Book Reviews : "Income Distribution, Growth and Basic Needs in India" by R. Sinha, Peter Pearson, Gopal Kadekodi and Mary Gregory. Published by Croom Helm, London. £9.95 in U.K. only
| Author | A. Ramsay Tainsh |
| Date | 01 April 1981 |
| DOI | 10.1177/004711788100700109 |
| Published date | 01 April 1981 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
1075
system
relating
to
the
regional
registration
of
claims
and
agreed
align-
ments.
This
could
prove
valuable
in. ensuring
an
adequate
flow
of
infor-
mation
to
other
interested
parties
with
regard
to
the
administration
of
certain
areas.
Perhaps
the
most
interesting
idea
is
for
an
extension
of
a
&dquo;without
prejudice&dquo;
regime
system
concerning
areas
subject
to
competing
claims,
particularly
in
regions
that
are
sparsely
inhabited
or
geographically
harsh.
This
would
permit
interested
parties
to
utilise
the
resources
of
the
area,
without
the
politically
hazardous
step
of
actually
having
to
allocate
the
territory
to
the
states
in
contention.
Of
course,
such
a
documentary
work
is
by
its
very
nature
strong
on
relevant
material
but
rather
weaker
on
analysing
broader
concepts
under-
lying
particular
claims.
One
may
by
way
of
example
mention
the
crucial
significance
of
the
principle
of
self-determination
or
the
principles
of
his-
torical
or
cultural
ties
and
geographic
contiguity
especially
as
they
affect
former
&dquo;colonial
enclaves&dquo;.
But
these
principles
call
for
a
more
con-
ceptual
approach
ordering
and
analysing
the
crucial
source
material
and
that
is
not
the
work
that
Professor
Brownlie
set
out
to
produce.
Professor
Brownlie
has
produced
a
work
that
is
surprising
in
its
depth
and
scope.
It
has
few,
if
any,
rivals
as
a
classic
example
of
the
genre
and
certainly
none
for
a
number
of
generations
past.
—Malcolm
Shaw.
"Income
Distribution,
Growth
and
Basic
Needs
in
India"
by
R.
Sinha,
Peter
Pearson,
Gopal
Kadekodi
and
Mary
Gregory.
Published
by
Croom
Helm,
London.
£9.95
in
U.K.
only.
This
book
is
the
outcome
of
a
research
project
sponsored
by
the
Department
of
Political
Economy,
Glasgow
University,
the
Institute
of
Economic
Growth,
Delhi
and
Queen
Elizabeth
House,
Oxford.
The
task
set
has
been
to
follow
up
some
rather
vague
LL.O.
concepts
about
redistribution
of
income
and
basic
human
needs.
The
co-authors
have
undertaken
a
vast
amount
of
reading
rather
than
going
out
into
the
rural
areas.
The
Bibliography
lists
120
main
authors
as
well
as
numerous
reports
written
by
national
and
international
organisa-
tions.
However,
the
book
does
not
provide
any
clear-cut
ideas
concerning
income
redistribution,
economic
growth
or
even
what
are
the
basic
needs
of
India.
The
basic
needs
of
the
peoples
of
India
are
not
more
cash
but
an
abundant
supply
of
potable
water,
cheap
wholesome
food,
fuel
to
cook
it
and
sound
sanitation.
For
instance,
while
this
book
was
being
produced
the
Gross
National
Waste
of
harvested
grain
in
India
was,
for
1978-79,
44.4
per
cent
or
52
million
tonnes
at
Rs.
2,500
per
tonne,
or
a
total
of
Rs.
130,000
million.
In
addition
to
these
losses
the
Buffer
Stocks held
by
the
Food
Cor-
poration
of
India
amounted
to
20
million
tonnes.
However,
as
the
mois-
ture
content
of
this
grain
was
high
it
heated
and
spoilt.
Auctioning
oif
spoilt
grain
helps
to
conceal
losses
in
terms
of
tonnage,
but
the
consump-
tion
of
spoilt
food
leads
to
Primary
and
Secondary
Mycotoxicosis
and
a
decline
in
health
of
man
and
beast.
Better
storage
would
lead
to
a
vast
surplus
of
grain
in
India
but
there
is
an
acute
shortage
of
domestic
fuel,
timber
and
other
forest
pro-
ducts.
This
has
led
to
erosion
in
the
hills
and
plains,
the
silting
up
of
dam
reservoirs
and
the
reduction
of
hydro-electric
power.
It
has
also
led
to
the
silting
up
of
river
beds
and
widespread
flooding
and
serious
damage
to
property
and
loss
of
life.
This
book
makes
difficult
reading.
It
is
verbose
and
after
reading
a
paragraph
or
a
chapter
the
reader
is
left
wondering
what
the
co-authors
really
mean
to
convey.
It
would
have
been
more
useful
if
they
had
been
sent
to
the
four
corners
of India
for
some
months
and
then
recorded
their
observations
and
findings.
Fortunately
the
Indian
Planning
Commission
now
realize
the
value
of
reports
and
books
written
by
field
workers
before
1939.
Dr.
P.
G.
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