Question

Describe the main characteristics of Pt, Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s economic policy.

Answer 1

Following are the main characteristics of Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s economic policy :

• Wealth in Indian Culture : Religion has always been considered the fundamental manly effort and wealth in Indian culture, and a structure is needed for economic re-construction on the basis of religion.
• Psychology of Wealth : Pt. Deen Dayal is of the view that lack of wealth makes man a thief. The lack of wealth in society or insufficiency of means in society or lack of ethics-oriented planning, turns the wrongs in society into right, and similarly, the influence of wealth also destroys religion. Thus, such standards be made in society that everything should not be bought with money.
• Questions of Ownership : The seminal conflict between individualism and socialism has produced a new dimension, whether the individual should have the right over property/ wealth or should the state have the right over it.
• Prohibition on Capitalism and Socialism : Upadhyay was a strong opponent of centralization of the power of unlimited production in the hands of some people. The tendency of capitalism is the centralized financial power in the hands of some people.
• Economic Democracy : Upadhyay does not consider democracy only to be a dimension of political life. He is of the view that as ‘vote for everyone’ is a conclusion of political democracy, so is ‘work for everyone’ a standard measure of economic democracy.
• Prohibition on Heavy Industries : Because of centralization of production of heavy industries and domination of mechanization on demand and supply, heavy industries assume dictatorial tendencies and become inhuman.
• Moderate Industrial Policy : Upadhyay, inspite of being opposed to heavy industries, supported the development of a healthy industrialization. Thus, he was in favour of a moderate (i.e. an industrial policy which produced a little more than needed for self-reliance) industrial policy.
• De-centralised Economy : According to Upadhyay, the basis of economy should be our villages and districts. Economic planning which depopulates villages will ultimately prove to be the one to depopulate India. Systems which get trapped in the vicious cycle of heavy industries and centralization are hard to be brought back on track.