In India, ‘Economic Equality’ Continues to be Just Arm-Chair Idealism

“Inequality in India has grown faster in the last 10-12 years than in any other time in our history since the colonial raj.”

–          P. Sainath, Senior Journalist and Rural Affairs Editor, The Hindu

We have all heard a lot of talk about the need for “inclusive growth” in India, especially in the last few years – ever since the powers that have had to face the deafening “anti-corruption” music, what with a barrage of multi-million dollar scams being exposed every other day by the increasingly activist television media of the country. One could ask – wasn’t that exactly what we set out to achieve more than 60 years ago? Wasn’t that the whole point of fighting the colonialists tooth and nail for freedom? Doesn’t political independence entail socio-economic independence too? The fact is – economic equality has become a victim of malevolent, ill-conceived, unnecessary, and overzealous government intervention into the economic lives of the people of the union.

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