Why Southern states of Bharat, particularly Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka didn’t show expectational performance before 1991, whilst delivering exceptional performance post-1991?
What happened to West Bengal, which contributed ~10 per cent of the Bharat GDP 7 -8 decades back declined to abysmal levels?
Why Punchy Punjab, a powerhouse after the Green Revolution, has lost its sheen through the decades?
“Think & Rethink before you cast your vote, as One vote of yours, not only shapes your present, but your future, and the future of the Assets and Wealth you Own”
One of the greatest Saints, thinkers, and poets in the early 16th century – Shree Rambola Dubey or the world popularly calls him Tulsidas, mentioned beautifully the qualities of a Leader, aspects that a leader should pursue and thinking and thoughts a leader should carry through a two-line verse.
The Verse
“ मुखिआ मुखु सो चाहिऐ खान पान कहुँ एक।
पालइ पोषइ सकल अँग तुलसी सहित बिबेक II ”
Meaning – The leader should be similar to the mouth, which intakes the food, to nourish not the self (mouth) but the body in its entirety, mind and inner organs as well that are not visible. Also, the food intake that is pious, virtuous and pure, enhances the mental prowess, intellect and ability to make the right decisions in life. Thus the role of the mouth is exactly like that of a leader, who only acts in the interest of the people he or she is leading, even if they seem to be invisible to society, the leader knows of them and works on them as well to achieve the preponderant purpose of the Collective Well-being.
The Backdrop
Bharat which is now called India contributed nearly half of the World GDP, a millennium and four centuries back. Despite successive and consistent raids and robberies from the invaders, it remained prosperous till about four centuries ago, when Britishers took over the Bharat Rashtra and used divisive policies for plundering and looting the overall wealth of the Country.
In 1200 AD, Bharat produced ~ 40 per cent of the World’s GDP, however at the time of Bharat which is now called India, her independence from Britishers was decimated to ~ 4 per cent of the World’s GDP.
Britishers left, whilst their systems of divisiveness and creation of Coterie of Power remained relevant and prevalent through the decades.
Where Power lay, those coterie states developed or rather those individuals or their families living in those states, belonging to the coterie prospered, and wealth got more concentrated in a few hands. Few states initially post-independence did poorly but post-forced LPG Reforms (Reforms of Liberalisation, Privatisation, and Globalisation that were compelled under the dire situation of the country facing near bankruptcy) saw their surge.
Economic Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister brought out an interesting and thought-provoking report on the Ascent and the Descent of the states post-1960s in the last six decades. The report is available on the web, however, some findings of the report have been discussed in the analysis below, especially the ones that fell off the cliff, thanks to dirty selfish and self–absorbed politics.
The Analysis
Surge of Southern States of Bharat
Southern States including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Telangana (5 states) contributed ~ 30 per cent – a, disproportionately higher to the country’s GDP in FY24, as compared to 25.2 per cent in FY 1961. The states that showed the sharpest surge in GDP contribution were Andhra Pradesh (now split between Andhra and Telangana) and Karnataka. Tamil Nadu and Kerala showed marginal progress through the decades.
Kerala survived and thrived as a large part of its population went to the Gulf and Middle East and kept inflowing the remittances back into the country, ensuring higher levels of consumption, and education and boosting up demand for real estate and Gold. Middle Eastern Influence and the easy flow of money, also made the mind vulnerable and thus Kerala is today the hotbed of Global Militancy hiring with easy and vulnerable minds.
Tamil Nadu remains the destination for foreign businesses to set up manufacturing facilities due to the high level of intellect as well as command of the English language and clarity of thinking. Furthermore, most of these states have excellent coastlines and developed ports ensuring easy export of finished products and import of raw materials if any.
The revealing aspect in both Karnataka and Combined Andhra and Telangana is that they both had a decline in productivity and Progress 3 decades before 1991, but post-LPG reforms both states grew faster.
Late Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, who hailed from erstwhile Andhra and is now part of Telangana, came to power and rescued Bharat from a grave situation, despite desperate opposition from its own party’s 55 members of Parliament including 7 ministers, enabled erstwhile combined Andhra to pace towards Economic Prowess. He thus aligned the interests of Southern States with the Centre which saw a massive resurgence, during his regime.
