Gandhi’s Economics will build ‘Atam Nirbhar Bharat’: Dr. Bajaj

New Delhi: “It was Mahatma Gandhi’s dream to make a self-reliant India and this ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ can be built only when villages are developed,” said Dr. J. K. Bajaj, Director, Centre for Policy Studies while discussing the current development model of the country. He said that Gandhiji’s economic philosophy was not static; rather it was vibrant and comprehensive. Instead of being technology centric, it was people centric. Therefore Gandhi focused on the economic development of villages. Dr. Bajaj was addressing the ‘Friday Dialogue’ programme organised by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) on Friday.

Speaking on the subject, ‘Gandhi’s Economics’, Dr. Bajaj said Mahatma Gandhi, who believed in the concepts of non-violence, Swaraj and Satyagraha and thus his concept of economic equality and development is more relevant and useful in today’s times. Instead of centralized industries Gandhi was in favour of decentralized small scale industries. He believed that every individual should become an industry in itself. He talked about independence and recommended that instead of working in a large industry, everyone should generate something while doing their job.

According to Dr. Bajaj, Gandhiji’s socio-economic system is based on religion, love, morality and divine spirit. Considering ‘Nar Seva’ (service to Mankind) as ‘Narayan Seva’ (service to God), he made upliftment of the poor and downtrodden the goal of his life. According to Gandhi, non-violence is the fundamental way of living a moral life. It is not just the norm, but it is the natural law of mankind.

Dr. Bajaj said that Mahatma Gandhi had described the ever-increasing desires of man as a threat to modern civilization. In his book ‘Hind Swaraj’, he had described the products being produced due to continuous innovations as harmful to the entire humanity. Gandhiji believed that greed and obsession should be curtailed, and that addressing society’s basic requirements should be the focus of long-term development.

The program was conducted by Dean (Students Welfare) Prof. (Dr.) Pramod Kumar and welcome address was delivered by Dean (Academic) Prof. (Dr.) Govind Singh. The vote of thanks was proposed by Dr. Anil Kumar Vadavathoor, Regional Director, IIMC, Kottayam Campus.