relevance of gandhian economy in twenty first...

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22 October - 2015 Odisha Review ³According to me, the economic Constitution of India and for the matter of the World should be such that no one under it should suffer from want of food and clothing.´ -Mahatma Gandhi. After becoming the President of United States of America for the first time, Mr. Barak Obama was once asked by a journalist whom will you invite to accompany dinner with you? He immediately retorted one is Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi from India and other one is Martin Luther King of USA. Verily both are incredible and their achievement was staggering. Such was the infectious as well as ubiquitous charm of Bapu which completely mesmerised posterity. Showering encomium on Bapu, the most venerated as well as greatest scientist of the world Albert Einstein remarked ³scarcely will future generations believe that such a man in flesh and blood walked upon this earth´. While Gandhiji's philosophy had wide acceptance to deal with political and social issues, it had not many followers in the arena of economics. For instance the concept of trusteeship as inundated by Gandhi demands non-possession. It is a utopia because individuals are immensely attached to their wealth in the ordinary cause of life. It should be remembered that the synthesis of the ideas of Relevance of Gandhian Economy in Twenty First Century Dr. Abhijit Sahoo Dr. Tusarkanta Pattnaik Gandhi with the ideas of modern world will create a more holistic and integrated society. It will deliver more happiness, generate more altruistic economic surplus and being about a more egalitarian society than what is now available to us. Gandhi never created a body of literature known by the name of Gandhian economics. He neither claimed to be an economist nor was trained in economics. He was not a voracious reader of economic literature. Nevertheless he expressed his views on economics at various points of time in his life. Students of Gandhian thought and writings collated his reflections on economics and created a body of literature known as ³Gandhian Economics´. Gandhian economics is a school of economic thought based on the spiritual and socio- economic principles expounded by Mohandas Gandhi.

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Page 1: Relevance of Gandhian Economy in Twenty First Centurymagazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2015/Oct/engpdf/23-26.pdf · Relevance of Gandhian Economy ... We may first summarise the

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October - 2015 Odisha Review

According to me, the economic Constitution ofIndia and for the matter of the World should be

such that no one under it should suffer fromwant of food and clothing.

-Mahatma Gandhi.

After becoming the President of UnitedStates of America for the first time, Mr. BarakObama was once asked by a journalist whomwill you invite to accompany dinner with you? Heimmediately retorted one is Mohan DasKaramchand Gandhi from India and other one isMartin Luther King of USA. Verily both areincredible and their achievement was staggering.Such was the infectious as well as ubiquitouscharm of Bapu which completely mesmerisedposterity. Showering encomium on Bapu, themost venerated as well as greatest scientist of theworld Albert Einstein remarked scarcely willfuture generations believe that such a man in fleshand blood walked upon this earth . WhileGandhiji's philosophy had wide acceptance todeal with political and social issues, it had not manyfollowers in the arena of economics. For instancethe concept of trusteeship as inundated by Gandhidemands non-possession. It is a utopia becauseindividuals are immensely attached to their wealthin the ordinary cause of life. It should beremembered that the synthesis of the ideas of

Relevance of Gandhian Economyin Twenty First Century

Dr. Abhijit SahooDr. Tusarkanta Pattnaik

Gandhi with the ideas of modern world will createa more holistic and integrated society. It willdeliver more happiness, generate more altruisticeconomic surplus and being about a moreegalitarian society than what is now available tous. Gandhi never created a body of literatureknown by the name of Gandhian economics. Heneither claimed to be an economist nor was trainedin economics. He was not a voracious reader ofeconomic literature. Nevertheless he expressedhis views on economics at various points of timein his life. Students of Gandhian thought andwritings collated his reflections on economics andcreated a body of literature known as GandhianEconomics . Gandhian economics is a school ofeconomic thought based on the spiritual and socio-economic principles expounded by MohandasGandhi.

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Gandhian Economic Philosophy:

It should be remembered that Gandhijipropounded a total philosophy of life from whicheconomics cannot be divorced. His philosophywas based on truth, ahmisa and service tosociety, particularly the poor and downtrodden.The basis of his economic philosophy wasindividual dignity and welfare of the poorest ofthe poor. He felt that a man earns his dignity byworking and earning his bread and livelihood.Therefore the economic system should beorganised to provide employment for everyone.He was against mass product ion andindustrialisation which destroyed local industry,impoverished villages and reduced man to a cogin the machine. His opposition to machine wasparticularly in the context of India as it has a hugepopulation and unemployment.

