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Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

India is under the spell of socialism. It has fooled common man and capitalist alike

‘What good are ample wages to a worker if he cannot buy property by judicious saving? And who would like to trade freedom for bread alone?’ asked HR Pasricha in 1974.

INDIAN socialism, as now practised, is a very esoteric faith not unlike mysticism. The apostles of the faith have, very cleverly and probably intentionally, kept it shrouded in mystery refusing to enlighten even the novitiates, let alone the general public. At some stage, the novitiates learn the inner truth of the faith, but more from example than precept.

The common man may, therefore, be forgiven if he comes to attach several and different meanings to the faith—each one according to his need. In fact, it has come to mean many things to different people and different things to many people. In general, the people have become convinced that the heaven of socialism can be easily attained by means of nationalisation. Limits of nationalisation have never been clearly delineated for the obvious reason that there need be no limit at all, and also, because this nebulous state of affairs suits the apostles eminently. It keeps the owners of filthy lucre on tenterhooks, in fear and anxiety about the future. At the time of elections, it enables the apostles to squeeze money out of the money-bags—black money which they have enabled and encouraged them to accumulate by an ingeniously designed system of controls. That, however, is only a bye-product of socialism.

To simplify matters, it could be stated that if the element of social welfare (which an intelligent capitalist should accept and welcome) is syphoned off from socialism, then the residue is Nationalisation and State Capitalism, or, vice-versa, socialism minus nationalisation and state capitalism is social welfare. The concept of social welfare, in this context, is broad and includes social justice, rule of law, freedom of speech and ownership of property. Not by bread alone…. (St. Mathew. 4.4.) What good are ample wages to a worker if he cannot buy property by judicious saving? And who would like to trade freedom for bread alone? However, recondite truth may lie in the fact that the apostles do not envisage the right of the worker to ask for more than a living wage.

The common man in India has been encouraged vicariously to........

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