Along with farm laws, Modi govt has passed labour reforms & promised to privatise major companies. This has led to an economic Right-Left divide, and that’s a good thing.
Over generations, Bihar’s bane has been its utter lack of urbanisation. But now, even Bihar is urbanising. Or let’s say, rurbanising. Two decades under Nitish Kumar have created a new elite in its cities.
Indian govt officials last month skipped Turkish National Day celebrations in Delhi, in a message to Ankara following its support for Islamabad, particularly during Operation Sindoor.
Bihar is blessed with a land more fertile for revolutions than any in India. Why has it fallen so far behind then? Constant obsession with politics is at the root of its destruction.
Shekhar Gupta is as usual trying to put a positive spin on a failing state. In this article, he says Nehru got rid of the right. If Nehru had dismantled the RSS, India would not be under the grip of fascists who use democracy to undermine democracy. But Nehru did not dismantle the Right, although he had written they had the capacity to break up India by passing off their communalism as nationalism.
Gupta says Modi did not do anything in the first 6 years – but now he has become dynamic because he is talking about the private sector; as if it was not there before Modi. This is like the people who explained to us demonetisation will bring cashless economy, end corruption and stop Pakistani counterfeiting. Only sometime ago a Gujarati temple had to be raided as it was printing the new 2000s ! But that is alright, Jaitley only said the new notes will prevent Pakistanis from counterfeiting, he did not say it will stop Gujaratis from the same. They will always have a spin to whitewash criminality.
Every now and then, Modi’s sycophants will say they see green shoots of recovery – next year. This article is of the same kind. A hopeful expectation so Indians do not have to address a hopeless situation. The 5 trillion economy is not going to materialise. The farmers incomes did not double. No one asks where the bullet train is.
And what is the private enterprise that Modi is going to encourage that will be a game changer ? It is Ambani and Adani. If private enterprise meant encouraging competition, that is something. But it is to create monopoly capitalists who will have government shielding from competition, in return for favours to the government.
Gupta is highly unprincipled citing Tejaswi Surya as a rising star of wealth creation and the new India. He is an English speaking version of Yogi, Surya is a hate merchant who made vulgar tweets against Arab women. Shekhar Gupta knows all this about Surya’s background, but he keeps hoping such louts will turn India into a prosperous nation.
Now it is called ‘New India’. Earlier, Jaitley used to say ‘aspirational India’. Delusional India is a better description. It is obvious India is a failing state. If it wasn’t and the economy was booming, why are journalists and a young girl who supported farmers charged with sedition ? Modi now says FDI is Foreign Dangerous Ideology ! Such things are proof that things are not working, and silencing people by force is needed to keep up the pretence. Gupta himself wrote that hyper nationalism is making India insecure. Hyper nationalism is a sign of a failing state – like Nazi Germany.
Modi’s economic ideas, to the extent that he has any, were never in doubt. ‘Suit Boot’ ‘Hum Do’ labels did begin to stick so it was inevitable for him to come ‘clean’ (ha ha). BJP supports private sector because it is the burgeoning monopolies (‘Hamare do’) who fund the party’s purchase of our characterless politicians, who then, unlike those in the opposition, are given complete immunity from IT, ED, CBI, etc. This is the secret of Modi’s political success. Trickle down benefit to the poor ? Forget it. ‘Wealth creators’ use their power to influence policy, which will benefit them further, and certainly not for the poor. There is nothing to stop Govt from doing more even now for a strong ‘welfare state’ (not Socialism) to tackle malnutrition and hunger, health, unemployment, education, basic needs – but neither Modi nor his fatcat cronies want it. Modi didn’t achieve ‘Gujarat model’ without using Governmental machinery whom he now denigrates. As usual Modi’ creates the vision of paradise and fools fall for it – hence ‘fool’s paradise’.
Biggest positive is change of mind of Indians. Now they consider economic policies as one factor during vote and thus coming out of castism, religion. Saying that RG has any policy is insult to policy, as he itself do not know about any policy. He follows, which his foreign handeler ask him to do. His only policy is to harm India by every means. Communists also play in hands of china, who ask them to do whichever harm India. If their policies were good, then Bengal(once buisness capital of India) will not become beemari state, where communist ruled 35years. We should not forgot 1991, which was not came in one day or year, but because of long bad policies of congress. Congress MPs can not speek thier own ideas, as they fear of being shunted out. Total privitatation is also not good. Govt should keep his presence in every sector. Opposition also necessary and Govt should be critisized, but not like way of RG, which harm India and benefits foreign powers for his benefit only. Congress MP should critisize govt with concrete facts, instead of following RG.
Such a crap. UK is going through the worst economy in 300 years. US has a million people unemployed. There are thousands of farmers filing for bankruptcy in the US that had reduced Agriculture to less than 2% of GDP. These are right of center countries. Print now celebrates shift to the right by Indian govt??? God save Print. Argument for argument sake is useless. Facts will speak for itself. A country that is socially a zero and peddles the public money to its Billionaires in the state it is coming from will go no where. A sane country will kick out these jokers in 2024. But who says India is sane?
Most the “unemployment” cases sighted are primarily due to Covid, which has ravaged economies all across the globe. As for agriculture accounting for less than 2% of US GDP, it’s because very few of the masses (just 1.3%) depend on agriculture for a living, as it is highly mechanized, and also, because in the US, being a mature economy, most people find jobs in manufacturing, construction, real estate, services and other sectors, while in India, nearly two-thirds of the masses depend on agriculture for a living, and which accounts for almost 20% of GDP. Socialism has been the bane of this hapless land; it created only poverty, privation and penury.
