Societal Analysis

Capitalism - July 2022

2 months back I said that you have to decide what you want to believe in.

• On one side there is Fiction (Kādambari). On the other there is Fact (Vāsthavam).
• The Stories and the Truth.
• Mythology and Superstitions (Purāṇaśāstraṁ mariyu Mūḍhanam'makālu) and your Experiential Learning (anubhava pūrvakamaina abhyāsaṁ).

Last month I spoke about two different types of economies (reṇḍu rakāla ārthika vyavasthalu).

• On one side, means of production (Utpatti sādhanālu) owned and controlled by very few people
• On the other hand, everyone has an opportunity to enterprise (Prati okkariki sanstha avakāśaṁ).

Every single one of you remembers when all the lands were owned by Landlords and Rich Peasants. They openly boasted that their lands could not be measured in acres. Your small patches were left uncultivated. That was the first type of economy (ārthika vyavastha).

Laws were passed to break this first type of economy. You got title to lands you tilled. Banks gave you loans. Farmer cooperatives were set up. You rebelled against that first type of economy. You developed your own lands with DLDP. You ran your CCFs.

At the same time (Adē samayanlō), more laws were passed to stop untouchability, bonded labour, low wages, etc. Schools were set up in every village, PHCs in every Hobli.

Two things happened simultaneously (Reṇḍu viṣayālu ēkakālanlō jarigāyi):

1. Fiction (Kādambari) was replaced with Truth (Vāsthavam); Mythology (Purāṇaśāstraṁ) with Democracy (Prajāsvāmyaṁ).
   You started singing "Rāthaṁ kādu; Karmaṁ kādu"
2. Everyone was given an opportunity to enterprise (Prati okkariki sanstha avakāśaṁ). I gave a slogan, "Become Rich in 3 Years!"

This is how you came out of a horrible curse (Śāpaṁ) of Feudalism and got your freedoms.

Today I want to talk about Capitalism. You need to understanding Capitalism in order to get into Business. Business ventures cannot be taken up simply because it will give immediate profits. Let me explain.

Just like you first understood climate change and climate science before starting to plant trees and build Biogas units. It is important to understand the full background before taking up any activity.

50-60% of the 17,000 families who built Biogas units are still using them after 10-16 years. They are the ones who understood the Biogas as business capital. They not only solve their problems but also use it to earn money by selling carbon credits.

The other 40% saw only its "usefulness" (Anukulam). Biogas was very useful at that time when your only option was firewood. No smoke in the eyes; no coughing and chest pain, clean kitchens; clean vessels; time saved. But LPG came along and it was much more useful; much more convenient (Anukulamanadi; Saulabhyam). They switched to LPG and stopped using Biogas.

The same thing happened with tree planting and farm forestry. Those who treated these as environmental businesses have already earned more than ₹ 12 crore.

In the beginning, Capitalism was positive. It gave salvation (Mōkṣaṁ). It liberated you from feudalism (Nīku vimukti labhin̄cindi).

When Capitalism grew, machines, computers and automation came. They said they would develop big businesses and feed the whole of society. They would pay taxes and the government will spend on everyone.

But these humungous (Viparītamaina) businesses could not provide employment and income for all the people.

Capitalism morphed into Feudalism (Peṭṭubaḍidārī vidhānaṁ Bhūsvāmya vidhānaṅgā mārindi). Capitalism was no more the solution for everyone (Peṭṭubaḍidārī vidhānaṁ andarikī pariṣkāraṅgā nilicipōyindi). Satisfying the population becomes the job of the government; not the economy.

10-12 years back, Economists and Intellectuals (Ārthikavēttalu mariyu Mēdhāvulu) said that Capitalism is going on this route. I explained all this to our field staff and 250 young people from every corner of the country. I taught them about mechanisation, digitization, automation, AI, etc. I warned them that very soon, "Humans need not Apply".

I spoke to many Rich Capitalists (Dhanika Peṭṭubaḍidārulu) and asked them if they thought this was good. They told me that for the sake of efficiency and productivity (Sāmarthyaṁ mariyu Utpādakata) this had to happen. There was no choice. Technology will develop. This was the only way that wealth could grow.

This was not my understanding of Technology. I knew that technology was important for development. But we all know that there are different types of technologies.

Again, I asked these Rich Capitalist (Dhanika Peṭṭubaḍidārulu) what will happen to 90% of the population when unemployment and loss of income increased because Capitalism stopped being the solution for everyone. What will happen to the people? To the country?

