DV extends "caste identity" to economic planning : "Development" redefined

We have already predicted that the Congress-led Govt. of India's much-advertised National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) assuring 100 days of job to every household in India's 200 "poorest" districts will end up in a grand failure (DV Sept.16, 2005 p.9).

NREGS is based on the Maharashtra Govt. model (already in existence since 1973-74 in that state) which has already failed. NREGS is advertised as the India's biggest weapon to fight poverty. But we have the Maharashtra model in existence for the past over 30 years to judge what will be the future of NREGS. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has announced a probe into the Rs. 9.1-crore fraud in the job scheme in his state. The urban-dwelling upper caste circles have already vehemently opposed the NREGS because they don't want the govt. funds being diverted to rural areas. Their argument is the money will be wasted or stolen.

But our opposition to this scheme is not on this ground. We predicted its failure because we know the NREGS is a political gimmick to cheat the oppressed Bahujans. It will fail because it is an economic programme aimed at "reducing poverty". We have repeatedly said the problem of Dalit-Bahujans or for that matter the country itself is not poverty. If the Bahujans are poor and oppressed it is because of their social and cultural deprivation. This is our point. Developing a society in a deeply segmented country like India with hundreds of castes and communities is like constructing a massive structure. Such a structure needs strong pillars and columns without which the building will collapse. And such a building has to be built on a strong and deep concrete foundation. Then only the building can withstand heavy rains and gale. A human society needs nourishment, proper upbringing, love, parental caring and sharing, health, food, grooming, education. Then only like that strong foundation and powerful pillars and columns, the human society can grow and also withstand any natural calamity and fight back fierce resistance.

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In this Editorial we are presenting a new thesis, extending our "caste identity" theory from social and cultural to economic sphere. In 14 pages, we have given only a bare outline to be later elaborated into a book. Every prediction made in DV on the health of India has proved right. The speeding pauperisation, collapse of agriculture, education, health and every other sector have conclusively proved that our entire planning process based on the Western "poverty" model and executed by the upper caste rulers has failed. The rulers themselves have admitted this. We are emboldened to expand our thesis following its unanimous endorsement by the deprived castes and communities (85%) and also a certificate of the ruling upper castes by their stiff opposition — EDITOR.