The US, perhaps the most capitalist country, is also one of the most ‘socialist’, in that, it has all manner of safety nets for those falling through the cracks; from food stamps, to WIC, to Medicaid, to Medicare, to Section 8 Housing, to paying for electricity for indigent poor, to paying for heat during winter to indigent, and many, many more govt programs, both federal and state, for the poor, especially those below the poverty line. So, it’s not de jure necessary to have a socialist economic system in order to provide socialistic support programs.
I don’t agree with SG’s view that no one ever won power by being nice or fair to the other side. I believe that whoever stands with the truth and whole heartedly work for the progress of people would get their mandate to lead them. In this age of internet and social media, lies and deception die as fast as it’s shouted out. Those leaders who think people are fool and can be deceived by lies have no chance in these times. Rahul Gandhi is following the strategy that will only make a Congress MUKT Bhart much sooner.
Guptaji creates a false dichotomy once again and that I think is because of his ideological blinkers. It is possible to be pro market which is what people on the economic right believe – and usually many of these same people are as much opposed to oligarchs like Ambani and Adani.
Hence, Rahul Gandhi criticism of the governments preference for Ambani and Adani will be shared by many on the economic right who call it crony capitalism.
Is Rahul a politician worth talking or writing about. It is waste of time. He is being forced on the nation by his mother with a huge cash kitty. He is very good on loosing elections. From his start of political career he has lost 8 elections. But his mother with a bunch of low level advisors will continue to force him onto the nation.
There is no hope for congress Party unless Gandhi party is ejected out.
Clearly the hard socialism of four lost decades and another two and half decades of populism did not solve Indian poverty. Isn’t it time to junk the old solutions? What was 1991 and subsequent reforms about if it wasn’t about freeing private enterprises? Trust Congress and Rahul Gandhi to promote yesterday’s solutions for tomorrow’s problems. Little wonder that the party is in dumps.
All good talk by the PM. Let’s see action now. If the government seriously wants to improve the performance of PSUs and PSBs what stops them from selling a decent chunk to the ordinary tax payer at a reasonable price without looking to make an obscene gain on selling. After all tax payers have been paying for these organisations over the years and nobody can object to giving them a part of the ownership. The problem starts if the government sells tax payer supported companies to only a select set of cronies. Let’s stop calling it privatisation and call it peoplisation, where there is a distribution of wealth amongst a larger number managed by an elected professional management. No socialist can object to this.
Unlike other national interest , Shekhar stopped short of expressing his opinion on the approach he thinks better for India.
Left it to people to vote the choices.
Similar past article articulate what according to the author is good for India on various issues and the reason he thinks so, He too even though convinced about the right approach reluctant to express his opinion.
The generation grown up under Indira is still not ready to assimilate the current world view and openly embrace the required correction.
We can’t see Sekhar or any other journalist who had convinced about the merit of farm laws to question Yogendra Yadav with the same vigour he would take up another issue and challenge Govt.
His opinion is meek and kept shallow and restricted to some “CTC” opinion.
My point is that, If he really thinks finally there is a clear economic ideology at the political front and it is good for India and the politicians take that risk to spell that out in the open why people like him stop at the known fact.
I would have been happy had he concluded the “National Interest” on his opinion and wishing which side to succeed for India.
Socialism is discredited/bad mouthed world over. But it is well trodden path. Biggest success stories which touches everyone but is not recognised is the education sector. When growing up, I studied in kannada medium govt muncipal schools and corporation schools. In some schools there were no furniture except a chair for the teacher and we all sat on the floor. But I clearly know all my teachers there were degree grads and B.Ed too. We never paid any fee and books were distributed free. 90% of the children utilized mid-day meal scheme.
Cut to present, I send my children to private (international) schools (govt schools are in too horrible state in the cities now) and I see that the teachers are not even qualified enough. None of them are B.Ed and many didn’t graduate. School fee are not affordable to 99% of population but still the quality of education is miserable. Now did the privatisation help?? I dont even blame school management, because they are not making a killing either. They have to cover for the staff and premises which itself is substantial and have to be competitive with other schools too.
My friends/relatives children in the US all go to public schools there. Socialism is very much alive there in the capitalist country :).
The reason that Indian governments don’t find primary education and healthcare is because India’s’socialist’ governments have been splurging tax payer’s funds on loss making PSUs and PSBs. Check out the losses of Air India and banks, which have become conduits for transferring tax payer funds to crony capitalists. In the US, businesses are run by entrepreneurs and businessman and not by the government. They generate profits and pay taxes which are used to fund schools and hospitals. The same schools you mention which have excellent facilities simply because the government doesn’t waste tax payer’s money on failing business enterprises.
I studied in Government schools too and I really vouch for the quality of education, imparted from those schools then. But it is not due to socialism but the education standards and living conditions then. I live in US and my kids goes to public schools and the schools are by and large good. But this is not because of socialism. Here we pay lot of taxes on our properties (Primary Residence, Vehicles) etc, apart from Federal and State Taxes. All these taxes are collected at local town level and 80% of this budget goes to Schools. And the amount collected from these taxes are not minimal amount. Some kinds of benefits are given to poor and under privileged in all the countries including capitalist countries but it is definetly not socialisam.
sorry but you are not completely correct. Over here school funds come from community tax at community level. That is why most schools that do well US are also those in very wealthy and/or well educated communities. Other schools are in fact dangerous even for children. What India needs to learn from US is that community participation is vital for well being of schools that you are taking about. In US, parents play an active role. The hold the schools accountable. May be we should focus on what we are lacking rather than talking too much socialism or capitalisms which we never give a true chance.
You should also know that in US schools drive the land values of the communities as these people flock to good school zones and in doing so they drive the prizes away. So to a large extent all well performing schools are from rich and/or well educated communities.
If you call this socialism, I feel sorry you. Even teachers in US flock to schools in richer neighborhood as they get very secured and safe jobs. I must it is happening India as well from past 10 to 20 years. In India people start asking themselves what they can do for the community. All problems will be resolved.
