The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : “Inclusive economic growth the biggest challenge”

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Saturday, Mar 15, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“Inclusive economic growth the biggest challenge”

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Achieving inclusive economic growth is the biggest challenge India is currently facing, and the government, civil society and non-governmental organisations have to work together if the challenge is to be dealt with.

This was the message stressed by economists, academics and former government servants, who came together here on Friday to share their views on what were the biggest obstacles in the way of India achieving inclusive growth.

“The incredible growth of our economy has not touched the majority of people. Sadly, it has adversely affected many,” said Fr. P. Christie, director of the Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA), which organised the discussion. “We are deeply ashamed that this year India is ranked 128th out of 177 countries in the Human Development Index. Despite all the talk about creating an inclusive society, we are regressing. We hope we can start the process of creating a roadmap towards creating an inclusive society.”

Working towards achieving inclusive growth was not the particular responsibility of “any one agency,” N. Vittal, former Central Vigilance Commissioner, said. “What we need is a multi-pronged approach that involves the government, non-governmental organisations, the corporate sector and people as a whole.”

One of the biggest barriers to inclusive growth was the continuing neglect of the “60-70 per cent of the population, who are dependent on natural eco-systems for food, medicines, livelihood, fuel, shelter, clothing and culture,” said Ashish Kothari, founder of the Kalpavriksh Enviroment Action Group, an NGO.

With the degradation of the environment and a “marked assault of Adivasi lands” under the pretext of development, the livelihoods of millions of people excluded from this growth were being adversely affected. “This is a phenomenon that is not anywhere in the picture when we talk about inclusive growth,” he said.

He attributed the failure to achieve inclusive growth to poor governance, a reduction in a formal space for public participation and a dilution of environmental standards.

K.P. Sivasubramaniam, a retired judge of the Madras High Court, said industry and society were facing a crisis of ethics that was exacerbating the problem, and urged students to be aware of the “pitfalls and darker patches” they would face in the corporate sector.

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