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

Economy of Permanence
Unfortunately for the present age, the parties that are playing the star roles on
the world are wielding mainly, if not solely monetary standards, which are
fleeting in their effect and influence. Everywhere, we hear talk of 'High
standards of living,¹ 'Raising the national income/ 'Increasing productive power
and efficiency', 'Making it pay in the modern world of competition' and a score
of such arresting slogans. The prevailing school of economic thought is built on
the quicks ands of Profit, Price, Purchasing Power and Foreign Trade. There is
no thought lost on the deeper things of life that mark our man from the other
orders. If anything there is even a dangerous tendency to treat with contempt
any mention of human or spiritual values. Hence the need for caution.
A few specimen applications of modern methods of measurement to some of
the treasures that have been handed down to us will disclose how absurd these
so-called up-to-date methods are in that setting.
The Director of the Pottery Works, after examining a rare specimen of Chinese
hand-painted vase, will exclaim "What! this article took so long to make. Why I
can produce a thousand pairs of such vases in a month."
The Lithograph expert visiting the Ajanta caves, which contain some of the
most wonderful mural paintings and frescoes in the world and which must have
taken decades or even centuries to produce, would promise to turn out
thousands of copies of these masterpieces in a matter of few weeks !
The oil seeds merchant will bewail the waste of acres of fertile land at
Shalimar Gardens, which, if placed under cultivation, might produce thousands
of maunds of groundnuts every year!
Seeing the ancient manuscripts, styled on palm leaves, which have inspired
many schools of Philosophy and have helped to mould lasting civilization, the
publishing genius will wonder at the inferior material used and will go on to
quote estimates to bring out an edition of it printed on 'Bond' paper at Rs 5/-
per copy !
A contractor, who supplies tea table to Irani restaurants, will conden the waste
of good marble on a tomb at Agra. He will compute how many thousands of
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