A book that invites a question mark

Nirmal Sandhu

Flashing big names on the cover and their photographs on the back may help sell this collection of essays put together under a rather long, awkward title with a missing question mark and a sketch of a half lion. Perhaps a frog’s would have been more relevant since experts here expect India to ‘leapfrog’. That is disputable, since the economy is still stuck in jobless growth, agriculture is languishing, hopes from Modi have waned and his development talk has given way to verbal duets over nationalism and intolerance.  

The inclusion in the book of artists like Vishakha Desai, Sonal Mansingh and Jatin Das adds a humane dimension to the economic debate. Exaggerated hopes for China-like growth are moderated with a stress on ‘the quality of life for all’. Artists point to ‘the pitfalls of excessive emphasis on quantity of life possessions’. Jatin Das says: ‘The government, society and family are only anxious about money’ and is pained to find that ‘young artists are painting to sell and exhibit, they’re not painting for the pleasure of painting’. 

NR Naryana Murthy of Infosys, however, chooses wealth creation over its redistribution, which means incentives for companies rather than freebies for the downtrodden. He pleads for transparent and stable rules for business, self-regulation, time-bound approvals, quick judicial decisions and an easy, hassle-free tax regime. He wants the government to play a facilitator, a strong regulator, encouraging companies to be competitive and creating the institutional framework that industries need.

My favourite read, however, is by Chinmaya R. Gharekhan. He lists two conditions for the country to leapfrog: A stable, conducive external environment and good governance at home. Modi may only struggle to pass the governance test. Foreign policy, says Gharekhan, should ‘maximise opportunities for development’. The countless prime ministerial visits abroad have not led to enhanced development opportunities for the country. He cautions analysts obsessed with the notion that ‘India is, or should, or will soon become a global power’. 

Sam Pitroda too says India doesn’t need to be a superpower. We should focus on basic human needs, poverty and employment, creating success stories in water, energy, housing and railways. He calls for new, technology-based learning models in which teachers play as mentors to motivate students rather than create and deliver content, which can be easily accessed through low-cost tablets and smart phones. Fancy school buildings and libraries can be dispensed with. 

It was a surprise to know from a Ludhiana bike-maker, Sunil Kant Munjal, rather than from Ludhiana’s PAU, that India should grow a nutrient-rich South American cereal called ‘quinoa’ instead of the water-guzzling rice. Any takers for this emerging food of aware urban Indians? 

We are reminded that the nation’s average age is 28 compared to the Cabinet’s 65. The old guard refuses to make way for the young and many Kanhaiya Kumars amidst us remain unnoticed. 

Producing a book of this sort with such a galaxy of writers often requires compromises. Shashi Tharoor’s piece is lifted from another work; Shivshankar Menon’s is an abridged speech he delivered to foreign correspondents. Meghnad Desai is behind times, still demanding a robust direct cash transfer system and talking of the now defunct Planning Commission. 

The book is filled with expert opinions few would care to question or disagree with. Everyone listens politely to what Dr MS Swaminathan has to say on agriculture. You know what Sunita Narain has to say on climate change, or Mani Shankar Aiyar on panchayati raj, or Kiran Karnik on technology, or HK Dua on the state of the nation. The uninitiated may like to read every page.