Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee |
13.2.22
Where to go from here?
Prof.
Nilakantha Rath is a well-known name in economics, especially social-economy
domain. Along with Prof. VM Dandekar he has written a book on Poverty in 1971,
which became a must-read in this sector. An honorary fellow of Pune based Indian School of Political Economyhe has
been researching and writing on several socio-economic issues over the years.
Recently on the occasion of 24th
death anniversary of his father and legendary editor Dr. Radhanath Rath he
organized a round table on the possible roadmap for India’s economy based on a
base paper that he has written titled ‘Where to go from here?’
He has flagged some issues which warrant closer
look. He writes: Roads are one of the three primary
socio-economic infrastructures for widespread development of the population.
The other two are health and education. It should be abundantly clear to
anybody that these two sectors cannot be left to private enterprise. The
failure of the five-year plans during the first thirty years of planning to
target universal provision of health and education facilities has cost the
nation dearly in not only socio-cultural but also political terms. The Covid
pandemic highlighted the failure of the health infrastructure in meeting not
only such extraordinary situations but also to provide the populace with the
minimum health facilities. Insurance cannot be a substitute in this field. It
is for this reason that in many developed countries the state provides these
basic needs of the people. The failure of such provision in a rich country like
the USA has cost a very large section of its population dearly during the
pandemic. It is absolutely necessary for the state in India to provide these
two basic services to its people, both rural and urban.
There
are some other fields where the public sector should step in in order to ensure
a free competitive market. The first such is communication. The state in India
under British administration provided telephone and telegraph service to the
people. Post-globalisation as mobile
telephony and Internet services were introduced private players were allowed
in. Though in the beginning many companies entered the field, they soon were
purchased by bigger companies. To-day the sector is characterized by oligopoly.
The final withdrawal of the state in the not too distant future will result in
clear oligopoly in the sector.
The
state must open up opportunities for private individuals and companies to open
processing and manufacturing units, small and large, which will open up
employment opportunities for people not only in towns but also in villages.
In
the field of agriculture, the state in India creates reservoirs and canal
systems for irrigation from water flowing in rivers. A signal missing factor in
this is the absence of basic economic calculus in the supply of water to
agriculture. This needs to be looked at.
The incredible story of Ramendra Kumar
Hyderabad born Ramendra Kumar had everything that one aspires for- a dotting wife, talented children, good and paying PSU job, fame as a writer and inspirational speaker. He was serving as the General Manager (Corporate Communications), SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant, when he decided to take Voluntary Retirement in 2020 to pursue his writing. He writes children’s fiction, satire, travelogues, poetry, biographies, and adult fiction. He has published over 40 books. His books have been translated in over 30 languages across the world. His stories have also found a place in textbooks and anthologies both within and outside the country. As a writer he has been invited to literary conferences & festivals held in Denmark, Greece, Sharjah & Sri Lanka as well several Indian events including the prestigious Jaipur Literature Festival. He has been conducting Workshops for Parents across the country and also taking sessions on Public Relations for institutions including IIMC and corporates. Life was good and smooth.
Ramendra Kumar at a Bengaluru Hospital
And
then Cancer struck like a sledge hammer. He was detected to be suffering colon
cancer.
It
could have devastated the him and his entire family. But Ramendra Kumar is hard
wired differently. Though he does not look like a bahubali (in fact he wears a
look which is closer to the 70s romantic hero look), he is a fighter wielding a
unique weapon: humour.
Instead
of cursing his fate and God he decided to fight the ‘tumour with humour’. Like
the old man in Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea, he refused to be defeated. He
went one step further. He decided to wage a war against the scare cancer
causes. He decided to inspire people suffering from cancer to refuse to be
scared of the disease and fight it.
He
became the face of Indian Cancer Society’s campaign to fight cancer on this
year’s World Cancer Day.
He
continues to enjoy life. He dances with his wife and daughter, sings, writes
fiction, conducts sessions on corporate communication.
Panchayat election in Odisha
Campaign
for panchayat elections in at its peak in Odisha now. Go to any village, and it
wears a festive look. Blaring election songs, slogans, colourful banners and
posters have created a festive ambience.
As
I travelled I saw one similarity in the photographs on the posters of almost
all candidates: they appear with folded hands- in namaskar mudra.
Tail piece: Valentine Day
Santa:
14 February ko kya hai?
Banta:
Tere pass girl friend hai ya biwi?
Santa:
Biwi.
Banta:
To fir, Matri Pitru Pujan Diwas.
++
Journalist turned media academician
Mrinal Chatterjee lives in Dhenkanal, Odisha. He also writes fiction and plays.
E-copy of Window Seat 2021 is now
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