The Hindu Business Line : Jawaharlal's gift

THESE days, I often find myself muttering to myself, "Jawaharlal, thou shouldst be living at this hour!" How elated he would feel at the advances the country is making to the far frontiers of science and technology! How proud he would be to see India making waves, almost of the nature of tsunamis, in the dovecotes of government, business and industry in the rest of the world! The robust self-confidence, the can-do spirit, pervading the country today is his gift. But for the solid and sound foundation he laid by adopting the right policies at the right time, and most importantly, by inculcating the scientific temper in the people, India would not be in the running for the status of not only a developed country but a potential economic and technological super-power in a few years' time.

It is not as if there was ever any lack of myopic critics blaming Nehru's policies for the tardy growth the country witnessed till the early 1990s. In the condition in which the country was left by the British in 1947, especially with the memory of colonial exploitation still fresh in the minds of heroes who fought for freedom, and with scant generation of private capital, the only way to make up for lost time was what Nehru envisioned: The capture of the commanding heights of the economy, the dominance of the public sector, the fillip to heavy industries and the launch of mega projects in the irrigation and power sectors. Giving foreign corporates a free rein at so early a stage when the polity was yet to find its feet politically, economically and socially would have been a prelude to rank disaster.

The importance of the great contribution of the network of scientific and research establishments and the path-breaking projects established in Nehru's time lies in the strong and deep roots which have made the economy durable and inviolable. The claim of India's shine or feeling good should not be judged in terms of statistics alone. Undeniably, not all sections of the population have partaken of the fruits of economic growth in an equal or even equitable measure, and not all parts of the country are at a uniform stage of development.

Tremendous gaps remain to be addressed. But the under-privileged and the poor are also suffused with optimism; they are refusing to accept their lot and demonstrating their determination to forge ahead. There can be no denying the killer instinct evident all round. There is a spirit of buoyancy in the air and the readiness to benchmark oneself against the best in the world. Thanks to you, Jawaharlal!

B. S. Raghavan

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