Socialism can only work in rich countries, where state will have enough resources to finance the welfare schemes.
India is a POOR country. Our per-capita income is less than $2000. We cannot spend without making more money. Just like a poor household can’t spend much on its welfare without an increment in their salary.
To make more money you would have to give a free reign to the Capitalists coz they are good at it. Just like some members of a family are better than others when it comes to making more money.
Once you are rich enough, you can relax and spend your money on providing the basics(only) to those who are poor.. Only rich can do charity. Simple.
“Once you are rich enough, you can relax and spend your money on providing the basics(only) to those who are poor..” Oh you poor thing. Naive, innocent and so gullible. Human kind has shown that typically a rich man never has enough to give away his money. Charity comes from the heart. Otherwise for all the rich, it is the tax that gets the money away from them. A charitable person understands the need to tax his co-rich friends. Sadly, it is the only way. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett never complain about taxes. Trump does and so he was vilified.. It is sad to note the World has more takers than givers by nature.
SG : Do you really think, is India heading in a very good direction? Are you really a journalist? Don’t you get that there is mutual understanding between most of the big industrialists and BJP? Including you investor Narayan Murty, who happens to be an investor in fake news portal “Opindia” as well. As he is your investor, probably that’s why you didn’t cover his interview on the last labour day in which he said that every Indian should work more, 60 hrs per week to bring back India.
Without going into merits or otherwise of different economic models, we should keep in mind that we have live examples of economic revival in our neighborhood.
For a populace which had been duped into lethargy we must make a break from the past.
PM made another significant point.Indian Economy is far more integrated with World Economy than it was say a decade or two decades ago. Hence forth all our decisions, wheter we are left or Right has to reckon with this factor and take appropriate decsions.
Infact General public is also aware of this.Pm did not elaborate this point but simply said that we have to take advantage of this and move ahead.Ideological divide of 60s and 70s may neither appeal to public nor really work.
It is too early to pronounce Modi ji as right-leaning politician. Politics is a game of possibilities . In every years of incumbency of the political office the politicians behave and work in different way. Mostly in third and fourth years of incumbency even ultra -right politicians too make a U-TURN and become and behave as a politician wedded to left ideology and welfare of people. So please take your observations about Modi turning rightist with a pinch of salt. You see and declare Congress and its heir-apparent RG as leftist . That too is folly . Congress had un-chequred record of following and practicing disposable , use-and throw ideology since 1980 s. Do you think RG speaks for and with an ideology ? He has became a mentally -stressed person with loss of POWER and seeing NO POSSIBILITY of power returning to his DYNASTY in short or mid-term time span. So his outbursts too are statements of a frustrated person aimed to keep his following intact. In drab and dry world of politics his statements provide short-term entertainment.
A good assessment…politically speaking and otherwise too….
Let me add my bit (Thanks The Print)
Elementary Mr. Watson!
Wealth has to be created before it can be distributed. Government can’t create wealth for distribution. E.g. In Pakistan wealth is “created” mostly by the Army. We know how it is there. China gave up socialism to embrace capitalism and privatization. Russia too has embraced privatization.
Cuba (have you heard of this country?) of course follows total socialism.
Only an efficient and free private sector can create wealth which can then be “distributed” to others if necessary. Only private sector can create the required number of jobs.
OK. Areas like space and nuclear can’t yet be privatized in India, though these sectors also have been privatized in some other countries.
Just imagine…If the IT sector in India were to be with the Public sector!!!!!
Shekhar ji, excellent, but I did not find your argument as to why we have Adani’s and Ambanis in Modi’s India. Why we do not have Bill Gates, Steve Jobs …. Some thing fundametally wrong in Modis ” SO CALLED FREE MARKET”. This is a copy of PUTIN’S CAPITALISM FOR OLIGARCHS. NEW INDIA HAS VIRTUALLY become copy of NEW RUSSIA. Shekharjee shocking that your version of free market is CHRONY CAPITALISM AND NOT WEST EUROPEAN VERSION OF FREE MARKET. In new India we produce CHRONIES and go gaga for DYNASTIES LIKE TATAS … Have stopped producing likes of INFOSYS OR WIPRO. SHEKHARJEE you are GLORIFYING CHRONY CAPITALISM in the name of FREE MARKET !!! Noted that you are happy that we have DYNASTIES of the likes of TATAS.
Not Russia but South Korea and there is nothing wrong with that.
People in India need to stop comparing India with US and Europe all the time. Just coz we are a democracy and some of us speak English, does not mean we and the West are in the same league of economic development. Our economy and businesses are still vulnerable to foreign takeovers unless supported by the government. We are decades behind the West in terms of the economic strength. We can’t be as open as them.
India is where US was during the Gilded age and Europe was during their colonial expansion era. We need government and our business houses to form an alliance for economic growth. There is nothing wrong in GOI favouring Indian businesses over the foreign ones. There is a reason that even after 70 years of independence there is not a single globally popular, Indian brand.
Our cellphone market is dominated by the Chinese and Koreans, Auto market is dominated by Japanese and Koreans, Internet by the Americans. What exactly do we have that is owned by us?
It is told that India in license Raj used to shoot its foot by itself. A Tata project waiting for clearance will get killed by a Birla group and vice versa. The infighting amongst themselves and combined opposition to any and all MNC coming in to India was the major achievement of that era, allowing formation of another East India company in India is still prevalent view. India is what Indians make it to be. 70 plus years has gone by and Indians are still fighting each other. One wants cow Science and another wants coding to be taught in schools. Sadly, both are useless.
Good question. Let me try and answer.
Since Independence “We the people” have a penchant to lay all ills at the feet of the Governments
The Government of USA did not create Bill Gates, Steve jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk; GOI did not create Dhirubhai Ambani, Narayana Murthy, Shiv Nadar, Azim Premji, Uday Kotak, Sachin Bansal, Binny Bansal etc…All these people created themselves, despite all odds.
