It is not as simple as "the politicans vs. the rest of the people". Look at the "Lords of the License Raj" in India. Having grabbed their licenses, they saw to it that nobody else could get them, even if it was to result in better shareholder returns, industrial growth or global competitiveness. And now, a full 50 years after independence, the tide seems to be again turning in their favor.
As for protectionism, you see how much protectionism exists in Japan/Korea/Taiwan and even in the US's telecom. industry. What all the successful industrial countries have followed is "protect yourself as much as possible while cracking others".
Jawaharlal Nehru's policies protected the Tatas/Birlas, but those guys could not crack others. In other words, Nehru did provide a stage, but clearly, those guys could not dance! The result -- today Toyota, Honda and Nissan can compete with the US auto giants, while the Tatas and Birlas can sell their wares only to Gambia and Zambia!
As for people of Indian origin succeeding in the US, it is also because of the framework that exists in the US. But can this be replicated in India? I doubt it, because a lot of it stems from the culture. The cultural checks that make the capitalist system work in the US have not been cultivated in India and probably never will be. So we will continue to see Indians coming out of India and succeeding in the West as individuals, but as a country, India will remain pretty much where it is.
Dipy. |
