Your Friendly Philosopher & Guide

President Kalam has said that by 2020, India will emerge as a Super Power, and there are many astrologers who say the same too. They are right in one way. India would have developed a lot, salaries would have increased multifold, and the purchasing power of people would have gone up. All true. But will India be anywhere near the US or UK in money power, lifestyle, & development is a big question mark. And the answer is a clear no. Also not that only India will grow in the next 16 years and rest of the countries would stop growing. With time every country grows. We of course can have the solace that we grew faster than Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and other South East Asian countries.

He had a valid point to debate. He said he used to make Rs 3000 in the year 1997, and with in a span of 9 years he has started making 50 k a month – is that not a development the IT industry has brought in? And I replied – you are an individual and you don’t represent India as such! My maid in Mumbai used to charge Rs 350 per month for all the work in 1997. And the maid I have today, in the year 2006, charges me Rs 500 for all the work! I cannot see any development? He skipped saying – it will take time….

Living in a metropolitan and closing your eyes from stark reality is not development - it is mere ignorance. I had been to Varanasi recently, and they still have man-powered cycle rickshaw. And they charge Rs 2 per person for at least 3-4 kms of journey. If the number of people is double they charge Rs 5. And trust me – the customer bargains for Rs 4. To be honest I never knew that even today, transaction happens in Re 1!

Just showing a glossy picture of India on televisions, newspapers, and other media, doesn’t mean India is in the brink of development, and that it is just 16 years away from becoming a Super Power. The reality is something else. Even today India lives in the villages and not in the cities. The IT industries have only succeeded in recruiting few lakhs of people, while India’s population is more than 100 crores (in which even people like me are not included according to the census).

I am not an economic student, but with conviction I can say that the economic policies China has chosen is far better than India. And in years to come China would have surpassed India in most industries.

With my limited knowledge of economics I can say that a country will develop only when they are self sufficient, self-reliant and start providing services or products to other countries at a HIGHER rates. By projecting ourselves as cheap labours to the West, and being happy with the polished peanuts thrown to us can only affect India in the long run. Only few individuals will become rich, but the country will go to shambles with years to come.

End of the day you cannot eat softwares and Compact discs, you would need food to eat and water to drink. You can argue that you will drink Coke instead, that is what exactly will happen. With time we will get addicted to Western foods, and will start importing food at a high price from them.

So what is the first thing we need to do to make India prosperous? Stop hankering for USDs & Euros….rest will be taken care of….