Crusade India - Softcover

K C Agrawal

Softcover

ISBN 10: 8190164244 ISBN 13: 9788190164245

Publisher: Knowledge Book Inc, 2007

Synopsis

The book is an ambitious attempt to explore ways to strengthen India economically, politically and spiritually and make it one of the most powerful and flourishing nations in the world in the coming decades. Authored by a committed and inquiring researcher, it analyses the factors responsible for the ramshackle state of affairs in the country as a result of many a malaise misgovernance, corruption, industrial failure and dwindling economy to name a few. Taking up various areas for focused study, like India s resources, political administration, economic growth, development programmes at various levels and impact of globalisation, it examines the mistakes made in the past, partly because of ignorance and partly because of selfish motives, in approach, strategies adopted, execution of plans and programmes and evaluation. Giving vital facts and figures garnered through intense research, the work points out how and why India lags behind in rural development, population control, reform of education, water management, disaster management, power generation, tourism, environmental issues, reform of police and judiciary and of defence services, and presents insightful and thought provoking suggestions on how the situation can be remedied. It has also attempted to provide solutions to addressing problems in the NE states and the Kashmir issue. Owing to the nature of the subject here discussed and the author s unique holistic approach and original perspective in addressing issues, the book will interest a large range of readers keen to watch India progress. They will feel as if the author is talking about them and is concerned for the well-being. Its fluent style of writing makes the approach all the more realistic and interesting.

About this title

About the Author:

K C Agrawal, an electrical engineer and senior member IEEE,USA, had had more than 33 years experience in different capacities in academics, PSUs, multinationals like Crompton Greaves and NGEF, a unit of AEG, West Germany, and then running his own industry, ECS Pvt. Ltd. for 24 years, manufacturing switchgears. He has also authored Shaping India of Our Dreams and books on electrical engineering , sort of mini encyclopedias and greatly acclaimed worldwide, titled Industrial Power Engineering and Applications Handbook, published by Butterworth Heinemann, a unit of Elsevier Science, USA /UK, and it its enhanced and upgraded edition Electrical Power Engineering Reference & Applications Handbook. Some 18 years ago, greatly moved by the country's highly deplorable condition and the sight of the poverty stricken people, he pledged to do something for the nation and steer the people out of from their present somber plight to a glorious future. Crusade India is a result of his dedication towards this cause and the first step towards realizing these dreams.

Review:

Recognizing at the outset that it is quite presumptuous for an American citizen to engage in a critical review of a book that deals with the extremely complex and highly controversial socioeconomic, political, and religious aspects of modern day India, this reviewer has undertaken such an assignment with a keen awareness and true appreciation of the important role that a great nation plays on the international stage. To that extent, we are all fellow citizens in a world that is embroiled in battle, beseiged by terrorism, and continuously torn apart by internecine conflicts dating back many centuries. If our civilization is to advance and flourish arguably, to simply survive we must develop a mature and realistic approach that objectively analyzes existing problems, attempts to identify their respective etiologies, and strive to find peaceful ways by which those problems can be resolved or at least ameliorated. Regrettably, too few people are courageous enough to address such matters in a calm, intellectual fashion that is devoid of a secret, self serving agenda; and who do not hesitate to express opinions that will undoubtedly create much resentment and dismay among various segments of a particular society. K. C. Agrawal, a respected, experienced electrical engineer and self made industrialist, has enthusiastically undertaken such an assignment. Crusade India is a bold, innovative literary endeavor that fearlessly identifies, objectively reviews, and intelligently addresses the serious, multi-facetted problems that beset India as this great nation celebrates the 60th Anniversary of its independence from Great Britain and eagerly anticipates its future. As the author illustrates with an overwhelming amount of indisputable data, that although his beloved country has accomplished a great deal in just six decades, there remains a huge amount of work to be done if India is to fully exploit her vast resources and fulfill the dreams of her courageous founders and early leaders. With the world s second largest population, a large territory, and rich cultural heritage, India s potential is virtually unlimited. Moreover, as the most populous democracy ever to exist on the face of this earth, it is understandable and quite reasonable for other civilized nations to expect major contributions from India toward the attainment of peace and justice in this turbulent world. To the extent that India can recognize and successfully cope with its indigenous problems and significantly improve living conditions for all its different constituencies, the rest of the world will undoubtefdly benefit. The author realistically appreciates the complexity and highly sensitive nature of the many obstacles that confront his country. He realizes that meaningful change can only occur if vast numbers of his fellow countrymen and women commit themselves in a dedicated, selfless manner to the kinds of dramatic socioeconomic, philosophical, and educational institutional policies he boldly recommends. To this end, he has conceived a new organization Crusade India . In fact, a membership application form is contained within this bound volume for readers to review and hopefully submit. What could be more genuine and pragmatic than this rather novel approach! As a foreigner who has long admired the Indian people and the magnificent nation they succeeded in forging in 1947, I heartily recommend Crusade India. A wonderful birthday present for all literate citizens of India no matter how young or old you may be. --Cyril Wecht, Email: chwecht@yfi.net

