Amartya Sen and Jean Dreze’s latest release, Uncertain Glory, India and its Contradictions, presents a far-reaching analysis of the condition of contemporary India. Goter Gangkak reports
India is counted among the fastest growing economy in the world. Its democratic political system ensures equality and extensive political rights. Everything seems to be in place, but what can explain the major failures the country has seenIJ
The best known economists, Amartya Sen and Jean Dreze, set out on exploring the reasons behind them in the book An Uncertain Glory; India and its Contradiction (Penguin Books India). At the book launch held at India habitat centre, the authors put on their mettle to decipher the complicated figures and jargons for the audience.
“The book has many thesis but it’s not a thesis validation book. I have added figures and charts for reference. I don’t expect everyone to agree on all the points; also those who don’t agree can use those charts to argue their point. We have also tried to define growth in the light of social development,” said Amartya Sen, giving a brief on the book.
Sen is best known for his work on public choice and development. He is currently the professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard. Jean Dreze, co-author of the book believes that his book is a wake up call. It is a constructive argument about the possibility to do much more. Jean Dreze has co-authored with Amartya Sen various books on policy reforms. He had conceptualised the first draft of NREGA.
The authors take note of India’s great achievements since Independence, including the successful maintenance of the world’s largest democracy, and yet argue that the country’s development strategy remains fundamentally flawed. In particular, it overlooks the central role of human capabilities — both as an end in themselves and as a means of further progress.
Underlying this lop-sidedness is the blinkered nature of mainstream public discourse in India, which tends to focus on the lives of the privileged, and produces a distorted picture of how the country is doing. The authors discuss many examples of these biases and contradictions.
like During the last 20 years or so, the Indian economy has been one of the fastest-growing in the world, yet real wages have virtually stagnated. But this has not attracted serious attention in policy circles. In contrast, real wages have been rising at about seven per cent per year in China.
“India desires to be a super power but somewhere it lacks a clear understanding of growth. I don’t mean growth is not important. But we are so concerned about growth that we forget to figure out at what cost it will happen. Is it sustainableIJ Is it inclusiveIJ” pointed out Sen.
The author saved all the praises for Kerala, Tamil Nadu,and Himachal Pradesh. He recommended their public policy and health care system, and made remarks on their high investment in social sector.
“Even though India has healthy growth rate compared to other neighbouring countries, but other countries are doing much better in social field. There are parts to learn from every state and their system,” said Sen.
He has been a proponent of redistribution and equality but he denied the claim this time, “I am not recommending redistribution — taking from the rich and giving to the poor. But what the poor needs most is the public services, and that’s not redistribution.”The recent rebuttal between economist Jagdish Bhagwati and Sen had become a shouting match.
Bhagwati have been more vocal about his minor disagreements in print and in public. Bhagwati emphasised on absolute economic growth for over all development contrary to Sens beliefs.
Is it really ‘Sen Vs Bhagwati’ or more on the lines of ‘Gandhi Vs Modi’IJ Sen was subtle in his response, “This is not a CM whose politics I agree with but there are things to learn from Gujarat. And it would be unfair to compare Modi and Bhagwati, as there are many things with Modi that are not a part of Jagdish’s belief structure.”
Even though the conclusions are saddening and alarming, the book provides a silver lining.The authors pointed out instances where careful supervision has shown positive results. Himachal Pradesh’s recent investment in public welfare scheme was given as an example.
“It’s not that we can’t do anything. There is a lovely thing I call smugness of cynicism, which says since nothing can be done, I better do something that I would like to do. That’s just not going to happen. India is only doomed, if nobody tries to make it,” concluded Sen.