Giant Step Backwards

The decision of the Chacha Manmohan S Gandhi government to include caste in the Census should be seen as a giant step backwards for the nation. What most people expected from this government was "reform"; what they are getting is "deform." My advice to all sensible citizens is to refuse to co-operate with the Census. Tell them to get lost.

As this news report says, this decision has been taken on the behest of the Yadavs - Laloo, Mulayam and Sharad - whom Sonia wants to keep happy. Why do these people need caste information? Only one reason: Because they are party managers, they will be able to field the right caste candidate in every constituency. Caste will remain forever politicized, and the nation will go far, far back in time. Further, these Yadavs will also possess all the information necessary to "play politics" with caste-based reservations, demanding "fair shares" for each caste. The future scenario is horrible.

Note that the three Yadavs, like Sonia and Chacha Manmohan, are all "socialist." Thus, they believe that strong State action is required to "help the poor." NREGA ditch-digging, compulsory miseducation, right to rotten cereals and reservations are all supposed to help the poor. Actually, these only help these socialists buy votes - while the poor remain oppressed by the State machinery and repressive Legislation.

What the poor really need is Liberty. They need the freedom to buy and sell. They need cities and towns they can move to in order to participate in the division of labour. They need roads. They need a transportation and urban revolution. And they need to be actively encouraged to engage in "self-help" - so that they rely on themselves and not The State. Welfarism is dependency - which is good for the socialists. It is bad for the poor - especially for their self-esteem.

In my belief, a census is unnecessary to sound policy, which requires theory and not statistical data. Sound theory tells us what the good policies should be. Chacha does not possess this sound theory; he is a confirmed central planner, forever looking for statistical data. Sir John Cowptherwaite oversaw British Hong Hong overtaking her colonial master. He did this without statistics. He refused to waste revenue to set up a government bureau for collecting statistical data.

We in India need a Cowptherwaite, who was a true blue classical liberal, committed to free markets and free trade. Hong Kong was full of poor refugees and their shanty towns when Sir John first came there. By the time he left, the colony had a higher per capita ownership of Rolls-Royce cars than (socialist) Britain herself - and this statistic came from the Rolls-Royce company. Hong Kong till today ranks #1 globally on "economic freedom." Hong Kong showed China the way forward, out of Maoism.

India needs administrators like Cowptherwaite. We need thorough market-based reforms. With the socialist Chacha Manmhoan S Gandhi, all we are getting is deform, deform, and more deform.

Throw the census guy out when he comes to your door.