Page 59 - Tehelka Issue 14E

BOOK REVIEW

Jholawala and the art of first-hand. Dreze’s instead believes that like many other

uses insights from his field
programmes in India, NREGA,
too, has to work on the ac -
surveys conducted by student
social policy planning volunteers. What is interest- countability factor if the inter-
ing about these surveys is that
ests mentioned in the plan are
most of the student volun-
to be achieved. The scheme
teers working for Dreze and
ing to the volition of workers’
Dr. Reetika Khera were either is plagued by issues pertain-
paid very low or were not paid entitlements. The problems,
ight from the onset of In the book Sense and Solidarity, development economist at all. This again was part of Dreze says, lies in the huge
Sense and Solidarity- their campaign which called social distance that separates
Jholawala Economics Jean Dreze, captures the complex statistical data set in simple for “Hard work, No pay”. To government officials from
for Everyone, author field experiments to present the human impact of the Dreze’s surprise, the response NREGA workers. The econo-
R Jean Dreze sets the tone to this campaign was over- mist best explains it as a pro-
for the whole book, which is to un- economic policies active in the country. Further, the author whelming and students from worker law implemented by
ravel the simple human facets of the attempts to start a discussion between the policymakers and almost all over the country an anti-worker system.
mammoth statistics affecting our the Jholawala activist, of which he too is known to be applied for the programme With the PDS, NREGA and
lives. Revered as one of the finest de- to work in the remote areas most of the public policies
velopment economists of the world, a part, writes BEDASREE DAS of the country with little or covered in the book, Dreze did
Jean Dreze dissects the relationship no resources. Here Dreze not shy away from the contro-
of the Indian economy with that of what they repeatedly focus on is the fallout of the development policies also points out the concept versial topic of Aadhaar either.
the millions still in need of the basic concept of research-oriented action in areas where they are most re- of donations with no strings In the essay titled, ‘Unique
amenities, promised by a developing or as Dreze calls it ‘Research for Ac- quired. Dreze points out three basic attached. For the author, the Identity Dilemma’, Dreze
country. Dreze, himself an activist- tion’. In the words of Dreze, the con- reasons for these failures- inefficien- dependence of academic points out that although the
economist, attempts to enumerate cept reflects on how ‘research can cy, corruption and exploitation. The research on funding agen- UID seems like a “foolproof
the factors impacting our perspec- help with arguments and evidence toll of these issues in the mental and cies have serious repercus- PHOTO: TEHELKA ARCHIVES solution” to identity verifica-
tive of a socially impaired society; that contribute to more effective physical health of the population lies sions, especially, if the agency tion in India, the scheme’s
factors that are considered ‘unfash- action’. It also calls out the existing unattended. As far as Dreze’s field has its own agenda in the research. uncertain terms need to be questioned.
‘SENSE AND
ionable’ but nevertheless offer a view norm of using excessive verbose research goes, corruption has ham- However, doing away with funding SOLIDARITY: Because, while the UID has in itself
of a changing society. phraseology among economists pered even the basic functioning of agencies means adopting a low-cost JHOLAWALA been claimed to be voluntary, it has
Sense and Solidarity is a collec- which make their papers difficult the Public Distribution System(PDS) research process, which again is a ECONOMICS FOR been made mandatory for accessing the
tion of essays co-authored with for the masses to comprehend and in inaccessible areas of the country, a difficult proposition for many academic EVERYONE’ benefits of important social schemes
BY: JEAN DREZE
some of Dreze’s colleagues and hence creates a wall in the contribu- subject that he explores throughout researchers. Orient BlackSwan like the NREGA and PDS. According
friends. The essays, written over tion to action. the book. In addition to that, while While most policies are drafted for 343 PP; 395 to the writer, this not only creates the
a period of time, is divided into 10 Some of the observations made the traditional methods of liveli- the advantage of the economically issue of social control but also fails to
chapters- ‘Drought and Hunger’, by Dreze and his co-authors reveal a hoods are collapsing there is a lack of backward, what they lack is the inclu- offer a back-up for areas with tech -
‘Poverty’, ‘School Meals’, ‘Health Care’, suitable alternatives for the people sion of all aspects of any issue. Dreze, for nological connectivity. Further, since
‘Child Development and Elementary coming out of these means of living. example, questions the Draft Approach there is no privacy law guiding it,
Education’, ‘Employment Guaran- Some of the In the essay, ‘Fragile Lifelines, Robust Paper policy to the 11th plan for under- notion that the scheme cannot work. the public has basically no protection
tee’, ‘Food Security and Public Dis- Oppression’, Dreze talks about his mining the bigger issue of the state of However, Dreze says that evidence as against the misuse of their personal
tribution System’, ‘Corporate Power observations experience across the Kalahandi- Indian children, especially, those under provided by Focus on Children Under data.
and Technocracy’, ‘War and Peace’ made in the book Bolangir-Korapur region of Odisha. the age of six. It should be noted that Six (FOCUS), offers enough evidence In all, Sense and Solidarity does
and ‘Top-Up’. Each chapter includes While, the region’s economic back- nearly half of India’s children under that the scheme is, in fact, effective but break down complex and inarticulate
essays most relevant to the theme. reveal a fallout of wardness had many contributing six years of age are undernourished, needs to be made more efficient. As the numerical data into simple human
Most of the essays have been previ- the development factors, it was a less observed fac- while more than half suffer from Anae- Economist puts it, “A decent society statistics through the use of actual field
ously published in the ‘The Hindu’. tor which was taking a toll on its mia. While such children are covered cannot be built on the ruins of hunger, experience. Unlike, many books in this
The author had previously co-au- policies in areas inhabitants. That of declining land under the Integrated Children Develop- malnutrition, and ill health.” domain the language is simple and
thored books like Hunger and Public where they are productivity and lack of economic ment Scheme (ICDS) also known as the One of the early supporters of the easy for everyone to understand. Most
Action and An Uncertain Glory: In- diversification. Anganwadi scheme, only half of these National Rural Employee Guaran - importantly, Dreze remains true to the
dia and its Contradictions with Nobel most required due Throughout the book, the author children are registered with the scheme tee Act (NREGA), Dreze, in the essay, core aspect of the book — engaging the
Prize-winning economist, Amartya to inefficiency, calls out the inconsistencies in sta- and a plan to provide full coverage for ‘Employment Guarantee’, explores policymakers and the Jholawalas to
Sen, among others. tistical inferences because of the fact all children is yet to be implemented. how the scheme has shown some start an inclusive deliberation on social
While the essays reflect mainly corruption and that undermines real human prob- The bigger worry, as pointed out by actual achievements by including eco- policy planning.
on the social policy changes that the lems that can only be experienced the writer, is the apathy of the officials nomically weaker sections like Dalits
given topic has witnessed over time, exploitation by visiting and talking to the subjects towards the scheme, thanks to the in its ambit. However, here the author LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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