Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's remarks on the release of books by Narendra Jadhav

"I am truly delighted to be associated with the release of books written by Narendra. These books are a tribute to his scholarship, erudition and more importantly, a firm determination to progress in life against all odds. His is truly a profile in courage. I feel particularly happy to release these books today because Narendra's message to the world is not just a critique of what is wrong with our social and economic reality, but, and more importantly, it is a message of how the wrong can be set right. All his work is a pointer to this hopeful future for our people.

Indeed, Narendra's life is itself a story of both struggle and progress. All real progress is after all a product of genuine struggle. If Narendra, like the millions of our countrymen and countrywomen who have been deprived and discriminated against, had not stood up to be counted, had not fought for a better life, then the progress we have seen in our lifetime would not have been possible. But we cannot rest content with the status quo. There are "miles to go before we sleep".

Like the life of Dr B R Ambedkar, or indeed the life of our beloved former Rashtrapati, the Late Dr. K R Narayanan, the life story of Dr Jadhav is also a story of change, of great courage, of progress, of hope. It should, I believe, inspire millions of our disempowered citizens to feel empowered and to seek a new life of dignity, self-respect and well being. Our Government is deeply and firmly committed to the empowerment and progress of the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, the Minorities and Women. Our political platform is a platform of progress through empowerment.

In releasing these books today, I wish to participate in the celebration of the hope that Narendra's life symbolises. It has important lessons for shaping the India of our dreams, because it is the hope of a better tomorrow, that makes life worth living, especially for those who have had a difficult past and little to rejoice in even in the present. What I find stimulating about the writings of Narendra is the fact that the optimism about the future that he has imbibed from his own life and the life of his father has shaped his thinking about our country and about our economy.

I am mightily pleased to read the conclusions he draws in his book on the Indian economy, "Re-Emerging India". Indeed, the story of India is best captured by that phrase. Normally economists refer to what are called Emerging Markets. I hope Narendra's book will encourage analysts to make a distinction between the so-called "Emerging Markets", and the "Re-Emerging Markets".

India, like China, is not just an "emerging market". It is, if anything, a "re-emerging market". Our history has been a history of active participation in the global exchange of goods, services and ideas. There was a time when our GDP accounted for a quarter of the world's GDP. India is presently engaged in the process of recovering its lost space in the global economy, to re-emerge as another engine of global economic growth.

However, for this process to be speeded up, we have to pay greater attention to questions of equity and social justice just as we continue to pay attention to issues of modernization and liberalization and de-bureaucratisation of our economy. I have often spoken about the need to "walk on two legs" in a complex polity like ours. We must pursue policies that address the cry for equity and social justice, and at the same time, pursue policies that meet the demands of efficiency and enterprise. And this we must do within the framework of a plural democracy. This is not an easy task. Few countries in the world have attempted it, fewer have succeeded. Indeed, no country as large as ours has ever done so. But this I believe, is the only way we can move ahead.

What I find most satisfying in the work of Dr. Narendra is the fact that he mirrors this vision of fighting discrimination along with pursuing modernization. In our country, there are some who focus all their attention on only one side of the coin of our reality. If all our energies are invested in rewriting the past, when will we write the story of our future? The two have to go together. We must rid our society of the social evils that have held us back. But we must also build a new India that is capable of dealing with the world in a self-confident manner.

I believe this is the central message of the combined works of Narendra. I urge all political leaders and social reformers to read both the autobiography of Dr Jadhav and his treatise on "Re-Emerging India". We must draw the correct lessons from both. Narendra's autobiography must shape our social and political vision. It must shape our educational policy. His book on the Indian economy must shape our thinking on economic policy.

Let me say in conclusion that when I reflect on Narendra's worldview, I am indeed reminded of the worldview of Dr B R Ambedkar. Dr Ambedkar also combined in himself the radical vision of a social reformer, indeed a social revolutionary, and the forward-looking vision of an economic and political modernist. The Indian Constitution was shaped simultaneously by both sets of visions. It encapsulates a commitment to social reform and an equal commitment to political and economic modernisation.

I sincerely hope the success of these books will inspire Narendra to write more books and illuminate public discourse in our country on the vital issues of national policy. I wish Narendra many more years of active and productive intellectual and social work in the cause of our nation's greater glory. I compliment him on his work and wish him well in years to come. May God bless him and bless his path.