BJP will evolve a blueprint for Indian model of development

‘Why an Indian model of development is needed

 It seems to me that just as India's economic growth was earlier heavily influenced by the Soviet model, now it has swung to the other end of the pendulum by imitating the western model. India's current problems cannot be solved, and future needs cannot be fulfilled, by following yet another alien model.

I must point out here that just as my party was against excessive state control of the economy, it was also opposed to the idea of the state having no role in the economic life of the nation. In other words, we have never favoured free enterprise, trickle-down theory, etc. The democratic state has a definite and inescapable duty to orient economic growth towards desirable social ends what in the Indian ethos is termed as Bahujan Hitaya, Bahujan Sukhaya (for the welfare and happiness of the masses). The concept of Antyodaya (development of the 'last man' in society) has been extolled by both Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, who was the principal ideologue and inspirational guide for the political movement that gave birth to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and, later, to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

BJP is the first party to demand 33% reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies

“The all-round empowerment of women is an integral and essential part of building a better and more just society. Of immense and urgent importance is women’s political empowerment through a policy of reservations. The BJP was the first party to pass a resolution, in 1994, seeking thirty-three per cent reservation of seats for women in Parliament and state legislatures. Ours is also the first—and, so far, the only—party in the country to have decided to provide thirty-three per cent reservation for women within the organisation at all levels. My colleague Sushma Swaraj, an outstanding speaker and an able parliamentarian, played a key role in persuading the party to pass the two resolutions.

Reservation for women is justified on the simple ground that women face many difficulties in participating actively in public affairs. It is twice as difficult for a woman to play a role in public life as it is for a man—even for such women who are twice as capable and competent as their male counterparts. Women’s under-representation in Parliament, state legislatures and ministries is glaring. It is all the more indefensible since women have given an excellent account of themselves after India introduced the 73^rd and 74th Constitutional amendments in 1992 guaranteeing the reservation of seats for women in panchayats and municipal bodies.

As a result of this revolutionary step, our country has over one million women members in various Panchayati Raj institutions. In addition, women are also elected in cooperative bodies and self-help groups in large numbers. Thus, India today has the proud distinction of having the largest number of women who have been elected in grassroot democratic organisations. Indeed, some of the best-run village panchayats are those that have women as sarpanch. It is therefore ironic that, even after many years of debate within and outside Parliament, there is lack of suffi cient political will and consensus to pass the law for thirty-three per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures. It would be a proud and happy day for India when this revolutionary law finally sees the light of the day.”

Why Hindu society needs reform

“A subject of utmost importance for India’s all-round development and national resurgence is the reform and self-renewal of the Hindu society. Hinduism is the repository of the most exalted teachings about human evolution and realisation of God. Its philosophy is profound and the relevance of its principles is both universal and eternal. Its distinguishing feature is its lack of dogma, its readiness to accept truth in all its manifestations, without putting the seal of finality on any of them, and its emphasis on the need to climb higher on the ladder of human evolution through righteous living. The freedom of thought and expression that it provides in all intellectual, theological and philosophical matters is unmatched. So much so that even Charvaka, who denied the existence of God, was respected as a rishi (seer) because of his erudition. Since Hinduism teaches us to see the divine in every animate and inanimate creation of God, the concept of equality of human beings is in-built in its belief system. The Bhagavad Gita states emphatically that a man’s greatness is determined by his karma and not by his birth.

Nevertheless, due to many historical factors the Hindu society acquired certain negative, regressive and thoroughly indefensible features, which it has still not fully got rid of. The concept of high and low among castes and, in particular, the practice of treating certain castes as ‘untouchables’ is the most debilitating among these drawbacks. The injustice in many forms that is often meted to women is another. These cannot be tolerated or rationalised on any grounds. They violate the ideals enshrined in the Indian Constitution and run contrary to the spiritual principles that have guided the Hindu way of life for several millennia. Hindu society cannot regain its full vigour or progress to its full potential unless it fights the ills within.”

Two sides of the contemporary Indian reality

“As India stands poised for a quantum leap forward in global rankings for economic performance, one of the toughest challenges it faces is the removal of abject poverty and provision of a decent standard of living for all its billion-plus citizens. In recognising this truth, one cannot, of course, overlook the fact that our country has indeed made considerable progress in recent decades in lifting large numbers of people above the poverty line. It will not do to only paint a bleak picture of the socio-economic reality of India in the beginning of the twenty-first century. Economic reforms have, indeed, put India on the path of prosperity through speedier economic growth in certain sectors and certain areas.

At the same time, we must not overlook the other, negative, side of the current Indian reality. Large sections of our population continue to be victims of poverty. Equally distressing is the rapidly growing divide between the rich and the poor, on one hand and between cities and villages, on the other, the latter having caused the largest ever migration of people from rural to urban areas since the onset of economic reforms in the 1990s. The problem is aggravated by regional disparities in development, with the northern and eastern states lagging considerably behind their counterparts in the South and the West.

Human resource is the most precious wealth that India has. However, human resource becomes resourceful only if the basic necessities of life—food, clothing, housing, health, clean water, education, productive employment, and good natural and social environment—are met. No nation can become rich if the bulk of its human resources are poor. I have always wondered: If India has achieved so much with only a third of its population living reasonably well, how much more could it achieve when all its enviable resources are optimally utilised? Therefore, in my recent communications I have been repeatedly emphasising one point: For me, India Rising means the rise of every Indian and India’s emergence as a developed nation means the opportunity of all-round development for every Indian.

Is this possible? Yes, it is. Can we make poverty history in India? Yes, we can. According to me, the key to success in this endeavour is not so much well-designed policies and programmes, which are no doubt important, but good governance. True, we must have policies that promote entrepreneurship and people’s initiatives in a fairly regulated competitive environment; we must build good physical and social infrastructure; we must, especially, take necessary measures to rejuvenate our agriculture and rural economy; we must bring vibrancy to the informal sector that employs the largest number of people after agriculture; we must ensure quality education for all; we must appropriately employ scientific and technological resources, and create indigenous capabilities in frontier areas of knowledge and its applications; we must arrest the degradation of our environment, towards which our culture exhorts us to have a reverential attitude; and we must fully seize the opportunities that a rapidly changing world brings while protecting ourselves from the negative effects of globalisation.

It is equally true that we must not only achieve holistic development, but also ensure holistic security. Our concept of security should encompass India’s external and internal security—namely, security of the country and the common man. Without reliable and comprehensive security, not only our developmental gains but also our very survival as a nation would be threatened.”