He was against India copying the westand carbon-centric civilisation and pleaded forGram-Swarajya, as he said I have believed andrepeated times without number that India is to befound not in its cities but in its 700000 villages.But we town-dwellers have believed that India isto be found in its town and villagers were createdto minister our needs. The cities with their insolenttort are constant menaces to the life and liberty ofthe villages . Gandhi rejected a pure economicman. The modern economic theory is based onwants and not on need and this is the source ofrat race that debases the human beings by keepingthem subject to their animal spirit. Want orientedeconomics create a psychology of scarcity andpoverty, as all wants can never be satisfied.

Gandhiji criticised the capitalist systembecause it is based on ownership of the means ofproduction and other property. Gandhi advanceda theory of trusteeship as an organizationalstructure under which production could beorganised instead of large industrial houses where

economic power was concentrated in the handsof a few and inherently exploitative. Gandhijideclared himself to be a socialist and repudiatedthe concept of private ownership of property. Buthe was opposed to the use of violence or hatredto bring about social change. He wanted to do itby moral force and persuasion. The objective isto create a non-violent, non-exploitative propertyrelationship. Gandhiji proclaimed his profoundbelief in the rightness of economic equality. Hedid not visualise a world where there will be noproperty but he would restrict the right of privateproperty to what was necessary to yield anhonorable livelihood.

Gandhian economics direct draw adistinction between economics and ethics,economics that hurts moral wellbeing of anindividual or a nation is immoral and thereforesinful. In essence the supreme consideration is tobe given to man rather than to money. The firstbasic principle of Gandhian economic thought isa special emphasis on Plain Living which helpsin cutting down your wants and being self-reliant.Accordingly increasing consumer appetite islikened to animal appetite which gives the end ofearth in search of their satisfaction.

The Gandhian ideology, whose main focusis on welfare and dignity of the individual, providesus a broad framework into the new philosophyof economic development that we need today.We may first summarise the Gandhian principles.

� The economic system should be soorganised that every individual has an opportunityof getting gainful employment, so that he can buyhis own bread and essential means of living.

� Gandhiji was opposed to mindlessindustrialisation as it displaces labour and causesunemployment and is the main reason for ruralpoverty.

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� Gandhiji supported rural-centricdevelopment with agriculture and small scaleindustries getting pride of place as this is the onlyway the unemployment problem can be solved ina labour abundant country like India.

� Gandhiji believed in the decentraliseddevelopment model as this helps the fruits ofdevelopment reach everyone and promotesequality and social harmony.

� Gandhiji was opposed to conspicuousconsumption and luxurious living. He wantedpeople to have minimum needs and lead a simplelife.

� While Gandhiji was not opposed toprivate ownership of industries and business, headvocated social control of business so that theprofits generated are equitably distributed so asto prevent concentration of wealth in the handsof a few people, which lead to exploitation.

Relevance of Gandhian Economic Thought:

We should not look forward Gandhianeconomics as a rigid doctrinaire framework andview with skepticism. Gandhiji was pragmatic andexpressed views in the context of Indian conditionat the time of prevailing during the British Raj. Ifwe properly understand Gandhian philosophy, wewill find that it is very much relevant today, whenthe world is facing severe crisis due to masspoverty and unemployment, side by side withconspicuous consumption and exploitation ofnatural resources. The economy of India iscurrently the world s fourth largest in terms of realGDP (Gross Domestic Product) after the USA,China and Japan. It has registered ninth positionin terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) andfourth position in terms of PPP (Purchasing PowerParity) and recorded highest constant growthrates in the 21st century. It has accounted for aremarkable rate of growth in 2011-12, which is