Acceleration and Decline of Punjab due to Intensified Insurgency for political motives
Post-independence, Bharat was dependent even for food and basic supplies on other countries. Thanks to the British atrocities, Bharat saw the Great Bengal Famine in 1943 which led to the death of ~ 4 million people, whilst all the produce was exported to the UK to fight the Second European War, popularly called the Second World War as history books suggests. Produce was low and people employed in Agriculture were largely uneducated back then to be exploited by local moneylenders and land grabbers. Under the leadership of M.S Swaminathan in the mid-60s the agricultural revolution was started. An initiative was undertaken and executed in conjunction with Punjab Agricultural University, whereby two high-yielding varieties of Wheat and rice were first sown in the Ludhiana, a district of Punjab.
From humble beginnings, Punjab due to the hardworking nature of its people and charitable mindset, saw a surge in Punjab’s GDP. In the 1960s, Punjab merely contributed 3.2 per cent of the Country’s GDP and within a decade, the GDP contribution of Punjab jumped to 4.4 per cent by the 70s.
However as the prosperity of the state surged, the local political party Akali Dal became popular and had a good grip on power. With the rise in income and prosperity, some extreme elements started to plant the idea of a separate state.
Some of the Khalistani terrorists found support in the UK and Canada and flames were fanned by Congress which wanted to destabilize the Akali government and, thus a monster was created in the form of the Khalistani Movement (The same way, how Taliban was created by the US). (Reference Books – The Khalistan Conspiracy & Amritsar – Mrs Gandhi’s Last Battle).
To lead this initiative the senior leaders of the Congress literally interviewed people and picked up Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale – a person, who had a clean image but extreme ideas so that it could appeal to large masses. Rift and division were created between Hindus and Sikhs. The Sikhs and Sikh Panth came into origin on the call of Guru Gobind Singh Ji (10th and last human Sikh Guru), requesting the Punjabi Hindus to give their elder son to create a Khalsa Fauj or Holy and Pure Army to fight and counter Muslim Invaders. Congress was successful in their endeavour and a state that could have grown leaps and bounds and beyond the boundaries of agriculture got in the deadly downward spiral of Fear and militancy.
Pakistani Army on the border of West Punjab (Pakistan-occupied Punjab, popularly called Punjab Province) created Camps where Sikh Youths were brainwashed first and then trained to create terrorism. In the 70s and 80s across Punjab there used to be a famous sentence every Bhartiya used to say “Darr ka Mahaul hai Punjab mein”
Post the Agricultural revolution, Punjab was gearing up for the manufacturing revolution but the same got curtailed, curbed and tethered. Today the same Punjab is lagging and is suffering due to limited business growth, and scarce opportunities for Youth to get their livelihood and Punjab as a state is finding it difficult to sustain even its basic finances. In GDP contribution to the Country’s GDP, Punjab in FY 23 – 24 contributed a mere 2.4 per cent ~ half (4.4 per cent in the 1970s) of what it contributed to the country post-Green Revolution.
Nearly 70 per cent of the cricket bats that are produced globally are manufactured in Punjab and Kashmir, however, that industry is suffering, due to politics and on account lack of forward-thinking (Trees that were cut earlier were never replenished). Two-thirds of the Cycles in the Country are only produced in Punjab, but that industry is suffering due to limited focus from the government and a shortage of labour. Today the state is in such a precarious condition that teachers who are architects of the future have not been paid their salaries for the last six months and in some cases for the last seven months.
Communist, Leftist, Liberal Bengal collapse
Whenever and wherever Bharat’s history is mentioned, through the centuries and millennia, Bengal remains relevant for its social, cultural, economic, intellectual and spiritual influence. Bengal produced some of the most momentous intellectual and spiritual thinkers through the generations, whether one talks about Sri Ramakrishnan, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Swami Prabhupada, Rabindra Nath Tagore, MahaShweta Devi or Manik Bandopadhyay and many such names that influenced and continues to influence not only Bharat but the entire World.
When there is economic prosperity, intellectual and spiritual prosperity also flourishes along with it, flourishes the art, craft and culture. In fact, intellectual prowess is one of the reasons, why a large number of Bengalis contributed and then sacrificed their lives for the freedom and independence movement. The most famous amongst them is the Chittagong Armory Raid Case under the leadership of Masterda Surya Sen.
