The very recent GST regime, and the prospect of ‘Digital India’ in the near future will have far-reaching consequences in our economy, indeed in our society. These are genuine reforms. However, there has been much activity in many areas in the past seven decades, passing for ‘action’. What changes on the ground? What is new in India? Events, circumstances and situations often have a recurring cyclical appearance periodically—sometimes, you feel that you have seen it somewhere; déja vu. Here are a few instances:
One recalls many visits to Bangkok in the early ’80s.
The drive from the airport to the city hotel would take normally three hours, sometimes five. The main arterial roads were permanently choked, a four-hour intra-city drive was quite common; indeed many people had basic cooking equipment and a portable toilet in the backseat, particularly when children had to be ferried. One used to think then how orderly, elegant, comfortable and efficient the traffic in Delhi was. In the past two decades, the Bangkok traffic has been so well regulated, that it looks like Delhi of the ’80s—Delhi now feels like the Bangkok of ’80s! A two to three hour jam anywhere is quite common.
The vehicular traffic has been increasing at six per cent per year against the growth of roads at 0.5 per cent—any school boy (correction—as per Annual Status of Education Report, the average eighth grade cannot do arithmetic of third grade); any college boy will calculate when the gridlock will overtake us. European cities thought of metro 100 years earlier; Delhi became aware of the need for Metro only by the end of the 20th century—indeed Delhi Metro has now spawned 22 other Metros elsewhere in India. One drove from Delhi to Dehradun and back recently, and it was ten-and-a-half hours each way—note that Dehradun is a state capital—déja vu, the road is identical; there is one difference, it used to take three-and-a-half hours 30 years back.
Some change now!
One again recalls visits to Manila in the ’80s, an ‘audience’ with Ferdinand Marcos, sitting on his high throne, well above the level of the visitors, with his two ministers standing throughout the one-hour meeting on either side (yes, standing all the time!); the scene was somewhat like Raavan receiving Ambassador Hanuman, with his courtiers. The ‘crony capitalism’ of Marcos was the talk of the world; it symbolised the worst-organised corruption system. One also later witnessed the policy and transaction corruption system in the (nominally) Manmohan Singh regime—Marcos was not a patch of the regime in those eight years in India. Déja vu! Indeed, nearly every state of India, which is as big as Philippines, now will beat hollow President Marcos in inventiveness, intensity and volume of bribery.
In Manila, one also came across ‘gated’ communities where the affluent sections lived—one thought how insecure the rich citizen was, and how high the income disparity, that the affluent needed to be protected by gates and armed guards—déja vu; I live in a gated colony in NCR, which is the norm for the ‘upper crust’, the income differential in India between the rich and the poor is far higher today than anywhere in the world; at least, the citizens of Philippines in the Marcos era generally had minimum needs met, while 50 per cent of Indians don’t today.
One day, on the main arterial road adjacent to the ADB in Manila, I wanted to cross the road to go to the park there—the traffic was so intense and heavy, I had to wait for half-an-hour; finally, took a taxi to go on and come back, to cross the road. I thought to myself that the country was not meant for common man, it was only for the rich. Déja vu, try to cross any major road in Delhi nearly any time, you will risk your life and limb.
During a visit to Jakarta in the ’80s, one discovered that the General Elections were going on; one was surprised that the process took more than one month. On enquiry, the explanation was that Indonesia comprises more than 1,000 islands, and the extended period was due to logistic problems. This was before the days of EVMs in India, when the General Elections were concluded within a seven-day period.
T N Seshan had ‘eliminated’ muscle power apparently! Since then, escalating money power entered our election scene; and the EVMs were introduced. It now takes three months for the election process! Security is needed and the country is converted into an armed camp! Large states, such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, need seven polling days. One wonders in how many countries it takes three months for the process! Apparently, India enjoys this activity! In the US, which has a larger territory than India, by the time the polling closes in the western-most state of Hawaii, the final results are announced. Election is supposed to be a peaceful activity—Is India one of the most-violent in the world?
In the ’70s, the Club of Rome, a think tank, predicted that Bangladesh and Indonesia were ‘basket cases’. Forty years later, these two countries have much better human development indices, across the board, than much of north India. We seem to be re-discovering all the problems faced by many developing countries, with a delay. Surely, some introspection and rethinking about our policy and planning directions is called for.
Undoubtedly, the consolidation of different ethnic, religious and linguistic groups is a major post-independence achievement. Two Presidential candidates from the same caste tells its own story about our integration. However, we should have moved on, like so many developing countries who have overtaken us in nearly every index in the past 50 years. However critical the above may be, Mera Bharat Mahan, and Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. In the new dispensation, which has aroused hope in every bosom, particularly the poor, the possibility of turn-around is now real—India cannot afford to miss this chance.
TSR Subramanian
Former Cabinet Secretary of India
tsrsubramanian@gmail.com