Re: Questions for Dr. Roy....Some answers..

["Dr. Subroto Roy" <sroy@vgsom.iitkgp.ernet.in>]

>Ok Dr. Roy, it may be that "critiquing India today when the world has
>changed in the direction of freedom is rather glib and trivial".

What >should be the general direction for India?

I think the fundamental questions have to do with establishing a genuine
and permanent peace with our neighbours, especially Pakistan; then,
reaping the peace dividend to address the very very grave macroeconomic
situation on the budget of the Union and State Governments.

Why are the reforms moving >slowly?

An excellent question.    The reforms began almost by accident and
certainly not by any rational  design on the part of the Government of
India or the Fund or the Bank etc.   Vested interests of various sorts
took them over very quickly (within I think a few months of the
Narasimha Rao Government).

 Can India afford the rising gap between Technology haves and have nots?

I don't quite know what you mean.   But see my recent earlier statements
on Information and the spreading of email.

Here is a small example of a cause for hope: the rural poor in Midnapore
district, e.g. part-time farmers who moonlight as rickshaw drivers, are
now connected by their own initiative using car-batteries as there is no
electricity to TV, and are certainly discerning enought to switch TV
channels whenever they see rubbish on the box, whether it is being
purveyed by the Government or the private sector.   Totally gone are the
bad old days
when Government propaganda, Soviet style, was the only thing emanating
from Indian TV news bulletins.

Suby Roy.


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