Bibek Debroy, commenting on a Failed States Index that ranks India close to the bottom, believes that this dim view of the Indian State is misplaced.
Is the Indian State a failed state or not? – that is the question.
Note that the question is not whether the Indian people are a failed people, or whether Indian businessmen are failed businessmen. The question is specific to the State.
Before pronouncing a judgement, however, let us review some critical evidence.
The news is that Sonia Gandhi has pronounced Andhra Pradesh as the Number One State in the country. Yet, there is ample evidence from the same newspapers that this state is reeling under a severe power crisis, and long power cuts occur every day, everywhere. This state has also been giving away free power to farmers for 4 years now. They give away free rice; there are many other “social welfare schemes” that bleed this state’s finances. Sonia has just launched another one – for the poor farmers, once again. One report, quoting sources from the World Bank, says that Andhra Pradesh has been "run aground." What about the rest of India?
The question whether the Indian State is a failed state or not must therefore be examined in the context of the goals that this State had set for itself. The State is not Society – no matter what the leftists say. The State is an organization within society, set up with particular objectives in mind. What are these objectives, and have they been realized?
If matters are examined from this perspective, then it becomes crystal clear that the Indian State is definitely a failed state: it has failed to achieve any of the noble and worthy objectives it had set for itself. It started off wanting to make steel (to benefit the poor?) – but failed in its deeper objective. It wanted to bring about Equality – but failed, producing a VVIP culture instead.
If the Indian people are a little better off today, the credit goes to private businessmen alone – the bold entrepreneurs who have brought telephone services, good cars and two-wheelers, cheap airline seats etc. within the reach of almost all.
And if the Indian people are suffering today – crying out for bijli, sadak and paani – then the sorry FACT remains that these three essentials fall under State monopoly. If the wives of poor farmers are trekking for firewood every day, it is because every source of energy is under State monopoly – which is why I oppose the proposed Indo-US deal on nuclear power, which will further entrench this ugly, exploitative monopoly.
We could continue to live in denial, like Debroy or Sonia – or we could wake up to our predicament. We Indians have been lulled into believing that all good and great things require the State. Yet, in terms of its own objectives, it is this State itself that is a miserable failure. And, of course, if we look at the true functions of any State - like law and order - we find failure writ large: just yesterday, 21 cops were killed in Orissa by Maoists; this, after 39 "elite" cops were killed some weeks ago. There is rampant lawlessness everywhere, and, to survive in office, Sonia's Reich needs the votes of criminal MPs.
Away with this FAILED socialist state!
And onwards to a Second Republic!
Is the Indian State a failed state or not? – that is the question.
Note that the question is not whether the Indian people are a failed people, or whether Indian businessmen are failed businessmen. The question is specific to the State.
Before pronouncing a judgement, however, let us review some critical evidence.
The news is that Sonia Gandhi has pronounced Andhra Pradesh as the Number One State in the country. Yet, there is ample evidence from the same newspapers that this state is reeling under a severe power crisis, and long power cuts occur every day, everywhere. This state has also been giving away free power to farmers for 4 years now. They give away free rice; there are many other “social welfare schemes” that bleed this state’s finances. Sonia has just launched another one – for the poor farmers, once again. One report, quoting sources from the World Bank, says that Andhra Pradesh has been "run aground." What about the rest of India?
The question whether the Indian State is a failed state or not must therefore be examined in the context of the goals that this State had set for itself. The State is not Society – no matter what the leftists say. The State is an organization within society, set up with particular objectives in mind. What are these objectives, and have they been realized?
If matters are examined from this perspective, then it becomes crystal clear that the Indian State is definitely a failed state: it has failed to achieve any of the noble and worthy objectives it had set for itself. It started off wanting to make steel (to benefit the poor?) – but failed in its deeper objective. It wanted to bring about Equality – but failed, producing a VVIP culture instead.
If the Indian people are a little better off today, the credit goes to private businessmen alone – the bold entrepreneurs who have brought telephone services, good cars and two-wheelers, cheap airline seats etc. within the reach of almost all.
And if the Indian people are suffering today – crying out for bijli, sadak and paani – then the sorry FACT remains that these three essentials fall under State monopoly. If the wives of poor farmers are trekking for firewood every day, it is because every source of energy is under State monopoly – which is why I oppose the proposed Indo-US deal on nuclear power, which will further entrench this ugly, exploitative monopoly.
We could continue to live in denial, like Debroy or Sonia – or we could wake up to our predicament. We Indians have been lulled into believing that all good and great things require the State. Yet, in terms of its own objectives, it is this State itself that is a miserable failure. And, of course, if we look at the true functions of any State - like law and order - we find failure writ large: just yesterday, 21 cops were killed in Orissa by Maoists; this, after 39 "elite" cops were killed some weeks ago. There is rampant lawlessness everywhere, and, to survive in office, Sonia's Reich needs the votes of criminal MPs.
Away with this FAILED socialist state!
And onwards to a Second Republic!
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