Logically, a bottom-up model is no doubt the best for India (OpEd page, “India needs a bottom-up growth model”, December 30). However, economic policy making cannot take place in a vacuum and is closely intertwined with prevailing politics. Given the ideological preferences of the current ruling dispensation, it is unrealistic to expect a people-centric approach in policy making.
Undue haste in dismantling public sector undertakings and the passing of regressive labour laws clearly indicate the direction in which the wind is blowing. Kerala’s enviable record under human development indicators can be safely attributed to the dominance of Left-oriented politics in the State; it underscores the importance of ideology in deciding the trajectory of economic policies. The divisive issues hitting the nation one after another at a time when the livelihood of millions are under threat due to the economic downturn are a clear reflection of the present government’s priorities.
Manohar Alembath,
Kannur, Kerala
