 01

V K Sharma

 It is already becoming clear that a chapter which had a western beginning, will have to have an Indian ending, if it is not to end in self-destruction of the human race. At this supremely dangerous moment in human history, the only way of salvation for mankind is the Indian Way.
[Dr Arnold. Joseph Toynbee, British Historian , 1889-1975]

The idea of India is not homogeneous and univocal. In fact, no single idea can possibly hope to capture the many energies, angers and hopes of one billion Indians. One purpose of my book, is to excavate the conception that provided the intellectual and practical understanding of modern India, that gave it its distinctive identity, over the past half-century, and that kept it , unlike so many other new states, democratic tolerant and open-minded. It is the only one that can enable other ideas to emerge, and allow them to learn to live alongside one another.
[ Sunil Khilnani, in The Idea of India May 01, 2003]

Dedicated

to A Liberal &

Democratic India

Preface A book is a very useful means to share one's thoughts, feelings, concerns with others, with a view to either just sharing some knowledge that may be of use to others or to aim to influence others opinions and views in a certain direction, to the extent possible. And the beauty is that what you jot down in a book is likely to be seen by many, hopefully - not only today but perhaps for many years to come. The drive to pen down some thoughts, some concerns of mine in this book, 'India on the Move' arose from a very serious concern in my mind about the fascination our young well educated friends seem to be developing for the way things are done in China, the way things are run in China, without fully appreciating the beauty and historically established utility of the democratic system. Yes, during the last few decades China has many achievements to its credit, not only in the economic sphere, but also in terms of better literacy levels, better infrastructure , better nutrition levels among the population and the like. At the same time it cannot be forgotten that though any autocratic set up can take fast decisions, can implement those decisions fast; but some times that one fast decision can be a horrendously wrong decision, like for example the one during the Great Leap Forward relating to agriculture leading to death of millions in China. And that is due to balances built there being no adequate checks and in the system.

The danger of such an attraction of things happening faster influencing our young is particularly high, who did not have the opportunity to live in the prepartition India and thereafter and experience the kind of journey that has been traversed. Yes, I do hope that some of my young friends would enjoy reading through not only my views, but also many historically relevant episodes jotted down along

with and draw their own conclusions. We are an intelligent set of people and I feel sure that those conclusions drawn by many should be in the right direction. CONTENTS 1. 2. 3. 4. Introduction Some Interesting Snippets of Indian History Empire Building Strategies Our Population Average Life Expectancy Demographic Dividend Community based breakup of population Our Economic Performance Our Growth Rate Our Foreign Exchange Reserves Our Fiscal Deficit Finished Steel Output Power Generation in India Some Other interesting indicators A silent Transformation My Village On the Move TATA The biggest manufacturer in Britain Revival of Socialistic Thinking A Danger Signal for India India and China - a journey begun together 1 12 14 24

5.

30

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

50 57 65 73 89 92 103 122 131

Our Corruption Problem We the People Our Education System Our Democracy Way Forward In conclusion Bibliography

INDEX of TABLES and GRAPHS Table Graph Table Graph Graph Table Graph Graph Table Table Table Our Population Average Life Expectancy in India Community based Break up of Population Our GDP %age Our Foreign Exchange Reserves Our Fiscal Deficit Our Finished Steel Output Installed Capacity of Power Generation in India Some other interesting Indicators My Village Journey of 60 years Comparison of 26 centuries of History of India and China Table Relative share of World Manufacturing output 58 96 24 26 28 31 33 34 36 39 41 45

Introduction
In November 2009, Shri Gurcharan Das, a retired business executive of repute, a well known author and an independent thinker, painted the following optimistic picture about India, in one power point presentation :
India is now the 4th largest economy. 125 of the 500 Fortune companies have R & D bases in India. 390 of the 500 Fortune companies have outsourced software development to India. 2% bad loans in Indian banks vs. 20 % in China. Poverty has declined from 46 % in 1980 to 26 % in 2000 and expected to be 16 % in 2010. India got Democracy before Capitalism and that has made all the difference. India will become 50% middle-class by 2020 - west of Kanpur and by 2040 east of Kanpur. We have waited 3000 years for this moment.

