http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnist1.asp?main_variable=Columnist&file_name=prasad%2Fprasad226.txt&writer=prasad
Eroding tradition By Chandrabhan Prasad While inventions by James Hargreaves, Richard Arkright, Samuel Crompton and James Watt are duly accredited in triggering the march of machines in England, not much is attributed to Adam Smith author of the magnum opus Wealth of Nations (1776), and birth of the London Stock Exchange (1801). The final quarter of the 18th century was the launching pad for the industrial revolution. That phase witnessed battles between handlooms and powerlooms. The triumph of machine was facilitated by many factors, crucial being the intellectual umbrella hoisted by Adam Smith, and financial discipline administered by the London Stock Exchange. Indisputably, as the earliest philosophical-mentor of capitalism, Smith in his book wrote about the socio-economic rational for a capitalistic order society. The London Stock Exchange accorded capital an institutional authority. Thus, without Adam Smith and the London Stock Exchange, all discourses on the industrial revolution would be out of place. Without either of them, the machine on its own lacked any inbuilt vision. Self-mesmerised Luddites on the other hand, had their well thought of goals. They fought the machine with a purpose. Jonathan Katz, an American journalist and author, reflects upon the ideological mood of Luddites in the online magazine HotWired //www.wired.com// in following lines: "The Luddites were fighting for their way of life in the most literal sense. For centuries, they had lived in small villages in ancient valleys, using simple machines that could be operated by individuals or families. Big mills and factories meant an end to social custom and community, to personal status and individual freedom. Having worked independently on their own farms, they would be forced to use complex and dangerous machines in noisy, smelly factories for long hours, seven days a week, for slave wages. Their harvest and agricultural rituals, practiced for centuries, would perish. Fathers could no longer be with their wives and children. This new kind of labour changed notions of time and introduced concepts like work schedules and hourly wages. It despoiled whole regions, including Sherwood Forest." In other words, the march of the machine was opposed not only on grounds that handloom workers would loose jobs, but essentially because of the fear of industrial culture where their traditional social customs and community-life might wither away. As Europe soon realised, machines did eliminate Europe's tradition. In other words feudalism was defeated by capitalism, and monarchy defeated by democracy. Even Karl Marx welcomed that epoch march of machine in his Das Capital. As a matter of fact, that march of machines over tradition, march of the capitalism over feudalism, march of democracy over monarchy are inseparable. Adam's capitalism deployed machines to enhance profitability. In its own interest, capitalism began to destroy agrarianism. There was no way agrarianism and industrialisation could go together. What if machines win over traditional India? What if India's social customs and the community lives are eliminated by capitalism? What if India's agrarianism is defeated by industrial revolution? What Spinning Jenny, Water Frame, Spinning Mule and Steam Engine were to Europe 250 years ago, malls, nuclear propelled electricity, and the mass capital are to India. In other words, what machines did in the late 18th and early 19th century in Europe, the new age machine is doing in India. It is preparing a funeral ground Manu's social codes. To Manu, the untouchables, or the out-castes, or Dalits, were to live outside the settlements, and serve the society. With a machine based economic activity, Dalits-Brahman-Kshatriya-Vaishya-Shudras are seen working together for the same amount of reward. Has anyone seen Dalits and non-Dalits working together in tradition based economic activities? it is strange that the CPM and RSS are resisting the march of the machines which is fighting Manu's social agenda?
