Social empowerment is key to economic development

India recently slipped to the 4th largest economy from the position of 6th largest economy in the world. According to IMF, India has the potential to increase its GDP by 27% per year. Despite vast natural resources, a large young population, and the potential to grow by 27% per year, India has not been able to perform up to its potential. REASON – Lack of social empowerment. 
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar remarked that the constitutional structure is merely a top dressing over underlying layers of society based on inequality, discrimination, and exclusion. This disempowerment of a large section of India’s democracy is actually the core reason behind slow economic development.
This essay will discuss the various dimensions of the lack of social empowerment of people and its relation to economic development. It will focus on the aspect that the key to India’s development lies in the social empowerment of her people.
Historically too, it can be seen that a lack of social empowerment was the key reason behind the colonization of the country. India has a rich history of knowledge in mathematics, astrology, discovery of zero, brave kings, high foreign trade (24% share in world trade during Mughals). Despite all these achievements, it fell prey to colonialism because the majority of the population was deprived of social, economic, and political benefits.
Economic Development is not just high GDP growth rate, a large economy size, etc. Economic development is different from economic growth. Economic development encompasses the aspect of Human development.
According to the capability Approach, development is the realization of freedoms. It is a reduction of various disabilities that are imposed on people artificially by society. Thus, economic development is a broader goal than economic growth, and the key to its fulfillment lies in social empowerment.
Women, who form half of society, have a very low labor participation rate (23.3%). It has decreased from 27% despite government steps like maternity benefits, criminalization of sexual harassment, etc. REASON – social empowerment is lacking which matters as a prerequisite for their economic development.
Various factors like female foeticide, patriarchal attitude, gender discrimination, glass ceilings index prevent women from taking up job opportunities. The underlying reason behind their low economic development is actually their social disempowerment. Hence, their social empowerment is key to their economic development.
Scheduled castes who have constitutional protection, representation in legislature, education & Public employment. However, still they form less than 4% of civil services of India. Here, again the reason is social disempowerment.
Centuries of injustice and discrimination prevented them from accessing various opportunities. Even today, caste discrimination exists; for instance, public flogging of Dalits in Una, segregation in schools (shown widely in Satyameva Jayate show) show the need for their social empowerment so that they can tap into various economic opportunities fully.
Similarly is the case with scheduled Tribes. They also have constitutional protection, more political and governance power but they are one of the least economically developed people. Their case again shows the need for social empowerment as key to economic development.
For instance, they have a low literacy rate of 40%. They are often discriminated against by mainstream society and considered as primitive people; various tribes of North-eastern India have faced racial discrimination and attacks in Delhi and Bangalore. Hence, any attempt at their economic upliftment must first involve their social empowerment.
The importance of social empowerment as key to economic development can also be seen with respect to the youth of this country. Child labor practices, lack of quality education, etc., make them vulnerable to various crimes. The rising juvenile delinquency and decreasing mental health are two big impediments to providing employment to all. Hence, social empowerment must precede economic development.
The case of manual scavengers depicts the need for social empowerment for economic development. Despite prohibition on manual scavenging and statutory provisions for their rehabilitation and employment, lakhs of people are still involved in this (89 deaths of manual scavengers in the past 3 years). The reason is that they still face various social disabilities and discrimination which stop them from economic upliftment.
The religious minorities particularly Muslims and other minorities like transgender also need social empowerment before their economic development. It is because social empowerment brings real change in their status in society.
The link between social empowerment and economic development can also be seen in different regions of India. States like Jharkhand, Odisha are very poor despite rich natural resources reserves because of a lack of social empowerment of people in these states.
On the other hand, Kerala is performing well because it first invested in social empowerment like literacy, health, non-discrimination etc. Economic development followed social empowerment in Kerala.
Any economic growth without social empowerment is not sustainable; for instance, states like Haryana and Punjab did exceptionally well on economic fronts. However, the fallout of economic growth sans social empowerment is showing up in these states; for instance high drug abuse, rising crime rates. This again proves that social empowerment is key to economic development.
Various measures at multiple levels need to be taken to socially empower the people. First and foremost is effective implementation of Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) which establish solid democracy in India.
State needs to effectively implement various existing laws like PESA Act, Forest Rights Act to socially and legally empower scheduled tribes. Steps like Eklavya Model Residential schools for educating tribal children are good steps.
Similarly, other measures like implementation of prohibition on manual scavenging child labor, female feticide are needed. State needs to sternly deal with cases of discrimination on the basis of caste and other prohibited grounds under Article 15.
Apart from this, some new schemes taken by the government like Ujjwala scheme (LPG connection), provision of sanitary napkins to girls, self-help groups and governance are right steps in the direction of social empowerment of people.
Social empowerment of all people is very necessary. Lack of social empowerment results in inequalities discrimination mutual distrust etc., which all affect the unity of the country negatively. It results in social conflicts, riots etc., which ultimately affect economic development. Thus, the superstructure of economic development cannot be built without the infrastructure of social empowerment.
For instance, an Oxfam Report showed that 1% of the Indian population owns 67% of wealth; such huge & stark contrast between people or result of weak social empowerment of the majority of people. Any sustainable economic growth is not sustainable.
Hence, it is very important that along with government measures people also contribute to the social empowerment of fellow beings. Sensitization measures, awareness campaigns, more community meets, integration of people are necessary for socially empowering people; with government measures and people’s support, social empowerment is not far away and so is economic development too.