Thought of ethics in our development
Every country in the world has economic development as an important objective of its national policies. Increasing aspirations of the middle class is pushing development to the centre national discourse. This is now witnessed in elections in every part of the world including India. Each country adopts an economic model suitable as per its ideology and strengths. But one common factor in each development strategy is the importance of the ethical dimension. Economic growth must be inclusive, sustainable and achieved through transparent policies. Otherwise, people can turn against such strategies and it may become a curse.
In historical context, a major push to economic growth came from the industrial revolution. The availability of the capital from commerce, useful scientific innovations and government support led to an industrial revolution in Europe in eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. But this was accompanied by extreme exploitation workers by factory owners. The workers had to live in pathetic conditions. The discontent among the working class gave rise to the ideology of socialism. Karl Marx gave the call for a ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’. This extreme reaction was born out of non-inclusive nature of economic growth. The industrial revolution led to material prosperity but it created a wide gulf between haves and have-nots.
This historical lesson was to be repeated many times subsequently. The Naxalism in India is a direct result of uneven distribution of fruits of development. The tribal areas in central India are rich in natural resources. But this has not helped upliftment if local from their underdeveloped condition. There is a feeling that local resources are being taken out for the development of outsiders. This leads to resentment and frustration. Many youths turn towards extremism and this helps Naxalites in their insurgency. This is a clear example of development for some turning into the curse for others.
Land acquisition in another contentious issue in India. Every country needs to build dams for water security and hydroelectricity. Infrastructure projects such as highways, railways, industrial corridors are essential for development. Hence it is understandable that displacement of some people is inevitable for the greater good. But rehabilitation and resettlement of those who are displaced become an ethical responsibility. Unfortunately, India doesn’t have a good record on this front. The central government recently enacted a law ‘Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act’. This act increases compensation, makes social impact assessment mandatory, increases consent required for land acquisition. The objective is to fulfil moral obligation associated with land acquisition. But many industry bodies are already opposing this act as being too stringent. It is important to remember that widespread resentment from forced acquisitions can lead to social unrest.
Crony capitalism in the allocation of natural resources is another worrying unethical development in India. The coal block allocation and 2G spectrum allocation have put serious questions regarding government and business relationship in past. Exploitation of natural resources is essential for any economy but it must be done in a transparent manner. The supreme court has emphasised that ownership of natural resources lies with the people of India. The government acts like a trustee and hence can’t allocate natural resources arbitrarily. Such incidents have a potential to foster cynicism in citizens about government's economic policies. As citizens are important stakeholders in the development process; it is critical to maintaining their trust.
Compassion is a universally accepted human value. Empathy for the weaker section of society is necessary for inclusive growth. Conscious efforts must be made to reduce inequality by both government and the private sector. The government tries through various social sector schemes to address various deprivations. For the private sector, corporate social responsibility is now an accepted part of corporate governance. The wealthiest man in the world, Bill Gates, is using his resources to address burning problems like Polio, Malaria and AIDS in underdeveloped and developing countries. Such efforts are a source of optimism that fruits of development can be distributed far wide.
Similar sincere efforts are needed in the field of the environment also. The carbon emission threatens to cause irreversible global climate change. The loss of habitat and indiscriminate hunting has made many species of wildlife extinct. This exploitation of environment under the name of development can seriously backfire. Our future generations deserve to live on a clean, habitable planet. Global coordination efforts are needed to reduce carbon emission. Reserving protected areas for the animal, ensuring survival of threatened species is necessary to safeguard biodiversity. The economic development must be sustainable as it is our ethical responsibility towards future generations.
Human morality is not always imposed from outside. We all have an inner desire to be ethical and moral. It is vital to keep human values in perspective while pursuing economic development. The inclusiveness, sustainability and transparency in development processes must be ensured to prevent it from turning into the curse.
In historical context, a major push to economic growth came from the industrial revolution. The availability of the capital from commerce, useful scientific innovations and government support led to an industrial revolution in Europe in eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. But this was accompanied by extreme exploitation workers by factory owners. The workers had to live in pathetic conditions. The discontent among the working class gave rise to the ideology of socialism. Karl Marx gave the call for a ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’. This extreme reaction was born out of non-inclusive nature of economic growth. The industrial revolution led to material prosperity but it created a wide gulf between haves and have-nots.
This historical lesson was to be repeated many times subsequently. The Naxalism in India is a direct result of uneven distribution of fruits of development. The tribal areas in central India are rich in natural resources. But this has not helped upliftment if local from their underdeveloped condition. There is a feeling that local resources are being taken out for the development of outsiders. This leads to resentment and frustration. Many youths turn towards extremism and this helps Naxalites in their insurgency. This is a clear example of development for some turning into the curse for others.
Land acquisition in another contentious issue in India. Every country needs to build dams for water security and hydroelectricity. Infrastructure projects such as highways, railways, industrial corridors are essential for development. Hence it is understandable that displacement of some people is inevitable for the greater good. But rehabilitation and resettlement of those who are displaced become an ethical responsibility. Unfortunately, India doesn’t have a good record on this front. The central government recently enacted a law ‘Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act’. This act increases compensation, makes social impact assessment mandatory, increases consent required for land acquisition. The objective is to fulfil moral obligation associated with land acquisition. But many industry bodies are already opposing this act as being too stringent. It is important to remember that widespread resentment from forced acquisitions can lead to social unrest.
Crony capitalism in the allocation of natural resources is another worrying unethical development in India. The coal block allocation and 2G spectrum allocation have put serious questions regarding government and business relationship in past. Exploitation of natural resources is essential for any economy but it must be done in a transparent manner. The supreme court has emphasised that ownership of natural resources lies with the people of India. The government acts like a trustee and hence can’t allocate natural resources arbitrarily. Such incidents have a potential to foster cynicism in citizens about government's economic policies. As citizens are important stakeholders in the development process; it is critical to maintaining their trust.
Compassion is a universally accepted human value. Empathy for the weaker section of society is necessary for inclusive growth. Conscious efforts must be made to reduce inequality by both government and the private sector. The government tries through various social sector schemes to address various deprivations. For the private sector, corporate social responsibility is now an accepted part of corporate governance. The wealthiest man in the world, Bill Gates, is using his resources to address burning problems like Polio, Malaria and AIDS in underdeveloped and developing countries. Such efforts are a source of optimism that fruits of development can be distributed far wide.
Similar sincere efforts are needed in the field of the environment also. The carbon emission threatens to cause irreversible global climate change. The loss of habitat and indiscriminate hunting has made many species of wildlife extinct. This exploitation of environment under the name of development can seriously backfire. Our future generations deserve to live on a clean, habitable planet. Global coordination efforts are needed to reduce carbon emission. Reserving protected areas for the animal, ensuring survival of threatened species is necessary to safeguard biodiversity. The economic development must be sustainable as it is our ethical responsibility towards future generations.
Human morality is not always imposed from outside. We all have an inner desire to be ethical and moral. It is vital to keep human values in perspective while pursuing economic development. The inclusiveness, sustainability and transparency in development processes must be ensured to prevent it from turning into the curse.
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