Death of an Activist

New Delhi: May 24, 2008
There is a disturbing news report about the murder of an NREGA ‘activist’.

The report says his activism was being guided by Professor Emeritus of Delhi University, the sociologist Jean Dreze, a close associate of Amartya Sen, and one of the principal designers of the NREGA: The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Professor Dreze has been camping in the Jharkhand district where this murder occurred.

So all is not hunky-dory about the ‘implementation’ of the NREGA.

Some serious hanky-panky is going on.

This is because the NREGA leads to what Peter, Lord Bauer called “the politicization of economic life”: when one’s economic outcomes are determined by politics.

Another key figure in the design of the NREGA is the RTI ‘activist’ Aruna Roy. We have earlier commented on her belief that the NREGA “strengthens grassroots democracy”, saying that what really transpires is “grassroots civil war”.

It must be another such civil war in Jharkhand over NREGA funds – or this idealistic young activist would not have been killed.

Something is very wrong with India – and all the evidence points to faulty and even foolish government policies, like the NREGA.

The liberal response must be as follows:

We want a complete and total separation between State and Market. The Market determines the economic outcomes of all the citizenry: Mukt Vyapaar.

The State exists only as a punisher of the wicked – the "real outlaws".

And it builds roads.

Roads, roads and more roads.

And that is all.

FIN.

No ‘education’ – which is very harmful for the mind.

No ‘healthcare’ – which damages the health.

No ‘employment of the rural poor’ bullshit.

No ‘rural development’.

Instead, aggressive urbanization. Free international trade. And a free urban market environment for all the rural poor to participate in – and gain from.

I could add that all the urban roads should have broad footpaths on which poor rural migrants can sleep – and be protected from harm by the city police.

You cannot generate jobs and employment in vacant villages.

The social division of labour is maximized in cities because the markets there are big.

So, we arrive at the same conclusion:

All their theories are wrong.

And they want to teach!