Mr Das, while painting above optimistic picture of India weak spots . He clearly pointed out, for example, that :
1 out of 4 school teachers remains absent in a government school 2 out of 5 doctors remain absent in a primary health centre, Poor Governance, and the like.

was not blind to our

But these appeared to be challenges that he appeared confident that we would meet sooner than later. However, in his latest in-depth scholarly treatise India grows at Night , the optimism is tempered with a serious concern for a flailing state , and a very convincing case has been built for a stronger state, not an oppressive state, but a state that is, an effective state with a more robust rule of law and greater accountability, .[1] This is hitting the nail on the head there is no doubt that such a change must come about for Indias potential to be realized. He has also painstakingly demonstrated as to how historically, Indian state has been weak, which background presents its own challenges. The hope is evident from the following paragraph: Twenty years of capitalist growth has stimulated a broad transformation of society in India, resulting in the rapid rise of the middle class. Mobility and

urbanization are contributing to the weakening of old kinship bonds of the village ; Indias traditional society is gradually changing into a more vocal civil society.

-2Supported by a strapping and independent media , it has begun to hold the state more accountable. [1] These again have been highly desirable developments. My chief concern, however, relates to the interface between these three organs of our society the state, the civil society and the media. After all the participants in all the three wings are people form the same society of ours, with certain pluses and minuses . They have not come from three different streams. This aspect is being discussed in the chapter entitled, We the People with a thrust that until certain changes come about in us as individual citizens or in traditional groupings, these organ of society are not likely to change positively at a speed desirable. The state is weak and must reform in a desirable direction, is no doubt a priority. Of the trinity, let us take up the role of media today, to start with. It must be conceded that in number of cases our independent media has , by and large, served the society well, for example in rousing the public sentiment and forcing the state & the judiciary to reconsider in the case of Jessica Lals murder, unraveling / highlighting corruption at high levels of society and few other such instances. However, Today when our growth rate has dipped to around 5%, for various reasons domestic & external and many high profile corruption cases have been highlighted, some people going to jail, some getting investigated and in some cases court proceedings being in progress; right with India. As if it is a sinking ship. And our media has played a prominent role in moulding opinion of the urban elite towards a highly cynical perception of India. One of the interesting meaning of the word cynical in the Webster dictionary is - those men who say that democracy cannot be honest and efficient F D Roosevelt. We will have it seems as if nothing is

a little more detailed look at F D Roosevelts achievements and his views on democracy.

-3One comes across wide spectrum of our middle class today who have become very cynical of our present and are highly impressed with the Chinese way of doing things. As Shri Das has pointed out China is a model of state controlled capitalism, with little individual liberty. If I remember right on one occasion in the recent past while celebrating some anniversary in Beijing , the public was barred from stepping out of the houses and they were expected to enjoy the fun from within the premises or on their TV sets. Do we wish to move in that direction? The title of a 2005 book by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, The Argumentative Indian is self explanatory. We as a people do like and enjoy arguments. He quotes Raja Ram Mohun Roy at one stage as follows : Just consider how terrible the day of your death will be, Others will go on speaking, and you will not be able to argue back [2] I agree with Shri Sen that that this trait is healthy for our democracy. However, my concern is limited to the extent that in most day-to-day discussions / arguments among people, our focus tends to be mostly to run ourselves down. It is seen as some kind of a macho exercise as to who can do this fault finding to a greater degree, who can shout the shrillest denunciation on the TV debates on whatever subject, generating a general climate of gloom and cynicism all-round. It seems as if people are scared to be perceived as soft & weak if they gave expression to some positive aspects of the subject under discussion. A stage has been reached when you prefer to switch on to Door Darshan channel for listening to the news of the day and their old format of reading out news looks much more attractive now than the sansani format of the private channels.. The fact that many crores of our citizens have been helped to come out of extreme poverty , the fact that many crores have entered the middle class segment of our society, the fact that many new state-of-the-art airports have been constructed the three at Hyderabad, New Delhi & Bangalore being among the top 100 of the world, the

fact that 400,000 kms of rural roads have been made / upgraded, the fact that under the ambitious Golden Quadrilateral project 5,846 kms of national highways [less

