REVIEWS
Problems
of Under-developed Economy by D. S. Nag.
Published by Lakshmi Narayan Agarwal,
It
is usual to divide the countries of the world into two categories–the developed
and the under-developed. Countries of Europe, the
The
question however for economists to consider is whether the theories that have
so far been evolved by them hold true of the undeveloped countries. Such a
question arises because these theories were developed mainly by western
economists on the basis of the conditions which prevailed in developed
countries. The problems with which they dealt are quite
different from those which are peculiar to undeveloped countries and they require
quite different solutions. Dr. D. S. Nag of the
He
points out in the first place that though there may be considerable difference
between one undeveloped country and another all of them have certain basic
characteristics. In all of them people have a low standard of living, there is a low rate of investment. There is an
inadequate supply of entrepreneurial ability. Potential natural resources are
available. There is also a keen desire for development among their people. They
all suffer from a deficiency of capital. Their economy is based on subsistance farming. They are extremely dependent on
exports. They suffer from over-population which goes on increasing at a rapid
rate. There is a good deal of under-employment and disguised
unemployment in them. These are only a few of their basic characteristics but
all these make their economy essentially different from the highly
industrialized and urban economy of the developed countries. Modern economic
theories deal essentially with problems of development at a higher level or
with the problems of sustaining the growth rate already achieved. “They hardly
project themselves into problems of moving an under-developed economy away from
stagnation.”
The
theories that are needed in the case of countries whose economy is undeveloped
should have a bearing on the factors which can bring about a larger amount of
capital formation, and which can tap the enormous amount of “disguised
unemployment” which contain a hidden source of saving. They must throw light on
the special problem of capital absorption. They should take into consideration
the larger part which Government has to play in planning and regulating the
economy. This is why theories based on laissez-faire and free enterprise
became irrelevant in such a context. There should also be a new theory of
international trade, a theory which will explain the terms of trade between
countries with unequal economies. In addition to all these there is the play of
several new economic factors some like religion, caste and other social
barriers retarding economic growth and some others like nationalism encouraging
it. Classical economists never took into consideration the influence of such
factors.
On
this basis Dr. Nag has developed a new theory of economic development. It is
not entirely new as in recent years many western economists have directed their
attention to this problem. It is also not quite new in another sense. Sixty, or seventy years ago nationalists like Ranade pointed out new western economic theories were not
applicable to
Foreign
Economic Policy of Soviet
One
of the characteristics of the contemporary world is the large amount of
economic aid that is being extended to underdeveloped countries by the more
advanced nations of the west. In this the leading part is played by the
He
makes it clear at the outset that the motive behind Soviet economic policy in
relation to backward countries is to put an end to the relics of imperialism
and to see that their economies become sufficiently progressive so that they
may ultimately stand on their own legs. This according to him is in general
line with Marxism as modified by Lenin. It is the hope of Soviet Russia that
such countries would in due course take to Marxism-Leninism and get away from
their indigenous feudal economies and also from the domination of the
capitalistic economies of the West. There is however no pressure of a
deliberate character exercised over the countries to which aid is extended. All
aid is without strings of any kind. Most of the aid is economic and not
military. In this respect there is a difference between Soviet Russia and the
The
aid given is in the form of capital and of technical assistance. It is this
kind of aid of which the backward countries are in the greatest need. He
illustrates the nature of the aid given by an elaborate study of Soviet
participation in the Bhilai steel plant and in the
oil industry in
He
suggests that the Soviet Union should increase its aid both in terms of amount
and speed, that the duration the credits given should be fairly long, that the
Soviet Union should serve as a market not merely for the raw materials produced
by the backward countries but also for their manufactures, and that more aid
should be extended for the modernisation of their
agriculture, instead of aid being given only for industrialisation. There are also
other suggestions made by him for reorientation of Soviet foreign economic
policy and they deserve favourable consideration at
the hands of Soviet authorities.
The
volume is a scholarly study of the subject and it is certain to have a wide
appeal to specialists as well as to the lay public.
–M.
VENKATARANGAIYA
Sadhana for Self-Realisation (Mantras,
Yantras and Tantras) by
Swami Pratyagatmananda Saraswati and Sir John Woodroffe. Ganesh and Co. (
Herein
the authors champion the cause of Mantra, Yantra and Tantra, as means for self-realisation, and attempt to
remove the misconceptions about them, define them in modern scientific terms
and explain how these are to be conceived and put to use for self-realisation.