estimated at 7.1 per cent (Economic Survey2011-12). Going back, in the Year of 1947, whenIndia achieved independence from British rule, ithad faced stagnation in economy and was caughtup in a vicious circle of poverty. Then Indiangovernment took a policy of laissez fair , whichwas articulated by Jawaharlal Nehru. Indiafocused on the import substitution policy. Due tothis ongoing process India has given stress onexpansion of industrialisation on large scale. As aresult new and foreign industries are coming toIndian market which enhances India s growth. Butthis type of progress is one sided because theprofits goes to only entrepreneurs and people whoare benefitted from these reforms and globalisationare entrepreneurs and belonging to business class.Therefore the gap between the rich and poor hasincreased. Most of the private enterprise isestablished in urban and big cities so that villagesare totally ignored by the industrialist who wouldlead them demoralize. On the other hand, India isa country of villages where most of the peoplelives. However, the production on large scalewould create conflicts between labour andcapital. Here capital takes upper hand over labour.Such conflicts may not occur in the case of ruralindustries. Rural industries are the symbols of unityand equality. In India large-scale industries havebeen concentrated in a few big cities and in ruralareas there is no big industry like khadi,handlooms, sericulture and handicrafts. Thesmall-scale and cottage industries would give adeliberate place in our planned economy towardsthe fulfillment of the socio-economic objectivesof Gandhi particularly in achieving equitable andsustainable growth. So there is need to move backto Gandhian economic ideology which wasalways in favour of Swadesi and self- relianceof villages. If all the land and resources that isavailable was fully utilised, it would definitely fulfillthe needs of all human beings. We should try to

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improve villagers workmanship and buy theirproducts in spite of imported products or evenarticles produced in big cities, big factories. Inother words, we should induce the creative talentof the villager and develop their indigenous marketin the present 21st century. Gandhi s term trueSwadeshi consists in enhancing and stimulating

cottage and small industries. It also providesopportunities to the original talent and imaginationof the people. It can generate employment forIndian youth in the country that is in search ofjob. So India should adopt the economic modeand idea of Gandhiji which is totally favourable intoday s Indian economy and India s balance ofpayment is unfavourable because India exportmore from other countries rather than produce inour country by using labour intensive technology.The products which are imported by India is ofhigh technology based. On the other hand, if Indiafollow his ideas of self sufficiency and SwadesiIndia will never face these types of problems. So,India must need to go back Gandhian economicideology.

Finding the way-out:

What we need today is to devise a newmode of economic development based onGandhian ideology. This in practice would meanthat public policy should give massive support toagriculture on which more than half of thepopulation of the country depends for theirlivelihood and make it a remunerative occupationpar with industry and the service sector. It is highlyimperative we badly need a new matrix ofeconomy development, in which progress ismeasured in terms of development of humancapacity, dignified employment for everyone,equitable distribution of income and wealth,ecological sustainability and social wellbeing ofthe community.

References :� B. P. Mathur, Gandhian Alternate to Economic

Development-Relevance for India Today , Ph,Mainstream, October, 2011.

� Arvind Bhandari, Reflections on January 30 ,Mainstream, January-26, 2008.

� Shriman Narayan,(1970), Relevance of GandhianEconomics , Navajiban Publishing House.

� Rashmi Sharma, (1997), Gandhian Economics-aheaven approach, Deep Publication Pvt. Ltd.

� S. Chavan, (2013). Economic Ideas of MahatmaGandhi Indian Streams Research Journal. Vol3(9): pp 1.

� N. Pani, (2002). Inclusive Economics: GandhianMethod and Contemporary Policy . SagePublications, New Delhi.

� K. Ishii, (1994). Socio-Economic Philosophy ofMahatma Gandhi: with a Particular Focus onhis Theory of Trusteeship . The Economic Review.154(1).pp: 72-91.

� A. Bhuimali, (2014). Relevance of M.K. Gandhi sIdeal of Self-Sufficient Village Economy in the21st Century . Articles on Gandhi. Sarvodaya.Vol(5).

� Gandhian Alternative to Economic DevelopmentRelevance for India Today. Mainstream, VOLXLIX (41).

� Amandeep Kaur, Bhupinder Singh, Relevanceof Gandhian economic thought: an appraisalInternational Journal of Advanced Research inManagement and Social Sciences Vol. 4 | No. 1 |January 2015 .pp-115-123.

� Economic Survey. (2012). See at<http:/ /indiabudget.nic.in/survey.asp> Accessed 2012,September 24.

Dr. Abhijit Sahoo, Lecturer in History, KIIT School ofSocial Sciences (KSSS), KISS Campus-10,Bhubaneswar- 751024.

Dr. Tusarkanta Pattnaik, (H.O.D. Pol.Sc.) Lecturer, KIITSchool of Social Sciences (KSSS), KISS Campus-10,Bhubaneswar- 751024.