Issue 43 Vol II, July 15, 2007

F E A T U R E S

A Time on Earth
Ishtiaq Ahmed

WHEN I came to Sweden in 1973, the first novel in the Swedish language that I read was, Din Stund på Jorden (A time on earth), by Vilhelm Moberg (1898-1973). I remember it made me sad to follow the story of a working class Swedish family that emigrates from Sweden and settles in Minnesota, US. Their struggle in the new land and their humble origins in the country of their origin are presented in very moving, one could say, melancholic manner.

The central character narrates the family saga recalling many events and incidents. His younger brother died already in Sweden when they were both very young. Now in his late life he remembers him again wondering how it would have been had he lived like him, but then death would have overtaken him later just as the narrator realises it would him. His wife had died land now he was all alone staying in a place by the sea.

The whole idea of the book is the following: what is the point in making life so difficult and competitive. All the missed opportunities to be happy will not come back so we should value every moment of our life and try to make the most of that opportunity in being good and content because nobody knows when all this would end.

A Time on Earth Ultimately has always fascinated me because the title captures so completely and yet so modestly the irony that we are on the earth just for a moment. Given the millions of years that the planet earth has existed and that Homo Sapiens have been on it for only several hundred years of which recorded history is not old than two or three millenniums, the idea of a moment on earth is truly humbling.

Yet, my experience is that some of us start imagining that the world revolves around us or even rests on our shoulders, depending which theory about the shape of the universe we believe in. Nothing can be more tragic than such delusion.

A perverted interpretation of a moment on earth would be that it is free for us to indulge our greed and ambition without any regard for others. I have seen this happen many times in my life and people rich and well connected can turn out to be such petty misers. They are obviously not at peace with themselves.

Equally we have those who believe that unless they live their lives according to some strict and severe code of life they would not qualify to be admitted to paradise. Orthodox Hindus have their own theory of adhering to strict dietary rules and a host of other rituals in the hope that the circle of births and deaths can be broken so that they can join communion with the Great Spirit.

I can understand that such rules help some people find anchor in what can be seen as a rudderless and directionless world. But I wonder if personal adherence to such codes makes human beings worthy members of the human community. I think even greater satisfaction can be achieved from having acted fairly and sympathetically. I envy Abdus Sattar Edhi and his indomitable spirit of devotion to human kind in distress. The Edhi Trust not only helps the poorest people arrange funerals according to their beliefs -- and that includes all beliefs and groups -- but also children abandoned by parents and women having no place to go.

Some years ago I was in Islamabad and suddenly found myself in front of the local office of the Edhi Trust. So, I walked in and told them that I wanted to make a small donation, but my donation was to help all those who were really in need irrespective of their religion or sect. I even told them that I would never make a donation to any charity which did not believe in human beings regarded as one indivisible family.

To my very great surprise I found that many retired government employees, school teachers, just ordinary good people, served in the Edhi branches seeking no other reward except the satisfaction that they wanted to devote their time and skills to serving fellow human beings. They did not demand that non-Muslims seeking their help should attend sermons on Islam.

One finds such people in all societies and all cultures. I am convinced that given a chance human beings learn to live in peace but religious narrow-mindedness destroys their souls. My mother suffered from cancer in the last years of her life. Neither I nor my brother, Mushtaq, could have ever taken care of her the way the Swedish health system and hospitals did. She was treated not only as a patient but a human being with her own will, which was respected when she spent long periods in the hospital. The nurses and doctors became her friends. Ultimately she died because the disease proved to be terminal, but she saw the best face of human kindness when she most needed it. I think she was lucky in that sense.

But all this was done by people who were not related to her in any way -- culture, religion, ethnicity -- played no role; just the fact that a human being was in pain and needed help. The men and women she met during her treatment were willing to do that over and above their professional responsibility.

In all my nearly 34 years in life in Sweden I have never come across even once Swedes who would spend an afternoon time discussing dogmatic beliefs. In fact, Swedish society is the most secularised in the world. It also has perhaps the highest percentage of people who take part voluntarily in solidarity work with the Third World. Without voluntarily making a choice to act in one way and not in another all action is mechanical. We ordinary people want love and respect and when we give them and receive them we feel fulfilled as human beings. I think this is the basic human need that does not change wherever we go. We need a new code of life which can help us transcend the strictures of geography, economy, culture and dogmas. Therefore our time on earth should seek to bring it about.

