In the matter of reducing disparities of income, we have been mainly operating through tax machinery to slice off large portions of high incomes. When the economy is fully developed, it would be possible for us to work out and enforce a minimum wage consistent with a certain minimum level of living standards for everyone. The efforts to reduce the disparities in terms of real incomes by incurring large scale expenditure on education, health, social welfare and welfare of backward classes, etc. will have to continue and be intensified.
Another important step towards the creation of a Socialist Order would be ensuring equality of opportunity for all. This is one of the fundamental rights of every citizen guaranteed by the Constitution. To translate this into practice we would have to continue and expand our efforts at providing special facilities to the relatively poor and backward classes of people. We will have to be watchful that economic or social disparities do not, in any manner, adversely affect the opportunity of backward people in matters of gainful employment.
Besides the changes brought about by the operation of the State policy in the sphere of economic relations, the most important change that we seek to achieve in establishing a socialistic order is a revolutionary change in the society itself. The social structure which we inherited has ideas of privileges and discriminatory practices embeded in it. The society that we seek would be at once modern, rational, egalitarian and more humane. It would be progressive and forward-looking. There would be, on the part of all, a willing acceptance of the primacy of social good over personal gain. It is only then that everyone will function with the understanding that he is at once the participant and beneficiary of the economic effort of the nation.
The most important and unique facet of our effort is that we seek to achieve the establishment of a socialistic pattern of society by democratic means. This presupposes eschewing methods which are arbitrary and high-handed. We shall take recourse to discussion and dialogue and seek to carry all the sections of the people with us. If we accept and faithfully work the political democracy, we would ensure that our socialist economic democracy does not degenerate into a dogma and that it remains constantly responsive to the ideals and aspirations of the people.
It is possible that some of us may get an impression that the method adopted by us for bringing about socialism is not fast enough. Evolution is always slower than a revolution. But achieved through a change of heart of the people concerned, it is more lasting and does not have to be sustained by extraneous forces. The task of transforming a backward and tradition-bound society into a modern, egalitarian and progressive society cannot be brought about overnight. Use of force in bringing about such a transformation would mean untold miseries for the masses which in itself would defeat the basic tenet of socialism, viz., the welfare of the masses. Perhaps decades may elapse before we achieve our dreams of an ideal socialist society. But one thing is certain, that events of social change and the awakening of the people are going to push us inexorably towards this goal.