Since Independence “We the people” have a penchant to lay all ills at the feet of the Governments. Yes, Governments have been lax and concentrated a lot on power retention and vote gathering. Can you see a change? Look around you.
Tail piece: When corporations grow big it is natural questions are asked. As they are being asked of Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft etc.in the USA …and of Jack Ma in China too, for good measure.
So rest easy. All is well.
shekarji
i have a question on another subject that is farmer’s agitation.
when agitation started initailly it was punjab farmers led by akalis, yogendra yadav etc. i did not read anything about tikait in the agitation. however suddenly after 26th jan, tikait i now in the forefront and we don’t seem to hear about others. what is happening?
can you do a cut the clutter on this?
It is strategy on the agitators part, so that a narrative can be built, that this agitation is now spreading to Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and rest of India. They do not want this agitation to be just associated with Punjab and left leaning leaders.
Nothing of the sort of Mr. Shekar Gupta wrote. It was just a small note Six years are over, When? signed A&A.
5 points
1) MSP won’t cost few lakh crores. Govt purchasing all the rice and wheat would cost about 60% of the Union budget. This would bankrupt the Govt.
2) Wealth may have increased by 13 lakh crores or even more but NOT CASH. Share price going from Rs 150 to Rs 390 is not the same as your bank balance going up by the same amount. These are unrealized gains and any mass-selling would depress the share price. Hence, it as a measure of wealth is dangerously misleading.
3) 1% rich control 73% of India’s wealth. It is true for every nation. Besides, 99% of our Netas be it from the BJP or the Congress belong to this 1% category.
4) Rahul’s Socialism = Hum Do Humare Do = Mataji+Pappuji+Didiji+DAMAADJI
5) Govt cannot be the ARCHITECT OF DEVELOPMENT. ONLY ENTREPRENEURS CAN BUILD A NATION.
We are CONGRESS MEN WE ARESOCIALISTS. We are anti-private sector. We condemn privatization. But we don’t go to Govt. Hospitals. We don’t send our children to Govt. Schools. We don’t use BSNL mobile but use Jio high speed data connection to view unparliamentary scenes in assemblies and parliament. We avoid Govt. Airline Airindia. We Just don’t travel in govt.buses when we have huge fleet of biggg cars. we always use private couriers. No more post office. But most important thing , we always use Government BANKS to skim and help our chamchas to get loans , which are never to be re-paid. We are CONGRESS MEN AND WE ARE PSEUDO SOCIALISTS. Jai Hind.
The glorification of the absurd. Comparison of apples to oranges.
This is as low as the views can go if the ” Gaddar, CHOR, Hum Do Hamare Do ” are not to be reacted to in the same measure and language.
It is the cultural upbringing with arrogance and deficient intellect which eventually shows in the way one addresses elders or matters serious.
Even taking note of such utterances, falls far below accepted norms of dignity and worst still an attempt to giving it an ideological justification as an argument.
What to do for a living is a personal choice including for Mia Khalifa, but again whether to take note of it is also personal choice.
Well, in India kids are taught to give respect to the elders and listen to the elders. But it forgets to also teach that respect is NOT given or demanded. It is earned. Till it sinks in, I see not much hope in India.
Sustained economic growth is inconsistent with unpredictable policies, captured institutions and no rule of law.
Witness how the government is mulling banning cryptocurrency after legalising it. Witness how government agencies are used to hound entrepreneurs who don’t toe the government line. Witness how the government refuses to accept arbitration rulings not in its favour. Witness how Chinese companies were banned overnight and their investments blocked. Witness how substantiated claims of bias towards Ambani and Adani are made.
Modi is great at saying one thing and then doing another. To forget the low point he’s brought our country to just because his finance minister said she wants to sell some PSUs (and hasn’t actually even done so) is just sad. Have some higher standards Shekhar, this man won in 2014 promising reforms and economic growth, but only brought ruin to our economy, social fabric, institutions, reputation and literally any other ingredient that goes into creating a prosperous country.
Privatisation of non-competitive state owned enterprises is all good, but Modi has a track record of
a. Non deliverance of privatisation goals (see the record over land acquisition, personal IT abolition etc)
b. Of letting asset owning middle class down by continuing with large taxes (Petrol is well over ₹90 in all major cities, property transaction taxes have dampened real estate for years now)
c.. Disregarding interests of consumers by favouring his chosen friends to establish virtual monopolies (Telecom sector – Ambani, airports and sea ports – Adani)
Modi has remained PM inspite of a poor economic record due to opposition follies and major media support, inability of majority of Indians to think rationally and by playing up on religious insecurities. All that these so called “reforms” is going to do is increase gap between ultra rich and rest of Indians even further. What use is a vaccine to majority of ordinary Indians that the world buys but Indians have to wait in queue for? It is only making the vaccine makers richer and Modi more popular. Indians have been used as guinea pigs (some have reported even died) but Poonawala and Modi are benefiting. A govt which asks for votes from people but feeds the fruits of the toil of ordinary Indians to ultra-rich corporate financial backers isn’t a govt of the people, it is a parasite – and parasites should be removed before they cause incalculable harm.
I suppose your friend snd presumably your mentor Adityanath and his Hindu Yuva Vahini team under whose spell uour ulk finds itself in would be able spell better !!
fool nehru get rid of c gopalachari first indian libertarian.
Shekhar Gupta is as usual trying to put a positive spin on a failing state. In this article, he says Nehru got rid of the right. If Nehru had dismantled the RSS, India would not be under the grip of fascists who use democracy to undermine democracy. But Nehru did not dismantle the Right, although he had written they had the capacity to break up India by passing off their communalism as nationalism.