[The writer is professor of political science at the University of Stockholm, Sweden.
Email: ishtiaq.ahmed-@statsvet.su. Courtesy News International of the JUNG group, Pakistan.]

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Infertility Among Couples
Dr. S.S. Sodhi

Infertility is usually defined as failure to conceive after a year or more of regular sexual activity. It may also refer to the inability to carry a pregnancy to term. To pinpoint the causes of infertility is very difficult because ovulation, fertilization and the journey of the fertilized ovum through the fallopian tubes and finally into the uterus and retention by the uterus are highly intricate processes. Many events must work together perfectly for pregnancy to occur.

For men, infertility is most often the result of a low sperm count or an anatomical abnormality. It is an empirical fact that the following factors are known to contribute to low sperm count in men:
a.       Exposure to toxins
b.       Excessive heat around testicular area
c.       Testicular injury
d.       Endocrine disorder
e.       Excessive alcoholic consumption
f.        Acute illness or prolonged fear, stress and burn out from excessive work
g.       Testicular mumps
h.       A dilated vein which brings the sperm out

For women the most common causes of infertility are­
1.       Ovulatory failure
2.       Blocked fallopian tubes
3.       Endometriosis and uterine fibroids
4.       Allergic or antibodies reaction to their partner's sperm
5.       Sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia and AIDS

In order for the woman to become pregnant, her body must maintain a fine biochemical balance among four reproductive hormones: a. FSH; b. LH; c. Estrogen; d. progesterone

Every month the female body produces the egg, gets the uterus ready to receive it, selects the egg of the month and ovulates it and must get it fertilized by the sperm between 12 to 24 hours.

Some women do not get pregnant due to endometriosis, a devastating menstrual-related disorder. The symptoms of endometriosis are menstrual cramps, ovulation and pelvic pain, painful intercourse, recurring bladder infections, pelvic cysts and tumours, lower back pain, nausea and dizziness during menstruation period.

Women suffering from endometriosis should avoid high-fat diary products such as:
a.       high-fat milk
b.       cheese, butter
c.       ice cream
Most of the meats also contain high fats. Vegetable oils having saturated fats should also be avoided and replaced by vegetarian diet cooked with the least amount of oil or butter. Use of sesame seed, walnut or flaxseed oil is highly recommended.

It must be stated that 40 to 50 percent of all conception problems are male-related. A normal, healthy man's hypothalamus and pituitary glands produce FSH and LH hormones which are left in his bloodstream to stimulate the production of sperms. During one intercourse 20 to 200 million sperms are ejaculated. Only 40 of these ever reach the vicinity of the female egg.

It is a known fact that sperm-making is a delicate process. Sperm-making does not take place when the temperature around the testicle area is high. So tight shorts, of synthetic fabric, and tight-fitting jeans should be avoided by males.

It has been noted that stress and male infertility are related. A study done by the Department of Physiology at the Medical College, Ohio State, U S.A has noted the following facts:
a. Stress is related to the production of adrenal hormones which is related to sperm production
b. Emotional stress can depress testosterone levels and thus interfere with sperm production
c. External tension and fatigue for prolonged periods of time do lead to non-desire for sex. It can produce lower levels of FSH and LH leading to lower testosterone levels and sperm count.
d. It must be noted that even a minimal stress has the ability to cause a man's sperm count to drop unexplainably.

Researchers have also found that man's sperm-making abilities get jeopardized if something (cold, flu) afflicts him. Inflammation of the tube that carries sperm from his body, infection of epididymus and infection of the prostate gland can also affect sperm mobility. Sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhoea, AIDS with organisms can invade the reproductive tract and can kill sperms.

A man has to stay critically aware of infection of the penis, pain in the genital areas, genital swelling, difficulty urinating, burning sensation during urinating, genital sensitivity, fatigue, and, low-grade fever.

A diabetic man can suffer ejaculatory or potency-related problems. If a person has excessive thirst, craving for sweets, excessive urination, he should get himself checked regularly by a simple urine/blood test.

Recent research has discovered that in the last twenty years alone, the average sperm count of a healthy college man has dropped from 60 millions to 40 millions per cc of ejaculate. It is speculated that this is due to levels of stress, STD, use of alcohol and drugs, exposure to radiation and toxic substances.

