Liberalism policy and its miss-implication
--> Posted on 2009-08-06 11:17:01 ByThere are several definitions of liberalism. Liberalism with which we are concerned is a political orientation that encourages progress of reforms. It favors right to descent from orthodox tenants or established authorities, as opposed to political and religious conservatism. In trade policy, “liberal” usually means freedom from import control or government restrictions, reducing existing barriers to trade-in contrast with protectism or preference on raising barriers to import competition.
In twentieth century, liberalism has promoted human rights, equality of opportunity and profound feminism. It believes in freedom, individuality, equality, paramatism and humanism. It gives special importance to social and political rights of individuals. It believes in full employment as a social program so that people become independent in all respects.
India has opted for western style democracy and liberal dispensations. It has been abandoning the socialist model of economy since the last decade. The Indian government however gives an expression of working under the influence of global forces and western powers. The policies are drawn by the bureaucrats who mainly work to serve the whims and fancies of persons in power.
The bureaucratic policymakers are withdrawing the state from very essentials such as health, sanitation, education and rural livelihood. Our rural folks are suffering defenselessly with the withdrawal of the state. Yet the urban elites are all agog with buzz about India emerging as a superpower. In cities too, India is shining only in the eyes of elite and the upper middle class. The market forces are bypassing the slum dwellers and the fringe segments.
Critics cite cases of increasing number of suicides in various parts of the country with Andhra Pradesh recording the maximum. Most of these suicides are from marginal farmers. The state withdrawal from agriculture sector is shockingly manifest in our country side. Market forces-unregulated- have been let lose and small farmers no longer have access to seed, fertilizers, pesticides and credit. Farmers fall victim to commercial cultivation using seeds and other inputs from the agents of multinationals, with credit from money lenders.
State schools have been neglected and are either non-functioning or non-existing. Private schools and institutes have been mushroomed whose main aim is to fleece public. In rural areas, government schools are run in decrepit condition, good for children of marginalized only. The idea of common school hardly gets mentioned. According to Kohatari commission, 1966, 6% of GDP should be expended on education. But it has remained a distant dream.
The world health origination (WHO) has set 5% of the national income as norm for public health expenditure. But we just spend 9%, the least spent on health among the developing nations. Government of India only bears 20% of the health expenses, rest born by households from their meager resources. Developed nations bear on an average, 60% of the expenses. As in other developed countries, India too is promoting health insurance, but in the absence of infrastructure, whom and how will it benefit, remains a mystery.
Water and sanitation conditions are also in similar condition. An international study reports more than 30% of child death in the world on the account of poor sanitation and water occurs in India. The rural area and small town public systems are starved for funds. Sanitation and water supply are being privatized, though it has failed in many countries.
If liberalism is not policy working in India, outsiders are not to be blamed for. Our ruling elite are expected to direct and control the process of globalization to the best advantage of our nation.
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