This book explores ways to strengthen India economically, politically and spiritually and make it one of the most powerful and flourishing nations in the world. It analyses the factors responsible for the dismal progress of India and the miserable condition of its people, including misgovernance, corruption, industrial failure and a dwindling economy amongst others. Taking up various areas for focused study, the book examines the mistakes made in the past partly because of ignorance and selfish motives in approach, strategies adopted, execution of plans and their evaluation. Giving vital facts and figures garnered through intensive research, the book points out how and why India lags behind, and presents insightful suggestions on how the situation can be remedied. Including that of north-eastern states and the Kashmir imbroglio. --Þ CABI Publishing(A division of CAB International), Wallingford, Oxon, UK, E-mail : accessions@cabi.org

In many words and books, it is as a land of plenty, of endless possibility and immense potential which has been the vision that visionaries, dreamers, poets and patriots alike saw this land of the ages. Every book saw a new age, every writing visualised a new dawn, every poem waxed eloquent of a movement that crusades ahead, romantic enough, poetic enough, towards an idealistic ideal where reality unfortunately is not in sync. To is genre comes yet another vision, yet another dream, Crusade India: Towards a New Dawn by K.C. Agrawal. This book presents a carefully documented pen picture of India s history as a performer in the last 60 years. It is a critique, unbiased, succinct, sharp and clear, a critique of India s economy, polity and potential. It also presents in the same breath a blueprint for the country s rejuvenation, growth and sustenance. Crusade India has been designed as a vehicle for growth, a paradigm for change and a vehicle for the thrust that this transformation impels, requires. The prescription given needed not necessarily be the most appropriate for the ills perceived but is a definitive approximation for the panacea that is required. While there is much truth in the assessment in most part, the underlying swagger of a patron need not be missed. K.C. Agrawal leaves nothing to discretion or guile, as the case may be, to call a spade a spade and in places even a trowel a spade, if the purpose is served and there is much truth, little to criticise and much to ruminate upon, on many of his postulates. The opprobrium speeds home still further with the highlighted boxed items , phrases, sentences and whole paragraphs in bold type peppering every page which while makes for an easy, quick read at once makes it also the book s main point of distraction. To a serious reader, it is as much a hindrance, a stumbling block as it is a useful guide. The issues are topical, the observations commendable, the criticisms justified. The facts are in context, the exhaustive tables and charts, statistics and data all bear testimony to the painstaking detail that the making of this book has gone into. However, where it falters is in the pedantic litany and paradoxical rhetoric that takes away the potency of the sting. After a point, there is a pattern, a predictable pattern which makes the reading redundant and regresses from being a nascent blueprint for action to a reference handbook with suggestions for change thrown in. The holistic sweep and the diverse perspectives call attention to India s resurgence as a need, as a reality. The author visualises the evolution through a series of public interest litigations (PIL) and thereafter execute the plan of prosperity as delineated in the book. What is more diverse is the question that, in a system entrenched in an iron-frame bureaucracy, a well defined political construct, a proactive judiciary, a vibrant democracy and loquacious Press, how far will the stance of a PIL go as a viable weapon of change is a point to ponder about. --Dhanalakshmi Ayyer, dhanalakshmi60@yahoo.co.in

About this edition

• Publisher: Knowledge Book Inc
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 8190164244
• ISBN 13: 9788190164245
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 394
• Editor: K C Agrawal