Dear BJP/RSS its time to look “right” economically….!!!

The battle for the power between left and right in India that began in 2014 is just starting to heat up ahead of the 2019 elections. 2014 is when India supposedly moved right of center to give a thumping majority to the so called ‘Right Wing” of India.’ Acche din Anna wale Hain’ was the card sold , ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’ was the key connect that drove the masses to BJP. The BJP voters and online supporters enthusiastically wore the badge of ‘ Bahtks’ and “Right wing”. On the social front the lines are more or less defined quite well between the Right and Left wing and the issues handled with clarity, but what about economics? The economics in the west is well defined and the elections are fought more on economic issues than on social.  There the left means socialists economics more off government redistribution model while the right is for the free market, businesses and less government interference. The story of India is different.

 Both  RSS which was formed in the pre independence India with a view to protect the Hindu interest in the volatile undivided  India just before the partition and BJP erstwhile Jana Sangh were born under the Swadeshi (anti colonial and anti imperialists ) mindset and both rooted for the domestic inward looking approaches partially out of the insecurities of that period. The Nehruvian socialism that took grip in India and got strengthened under the Indira Gandhi went mostly unchallenged as the left (CPI) who hallucinate the supposed, actually non-existent paradise of equality (stills does) aligned with Congress. The death of Patel who was pro business and wanted build a robust industrial India in 1950, the death of Ambedkar in the mid 1950’s (PhD economics) and the sidelining of right leaning Sarvarkar post Gandhi murder meant that no anti socialists or right leaning strong voice remained in the opposition to check this free flow of thought to economic left. Sangh was busy consolidating its ground among the Hindu audience as it received sever set back post the Gandhi murder and its political arm was too young to pack a meaningful punch. 

The Sangh came to limelight under the socialists’ leader JP and its anti emergency stand. The post emergency era saw the political power tussle between Indira’s congress and left on one hand and the non left RSS and now youthful BJP on the other. Sadly tough the BJP and RSS which blossomed under the anti –emergency movement carried the socialists (left leaning) economic thought process. Indian polity was battling between two left leaning economic ideas. “pro poor” , “Jay javan Jai Kisan”, “garibi hatao” ,became  the buzz words. So if congress perceived hard left nationalization and curbing individual right under constitution, Sangh was grappling with Gandhian Socialism and integral humanism whatever these both ideas really mean. The more I got to read about RSS specially the economic side of it, the establishment of SJM (Swadeshi Jagran Manch ) and the setting up BMS(Bahrtiya Mjadur Sangh) in opposition to communists labor unions the more I looked the same it appeared, except the communists atheism (different from rational atheistic perspective), the only positive to take out.

Today after so many years gone by, a lot of books have been written about the long history of India. I happened to read a few, An era of Darkness, The Ocean of Churn to name a few. Both books stated one thing clearly that India in the past was of global leader in markets, contributed highest to the world GDP and was free markets open economy which dominated the world not just in philosophy but in areas of trade as well. Ocean of Churn is particularly interesting as it shows what importance the trade routes played in the Indian polity and its share in establishing Indian culture in South East Asia and how important it is to have a global outlook. The conclusion to draw is, the reason India of able to establish cultural footprints on the world is that it had its soul in the free market trading economy that India was and not a inward looking civilization with inferiority complex.

The 70years of socialists’ economics and systematic plunder for over 700 years before has strangled India, from once contributing 25+ % to the global economy to at sub 5% now. The government seen in India since independence have mostly been “Mayy Baap Sarkar”(read socialists), the attitude  that government should do everything for the people. It is the driving force of the economy and it is like some monarch which should guide it to glory. Democracies dear Right wingers should do just the opposite. The Socialists societies and communism that has dominated the world politics and the “pro poor “ stance of the western countries comes on the back of hard crony capitalisms and industrial revolution for centuries before . The centuries, in which India de-industrialized, the west was embracing materialism and market driven economics.

Just a few examples and not some complex data series numbers are enough to prove that the free market economics as the opening of telecom sector pre and post 1991 from lethargy of MTNL and BSNL and pathetic services of PSU to competitive free data world of 2018, from license raj to IT revolution, the examples are clear. Take another example of entertainment industry from single doordarshan days to 500 plus TV channels creating such large regional content, free market has created millions of jobs and opened up various avenues for the people. The IT industry without any support from the gov. became the world leader giving us the 1^st NASDAQ listed company from India Infosys, vis a vis agriculture which in spite of continuous sate support struggles. The reason is not less care but extra government and protection. The India post 1991 and of 2018 is young vibrant and vastly different from the India of the 70’s and 80’s.

 Dear RSS/BJP India since time immemorial has never chastised poverty. All its istha devatas Rama and Krishna were kings and not some poor chaps, so was Kautilya in favour of a strong but limited state. The soviet USSR which Nehru was so in awe off has long disintegrated. The message is clear for the RSS BJP leadership to move away from swadeshi socialists’ style of economics in which they have failed so far. PVN saw it so did ABV that’s why they were visionaries. The opposition that ABV faced from within RSS is saddening at various levels and the same is partly true with Modi.  If RSS wants to lead the Indic renaissance the 1^st thing it has to understand, that to take on the organized Abrahamic religions it has to have the economic might and wealth creation and shun Socialism which is antithesis to the cause.  The communist are bound by their world literature and mythical notions of equality that they wish to bring about, you on the other hand belong to the great tradition of non duality and different paths.  India has tried the path of socialism and was just saved before the great fall,  don’t  be stuck there in “pro poor” rhetoric , India needs wealth creation , minimum government in business and robust business and trade climate going ahead . India needs at least, 10 Ambanis,10 Tatas, and host of manufacturing and risk taking entrepreneurs not landless laborers, India needs more in house brands like ZARA and not khahi and Kahdi. There is a lot of market available for such kind of politics, is “the party with difference” willing to invest in the future to bring home the glorious past and embrace the “Suit boot” is the question that needs to be asked. Rahul Gandhi has blown the election trumpet with “pro poor” farm loan waiver promises and the alliance talks with CPM and backing young communists like Kanahiya. Is the Sangh ready for “Shankha Naad”. The “Bramhastra” union budget is still in your hands use it wisely. With the western world order weaker than ever before the time for Asian dominance has again arrived. The New India is eager to participate, hope you take the lead in following the “right path.”……!!!!!