Gupta says Modi did not do anything in the first 6 years – but now he has become dynamic because he is talking about the private sector; as if it was not there before Modi. This is like the people who explained to us demonetisation will bring cashless economy, end corruption and stop Pakistani counterfeiting. Only sometime ago a Gujarati temple had to be raided as it was printing the new 2000s ! But that is alright, Jaitley only said the new notes will prevent Pakistanis from counterfeiting, he did not say it will stop Gujaratis from the same. They will always have a spin to whitewash criminality.
Every now and then, Modi’s sycophants will say they see green shoots of recovery – next year. This article is of the same kind. A hopeful expectation so Indians do not have to address a hopeless situation. The 5 trillion economy is not going to materialise. The farmers incomes did not double. No one asks where the bullet train is.
And what is the private enterprise that Modi is going to encourage that will be a game changer ? It is Ambani and Adani. If private enterprise meant encouraging competition, that is something. But it is to create monopoly capitalists who will have government shielding from competition, in return for favours to the government.
Gupta is highly unprincipled citing Tejaswi Surya as a rising star of wealth creation and the new India. He is an English speaking version of Yogi, Surya is a hate merchant who made vulgar tweets against Arab women. Shekhar Gupta knows all this about Surya’s background, but he keeps hoping such louts will turn India into a prosperous nation.
Now it is called ‘New India’. Earlier, Jaitley used to say ‘aspirational India’. Delusional India is a better description. It is obvious India is a failing state. If it wasn’t and the economy was booming, why are journalists and a young girl who supported farmers charged with sedition ? Modi now says FDI is Foreign Dangerous Ideology ! Such things are proof that things are not working, and silencing people by force is needed to keep up the pretence. Gupta himself wrote that hyper nationalism is making India insecure. Hyper nationalism is a sign of a failing state – like Nazi Germany.
Modi’s economic ideas, to the extent that he has any, were never in doubt. ‘Suit Boot’ ‘Hum Do’ labels did begin to stick so it was inevitable for him to come ‘clean’ (ha ha). BJP supports private sector because it is the burgeoning monopolies (‘Hamare do’) who fund the party’s purchase of our characterless politicians, who then, unlike those in the opposition, are given complete immunity from IT, ED, CBI, etc. This is the secret of Modi’s political success. Trickle down benefit to the poor ? Forget it. ‘Wealth creators’ use their power to influence policy, which will benefit them further, and certainly not for the poor. There is nothing to stop Govt from doing more even now for a strong ‘welfare state’ (not Socialism) to tackle malnutrition and hunger, health, unemployment, education, basic needs – but neither Modi nor his fatcat cronies want it. Modi didn’t achieve ‘Gujarat model’ without using Governmental machinery whom he now denigrates. As usual Modi’ creates the vision of paradise and fools fall for it – hence ‘fool’s paradise’.
Biggest positive is change of mind of Indians. Now they consider economic policies as one factor during vote and thus coming out of castism, religion. Saying that RG has any policy is insult to policy, as he itself do not know about any policy. He follows, which his foreign handeler ask him to do. His only policy is to harm India by every means. Communists also play in hands of china, who ask them to do whichever harm India. If their policies were good, then Bengal(once buisness capital of India) will not become beemari state, where communist ruled 35years. We should not forgot 1991, which was not came in one day or year, but because of long bad policies of congress. Congress MPs can not speek thier own ideas, as they fear of being shunted out. Total privitatation is also not good. Govt should keep his presence in every sector. Opposition also necessary and Govt should be critisized, but not like way of RG, which harm India and benefits foreign powers for his benefit only. Congress MP should critisize govt with concrete facts, instead of following RG.
Such a crap. UK is going through the worst economy in 300 years. US has a million people unemployed. There are thousands of farmers filing for bankruptcy in the US that had reduced Agriculture to less than 2% of GDP. These are right of center countries. Print now celebrates shift to the right by Indian govt??? God save Print. Argument for argument sake is useless. Facts will speak for itself. A country that is socially a zero and peddles the public money to its Billionaires in the state it is coming from will go no where. A sane country will kick out these jokers in 2024. But who says India is sane?
Most the “unemployment” cases sighted are primarily due to Covid, which has ravaged economies all across the globe. As for agriculture accounting for less than 2% of US GDP, it’s because very few of the masses (just 1.3%) depend on agriculture for a living, as it is highly mechanized, and also, because in the US, being a mature economy, most people find jobs in manufacturing, construction, real estate, services and other sectors, while in India, nearly two-thirds of the masses depend on agriculture for a living, and which accounts for almost 20% of GDP. Socialism has been the bane of this hapless land; it created only poverty, privation and penury.
The US, perhaps the most capitalist country, is also one of the most ‘socialist’, in that, it has all manner of safety nets for those falling through the cracks; from food stamps, to WIC, to Medicaid, to Medicare, to Section 8 Housing, to paying for electricity for indigent poor, to paying for heat during winter to indigent, and many, many more govt programs, both federal and state, for the poor, especially those below the poverty line. So, it’s not de jure necessary to have a socialist economic system in order to provide socialistic support programs.
SG does again!!
False equivalence between a disoriented and dumb Rahul Gandhi and a far looking Government with purpose and facts/data/achievements/missions/projects.
It proves, Mr. Shekhar Gupta, you are a compromised Journalist. Yes.. we do have word for that. Isn’t it?
I don’t agree with SG’s view that no one ever won power by being nice or fair to the other side. I believe that whoever stands with the truth and whole heartedly work for the progress of people would get their mandate to lead them. In this age of internet and social media, lies and deception die as fast as it’s shouted out. Those leaders who think people are fool and can be deceived by lies have no chance in these times. Rahul Gandhi is following the strategy that will only make a Congress MUKT Bhart much sooner.
