The Third Way: Work as integral part of growth

Reforms have failed: Only a swadeshi model can bring jobs and growth in India

By Jay Dubashi Dhan.com December 19, 2000

Growth has to have a direct connection with people, not with foreign investors. Growth has to create work and jobs, for jobless people act as a drag on growth. Work has to be seen as an integral part of the growth process, not its by-product. Under capitalism, there is growth with or without work. Under communism, there is work for all or nearly all, even without growth. For countries like India, there has to be a third way, work as integral part of growth, the two moving in tandem and reinforcing each other.

That middle way is Swadeshi. Foreign investors are coming here to make money for their shareholders, not to create work for our millions. Only a Swadeshi system, under which we utilise local resources and local manpower, particularly in villages, to generate work can yield sustainable growth. Otherwise, we shall have foreign predators like Enron and McDonalds, making money at our cost, but bringing no benefits to our millions. India can never attain her potential as a great power unless we adopt a Swadeshi system of development, in which work for all should be the central objective. Otherwise, we shall stagger from crisis to crisis, as we are doing right now. iw.sify.com/home/dhan/news