The pestilence of the novel Corona (Covid-19) virus has created unprecedented and strange complications before the world by stalling everything. It is the most complicated and perplexing attack on human existence in the history. The world will not remain the same even if the pandemic is controlled; what will be the repercussions of it? This is a far-flung question inherent in minds of many. Of course, there are palpable accomplishments as result of pandemic too. Pollution has decreased considerably; ecological balance of world has an unprecedented opportune to recuperate. Governments and societies have somehow been forced to learn and implement righteous actions promptly. But along with this, pandemic has created such complications for the world, including India, which are going to have far-reaching implications. On one hand, the neglect as well as difficulties of the laboring masses have increased, and on the other hand, the danger of domination of capitalism and orthodoxy has increased.
Economists of the world have been expressing fears of recession since the last months of 2019. The corona crisis is adding salt to the sore. IMF observed that this slowdown is going to be more intense than the Great Depression of 1930. It is reeling both developed and developing nations under its grip. CMIE reported on April 7th that total unemployment in India has gone up to 23.4 per cent while urban unemployment is 30.9 per cent.
Based on the study of the business cycles of Shri Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar and American Professor of Indian Origin, Ravi Batra, it can be said that starting from 2019-20, this great depression will run for six years (in all social, economic, mental spheres) and then from 2029-30 to 2036, there will be a period of inflation and great war. (The Downfall of Capitalism and Communism, 1978 and The Great Depression of 1990, 1987). The higher the intensity of these fluctuations, the greater the distress and desolation of the people. It’s detailed understanding will require separate elaboration. These fluctuations can be lightened and their implications can be greatly reduced, using a sincere combination of egalitarian tendencies with a democratic, universal, scientific and strategic world government, as the PROUT ideology proposes. The global system that has been going on so far is becoming irrelevant. The WHO, the IMF, the World Bank and even the UN, have proved to be inert in this ongoing capitalist order. ‘PROUT’ is Progressive Utilization Theory, a universal vision that differs from the extremes of capitalism and communism and as a coordinated ideology of local mass development.
All are familiar with the recent distress of daily wage workers, particularly in India, such as those who had to flee, due to the immediate crisis and possible apprehensions of deprivation of livelihood and basic amenities from metros like Delhi, Mumbai, etc. In this exodus, the central government’s action plan, the working of the State governments and the inability and non-cooperation of the owners of factories and institutions — all are under question for their role, which created a major crisis of confidence among the daily wage workers. Notwithstanding ban on large gatherings since March 16, the collection of more than 2000 Jamatis in the Markaz Nizamuddin adjoining the police station’s wall till March 28 made the intelligence, surveillance, actions and notice game of the governments and police equivocal. Then, what about the gathering at Nanded up to third week of April and further scene!
The migrant workers of Surat, Mumbai and some other places have been disturbed by the misery and sometimes stimulated for rebellion. Now, these workers will have to think a lot before they return to work. It is a big challenge to restart these factories and institutions in the absence of workers. Although the owners are using employment agents to recall these workers, these agents were missing at the time of the exodus of these workers, were they available to help or handle then! It is believed that 40 crore daily wage workers are going to fall into extreme poverty due to unemployment.
Now, the governments of Bihar, UP, Chhattisgarh, etc., are compelled to provide employment opportunities in their own state. But this is a long-term strategic process. The PROUT ideology has been proposes that every sector should have more and more enterprises in accordance with local resources which should be run by coordinated cooperatives. Coordinated cooperative societies are essentially far more people-oriented than the prevailing cooperatives. Workers and other participants are given ownership as shareholder beneficiaries in these societies. This reduces the migration of workers, increases the employment opportunities and creates balance and prosperity for regional development. The burden of metropolitan areas and social distortions is also addressed.
As per PROUT, all medium sized producers, farmworkers, laborers, consumer supplies and business units and agriculture supporting (agrico) and agro-industries will be run by coordinated cooperatives. So far, cooperatives have been running under the control of government departments in which ruling politicians and bureaucrats maintain their direct or indirect possessions, whereas the common members are unheard-of. The result is inefficiency, scams and losses. Such subordinate cooperative societies have been unsuccessful. Governments’ role in cooperatives should be confined to the indirect positive and promotional role of ‘friend, philosopher and guide’. The workers should get dividend as shareholders in addition to the salaries/wages/remuneration from the cooperative society, in addition to the interest and rent in proportion to their capital/land. The option of coordinated cooperative farming instead of contract or corporate farming is at least appropriate for small holdings.