Other factors that affect fertility are alcohol, watching colour television, low voltage appliances, and, some medicines. It is highly recommended that alcohol intake should be avoided at least forty-eight hours prior to your attempt of conceiving. Also, direct and indirect contact with microwave ovens, pesticides, fungicides. insecticides, steroid drugs, tobacco, x-rays, tranquillizers, anti-depressants, opiates, valium, and, XANAX, should be avoided. High temperature in the climate seems to affect sperm count. So attempts to conceive should be made vigorously during winter months by taking a vacation.
Fertility Tests
The advancement in medical science has now made available the following tests:
a.       Tests for gonorrhea
b.       Tests for Chlamydia
c.       VIRA-PAP tests for venereal warts
d.       PAP smear tests for cervical cancer
e.       CA 125 tests for ovarian cancer
f.        Blood tests for endometriosis
g.       FSH - LH hormone tests
h.       Urinary infection tests i. Ultrasonography
A couple anxious to conceive should follow the hints and guidelines mentioned above while avoiding diet pills, alcohol, tranquillizers, caffeine (tea/coffee), pesticides, air travel (excessive), tobacco, heating pads, cleaning fluids, toaster/microwave ovens, watching colour television and, excessive and recreation drugs.

The lifestyle (SAHAJ) of a spiritually relaxed stress-free environment with the attitude of trying not  to try is highly recommended.
Psychological
Some More Facts about Sex Life and Conception
a. Sexual aroused and fertility are intimately related
b. Women feel their sexiest around the middle of their menstrual cycle when ovulation is occurring and hormones are in high gears. Needless to say, their fertility is also at high peak
c. Regular vigorous sex at least twice a week reduces stress, stimulates hormone production and increases the chances of producing more babies
d. Feelings of intense love for your partner increases the chances of conception
e. When women are neglected or feel neglected by their busy husband, their fertility suffers
f. Couples trying to conceive should avoid oral and anal sex and use of lubricants and creams and vibrators. Hot tub bath and showers before intercourse should be avoided
g. If you are having abnormal vaginal pH level (to high-too much acid or too low meaning you have less acid) try the following douche:
a. To reduce vaginal acid, use a low-pressure douche of two tablespoons of baking soda in one quart of water just before intercourse
b. To increase vaginal acid use a low-pressure douche of two tablespoons of vinegar in one quart of water taken just before intercourse
Diet/Nutrients/Vitamins
Women who are trying to conceive should take such vitamins as Stuart Natal one plus one, Natabec RN or Natalins RX, under the guidance of their doctors. These pre-natal vitamins are a must for conceiving a healthy baby.
According to Dr. James F. Balch, M.D. and Phyliss a. Balch, RCN.C, authors of the world famous book, "PRESCRIPTION FOR NUTURITIONAL HEALING", Avery Publishing Group, New York (1997), the following nutrients are recommended for either or both partners:
Selenium 200 - 400 mg daily Deficiency leads to reduced sperm count & infertility in women
Vitamin C 2000 - 6000 daily  Important for sperm production & in divided doses  stops clumping & makes them more mobile
Vitamin E 400 - 1000 1. U. daily. It is called the sex vitamin & carries oxygen to sex organs
Zinc 80 mg daily Very important for product of semen & reproductive organs
B complex, 1000 mg daily; Liver extract; Vitamin A, 10,000 I.U. daily; Vitamin D, 400 mg daily; Vitamin B6, 500 mg daily; Calcium, 800 mg daily are recommended as boosters for a healthy sex life and preparation for conception. It is very important that 400 mg of folic acid daily must be taken before conception and up to 800 mg daily after conception. It stops premature birth and miscarriage.
Herbs and Sex Life
Astragalus extract has been reported to produce more sperm and increase their mobility.
Damiane, ginseng, sarsaparilla, saw palmetto, and, yahimbe enhances sexual desire and sperm production in men.
Damiana, Dong quoi, false unicorn root, ginseng, gota kola, liquorice root and wild yam root are good for women.
Note: Do not use ginseng or liquorice if you have high blood pressure and do no use astragalus if you have fever­
Lifestyle.-Changes For Partners
1. Avoid vigorous exercise, hot tubs, and saunas as they may lead to changes in ovulation and reduce sperm count.
2. Avoid all alcohol; it reduces sperm count in men and can prevent implantation of fertilized eggs in women.
3. Do not take any prescription drugs unless very essential. Do not smoke.
4. A balance diet is important. Do not consume animal fats, fried food, too much sugar, and, junk food. Do eat pumpkin seeds and bee pollen or royal jelly.