-4110 metres as of May 08, 2013]

have been completed , the fact that many cities are working

to set up metro rail network like the one in Delhi, the fact that the capital of India , city of Delhi has almost been transformed better roads, better street lighting, better signboards, smoother traffic movement in spite of about 65 lac vehicles in the city, with 1000 being added daily, from 5.6 lac vehicles in 1981 [ am glad to see now our school teachers driving around in new cars & living in new flats] , many foot-over-bridges fitted with lifts / escalators at both ends and found still working after more than two years, modern buses many air conditioned ones for the general public for the first time , rarely finds mention in our discussions / arguments. The media of course has a vested interest in painting a gloomy picture, since by definition some thing going wrong is news ; some thing going right is not news. With their pursuit of TRP ratings in competition, the fine line of balance and ultimate objective gets blurred often. Look at this latest hot topic on our media : News channels are singing the tune of jingoism, again. The cost of media jingoism is now clearly visible , with a tit-for-tat attack on Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah in Kot Bhalwal jail. Jammu. [reference is to Sarbajit being attacked in a Pakistani jail and his dead body arriving in India and his native village] . [Indian Express, May 04,2013 by Pratik Kanjilal] Medias contribution to the lack of informed debate in the parliaments of the world, may be glanced from the following observation of, a well known author Mr Al Gore. It is an indictment of the power of media for good or evil : The senate was silent on the eve of war [Iraq War], because the senators do not feel that what they say on the floor of the senate really matters that much any more - not to other senators , who are almost never present when their colleagues speak and not certainly to the voter , because news media seldom report on the senate speeches any more.

Modern television campaigns were beginning to create high levels of demand for products that consumers never knew they wanted, much less needed.

-5With growing importance of visual rhetoric and body language over logic and reason our democracy is in danger of being hollowed out. Opinions of voters are sometimes, in effect being purchased - just as demand for new products is artificially created After a long & detailed review of all the polling information and careful testing of potential of T V commercials, the anticipated response from my opponents campaign, my campaign advisers made a recommendation and a prediction that surprised me with its specificity. It said, if you run this ad. at this many points ( a measure of the size of the advertising buy) and his response as we anticipate ; and then we purchase that many points to air our own response, the net result of 3 weeks will be an increase of 8.5% in your lead in the polls. I authorized the plan and was astonished when 3 weeks later my lead had increased by exactly 8.5%. Though pleased, I had a sense of foreboding for what this reveals about our democracy. Clearly, to some degree, the consent of the governed was becoming a commodity to be purchase by the highest bidder.
[Assault on Reason by Bush] [3] Mr Al Gore who fought election for President of USA against George W

Why I quit media Liberalization reforms in 1991 unleashed a new India with money to spend and immediate desires to gratify. Today the Indian media has unapologetic clarity about the nature of its business: it sells the media platform to commercial clients, not news to readers. No longer in the news business, but news is unavoidable : after all you do need something to fill the space between the ads So news to day is sleight of hand: paid news by

politicians, private treaties with advertisers, celebrity coverage for a fee, PR feeds masquerading as reportage, the business story slanted to serve the stock market the deserving story not done.
[4]

