(r - Baba Amte - 2008) Baba Amte’s Principles Of Economics Poem by Kannan G

Never should we be
Aiming at increasing
Only growth of GDP
Of crude modernity
Instead we should be
Ensuring stability
Ensuring sustainability
(Sustainability of development) .

Never should we be
Advancing acts that grow
Superfluity
Economic tyranny
Instead we should be
Reducing poverty
Ensuring sufficiency
(Sufficiency for all) .

Never should we be
Creating just temples
Of mere charity
Of blind philanthropy
Instead we should be
Building equality
Creating opportunity
(Opportunities for work) .

Never should we be
Ignoring the rural
Farming is primary
Only next is industry
Therefore we should be
Agri-centered mainly
Despite all technology
(Technology should be humane) .

Never should we see
Much devalued human capital
As being just secondary
To the worthiness of money
Instead we should be
Mobilizing it wisely
Investing in humanity
(Humanity yields prosperity)

Never should we see
Waste as mere waste
It has its utility
Duty and beauty
Therefore we should be
Harnessing them safely
Saving even ecology
(Ecology is our breath itself) .

Never should we see
These as mere principles
‘Anandwan’ is testimony
Of this wise reality
Therefore we should be
Applying them universally
To build a progressive economy
(Economy should mean social justice) .