After a very long time, the issue of ‘Swadeshi’ Model of development is back on the agenda for political discourse in the country. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Concept Paper has placed it in the agenda once again. A forgotten model of development is still alive.
In fact, after failure of the development of “socialistic pattern of development” this was adopted after independence by then Prime Minster Jawaharlal Nehru. This was demand of that time as the country needed a viable economic foundation to compete in the global market. The era witnessed protectionist economic policies and entry of global economic giants was virtually not permitted to give protection to domestic industries. During 1990s the model of controlled and mixed economy started to collapse. With the collapse of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) the controlled model of economic development came to an end and economic reforms towards free market economy swept the globe.
The process of globalization was set in. It witnessed integration of national economy with global economy dominated by the West. It was argued by the economists by the World Bank that the process globalization will paved the way for “globalization of prosperity”. Noble prize winner economist Josef Stiglitz was then chief economist of the World Bank and one of the key advocates of the globalization. By 2005, Stiglitz himself became a strong critic of globalization and he said that the process of globalization has been taken over by the profit-greedy Multinational Corporations and it is resulting into “globalization of poverty”. The process of globalization did not remain confined to economics only but it also resulted into cultural synchronization. Western culture started to dominate and national cultural identities faced new crisis.
In this backdrop, now COVID-19 epidemic has hit hard and the global economy is in deep trouble. The shadows of Great Depression are visible in the horizon. At this time, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) which once upon a time was ardent supporter of the ‘Swadeshi’ model of development has once again raised the issue. It has advocated incorporation the broader policy adjustments — both domestic and international – in the working and objectives of the government in the aftermath of the pandemic ion the concept paper titled ‘Swadeshi’ Model in Post-pandemic Economy: RSS Policy on Path Ahead”.
RSS hopes a detailed inquiry will be carried out to “investigate the origin” of global pandemic while pitching for an alternative economic model of self-reliance or ‘swadeshi’ in the post Covid-19 era. Some of these broader policy issues were delineated in a background note circulated by the Sangh. The note stressed “Hopefully, a detailed inquiry will be carried out to investigate the origin, reason and impact of the pandemic. The entire world should come together to avoid such an emergency in future and create new regimes to deal with, involving responsible individuals, organisations and countrie” The RSS is the ideological front of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) heading the coalition government at the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The note circulated by the RSS says: “The materialist world view imposed on the entire world can push us to newer cycles of economic depression and environmental degradation. In such a scenario, it is prudent that we develop a new model based on self-reliance and ‘Swadeshi’. “In this indigenous model, local resources, workforce and needs would be integrated into the economic activity, taking into account the ecological considerations,” the note says.
The RSS’ views assume importance in the wake of a frenzied discussion on how the world and its economy would re-calibrate once the pandemic is brought under control. After the COVID-19 crisis, the Government of India and other state administrations will have to think how to attract investment from other countries without harming local self-reliance, without harming our natural resources.
The issue has now acquired crucial dimensions as RSS is driving ideological force behind Modi Government. The time has now come that we review our national policies specifically in relation to the neo-liberal model of development. The issued should not be addressed by ideological consideration of the Cold War era but an afresh look is needed based on our experience and the ground reality. We need to ask ourselves whether the neo-liberal model of development has really facilitated development of the Nation as a whole or it’s just confined to a middle class of hardly one-third of our population which thrived in the wake of globalization leaving behind major chunk of the population. We are facing severe agrarian crisis. Farmers are in deep distress to the extent of committing suicide. Does it not indicate that we revisit our model of development?
The argument is not to discard the entire process of globalization but to evaluate and analyze it in the light of Development of the Nation as a whole. The ‘Swadeshi’ Model can an answer but need a through nationwide debate considering RSS paper as a key reference point to finally develop it into a kind of operational plan of the development. We must revisit the present model of development and strive to take best of all the models that have been tried so far.