5. Get hair analysis done to see if there is a possibility of heavy metal intoxication which may affect sperm count and ovulation.
6. Get your setf checked for celiac disease (It is caused by intolerance to gluten, a component of wheat, rye, barley and oats).
7. To overcome the celiac disease, eat more of rice, potato, cornmeal, corn (maize) and soy flour. Eat fresh vegetables, lentils, beans and peas, rice, bran, nuts, sunflower and pumpkin flowers, and seedy fruits. Use molasses, brown sugar and lots of fibre. Avoid wheat, rye barley and oats if possible.
Accelerating Your Pregnancy ancy
1. Make love as close to the time of ovulation. Make love a second time within a space of an hour by "riding high" so as to deposit sperms at the "deeper end".
2. Make love between the time your temperature drops and before it rises - a period of about twelve to twenty-four hours that usually occurs about thirteen to fifteen days after the start of your menstrual cycle.
3. Keep a written record of your temperature changes to establish your Basal Body Temperature guide.
4. When you are approaching ovulation, the mucus secreted by the vagina becomes thin, slippery, stretching and clear. It has the appearance of egg white and has a slimy consistency. Your cervix pulls slightly up and rotates forward. It is a bit hard to reach, softer to touch and becomes very wet. So by making love when the mucus is thin, slippery, stretchy and clear and when your cervix is rotated forward and is soft to the touch and wet, you get pregnant fast.
5. Saliva undergoes biochemical changes during ovulation. Also, ovulation predictions have been used in North America by some women with a great deal of success. For more information on these tests, please contact: The Zetek corporation, 794 Ventura Street, Aurora Ca., U.S.A. 1-800-367-2837.
6. While using male dominant (male in top missionary style) position, a pillow should be placed under the pelvic region causing the vagina to tilt backward.
7. The rear-entry style has proven to be effective when the male has low sperm count.
8. Sperm count is the highest in the morning in males; also, male hormones are at their peak. If sperm count is a deciding factor in your fertility, then morning love-making makes the difference.
9. If you want a baby girl, shallow penetration in the man, in the top position helps. A woman should avoid orgasm. Use vinegar and water douche (two tablespoons of vinegar and on quart of water) directly preceding intercourse. Making love two days prior to ovulation can help slow moving, large and hardy, female sperms to fertilize the ovum.
10. If you want a baby boy, deep penetration in rear-entry position, douche with two tablespoons of baking soda and one quart of water just prior to making love, achieving orgasm at the same time that the partner is ejaculating and avoiding intercourse until the day of ovulation to increase the sperm count.
11. Taking a vacation in a warm sunny climate increases exposure to sunlight which in turn increases production of solt-riol, the hormone of light considered conducive for conception.
12. Avoiding deodorants and perfumes to let the natural odour of the male/female stimulate sex urge is suggested.
13. Making passionate love with lights on, between October and March, limiting movement after intercourse, utilizing fast withdrawal of penis, pressing the vagina lips after intercourse, avoiding alcohol, taking cough medicine (Robitussin thins the mucus), having intercourse at the time of ovulation and maintaining the right emotional state is perhaps the best way to achieve a successful conception.

[Dr Sodhi is a former Professor of clinical psychology at the University of Dalhousie, Halifax, Nava Scotia, Canada]

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Peace memorials and peace parks
Ishtiaq Ahmed

ON October 27, 1999 I was returning from Delhi to Stockholm after doing my first round of interviews on the partition of Punjab. When the SAS plane crossed the border into Pakistan the pilot told us to look to the left side below as we were flying over the city of Lahore. Somewhere down there was Temple Road Lahore where I was born a few months before the partition.

As we flew over Lahore, my nostalgia gave birth to an idea that I thought should greatly help heal the hurt and pain of what transpired in the Punjab in 1947. It was to propose a memorial to the victims of 1947 at midpoint between Wagah and Attari on the Lahore-Amritsar border. Such a symbol should signify an end to the partition mindset that had caused wars in 1948, 1965 and 1971 between India and Pakistan. I collected signatures via Internet and that brought me into contact with many other people who had similar projects in mind.

