The Economy of Permanence: A Quest for a Social Order Based on Non-violence (स्थायी अर्थतन्त्र)

Economy of Permanence
VIII. GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS
As has been observed all activities in human society present two view-points-
the long range view and the short range view. 'The individual is generally
obsessed with the immediate benefit he gets. He is not much interested in a
programme of work what will bear fruit after his time. He would be prepared to
be satisfied with lower return in the near future than to work for an end that
will fructify much later. Therefore it becomes necessary, in the interests of the
whole social group, to detail out certain individuals to attend to the dictates of
the long range interests. This is the function of a National Government.
Again, certain necessary functions cannot be performed within the limits of the
resources available to the common citizen. Such functions also fall to the
government whose resources of men and material are immense. Research,
experimentation and dissemination of information are such functions which an
individual farmer or artisan cannot undertake.
All the zeal, talent and resources of the State and the public that have up to
the present been directed towards pushing ahead factory products, should now
be rechannelled into a drive for village sufficiency based on village industries.
With determined effort all the handicaps from which villagers suffer at present
should be removed as possible.
Irrigation : The need for providing irrigation facilities to all the villages cannot
be emphasised too greatly. This is the foundation upon which agriculture
depends for its progress, in the absence of which farming becomes a pure
gamble. A drive for sinking wells, enlarging and dredging tanks, building canals,
has to be launched. The power engines used in rice and flour mills now can be
acquired by the governments to pump up water from tube wells. No proper
manuring can be done without water facilities as manure in the absence of
water is harmful.
Land Management: We have to increase the extent and quality of soil under
cultivation. The quality of the soil should be maintained by checking erosion
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