Reviewed by P.S. Sundaram in Vedanta Kesari, April 2015
Prosperous
India brings to focus the resilience of the Indian economic
scene. Many observers have wondered about the country’s silent but vibrant life
that has survived a thousand year long slavery and over six decades of unsteady
economic revival. Foreign nations that conquered India worked hard to make
Indians feel ashamed of the Indian culture, religion and way of life. But those
efforts failed. Poverty was unknown in ancient India. A study by a visiting
team from the West was surprised that in Bihar despite natural resources and
land fertility, people were kept in poverty. Naoroji did pioneering work in
exposing the deliberate drain of our country’s resources to swell the coffers
of the British Empire using unethical means.
Prosperous
India invites attention
to the fact that in ancient India, agricultural practices and productivity were
at an advanced stage. Even the Vedas and Puranas provide evidence in support. Arthashastra was the trendsetter in
formulation of economic policies.
It is well known that the saving habit is part of
Indian culture unlike the affluent nations. Kanagasabapathi has provided
further information on Indian economic scene. Indian culture lays ‘ strong
foundations in the family, community and their network of relationships’. The
culture of cluster-based businesses is a feature in India, such as we find in
Surat, Ludhiana, Coimbatore and generally widespread in all regions. Even in
the corporate sector, the Indian systems have received approbation from US
researchers.
The author stresses the Indian culture of standing on
one’s own feet in business enterprises without dependence on Government. But as
we know this came under stress during the license-permit raj. Industry had to
wait till 1991 for liberalization. The chapters on social capital and the role
of women in economic growth are informative and important.
The inherent strength of the Indian economy as
observed by Swamiji come to mind while reading the book. What impressed him in
the West was the theory of organization which he applied while codifying the
structure of the Ramakrishna Movement through a trust. It is essential for
every Indian, especially the younger generation, to know these facts and take
pride in India’s greatness in every field of human activity, whether economic,
scientific, moral or spiritual. The lesson to learn is to develop a patriotic
spirit and believe in our inherent strengths as Swamiji repeatedly stressed.
The book says it all so beautifully.
(The Vedanta Kesari, Sri Ramakrishna Math Trust,
Chennai, April, 2015, p.45)
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