Justice katju
I have repeatedly said that we must transform India ( and by that term I include Pakistan and Bangladesh, for we are really one country only temporarily divided in 1947 by a British swindle on the basis of the bogus two nation theory, but are sure to reunite one day ) into a modern industrial giant, like USA or China, otherwise we will never be able to abolish our great evils which have plagued us for centuries, viz massive poverty, massive unemployment, appalling level of child malnourishment, lack of proper healthcare and good education for the masses, etc.
For making India a modern industrial giant three things are required (1) a huge pool of technical talent (2) huge natural resources, and (3) correct political leadership. We have the first two, but not the third. Let me explain.
We have thousands of bright scientists and engineers. In fact when I go to America I am often invited to the Universities there ( Berkeley, Stanford, etc ) to give talks, and I found many Indian and Pakistani Professors of Mathematics, Engineering, Science, etc there.
We have huge natural resources. We are not a small country like England or Japan, but almost a continent. We have all the natural wealth we need. In fact once we are genuinely independent we can find all the oil and natural gas we need within our country ( presently the giant oil corporations sabotage our efforts to tap these resources, to continue their sales to us ).
However, the third requirement is missing. What we need is genuinely patriotic, modern minded secular leaders, like Mustafa Kemal Ataturk of Turkey, to abolish feudalism, and modernise the country. Instead, we have political leaders who are experts in polarising society on caste and communal lines, and inciting caste or communal hatred, to secure their vote banks for elections,
With correct, patriotic, modern minded political leaders in power, a country takes just 15-20 year to transform it into a highly industrialised state
For example, before the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan was a poor, backward, feudal country, ruled by the feudal Shoguns. But after the Meiji Restoration, the leaders who came to power were modern minded persons who rapidly industrialized Japan, and within 15-20 years Japan became a highly industrialized country.
Similarly, after the Russian Revolution of 1917 the leaders who came to power rapidly transformed Russia from a largely feudal into an industrial country. Without this transformation Russia could never have faced Hitler’s invasion in 1941. The same thing happened in China.
But where are these patriotic, modern minded leaders ? And how will they come to power ? These are questions requiring careful consideration in some depth.
Historical experience shows that a transitional period in history, like the one India has to pass through ( transition from a semi feudal, largely agricultural to a modern industrial society ) is a very painful turbulent period, in which the whole of society is plunged into disorder and chaos.
When Europe passed through this period ( I.e. from 16th to 18th centuries ) there was turmoil, wars, revolutions, religious massacres, chaos etc. It was only after going through this fire that modern society emerged in Europe.
India is presently going through this fire, and the next 15-20 years are going to be terrible. One wishes the transition could be achieved without violence and turmoil, but that is not how history operates. The vested interests in the existing order will oppose this transformation tooth and nail.
During this period, as the socio-economic distress of the people increases and ultimately becomes unbearable, a mighty united protracted people’s struggle ( jan sangharsh ) against it will arise, and this will require leaders to guide the people forward towards a people’s revolution ( jan kranti ).
History shows that during a period of a nation’s crisis, great leaders spontaneously arise, who were unknown earlier, e.g. Hampden, Pym and Cromwell in England during the British Revolution of the 17th century, Robespierre, Danton and Marat during the French Revolution of 1789, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, etc during the American War of Independence ( 1775-1781 ), Abraham Lincoln in the American Civil War ( 1861-65 ), Lenin in the Russian Revolution of 1917, and Mao and Chou in the Chinese Revolution ( which culminated after a 25 years conflict in 1949 ).
Our leaders are presently anonymous, but will appear as the people’s economic distress intensifies. Also, a mighty united people’s struggle is bound to arise, rising above caste, religious, lingual and ethnic barriers, which will be protracted ( maybe lasting for 15-20 years ) in which tremendous sacrifices will have to be made.
This people’s struggle will be long and arduous, and with many twists and turns, and ultimately culminate in a historical people’s revolution, which will set up a political and social order under which there is rapid industrialization, and the standard of living of the people steadily rises, and they start enjoying decent lives.
http://justicekatju.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-indian-revolution-is-coming-i-had.html
The Indian people’s Long March must now begin
