Jan 31, 2004 01:17 PM
15680 Views
(Updated Jan 31, 2004 01:17 PM)
This is without doubt one of the best books I have read about the effects of globalization. Now most of the writing about globalization in India falls safely in two categories- we have the bleeding heart liberal types who rave and rant against imperialist capitalism and want globalization to be done away with it (The biggest irony is that they are the prime beneficiaries of globalization). The other category is the gushing pink press, and some US educated dudes who believe that globalization is the magic elixir for all problems facing the world.
Confront them about the problems due to globalization, and the response would be a typical ?Yes its bas but you see?. The fact is that both camps have no realistic analysis of the problems being faced, and neither has a realistic solution. Both of them are safe and smug in their ivory towers and out of touch with the ordinary people.
The global economy has indeed bought benefits to many people in India like increased incomes, a better perspective, more opportunities. But we had seen the ugly face in 2001, when the IT downturn and Sept 11 threw many out of their jobs, and none of the proponents had any answer to this.
And this is where this book succeeds to a large extent. Arindam Choudhary?s biggest asset is to look at economy from an Indian point of view, rather than the Western model, which is certainly not suitable for India. And the best thing, he represents this in a simple language which an ordinary person like me can understand. One reason I rarely touch business magazines and books, is most of them use economics jargon like interest rates, gold standards, which just goes over my head.
Here Arindam steers clear of all that, and instead gives the perspective of economics from an ordinary man?s viewpoint. Yes the much abused common man, for whom no one seems to care about. This is not simply a rave and rant piece about MNC?s, the Govt and business. But instead it offers some real practical solutions, and that?s what makes it immensely readable.
The book identifies problems faced by the Indian economy, and doesn?t spare words in showing some ugly truths about Indian business. At the same time, it doesn?t spare the communist misrule in West Bengal also. And it has come up with some real radical solutions which need to be adapted to make India a developed economy.
It shows that rampant consumerism doesn?t mean economic progress, and what are the pitfalls of the American model which we so gleefully adapt. Every student, leader, professional, economist must read this book. After Abdul Kalam?s ?Wings of Fire?, this is the second best book I have read about India.