Public undertakings have played very good role in this pandemic all over the world. All major enterprises should be run in public control as far as possible, keeping small business privately owned.
The employment policy is that the use of resources and the level of economic activities will have to be raised enough through proper decentralized planning to ensure 100% employment in every sector. In any sector, for a balanced economy, 30-40% of total employment is required in agriculture, 20% in agro-based enterprises, 20% in agricultural support enterprises, 10-20% in non-agricultural industries, 10% in trade-commerce and 10% in white-collar activities.
In the case of pricing of agricultural produce, it is advisable to look at it as an industry. Minimum support price should be guaranteed with reasonable profit and risk premium on cost. The income gap between agriculture and non-agricultural sectors needs to be reduced. There is a need to diversify yields by providing agro-based industries at the local level.
All must have a proper guarantee of five minimum needs—food, clothing, housing, education and medicare—through direct benefit transfer, minimum income and effective guarantee of employment. A policy of centralized polity and decentralized socio-economic system will have to be adopted to ensure discipline and speed in the country and the world as well. These are the highlights of the economic policy of PROUT.
PROUT is a socio-economic philosophy, but it is also linked to the scientific and rational aspects of spirituality, yoga and tantra as the ‘model of Rajadhiraja Yoga’ and also neo-humanism. The Ishwar-Pranidhan (meditation), madhuvidya and meditation of yoga controls blood pressure and anxiety by reducing the curvature of the waves of the brain. Pranayama not only strengthens the lungs by improving the intake of oxygen but also revives the cells by their oxygenation. These three combined can significantly improve the potential of disease resistance. Good immunity is necessary to combat COVID-19. It is useful for both the leaders and the public equally.
Let us check a connected issue as to whether it is an opportunity or a challenge for India. China had become the global hub for production of all kinds of consumer and low technology goods for the past three decades. It is also called the manufacturing capital of the world. Recently, some countries in South East Asia, Indonesia, Malasia, Thailand, etc., also joined. Today, the whole world, including America and Europe is infuriated against China. Japan is covering up its business from China as an economic distance policy. There is a great opportunity for India to replace China as an economic hub. This opportunity fell in hands of India earlier too, but we could capitalize it. The advantageous stage of world has been set in favor of India, but we have to expedite the right preparations, otherwise we will miss again. Don’t forget, Brazil, Mexico, Southeast Asia and Europe itself are also in competition. India has got an opportunity, also has been getting a lot of appreciation, but the crown will come on its own well decorated in the plate, we should not be any victim of such illusion. Anticipations are in the air that many companies mainly from the USA are interested to shift their businesses to India, particularly to UP—auspicious signs have appeared.
Here, we have to understand that despite being a communist country, China became the choice of capitalist countries because of its systemic stability (political, economic and social, at every level) and discipline. To bring about systemic stability and discipline in India, it is very important that the backdoor worship of capitalism; business of religious, communal and caste hatred and polarization; the cut throat competition for hateful supremacy under the politics of note and vote–all are terminated. But how? The narrow emotions of communal and caste /ethnic domination cannot be governed by a neutral policy of caste, creed or secularism. Scientific-temper, humanity-oriented human religion, scientific spirituality, universal brotherhood and monotheism have to be proliferated within and outside the country as a unifying force, by way of a comprehensive assertive policy. For this, the whole world, including India, today needs a complete cultural revolution with the inclusion of these elements.
If India succeeds in actualizing its inherent potential of transforming into global hub of production, its vast young population will get great opportunities for employment and prosperity. This issue requires serious thinking and effort. This is a very favorable time to adopt the economic philosophy of PROUT. All these things re-outline the same thing — the world’s problems, including India, are not going to be solved by the change of governments, the whole system has to be changed.
Writer- Prof. R. P. Singh,
Commerce Department,
Gorakhpur University,
E-mail: rp_singh20@rediffmail.com
Contact: 9935541965, 8299530659
Very Nice Sir