We must rethink our path to progress, says historian Ramachandra Guha

Bengaluru: Stating that multiple forms of environmental degradation have pushed India towards a deep civilisational crisis, Bapu Ke Log, a nation-wide coalition of Gandhians, has put together a manifesto intending to mitigate the effects of the present crisis.

The manifesto was officially released on Sunday by Anil Hegde, Rajya Sabha MP representing Bihar.

In his speech at the event, historian, Gandhian and environmentalist Ramachandra Guha said we must rethink our path to progress.

"Even if climate change was not occurring, India will be an environmental disaster. Climate change is making the problem much worse and less predictable," he said.

Bapu Ke Log's manifesto tells us how to rethink, Guha said. "It tells us how to forge a path for our country that is suitable to not just its culture, but to its environmental constraints," he added.

To put a check on the 'rapid downfall of our society', Guha suggested measures like degrowth wherever needed, political decentralisation, renewal and revitalisation of civil societies and re-orientation of science.

Prasanna, a noted theatre personality and Gandhian, who was instrumental in drafting the manifesto, suggested a 70-30 economy— where at least 70 per cent human labour is involved in the production of all goods and services, to lift the society from its current predicament.

He said the manifesto was shaped by many organisations and individuals across the country and that a book will be brought out detailing the idea.

"We believe annihilation of labour, or the process of complete automation, is at the root of our present crisis," said Prasanna.

According to Prasanna, automation is also breaking the sacred link between God and human beings, and created what he termed as hierarchical religion. "In Karnataka, they (hierarchical religions) have made the people who are the followers of 'kayaka' as the followers of demigods. This is morally wrong," he added.

He said the issue is also being aggravated by the anger towards the faithful. "But the faithful do not know. It is the intellectual, the political leaders and the spiritual leaders who had to tell the faithful the difference between real God and godmen. This is what Swami Vivekananda did, this is what Jesus Christ did and this is what Mahatma Gandhi did. So, the revolution did not start and end with Karl Marx," Prasanna added.

Vinod Vyasalu, director of the Centre for Budget and Policy Studies, Bengaluru, said that one of the first things that we are taught in classrooms about economy is that we need 'growth, more growth and forever growth'.

"But I believe there is a proper size for everything. If the baby grows at the same rate as it grows in the first six months, then by the age of 20, it will be 40 feet tall," said Vyasalu.

He further said Gandhi was not totally against automation, recalling how he singled out Singer sewing machines as a sign of good progress.

"It is okay if something helps one improve productivity, but if it is taken to the point where artificial intelligence, for instance, does everything, then it means that people are not involved. Most of our problems came because of this disconnect," said Vyasalu.