Summary Report : Hara Bhara Swaraj

India is facing following three crises simultaneously:

1. Environmental Degradation
2. Economic Dualism,
3. Social Breakdown,

Each of these three crises is bad enough by itself, and the fact these are occurring together, makes the situation very complex. Yet, these need to be addressed urgently. This paper is an attempt to offer some suggestions as to how to deal with this triad of crises. Thus, it is not about how to reduce unemployment, or about how to raise the growth rate of the economy, or how to repair the social fabric, or how to clean the environment, but about how to deal with this complex triad of crises. It focuses on the lower 90%, not the top 10%. As the problem is complex and multi-dimensional, it is not possible to analyse using the specialised theories and technical solutions from only economics or from only the social sciences or from only the environmental sciences. Thus, we take a common-sense multi-disciplinary approach. After an analysis of the crises, the bulk of the paper is focussed on delineating a set of measures, including investments and policies, which would move India towards a fairer economy, a nurturant society and environmental sustainability. As many of the suggestions will face the question “can this be done?” We give examples of where this is being done, often giving web-links to articles and videos so readers can study those further.

 A Look at these Crises through a NEW lens

Based on the identification of problems above, we propose a radically new way of looking at these crises. The normal perspective puts macroeconomic GDP growth first, then worries about human development and welfare, and finally pays some residual attention to environmental aspects. We suggest a radically different approach, which reverses the normal economic priorities. We need to put nature first, then human beings and then GDP growth. The first letters of the three elements of the approach we are suggesting make the acronym NEW. The elements of this approach are –

Nature Regeneration for Environmental Sustainability and Unleashing Productivity: We need to stop looking at nature as a set of resources we can exploit at will. Instead, we must return to the early human view of Nature as the Mother, the very source of our existence and sustenance. We need to invest in regenerating nature – water, forests, and land (jal, jangal, jameen in Hindi), and conserving the environment and slowing down climate change – (jalvayu). This needs to be done urgently and largely with public funds. It will generate large-scale employment for unskilled workers in rural areas in the short run and establish the basis for increasing the productivity of agriculture, animal husbandry, fishery and forestry sectors, generating more stable skilled employment and incomes in the longer run.

Enabling Human, Social and Institutional Development and Building Social Cohesion: We need to adopt a new way of dealing with human beings in such a way that they are not exploited. Instead, the economy must be nurturant and invest in human beings – starting with ensuring early childhood nutrition, immunization and good food, in addition to medical treatment in case of illness. Education needs to focus on developing the potential of an individual and lifelong learning instead of rote learning for passing exams, which do not lead to employability. It should not stop at building the capacity of individuals, but offer incentives to families to be nurturant, so that women and children may also achieve their full potential. Finally, steps need to be taken to build social cohesion leading to vibrant communities which can come together to solve their problems and make progress.

Well-th as the Outcome: We use this coined word “well-th” to underline that the outcome we have in mind is not wealth, whose meaning has been reduced to material and financial accumulation. If we want to create a sustainable economy and a nurturant society, then we will have to curb the tendency of profit maximization when it leads to the exploitation of nature and other human beings. Investments in nature regeneration and enabling human social and institutional development will unleash productivity. For these to enhance the incomes of workers and farmers, we will need a set of policies which ensure fair wages, adequate social security, safe working conditions, active trade unions, and regulatory oversight of enterprise owners by labour, consumer as well environmental watchdogs. Recognising that regulators are not effect, we also need socially and environmentally responsible entrepreneurs, as well as community oversight of public services and enterprises.