Chetan Bhagat’s Making India Awesome offers insights into how the country could be reformed with ‘awesomeness’. The writer shares his observations with ANANYA BORGOHAIN
Chetan Bhagat’s second work of non-fiction, Making India Awesome (Rupa), is a quick guide seeking to engage the general public in reforming the country and thereby making it “awesome”. He extends his observations to various sectors — economic, political, social, and occasionally legal.
On Public-Private Partnership
I think PPP is a good idea provided it is not met with hostility. We need to build an ambience that facilitates foreign investment as well as allows the liberty to the private sector to offer a helping hand to the Government. In spheres such as education, for instance, PPP could work wonders. Earlier, budgets showed higher revenue but even higher spending. Government’s expenditure surpassed its earnings. Consequently, private players faced interest rates of 15 per cent for borrowings. As I mention in the book, the Government printed so many rupees, it flooded the market and the currency bought less and less. This is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Make in India’ campaign hoping to attain the goodwill of foreign investors and companies to manufacture in India. The last economic survey by Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian projects an 8 per cent growth for 2016 too. To live up to this, India needs to rein in its expenditure and fiscal deficit, while emphasising public investment.
On Capitalism
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that I lean towards capitalism. We live in the capitalistic age and it’s inescapable today. India’s middle class needs it. left ideology is no longer practical and may even pose as a stumbling block in the country’s way to progress.
On liberty
There are some sectors that need more liberty to function more promptly and in a much better fashion. I think the FDI Bill needs to be passed and it will go a long way in controlling poverty. On the other hand, organisations such as the CBI too require to be made independent so as to make them more empowered and efficient.
On Women
Women should not bother about how society evaluates them. Wear what you want, do the job you like, do not feel obliged to impress others. My wife is a COO of an MNC and I couldn’t be prouder. It is not a crisis that she is not making rotis for me at home. Although yes, I should have added a chapter to address men in the same vein too. Perhaps, in my next book.
On MODI’s Popularity
I understand Narendra Modi has enthusiastic worshippers as well as ruthless critics. I have not hesitated to form opinions on him and other political matters but I have always tried to be objective. I do not want to present this book as a manual for all sectors and organisations in the country, but certain key aspects need to be scrutinised. As far as Modi’s Government is concerned, the country was hoping that the pace of economic reform would accelerate, but unfortunately, not much has changed. The education sector didn’t undergo a substantial transformation. I’ve also written that employment rate, often a result of economic growth, didn’t pick up very much either. Communal statements from a few BJP leaders continued. And these are the major burning issues in India right now. The Prime Minister — vocal like no other prime ministerial candidate before the elections — became more discreet.