Dr Saleem Ali floated the idea of a peace park in Kashmir and wrote on that theme. An Indian gentleman, who was an architect, offered his services to prepare sketches of such a building. Some people suggested that the monument should be a living place. My sardar friend, Ravi Singh, suggested that a research library should be built there. The late Dr Bilal Hashmi wanted statements on peace to be extracted from all the holy books and inscribed in stone. Some of us with a secular-humanist commitment wanted verses of Sahir Ludhianvi, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Amrita Pritam and other Punjabis to be written down as well.

Many young people began to write to me, saying that they wanted to do something to build peace between the peoples of India and Pakistan. But then after a few years when nothing happened beyond mere discussion we all sort of resigned ourselves to the realpolitik of the region.

Then on May 20, 2007 I received an email from a school teacher in Germany, Hieke Fiedler, whose students were going to discuss my idea of a monument at Wagah-Attari. She had come across my petition on the Internet and decided to take it up with her students. For Germans peace has been a very important issue and I could understand her enthusiasm, but had no progress to report to her. That made me really sad.

I remembered a young Indian woman, Amisha Nanavati, from Gujarat, India, who had written to me about a year earlier in connection with a peace park her brother wanted to build. He died, however, in an accident and now she wanted to pursue his vision and thus honour his memory. So, I wrote to her to send a sketch of that peace idea again. This is what she wrote on May 31, 2007:

'My brother Zankhan Nanavati who was a student of Rachana Sansad College of Architecture (Prabhadevi) and a passionate trekker had proposed a peace park to strengthen the ties between India and Pakistan and build a new wave of trust, mutual growth thus opening the new gates for trade, culture and relations between the two great nations. It happened so that in one of his trekking expeditions in the year 2001, he got a chance to hear the veteran Indian trekker and novelist, Aamir Ali's lecture in which he had proposed to demilitarise the Siachin Glacier and convert it into a conservation park. It was at this time that the idea of a peace park had crystallised itself in this young mind sitting mute amongst spectators.

Three years later, in May 2004, the dormant idea started taking shape as his final year thesis. Encouraged by his professor Mr Arvind Adarkar he went full steam ahead with his idea and started extensive research on the history of the India-Pakistan formation, the saga of the partition, and the Indo-Pak relations issues, etc. Originally he had plans of a peace park at the Wagah border. He visited villages near the Punjab border to study the demography as part of his survey. At this point in time there were multiple thoughts mingling in his mind.

After seeing the museum in Amritsar and interviewing people around, he was too disturbed. He then visited the Golden Temple, and as he was sitting near the pool suddenly his eyes fell on a reflection of the Golden Dome in the serene waters. It looked so calm and peaceful. Suddenly he made up his mind to go ahead with his idea no matter what. The entire feeling that he experienced has been jotted down beautifully in one letter that he wrote sitting by the pool at the Golden Temple. He had plans to visit Pakistan in December 2004, to get the story from the other side as well. But in July 2004, we lost him in a trekking accident.

This would have shelved the thesis and shattered his vision, but for his classmates who came forward and proposed to complete his thesis and pay due respect to his dreams. With their support we could get the documentation done. Seeing the precise research and documentation his professor Arvind Adarkar of Rachana Sansad College of Architecture encouraged materialising this vision and giving it the shape of reality. This is the point where I actively stepped into this mission.

The next day she sent another email informing me about a Pakistani student who wanted to build a peace park:

'A similar proposal has been made by a student named Saad Gadit, a final year student of Architecture at the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi. He is proposing to have a peace museum at Khaju-O-Darro in Mirpurkhas (Pakistan). I have proposed a peace park on the Indian side of the border at Ramsar near Munabao. Together we can proceed to link the two areas and take a concrete step towards a better tomorrow'.

I believe the ideas to have two peace parks on the India-Pakistan border in Sindh and link them with the Punjab should be such that they have a memorial midpoint between Wagah and Attari that should appeal to all peace-loving people of conscience. We also need to have peace memorials and parks in Kashmir and other parts of India and Pakistan. I would even suggest that a peace memorial be built in Dhaka to bring to a close the sad chapter of a civil war that took a huge toll on life and ended in a war between India and Pakistan that broke up Pakistan.