-6Incidentally, only yesterday, May 06, 2013 in an interview to one of the TV channels, Nobel Lauretae, Shri Amartya Sen commented some thing to the effect that the focus of our media discussions / debates remains narrow on, upper class glitter. Common wealth games 3rd of October, 2010 was undoubtedly the most enjoyable day of my life. We boarded the very first run of the metro rail from Faridabad side straight to the J L N Stadium, coming across fool proof but courteous security , the helpful guides, a very impressive renovation of the stadium and above all the solid 75,000 crowd enjoying thoroughly every moment of a very well orchestrated opening ceremony of the Commonwealth games. The chief honcho, if I remember right , of the Olympics games commented something like, India seems ready to host the Olympics. The media coverage to this was surprisingly weak. Their passion was devoted to uncovering the corruption related to CWG. No doubt they did a good job of it, which needed to be done. However, what would have been lost if they waited just for about 60 days till after the conclusion of the games to avoid washing our dirty linen before the world, to the extent of jeopardizing the whole event. A news item later said that UK at one point was seriously considering cancellation of their contingent participating in the games, which might have prompted few others to follow suit.. There was a constant roar of why such a huge sum of 900 crores was spent on renovating the J L N stadium. I wonder if the wise anchor of the TV channel had even had a look at the renovated stadium to assess personally, howsoever approximately, if the criticism was justified. Chinese Incursion In April May, 2013 the news came, supported by visuals on our TV screens showing Chinese incursion of about 19 kms across the LAC [line of actual control] and our TV Channels were organizing debates on the issue. The debates were full of shrill

jingoism day after day demanding immediate action. The TV anchors were being quite provocative to goad the participants into displaying angry reactions.

-7And yesterday, May 5th , 2013 when the issue had been resolved, the news on the TV screens became a footnote Power of media I wonder if we realise how powerful the media are. Do we realise that so much of what we think, feel, believe or how we anticipate and then react to events is conditioned by the television channels we see and the newspapers we read? They convey images, paint portraits, pronounce judgments and, unless we are on our guard , we accept them or , at least make them part of our thinking. No matter how fiercely independent-minded we strive to be , we've all been influenced, indeed in some cases, conditioned by the media. If they're not careful some could end up creatures of the box or some broadsheet.
[ Karan Thapar on page 14 of HIndustan Times of , Sep 18,2011]

Independence of Media In 26/11 episode, when TV media behaved a little irresponsibly showing commandos slithering down from the helicopters on to the roof of the building in Mumbai where the terrorists were playing havoc and the video shots were being used by the controllers of the terrorists inside to guide them; it is learnt that the Indian bureaucracy had drafted a bill to tame the media. It was Dr Man Mohan Singh who scotched the draft bill, it was reported. protected. However, the media must learn to regulate itself on its own, ensure effective self-regulation, other wise chances of external Thus the thing to do by all be diluted. It must be of us is to be vigilant and not let Independence of media

regulation being imposed remain high which would certainly not be good for the country. During the unfortunate , though brief emergency regime , 1975-1977, certain excesses would not have occurred if the media had not been put under censure and bulk of the media had not by & large caved in. -8. Since the media, with all its pluses and minuses, is concerned primarily with today and yesterday, the short run, apart from competition for the TRP ratings, a balanced perspective among the viewers is seriously jeopardized.

Lot of us live life, reacting to events as they occur, essentially living in a micro world, without having the time or inclination to look at a broader macro view of the happenings. This book aims at examining the situation on the ground at a macro level an objective , fact based assessment irrespective of which political party did what. The focus is India. When we talk of fact-based assessment, we need to distinguish between a fact, hearsay and a guesstimate by some one. At the same time is a fact that he / she said it remembering that what was said by some one

how much factual credence we ascribe to it is our judgment. Being an Engineer and a Manager by profession, and not an expert on the subjects under discussion, I do hope that I am able to concerns on the subject of India on the Move. convey my serious

Therefore, what follows is based on living through the experience over more than seven decades, observation, learning from others and some commonsense thinking. Trust that it would touch a chord or two with you.

-9Introduction to the author Some snippets of memories over a span of few decades, we thought, would be an appropriate introduction to the author.. 1942 I proceeded in a line of boy scouts inside the huge tent erected in the Chowgan [A large green lawn] of Chamba. Then suddenly I get boxed from behind. Turning back with surprise , I see our scouts master shouting at me, 'Sala Chal, ruk kyon Gaya?
(Move, why have you stopped ?)