Their answer was shocking. They said it does not matter if people had no jobs or salaries. As long as they get food to eat, a roof over their heads, and entertainment (Vinōdaṁ) they will be satisfied. They will pray to the gods, sing bhajans, pursue sports, and undertake cultural activities (Kala mariyu Sānskr̥tika kāryakramālu).

This is the most Evil thing I have heard in my life! (Idi nā jīvitanlō nēnu vinna atyanta durmārgapu viṣayaṁ!)

I wondered if this distraction (Paradhyānaṁ) will work. Will this diversion (Maḷlimpu) work? How long will young people be satisfied without jobs that give identity, pride and self-respect? Jobs do not give only salary and income.

I was wrong. They did succeed. It did happen. A few big businesses took full control of the government to not only protect, but also increase their own wealth (Rakṣin̄caḍamē kādu, pen̄caṇḍi kūḍā).

• The Government started to divert your attention (Mī dr̥ṣṭini maḷlin̄caḍaṁ prārambhin̄cindi).
  They took society back to that first type of Belief System (Samājanlō nam'maka vyavastha) – Fiction (Kādambari) and Mythology (Purāṇaśāstraṁ).
• The Economy quickly changed back to the first type where very few people produced.

They said they will bring back the golden days when the rich produced for everyone. And the people can pray to the gods, sing bhajans, pursue sports, and undertake cultural activities (Kala mariyu Sānskr̥tika kāryakramālu).

In the last 2 meetings I have explained how the Belief System in society (Samājanlō nam'maka vyavastha) in closely connected to Economics and how you meet your day to day needs (Mī rōjuvārī avasarālanu tīrcaḍaṁ). They cannot be separated (Vāṭini vērugā arthaṁ cēsukōlēmu).

I spoke about your potential (mī Sāmarthyaṁ). How only you can bring Morality and Values (Naitikata mariyu Viluvalu) into society.

What is this Morality and Values (Naitikata mariyu Viluvalu)?

• Morality is the Equality of people, Belief, Faith, Courage (Prajala Madhya Samānatvaṁ, Nam'makaṁ, Okarin-okaru Viśvāsaṁ, Dhairyaṁ).
• Courage (Dhairyaṁ) can only be given by those around you (Mī cuṭṭū unnavāru). Not by laws, rules, government or police. This is what I mean by Social Capital.
  No law will give a woman courage to fight against domestic violence; only the Mahila Meeting can. No law will stop caste atrocities; only a multi-caste gathering can do that.

No government can provide employment and salaries unless they change the course of Capitalism. Blaming one government or the other, without understanding what I have explained to you is quite useless.

The problem can be solved only when, once again, everyone gets an equal opportunity to enterprise. The handful of capitalists must be controlled. There are laws and rules to do this. There are means to support everyone to enterprise.

Not everyone will enterprise. Some will, and others will not; some will succeed, and others will fail. But they must all get the chance.

The new route that Capitalism is taking must be stopped. This evil attitude (atyanta durmārgapu) must be removed (Tolagin̄cāli).

This can happen only when people are united (Prajalu aikyaṅgā uṇḍāli). Only the Poor can unite (Ēkaṁ cēyaḍāniki) village society, the whole country, and take it forward. This broken society (Vicchinnamaina samājaṁ) can be repaired only by the Poor.

Unity (Oggatu lēdā Samūhaṁ) and Singularity/Oneness (Ēkatvaṁ) are different (Bhinnamainadi viṣayalu).

Equality (Samānatvaṁ) is not there in Humans. I don't know about ants and insects. But each Human is different (Manamu Bhinnamaina Janthilu). We are distinct creatures (Vividha Jivulu). This is true. This is very good. Singularity can come only when there are differences (Tēḍāl unnappuḍē ēkatvaṁ vastundi).

You Balakendra Teachers have a major role to bring unity (Aikyataṁ) in young people. Then, Distraction (Paradhyānaṁ) and Diversion (Maḷlimpu) will not work. Together you will put a stop to greedy, selfish (Atyāśa, svārtha) capitalists.

Together, the young and the old can force Capitalism to work for the good of all the people; not be hijacked by the very rich.

Every parent in every home teaches their children bad values (Ceḍu Viluvalu). I do that; you do that. We teach them that our caste, our religion, our community, our language is correct and all other castes, religions, communities and languages are bad. We instil hatred in our children (Mana pillalalō dvēṣānni pen̄cutāmu).

Balakendras are not tuition centres. You have to counter home influences (Mīru iṇṭi prabhāvālanu edurkōvāli). You have to tell children they have no caste; they are just children! They have no sex; they are just children! They have no religion; they are just children! Their parents will learn.