Book description
Indians wryly admit that 'India grows at night'. But that is only half
the saying; the full expression is: 'India grows at night . . . when the
government sleeps', suggesting that the nation may be rising despite the
state. India's is a tale of private success and public failure.
Prosperity is, indeed, spreading across the country even as governance
failure pervades public life. But how could a nation become one of the
world's fastest-growing economies when it's governed by a weak,
ineffective state? And wouldn't it be wonderful if India also grew
during the day-in other words, if public policy supported private
enterprise? What India needs, Gurcharan Das says, is a strong, liberal
state. Such a state would have the authority to take quick, decisive
action; it would have the rule of law to ensure those actions are
legitimate; and finally, it would be accountable to the people. But
achieving this will not be easy, says Das, because India has
historically had a weak state and a strong society.
