19. An Introspection
DURING THE LAST two days there has been considerable debate and discussion on the various aspects of our economic situation, with particular reference to the stray thoughts set out by the Prime Minister in her note. I do not propose to cover the same ground again. What I propose to do today is to make some general observations on the political aspects of economic problems. We are a political party, we are not a body of economic experts and scientists thinking in terms of pure economics. We are a body of politicians thinking of economic problems in political terms. And I think this is what we are expected to do. Now as a member of the CWC and an active worker on the Indian political scene, when I try to look back and see what is it that we have been thinking for the last nearly 6 to 7 years, I find that there is a continuous, unending dialogue, discussion and debate on the economic problems. Every now and then, we meet, we deliberate — come to a certain conclusion, pass certain resolutions and we feel that we have got the solution. We go back and when we try to think in terms of making it work, we realise that we have not found anything. Again the dialogue starts. But this is nothing unnatural. I often ask myself whether we are deceiving ourselves, or is it a very eluding problem? I do not think so. Because this problem is a continuing problem, there will have to be a continuous search for the solution of the economic problems. Therefore, I think, as a party, we should not have any static view about our economic problems. In the process of solving the problem we give birth to new problems; that is the pattern of growth of society.
When we deal with economic problems we deal with human beings and naturally solutions to such problems have to take this factor into account. It is not necessary that the solution must be found by scientists and experts alone. For example take this note wherein the Prime Minister has set out her thinking on some of the urgent problems that we face. I do not think even she claims this to be a very scientifically processed document. It is an expression of a restless mind trying to tackle certain urgent problems which are eluding not only the administration, not only the party, but the people as a whole. This is an honest appraisal of the economic situation obtaining in the country today.