I’ll consider Modi economic right only if he stops overtaxing fuel products. Socialist Modi murdabad.
hi ignore me
Guptaji creates a false dichotomy once again and that I think is because of his ideological blinkers. It is possible to be pro market which is what people on the economic right believe – and usually many of these same people are as much opposed to oligarchs like Ambani and Adani.
Hence, Rahul Gandhi criticism of the governments preference for Ambani and Adani will be shared by many on the economic right who call it crony capitalism.
I doubt if papu and pappy know the difference between socialism and escape velocity!
Is Rahul a politician worth talking or writing about. It is waste of time. He is being forced on the nation by his mother with a huge cash kitty. He is very good on loosing elections. From his start of political career he has lost 8 elections. But his mother with a bunch of low level advisors will continue to force him onto the nation.
There is no hope for congress Party unless Gandhi party is ejected out.
Clearly the hard socialism of four lost decades and another two and half decades of populism did not solve Indian poverty. Isn’t it time to junk the old solutions? What was 1991 and subsequent reforms about if it wasn’t about freeing private enterprises? Trust Congress and Rahul Gandhi to promote yesterday’s solutions for tomorrow’s problems. Little wonder that the party is in dumps.
All good talk by the PM. Let’s see action now. If the government seriously wants to improve the performance of PSUs and PSBs what stops them from selling a decent chunk to the ordinary tax payer at a reasonable price without looking to make an obscene gain on selling. After all tax payers have been paying for these organisations over the years and nobody can object to giving them a part of the ownership. The problem starts if the government sells tax payer supported companies to only a select set of cronies. Let’s stop calling it privatisation and call it peoplisation, where there is a distribution of wealth amongst a larger number managed by an elected professional management. No socialist can object to this.
Unlike other national interest , Shekhar stopped short of expressing his opinion on the approach he thinks better for India.
Left it to people to vote the choices.
Similar past article articulate what according to the author is good for India on various issues and the reason he thinks so, He too even though convinced about the right approach reluctant to express his opinion.
The generation grown up under Indira is still not ready to assimilate the current world view and openly embrace the required correction.
We can’t see Sekhar or any other journalist who had convinced about the merit of farm laws to question Yogendra Yadav with the same vigour he would take up another issue and challenge Govt.
His opinion is meek and kept shallow and restricted to some “CTC” opinion.
My point is that, If he really thinks finally there is a clear economic ideology at the political front and it is good for India and the politicians take that risk to spell that out in the open why people like him stop at the known fact.
I would have been happy had he concluded the “National Interest” on his opinion and wishing which side to succeed for India.
By “Rahul Left”, I presume you mean…
1. Rahul Left for a Foreign Holiday Again
2. Rahul Left owning responsibility to others for all the election debacles in the congress
3. Rahul Left us dumbstruck when he spoke
4. Rahul Left his team waiting while he spoke to his dog
and lastly Rahul is best Left alone
Socialism is discredited/bad mouthed world over. But it is well trodden path. Biggest success stories which touches everyone but is not recognised is the education sector. When growing up, I studied in kannada medium govt muncipal schools and corporation schools. In some schools there were no furniture except a chair for the teacher and we all sat on the floor. But I clearly know all my teachers there were degree grads and B.Ed too. We never paid any fee and books were distributed free. 90% of the children utilized mid-day meal scheme.
Cut to present, I send my children to private (international) schools (govt schools are in too horrible state in the cities now) and I see that the teachers are not even qualified enough. None of them are B.Ed and many didn’t graduate. School fee are not affordable to 99% of population but still the quality of education is miserable. Now did the privatisation help?? I dont even blame school management, because they are not making a killing either. They have to cover for the staff and premises which itself is substantial and have to be competitive with other schools too.
My friends/relatives children in the US all go to public schools there. Socialism is very much alive there in the capitalist country :).
The reason that Indian governments don’t find primary education and healthcare is because India’s’socialist’ governments have been splurging tax payer’s funds on loss making PSUs and PSBs. Check out the losses of Air India and banks, which have become conduits for transferring tax payer funds to crony capitalists. In the US, businesses are run by entrepreneurs and businessman and not by the government. They generate profits and pay taxes which are used to fund schools and hospitals. The same schools you mention which have excellent facilities simply because the government doesn’t waste tax payer’s money on failing business enterprises.
I studied in Government schools too and I really vouch for the quality of education, imparted from those schools then. But it is not due to socialism but the education standards and living conditions then. I live in US and my kids goes to public schools and the schools are by and large good. But this is not because of socialism. Here we pay lot of taxes on our properties (Primary Residence, Vehicles) etc, apart from Federal and State Taxes. All these taxes are collected at local town level and 80% of this budget goes to Schools. And the amount collected from these taxes are not minimal amount. Some kinds of benefits are given to poor and under privileged in all the countries including capitalist countries but it is definetly not socialisam.
sorry but you are not completely correct. Over here school funds come from community tax at community level. That is why most schools that do well US are also those in very wealthy and/or well educated communities. Other schools are in fact dangerous even for children. What India needs to learn from US is that community participation is vital for well being of schools that you are taking about. In US, parents play an active role. The hold the schools accountable. May be we should focus on what we are lacking rather than talking too much socialism or capitalisms which we never give a true chance.
You should also know that in US schools drive the land values of the communities as these people flock to good school zones and in doing so they drive the prizes away. So to a large extent all well performing schools are from rich and/or well educated communities.
If you call this socialism, I feel sorry you. Even teachers in US flock to schools in richer neighborhood as they get very secured and safe jobs. I must it is happening India as well from past 10 to 20 years. In India people start asking themselves what they can do for the community. All problems will be resolved.
Socialism can only work in rich countries, where state will have enough resources to finance the welfare schemes.
India is a POOR country. Our per-capita income is less than $2000. We cannot spend without making more money. Just like a poor household can’t spend much on its welfare without an increment in their salary.
