Our Vision of India
Our vision of India—a great nation without exploitation, in equalities, poverty, unemployment and social evils.
No society can be called just unless it secures for each of its member the uncurtailed proceeds of his labour The capitalist does not work but still earns huge profits. This profit belongs to the labourer for it is his work that creates surplus value. A society where slavery of this form exists must change. This requires the abolition of private enterprise. This will greatly change the worker’s standard of living, who has been subjected to an inhuman mode of existence.
The rural society is in a disarray. Although feudalism is dead feudal lords still dominate the rural scene. Most of the villagers are landless labourers. Agriculture is the only means of survival for the majority of villagers. The landlords, who own more land then they need, are in a minority. The minority flourishes on the labour of the majority. This is an unjust social order.
To change this social order, the right to property must be abolished. As long as private property exists, inequality will continue. The State should be the sole owner of land. Cooperatives should be given land for tilling and the profit should be shared by all the working members of the cooperative. A sum should be given to the State for spending on development works. A highly decentralized economic order should emerge where labour should be the only criteria for earning.
The decentralization of economic power should be accompanied by decentralization of political power. Concentration of power in the hands of a few leads to dictatorship. Industrial and agricultural cooperatives should be made as much autonomous as possible. Political organizations should exist from the grass root level. Every small unit should elect its leader and these leaders should elect their chief by different stages of elimination.
The majority of Indians are poor. The affluents are in a minority. When this trivial minority meets at weekend functions it presents a detestable sight of hypocrisy. Reality is to-tally masked in every Indian elite gathering. These people make desperate bids to emulate their western counterparts. Our culture is threatened with extinction if this minority is allowed to thrive. We envisage a society without the elite, who present a distorted picture of the Indian society. One who cannot identity oneself with the real India has no right to be called an Indian. A society of equals, which preserves the Indian culture, is the kind of order that we demand.
Every nationalist wants to see his country as a land of surplus. In order to achieve this, various programmes should be implemented, including the seizure of all private wealth. The right by birth is no right at all; one’s labour is the only definite measure of one’s greatness. To justify a man’s possession of wealth by saying that his grandfather worked hard for it is ridiculous. The ownership of property creates inequality and as long as inequality exists, classes are bound to exist. We want a classless society.
India abounds in natural resources. The reason for our backwardness is, not scarcity of resources, but faulty methods of utilizing them. India has tremendous water wealth. When half of the country is ravaged by floods, the other half is affected by drought. These extreme conditions can be changed if major irrigation projects are undertaken. I dream of an India with sufficient water for irrigation for every hectare of land. This is not a difficult proposition. An extensive canal system can solve the problem
Our power deficiency can also be removed. Electrification programmes can end power shortage. Whenever I draw a mental picture of India, I always see innumerable pumps working to capacity, a greatly increased industrial output and lights adorning every Indian hut.
The problem of unemployment must be solved. Faulty education is the main reason for unemployment. Our education makes hundreds of misfits. We should adopt a job-oriented policy which gives proper weightage to practical training. An education system which does not create unemployed is the dream of every Indian. Redistribution of wealth will also create many more jobs, specially in the villages.
We live under an unjust system that stands for the moneyed class. At least half the country is barred from appealing to courts due to lack of resources. We have people talk of an independent judiciary. Does this imply granting rights to half the country to exploit the other half? Even today, if a poor labourer is cheated, he has no means to go to courts. He cannot engage a lawyer and pay exorbitant court fees. On the other hand, even if a landord kills a labourer, he goes scotfree because he has sufficient money to pay to the right people.
I dream of an India where the people’s problems are dealt with honestly. If property right ceases, most crimes will end.
The Indian industry is in the hand of a few affluent families. They continue to increase their wealth. This must end. Industry should be under the complete control of the State, which must function for the welfare of the masses. We wish our vision of India is transformed into a reality.
