Sequel to the Tâte-À-Tâte with Dr. Ajit Mozoomdar (Published in Jan-March 2016 Issue)
| Author | S.N. Sinha |
| Date | 01 October 2016 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120160416 |
| Published date | 01 October 2016 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
SEQUEL
TO
THE
TATE-A-TATE
WITH
DR.AJIT
MOZOOMDAR
(PUBLISHED IN
JAN-MARCH
2016
ISSUE)
NEW
DELHI,
JUNE-AUGUST 2016
S.N. SINHA, IAS (RTD.)
SNS
We
are here for a supplementary story in pursuance to our discussions
in our last meeting.
You
are among the few civil servants today with
memories
of
service under the Central Government
at
the dawn
of
our Independence. Your views oflndia's development in the decades
following, the vision enshrined in the Constitution
of
the Indian
Republic
so
declared on the 26th
of
January, 1950 and the evolution
of
its social and economic policies, would, I believe, be
of
immense
value and interest to all students
of
our Republic and its magnificent
journey. The task before us, I believe,
is
one at once overwhelming
and humbling. I would try to pursue this with all the sincerity and
humility at
my
command.
AM I was indeed fortunate - I was
23
in 194 7 - to have served in
those exciting and hopeful years: once the trauma
of
Partition was
overcome, and under Jawaharlal Nehru India's pluralistic, humane
and progressive democracy was firmly established. India assumed
its natural place in the community
of
nations and assumed the
leadership
of
the decolonising world. The foundations
of
today's
large, diversified and resilient economy were laid. It is only in
retrospect that one realises how great the achievements
of
the Nehru
era were.
SNS The economic record
of
the Nehru years
is
now disputed. Critics
say that India's great potential was not realised because
of
mistaken,
socialistic policies, resulting in a low "Hindu rate
of
growth
of
3%
p.a" for four decades. India has a large and dynamic economy now
only because
of
the economic liberalisation and economic reforms
of
the 1990s.
AM Sadly, many people, especially the young, share this uninformed
view
of
the years when our developmental state took shape.
At
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