The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity

India’s independence is recollected, focusing on the aspirations set by Jawaharlal Nehru for the new nation to overcome poverty, ignorance, disease, and inequality. The progress in the three fields Nehru highlighted are evaluated: democracy, social equity, and economic growth. Democracy in India has proven resilient against predictions of its demise, with regular elections and an active civil society. Despite these successes, the shortcomings of Indian democracy in addressing some persistent wrongs are acknowledged. The evaluation of social equity reveals a less positive outcome. Educational achievements are uneven, with literacy rates and life expectancy lagging behind other countries like China. Gender and class inequalities persist, particularly in access to healthcare.

Economically, India’s growth was slow initially but improved post-1980s, especially after liberal economic reforms in 1992. However, this growth hasn’t equaled China’s nor adequately reduced poverty. High-tech industries alone cannot address the deep-seated poverty and inequality in India. It is argued broad public participation in economic growth is essential, as seen in East Asian economies. India’s economic strategies should include widespread education and healthcare to enable participation in global markets; this is much like China’s pre-reform focus on basic services, which set the stage for its post-reform economic surge. Social and economic progress are linked to the political sphere, suggesting democracy, contrary to being an impediment, provides a protective environment for policy correction and incentives for rulers to act against disasters, as demonstrated by the absence of famines in India post-independence.