Bengal once a self-sufficient state with a higher degree of industrialization in West Bengal, supported by agricultural supplies from the agri-dominated East Bengal suffered heavily on account of Bharat’s partition when East Bengal was given away to Pakistan, once a revolutionary hub, that shook the foundation of Britishers in Bharat.
Post-independence in the 60s, Bengal contributed a mammoth ~ 10.5% of the Country’s GDP just after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The per capita income of the State was ~ 1.28X of the National average, however, this is not going to be sustained for long.
Bengal through the decades post the 60s saw an unprecedented rise of communists that successively and successfully demolished the Bengal from the map of economic progress. Communists found their foot in the door with the Food Movement of 1959. Communists blamed and propagated that under the Congress leadership of the state, famine became a regular feature so much so, that every successive year there were lacs who would die of starvation and hunger and yet nothing was reported in the mainstream press or media beyond the Great Famine of Bengal post-1943. The rice index rose from 382 Rs per ton in Dec 1955 to 532 Rs per ton in Dec 1956, a leviathan jump of ~ 40 per cent in a year on a basic commodity, that is essential for human survival in a rice-eating belt. Communists were persistent and continued to get support from neighbouring China and Soviet regimes.
Their moment finally arrived in 1966 with the second Food Movement, where they could overthrow the inefficient indifferent and incapable regime of Congress and formed their first communist government in the state. But the government could only survive for months.
By 1967, Communists realized, that protest and peaceful protests couldn’t get them power and thus armed struggle started in a democracy and they tasted blood with Naxalbari in North Bengal. Post which, there was no looking back and communists waged a bloody armed struggle to come into power. Soon political and youth power was under their belt and thus they continued to rule Bengal for 34 years. During these three and a half decades, the industry, economy and progress were largely demolished. Whilst communists scored low on all fronts, they managed to provide food and safety, security to the locals against the Pakistani refugees who would infest the state. Post-independence of Bangla Desh from Pakistan, Communists, ensured that all Muslim immigrants were shooed back into their own country protecting the locals.
Post the arrival of the twenty-first century and post-forced LPG reforms, Bharat was on the move, a breakaway faction of Congress saw an opportunity to grab the power from the now complacent and fatigued communists. The new party appeased the refugee Muslims who had seeped and trickled in West Bengal from the porous borders of Bangla Desh and had now mastered the trick trickery of making fake ID and address proofs supported by local and Delhi-based mosques and Madrasas. This faction of ex-congress re-ignited the new generation that was sulking due to a lack of jobs or work opportunities.
Under the pretext of false promises and appeasement, cadres moved and communists were thrown out. This faction of Congress turned out to be even more murderous of Industrial Progress, and economic advancement. Muslim appeasement and Muslim politics became their core competency with enhanced settlements of Muslim refugees. The result of which is development is getting slower and slower, with Bengal contributing a mere 5.6 per cent to the country’s GDP in FY 23 -24, which was double (~ 10.5 per cent contribution to National GDP in the 60s) just after independence. The Percapita income of Bengal which was way higher than the national average in the 60s (~128 per cent of the national average) now stands lower at ~84 per cent of the national per capita income.
Vibrant and Good Governance Benefitting Gujarat – Whilst many states have fallen off the cliff, Gujarat has seen an Upswing. Post-independence, Gujarat was merely contributing ~6 per cent of the country’s GDP and remained stagnant through the decades. In fact, for many decades Gujarat became a hub of Smuggling and illicit activity due to its coastal line and salt marsh areas.
Post the arrival of the 21st century, with the change in leadership, Gujarat saw rapid progress with its continuation to the national GDP rising to ~ 8.1 per cent. Also, the per capita income that was 103 per cent of the national average in the 90s has now jumped to a whopping 160 per cent of the national average in 2023-24.
These are just some of the stories behind each state’s fall and rise or rise and fall, but each story and each legend brings out the clear fact that with Iron Will to execute and People’s well-being at the Centre of thoughts can take any region or state from Pits to Peak.
Intro: The economic landscape of Bharat’s states has shifted dramatically over the decades, reflecting changes in policy, governance, and regional priorities
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