I realised that I was so wonder struck by the grandeur I suddenly saw inside the huge tent that I had stopped with open mouth to watch it wonder struck. We then proceeded to stand behind the throne of Maharaja Lakshman Singh of Chamba's annual Durbar held in style. .
- Chamba, Himachal Pradesh

1943 A group of us, young boys and girls clapped along with many elders as a contingent of army jawans passed marching smartly to the tunes of the highly polished instruments of the army band. It soon passed under the Chamba town gate and disappeared down the steep downhill incline.

- Reinforcements contributed by the Maharaja of Chamba to the British forces in the 2nd world war

1945 One evening all of us , a dozen youngsters of the joint family , rushed out to watch two huge jets of water in the chowgan forming the letter V and turning round saw a large display of electric bulbs glowing in front of the Maharaja's palace again forming the letter V. It was explained to us that V stands for victory of the British in the War. Next day morning we joined many other people sitting in row after row at the upper end of the chowgan. On the empty dias in front was placed a huge shining brass cannon. While wondering in anticipation what was afoot, comes out of the -10British Resident's bungalow a six footer white person along with the Resident and our Maharaja. After a guard of Honour by the Maharaja's army contingent, the gun was ceremoniously presented to the Maharaja by the representative of the Viceroy for services rendered in the war. 1954 In the Punjab Engineering college, Chandigarh there was one African student studying with us. He was well behaved and good at studies. I still havent overcome a sense of shame when some of us would call him a habshi
[negro]

on

his face , in spite of being requested not to do so by some of us.

1957 One evening in a get together in the Russian hostel, I was telling Vitaly Shishkov, the turbine engineer whom I was assisting in erecting & commissioning, a turbo-alternator set, that there are many Russian words that were similar to Hindi words, for example Ogon of Russian meant Agni in Hindi. Prompt came the response, For me the Agni right now is in that corner,

can you see that beautiful Russian girl?

- Bhilai Steel Plant.

1960 On the P&O liner from London to Bombay, we were all sun bathing on the deck. their Two bare interesting and front comments in a on It the does same not look topic : The Egyptian friend asked wondering : Why do the Indian ladies display back saree. decent. An English friend who was proceeding to India for the first time : There must be shortage of tailors in your country, that the ladies have to wrap a piece of cloth round them.
returning home after six months in Britain learning steel making on behalf of Hindustan Steel (now SAIL)

-111977 On a Sunday afternoon in 1977, two of us proceeded from Faridabad to the bungalow of the Deputy Commissioner in Gurgaon, seeking his help on an industrial relations situation , when the previous day the workers of the factory in Faridabad had gheraoed until a perfectly legal notice announcing yearly bonus as per provisions of the payment of Bonus Act, was withdrawn under-coercion. His advice : ' You know that the new Janta government has just taken over at the centre. The situation is highly fluid. I cannot do anything to help you. Better buy peace' . 1989 ' But for your having covered all the workers in a training programme , we would not have succeeded in signing a productivity based settlement with the union' said the chief negotiator from the management team in a JK group factory in Rajasthan.' The union frankly admitted that until the concept of productivity had been understood by most of the workers, we would not have dared to sign such an agreement.'
J K Tyre Plant in Rajasthan [not allowed to move outside a small circle]

us for many hours,

We had no option , so bought peace.

-May 1977

2011 We drove 35 Km's out of Madurai town and met a gathering of about one hundred plus village ladies, who were undergoing Adult Literacy programme in four centres. I asked my local guide to ask in Tamil a lady of 50 years plus, as to why has she joined these classes at this age? The response from her was accompanied with a wide grin , perhaps indicating, ' what a foolish question' , ' I can now tell where the bus is going.' We talk of many facets of empowerment. It left me wondering , being no longer dependant on others in this matter, was perhaps a very solid empowerment for her.
- while coordinating the J K Group Adult Literacy programme all over India.