Speech of Sudheendra Kulkarni

I thank the Community of Sant’Egidio for inviting me to present my thoughts in this session on a subject that is profound.

Inequalities in human societies are nearly as old as the history of human civilization. Similarly, the aspiration for equality is also as old as the history of human civilization.

This aspiration for equality is actually an aspiration for justice and dignity.

The origin of the idea and ideal that all human beings are born equal, and hence they deserve equal justice and dignity, lies in all the religious-spiritual traditions and humanistic-moral philosophies all over the world.

Why has this age-old aspiration for equality, justice and dignity not been fully, or even near-fully, realized yet?

There are no easy answers to this question.

It’s a question that goes to the very root of the mysterious human condition.

However, from time to time at various stages in history, and in different parts of the world, this noble idea and ideal has inspired movements for social reform, struggles for political change, and efforts to transform economic systems.

This aspiration for equality, justice and human dignity, as well as the resistance to inequalities, injustices and indignities, has been expressing itself powerfully in different ways ─ sometimes in the form of bloody revolutions as happened in Russia, China and some other countries, at other times in non-violent campaigns for political and social change as happened in India under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi; sometimes in the cry of songs by saints, and at other times in the most creative works of cinema and other art forms. 

We are having this conference in France. Here in Paris, the French Revolution gave the mantra of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, which electrified the modern world.

 

Dear Friends,

The theme of this session requires us to understand inequalities from a comprehensive perspective.

Inequalities manifest as economic inequalities, social inequalities (which includes racial inequalities), gender inequalities, inequality in access to good education and good healthcare that are fundamental necessities for human wellbeing and human security, and gross inequalities between the West and the Global South at the international level.

There is also ecological inequality. The climate crisis is impacting the poor more than the rich. It is also impacting some geographies, such as Africa and South Asia, more than others.

Each of these inequalities challenge the economy ─ local, national as well as the global economy.

For the reason of paucity of time, I shall limit my thoughts to how to reduce economic inequalities and create a more equal, equitable and sustainable world for all.

One cautionary point is in order here. It is obvious, but needs to be stated.

Full and perfect economic equality is not possible and unattainable.

However, equality of opportunities for all to develop their latent God-given potential must be ensured.

Justice and dignity for all is an attainable and non-negotiable ideal, and it must be ensured irrespective of people’s religious, racial, gender, linguistic, class, caste or ideological identities.

Mahatma Gandhi called it the imperative of Aligning Money with Morality and Justice. He declared it as the touchstone of ‘the extension of law of nonviolence in the domain of economics’. 

He affirmed: ‘Economics that hurts the moral well-being of an individual or a nation are immoral and therefore sinful…True economics is the economics of justice. It is the first principle of every religion.”

His castigation of colonial Britain and other colonial powers of Europe was on account of the fact that the economics they practiced was a violation of the religion of Jesus that they preached. 

Our world has changed much since the end of colonialism.

Yet, and this is alarming, most of the discourse on the global economy in the 21st century does not base itself on the fundamental considerations of justice, morality, equality of opportunities, and nonviolence.

This is my first thought.

 

Dear Friends,

My second thought is that political and governance systems that keep people at the centre of their considerations are more capable of reducing inequalities than those that prioritise the interests of a particular class or community.

People-centred politics and governance are also more capable of eliminating poverty, which is not only the worst manifestation of inequality but is also a denier of justice and dignity.

Here I would like to exemplify my affirmation by referring to the praiseworthy achievement of China.

Over a period of 40 years since 1980, China lifted nearly 800 million people out of poverty, accounting for more than 75 percent of global poverty.

At the end of 2020, it declared that it had fully succeeded in eliminating absolute poverty.   

Last year I visited China six times and travelled extensively in rural areas.

I could see that this is not mere propaganda, but a reality.

It is true that wealth inequalities still exist in Chinese society.

It is also undeniable that the Chinese political system denies certain democratic rights and freedoms to its citizens. This is its major shortcoming.

Nevertheless, if liberating a vast majority of one’s own citizens from the curse of extreme poverty and ensuring decent living standards to them is a key function of democracy, then I hold that China is certainly democratic in this respect.

India has also reduced poverty in the past few decades, although our success is neither as complete nor as comprehensive as in China.

There is a great need for developing countries in the Global South to learn from each other, and cooperate with each other, in the mission to become poverty-free.

Our first moral obligation ─ and this is also the moral obligation of the Global North ─ is to help the nearly 45 Least Developed Countries in the world, 33 of which are in Africa.

 

My third point is that, whereas inequalities challenge the economy, reducing them is the best way to revitalize national economies and the global economy.

According to the UNDP, 1.1 billion people live in acute multidimensional poverty across 110 countries.

If they are lifted out of poverty ─ which is eminently possible ─ both the economies of the nations concerned, as well as the global economy as a whole will become more dynamic, vibrant and resilient, equitable and sustainable.

Just as over-supply of blood to some parts of the human body and under-supply to others is dangerous for health, concentration of wealth in some countries and poverty and want in others is injurious to the health of humanity.

 

Esteemed Friends, 

My fourth and last point is that modern technologies are our most dependable allies in eliminating poverty, reducing inequalities and infusing equity and fairness in the local, national and global economies.

Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, nanotechnology, advances in life science, and revolutionary breakthroughs in solar and other renewable energy sources are a boon to humanity.

Used wisely, they will create unimaginable increases in productivity and efficiency in the economy, reducing human drudgery and conserving precious natural resources.

They will also help in solving some of the most complex and difficult problems in health of human beings and also health of Planet Earth and all its non-human creatures.

Therefore, people of religion and humanism should shed their diffidence about modern science and technology, and urge their wise use for realizing the ideals of justice, dignity, liberty, equality, fraternity and world peace.

Thank you.

Jai Jagat ─ which means, Victory to Humanity!