To make more money you would have to give a free reign to the Capitalists coz they are good at it. Just like some members of a family are better than others when it comes to making more money.
Once you are rich enough, you can relax and spend your money on providing the basics(only) to those who are poor.. Only rich can do charity. Simple.
“Once you are rich enough, you can relax and spend your money on providing the basics(only) to those who are poor..” Oh you poor thing. Naive, innocent and so gullible. Human kind has shown that typically a rich man never has enough to give away his money. Charity comes from the heart. Otherwise for all the rich, it is the tax that gets the money away from them. A charitable person understands the need to tax his co-rich friends. Sadly, it is the only way. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett never complain about taxes. Trump does and so he was vilified.. It is sad to note the World has more takers than givers by nature.
SG : Do you really think, is India heading in a very good direction? Are you really a journalist? Don’t you get that there is mutual understanding between most of the big industrialists and BJP? Including you investor Narayan Murty, who happens to be an investor in fake news portal “Opindia” as well. As he is your investor, probably that’s why you didn’t cover his interview on the last labour day in which he said that every Indian should work more, 60 hrs per week to bring back India.
Do watch (at least 14th Episode onwards)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX2ZeG3szQ4&list=PL05qSwQnAG9gaMAuoVM3i8wacYmrAEuTQ
Keep aside your right bias as this film is made by a leftist. Don’t conclude before finishing it.
Without going into merits or otherwise of different economic models, we should keep in mind that we have live examples of economic revival in our neighborhood.
For a populace which had been duped into lethargy we must make a break from the past.
PM made another significant point.Indian Economy is far more integrated with World Economy than it was say a decade or two decades ago. Hence forth all our decisions, wheter we are left or Right has to reckon with this factor and take appropriate decsions.
Infact General public is also aware of this.Pm did not elaborate this point but simply said that we have to take advantage of this and move ahead.Ideological divide of 60s and 70s may neither appeal to public nor really work.
Pappu’s vacant eyes and blank stare is very concerning….. does the nation want this half wit to “become Prime Minister”?
It is too early to pronounce Modi ji as right-leaning politician. Politics is a game of possibilities . In every years of incumbency of the political office the politicians behave and work in different way. Mostly in third and fourth years of incumbency even ultra -right politicians too make a U-TURN and become and behave as a politician wedded to left ideology and welfare of people. So please take your observations about Modi turning rightist with a pinch of salt. You see and declare Congress and its heir-apparent RG as leftist . That too is folly . Congress had un-chequred record of following and practicing disposable , use-and throw ideology since 1980 s. Do you think RG speaks for and with an ideology ? He has became a mentally -stressed person with loss of POWER and seeing NO POSSIBILITY of power returning to his DYNASTY in short or mid-term time span. So his outbursts too are statements of a frustrated person aimed to keep his following intact. In drab and dry world of politics his statements provide short-term entertainment.
when did chidambaram become a socialist?
A good assessment…politically speaking and otherwise too….
Let me add my bit (Thanks The Print)
Elementary Mr. Watson!
Wealth has to be created before it can be distributed. Government can’t create wealth for distribution. E.g. In Pakistan wealth is “created” mostly by the Army. We know how it is there. China gave up socialism to embrace capitalism and privatization. Russia too has embraced privatization.
Cuba (have you heard of this country?) of course follows total socialism.
Only an efficient and free private sector can create wealth which can then be “distributed” to others if necessary. Only private sector can create the required number of jobs.
OK. Areas like space and nuclear can’t yet be privatized in India, though these sectors also have been privatized in some other countries.
Just imagine…If the IT sector in India were to be with the Public sector!!!!!
Shekhar ji, excellent, but I did not find your argument as to why we have Adani’s and Ambanis in Modi’s India. Why we do not have Bill Gates, Steve Jobs …. Some thing fundametally wrong in Modis ” SO CALLED FREE MARKET”. This is a copy of PUTIN’S CAPITALISM FOR OLIGARCHS. NEW INDIA HAS VIRTUALLY become copy of NEW RUSSIA. Shekharjee shocking that your version of free market is CHRONY CAPITALISM AND NOT WEST EUROPEAN VERSION OF FREE MARKET. In new India we produce CHRONIES and go gaga for DYNASTIES LIKE TATAS … Have stopped producing likes of INFOSYS OR WIPRO. SHEKHARJEE you are GLORIFYING CHRONY CAPITALISM in the name of FREE MARKET !!! Noted that you are happy that we have DYNASTIES of the likes of TATAS.
Not Russia but South Korea and there is nothing wrong with that.
People in India need to stop comparing India with US and Europe all the time. Just coz we are a democracy and some of us speak English, does not mean we and the West are in the same league of economic development. Our economy and businesses are still vulnerable to foreign takeovers unless supported by the government. We are decades behind the West in terms of the economic strength. We can’t be as open as them.
India is where US was during the Gilded age and Europe was during their colonial expansion era. We need government and our business houses to form an alliance for economic growth. There is nothing wrong in GOI favouring Indian businesses over the foreign ones. There is a reason that even after 70 years of independence there is not a single globally popular, Indian brand.
Our cellphone market is dominated by the Chinese and Koreans, Auto market is dominated by Japanese and Koreans, Internet by the Americans. What exactly do we have that is owned by us?
It is told that India in license Raj used to shoot its foot by itself. A Tata project waiting for clearance will get killed by a Birla group and vice versa. The infighting amongst themselves and combined opposition to any and all MNC coming in to India was the major achievement of that era, allowing formation of another East India company in India is still prevalent view. India is what Indians make it to be. 70 plus years has gone by and Indians are still fighting each other. One wants cow Science and another wants coding to be taught in schools. Sadly, both are useless.
Good question. Let me try and answer.