The author is a senior visiting research fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), National University of Singapore on leave from the University of Stockholm, Sweden. Email: isasia@nus.edu.sg
http://www.thenews.com.pk/arc_news.asp?id=9

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Whither Small Business in India?
Vinod Anand

Creation of employment should be the prime policy concern, particularly developing countries. It should be a policy priority in , especially when declining employment opportunities are combined with rapidly growing labour force, and also when the labour force has a disproportionate number of relatively unskilled workers. Both theoretical and quantitative studies strongly reveal that the major source of employment creation in these countries is the small business (informal/unorganized) sector. The latest scenario in India also supports this statement. As  large as  93 per cent of the labour force in the country is employed in the small business sector; the remaining labour force is employed in the public sector and the formal (organized) sector. It is also indicated that the organized sector employment, apart from being so less, has also shown declining trends over the years. The country has; therefore, to depend, to a very large extent, on the small business and service sectors for the much needed employment creation. There may be slight inter-state and inter-regional variations in this context, but the overall picture remains the same, and the small business sector contributes immensely to employment-creation in all the regions of the country. Apart from contributing to employment, the small business sector also contributes to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The small and medium segment of the small business sector contributes around 40 per cent to the country’s GDP, almost half of its exports and generates 45 per cent of industrial employment.

In fact, most of the policies exist in a vacuum without any regard to programme realities. It is said that policies, in a broader sense, determine effectively the direction and course of action. They include constitutional provisions, legislation, implementing rules and regulations, judicial decisions, executive orders, ministerial level decrees and other measures of regulatory nature. That is, each one of these could be an equally effective and powerful instrument for change towards progress. But there is a difference between a policy and a strategy, and experience does tell us that we have done well when we had well-thought-out strategies with political support, but when it is not so, the policies have invariable failed. As such, policies must be accompanied with political and bureaucratic commitment.

One of the major difficulties of the small business sector is that it has very many connotations with the result that it turns out to be a fuzzy concept, and its understanding is invariably inadequate in the sense that, at least at the theoretical level, it is devoid of human interaction, social associations, and institutional life. In real life, the concept of small business sector covers an enormously diverse territory. In fact, this sector connects economics to society. Hence, in order to effectively analyze  small business sector for policy purposes, the approach has to be rather comprehensive, and we have to focus our attention on four major perspectives namely, economic, social, fiscal and regulatory, and conditions of insufficiency, as well as a number of variations within each. In other words, the approach requires new ways of thinking about conventional economic indicators like, gross national product, productivity, and income distribution.

Small business sector activities are normally linked with the poorer sections of society. Coupled with this is the experience of various developing countries, which shows that people below the median income (called the have-nots) are relatively badly placed in all respects, socially and economically, and their participation is highly restrictive as compared to people above the median income (called the haves), whose participation is absolutely free. In fact, economic nonparticipation is not caused by a person’s unwillingness to work hard or lack of skill. As a matter of fact, a poor person works harder than anybody else, and he has more skill and time than he can use. He languishes in poverty because he does not receive the full worth of his work. Under the existing social and institutional arrangements, someone else always comes between him and the full worth of his work and takes away a significant part of the income that was due to him. The public policy framework is definitely not supportive of the participation of the poor in economic activity;

We may, therefore, conclude that the poor people have a low economic base (essentially in terms of income-yielding assets, and also in terms of accessibility to ‘liquid’ assets like, easy credit) and, as such, they have a relatively small share of return for their work. Other things being given, if they are made to build up an asset base, maybe through government support or otherwise, they will be able to command a better share for their work.

The point that emerges out of this argument is that the empowerment of the poor people through asset building to support their informal pursuits can accelerate the pace of development to a large extent.

Any support package for the small business sector, therefore, must be formulated in the light of what has been said above. It is only then that the policy will become result-oriented and its stated goals will tend to reach the actual policy. The ex-ante will then become ex-post.

Although, there have been a large number of support programmes for the small business sector in India, yet none of these meet the basic required assumptions. It is, perhaps, because of this lacuna that, in a recent survey of 53 developing countries, as undertaken by the “Fortune Small Business”, India is ranked 46 (i.e. it is among the bottom ten) when it comes to promoting and supporting small businesses. This is really distressing and disheartening for a country which has entered into the top league of world economies on the back of robust economic growth and booming stock markets! Just imagine what India would have achieved had it fruitfully supported the small business sector that is considered to have better growth prospects due to a lower base.

[The author is professor of economics at the National University of Lesotho in Southern Africa]

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