On industrialisation

If multi-party parliamentary democracy means giving people a wide range of political choices, we have it in plenty in India, parties big or small with a variety of labels. However, if we have to choose also the content in critical areas of economic policy there is hardly any choice anymore. A marked convergence among political parties is taking place, less apparent in their rhetoric, but unmistakably clear in their actions.

One could have believed that this is the result of compromise of coalition politics at the centre. But when the same thing happens at the level of states, and political parties of different labels follow with equal vengeance the same economic course, no room is left even for illusions. Grand terms like 'growth, 'industrialisation', and 'development are used by politicians with abandon these days to hide the poverty of their economics and politics. And, the central question remains unanswered.

If a high rate of growth necessarily entails a certain type of industrialisation, is this industrialisation synonymous with development?

Thus begins an article, "Industrialisation: Which Way Now?", by Amit Bhaduri, Professor of Economics, University of Pavia, Italy, and Medha Patkar, social activist and leader of Narmada Bachao Andolan and National Alliance of People's Movements.

Read the full article here.