Since Independence “We the people” have a penchant to lay all ills at the feet of the Governments
The Government of USA did not create Bill Gates, Steve jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk; GOI did not create Dhirubhai Ambani, Narayana Murthy, Shiv Nadar, Azim Premji, Uday Kotak, Sachin Bansal, Binny Bansal etc…All these people created themselves, despite all odds.
Since Independence “We the people” have a penchant to lay all ills at the feet of the Governments. Yes, Governments have been lax and concentrated a lot on power retention and vote gathering. Can you see a change? Look around you.
Tail piece: When corporations grow big it is natural questions are asked. As they are being asked of Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft etc.in the USA …and of Jack Ma in China too, for good measure.
So rest easy. All is well.
shekarji
i have a question on another subject that is farmer’s agitation.
when agitation started initailly it was punjab farmers led by akalis, yogendra yadav etc. i did not read anything about tikait in the agitation. however suddenly after 26th jan, tikait i now in the forefront and we don’t seem to hear about others. what is happening?
can you do a cut the clutter on this?
he already did a cut the clutter on tikait.
I also would like to hear on this.
It is strategy on the agitators part, so that a narrative can be built, that this agitation is now spreading to Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and rest of India. They do not want this agitation to be just associated with Punjab and left leaning leaders.
Nothing of the sort of Mr. Shekar Gupta wrote. It was just a small note Six years are over, When? signed A&A.
5 points
1) MSP won’t cost few lakh crores. Govt purchasing all the rice and wheat would cost about 60% of the Union budget. This would bankrupt the Govt.
2) Wealth may have increased by 13 lakh crores or even more but NOT CASH. Share price going from Rs 150 to Rs 390 is not the same as your bank balance going up by the same amount. These are unrealized gains and any mass-selling would depress the share price. Hence, it as a measure of wealth is dangerously misleading.
3) 1% rich control 73% of India’s wealth. It is true for every nation. Besides, 99% of our Netas be it from the BJP or the Congress belong to this 1% category.
4) Rahul’s Socialism = Hum Do Humare Do = Mataji+Pappuji+Didiji+DAMAADJI
5) Govt cannot be the ARCHITECT OF DEVELOPMENT. ONLY ENTREPRENEURS CAN BUILD A NATION.
Very underrated comment
We are CONGRESS MEN WE ARESOCIALISTS. We are anti-private sector. We condemn privatization. But we don’t go to Govt. Hospitals. We don’t send our children to Govt. Schools. We don’t use BSNL mobile but use Jio high speed data connection to view unparliamentary scenes in assemblies and parliament. We avoid Govt. Airline Airindia. We Just don’t travel in govt.buses when we have huge fleet of biggg cars. we always use private couriers. No more post office. But most important thing , we always use Government BANKS to skim and help our chamchas to get loans , which are never to be re-paid. We are CONGRESS MEN AND WE ARE PSEUDO SOCIALISTS. Jai Hind.
you are absolutely right.!!
The glorification of the absurd. Comparison of apples to oranges.
This is as low as the views can go if the ” Gaddar, CHOR, Hum Do Hamare Do ” are not to be reacted to in the same measure and language.
It is the cultural upbringing with arrogance and deficient intellect which eventually shows in the way one addresses elders or matters serious.
Even taking note of such utterances, falls far below accepted norms of dignity and worst still an attempt to giving it an ideological justification as an argument.
What to do for a living is a personal choice including for Mia Khalifa, but again whether to take note of it is also personal choice.
Well, in India kids are taught to give respect to the elders and listen to the elders. But it forgets to also teach that respect is NOT given or demanded. It is earned. Till it sinks in, I see not much hope in India.
Sustained economic growth is inconsistent with unpredictable policies, captured institutions and no rule of law.
Witness how the government is mulling banning cryptocurrency after legalising it. Witness how government agencies are used to hound entrepreneurs who don’t toe the government line. Witness how the government refuses to accept arbitration rulings not in its favour. Witness how Chinese companies were banned overnight and their investments blocked. Witness how substantiated claims of bias towards Ambani and Adani are made.
Modi is great at saying one thing and then doing another. To forget the low point he’s brought our country to just because his finance minister said she wants to sell some PSUs (and hasn’t actually even done so) is just sad. Have some higher standards Shekhar, this man won in 2014 promising reforms and economic growth, but only brought ruin to our economy, social fabric, institutions, reputation and literally any other ingredient that goes into creating a prosperous country.
Privatisation of non-competitive state owned enterprises is all good, but Modi has a track record of
a. Non deliverance of privatisation goals (see the record over land acquisition, personal IT abolition etc)
b. Of letting asset owning middle class down by continuing with large taxes (Petrol is well over ₹90 in all major cities, property transaction taxes have dampened real estate for years now)
c.. Disregarding interests of consumers by favouring his chosen friends to establish virtual monopolies (Telecom sector – Ambani, airports and sea ports – Adani)
Modi has remained PM inspite of a poor economic record due to opposition follies and major media support, inability of majority of Indians to think rationally and by playing up on religious insecurities. All that these so called “reforms” is going to do is increase gap between ultra rich and rest of Indians even further. What use is a vaccine to majority of ordinary Indians that the world buys but Indians have to wait in queue for? It is only making the vaccine makers richer and Modi more popular. Indians have been used as guinea pigs (some have reported even died) but Poonawala and Modi are benefiting. A govt which asks for votes from people but feeds the fruits of the toil of ordinary Indians to ultra-rich corporate financial backers isn’t a govt of the people, it is a parasite – and parasites should be removed before they cause incalculable harm.
“Rahul’s socialism?” Gimme a break.
The guy is a duffer who wouldn’t be able to even spell the word economy.
I suppose your friend snd presumably your mentor Adityanath and his Hindu Yuva Vahini team under whose spell uour ulk finds itself in would be able spell better !!