In order to convince the western readers and modern scientists, the authors
correlate the technical terms in vedic
and tantric parlance with those of modern higher
mathematics and physics. The introduction of 26 pages by Swamiji
succinctly explains the significance of mantra, yantra,
tantra and other technical terms like Bindu, Nada, Kala, Ardhamatra etc., and outlines the systematic Japa of (Vyaharna) Gayatri mantra and Pranava, to
rouse the Kundalini power. Thus this section really
serves the purpose of introducing the reader to the principles of Tantra sastra. The Chapter on Yantras is the signal contribution of Swamiji,
wherein he unfolds and expounds the significance of yantra
etc., in modern scientific terminology. This chapter, intended as it is for a
scientist, is a hard nut to crack for an ordinary reader. Swamiji
should have done well, first to explain the relevant theories of modern science
in a simple manner on the lines of some modern American authors of scientific
books and then correlated them with the esoteric techniques of the Tantra cult, enabling thereby an ordinary reader also to
grasp the subject easily. However chapters V, VI and VII of this section which summarise the previous chapters in a nut shell are worth
careful study with perseverance and patience.
“Mantram is what operates the root, matrix or source of
power, so as to generate the requisite kind and quantity of energy for creative
or other purposes.” “Yantram is the power apparatus for
the adjustment, control and application of power having regard to a desired
kind and degree of working efficiency–tantra relates
specially to the right rtam or chandah,
the correct technique, the concerned modus operandi by which mantram operating through appropriate yantram
will deliver the goods.” (P. 11) Correlating these definitions with vedic terminology and applying this scheme to the syllable hrim Swamiji
further explains “The three are interlinked together. The bija
hrim, for instance, to be operative,
must combine the three. As mantra it evolves the nabhi
h; r and i trace the yantra
of power disposition; and chandrabindu is the
indicator of the pattern (cyclic or spiraline in this
case) of power operation. The latter two refer specially to ara
and nemi as mantra refers to nabhi.”
(P. 23) The same are defined in scientific terminology on page 64 as follows.
“The basic evolvent of Number relations (e.g. wave
frequency atomic number, Chromosome number) is mantram;
that of Magnitude relations (e.g. wavelength, all forms and patterns) is yantram; and what correlates the one system of relations
(e.g. formulae and equations) with the other is tantram.”
Swamiji hints at the
process, taking Gayatri mantra as a means–and
thus the introduction is of much value to the inquisitive seeker also. The
chapter on Tantras is lucid, instructive and
illuminating. A letter addressed by Swamiji to Sir
John Woodroffe also is included at the end–and
this letter contains a discourse on the subject whether “Sakti
becomes deplete, when Kundalini is uncoiled and
roused. Swamiji answers that it never becomes
depleted. The discourse is very interesting.”
This
work is a de novo approach to the interpretation of tantric
technique. It dispells and sets at naught the doubts
of a doubting Thomas, enlightens a believer groping in darkness about the
subject, instils and reinforces fresh enthusiasm in a
believer, introduces a novice to the subject, and most important of all,
attempts to carry conviction to a modern scientist by explaining the subject in
his own language. So a layman, a seeker, and a scientist as well, all can reap
a rich harvest of enlightenment on the subject, by a careful perusal of this
work.
–B. KUTUMBA RAO
Telugu Chandovikasamu by K. Sampatkumaracharya. Published by Kulapati
Samiti, Warangal. Pages
18+327. Price Rs. 10.
That
the Sahitya Academy of the Andhra Pradesh has thought it fit to honour the author with an award of one thousand rupees for
the publication of this work, is itself a proof of the value and high standard
of this work. This is an almost exhaustive, historical, descriptive and
comparative treatise on the origin and evolution of prosody in all its aspects
in Telugu literature, from the pre-Nannaya period upto modern times. Both in quality and quantity, this work
does not in any way fall short of a comparison with any thesis submitted for a
Research Degree in Universities. After a dissertation on the origins of the
science and the nature of prosody, the author surveys the literature of pre-Nannaya period and comes to the conclusion that metres Germana to Dravidian
languages must have had their origin even before Christ. At about 1000 A. D., Champakamala and Utpalamala, metres belonging to Samskrit poetry were adapted by Telugu
poets. Nannaya in his Bharatam
used 22 Samskrit metres of which Champaka
and Utpala malas are the
most frequent, being used 240 and 184 respectively. Of the 8 desi metres used by him Kandamu, which is used 1219 times tops the list and Madhyakkara is the most frequently used one among special metres. An exhaustive study of the nature of metres used by Nannaya is made in
this 4th Chapter. A study of Champus and Dwipadas follows, wherein it is proved that the tradition
of Champus was borrowed by Nannaya
from Kannada, but not from Samskrit. If Nannaya is
the originator, of the Champu tradition in Telugu, Somanadha is the founder of the Dwipada
tradition. Chapters Seven and Eight dealing with Yati
and Prasa, and works on prosody in Telugu form the
cream of this book. Even the metres used in folk
songs, and modern poetry are given a clear exposition and Mutyalasaramu
of modern poetry has an important place in this exposition. A chapter is
devoted to Shat Pratyayas and six kinds of
versification are also given their due place. In every chapter the author has
something his own to contribute, and his exposition of the subject matter is
always clear and exhaustive. A valuable preface by Sri Visvanadha
Satyanarayana enhances the value of this book which
in our opinion is an indispensable aid to every student of Telugu literature.
–B.
KUTUMBA RAO