John Kenneth Galbraith


When John Kenneth Galbraith died last week, he may very well have gotten more coverage in Indian newspapers than in the U.S. I can't confirm this, but if it is true, I find it quite curious. Galbraith spent two years in India as the Ambassador appointed by John F. Kennedy. WHy would Indians honor the life of someone who spent so little time in India?

I suspect it has to do with what Galbraith represented to Indians. Along with Kennedy, he was the last American figure to have a vision for Indo-U.S. relations that would be mutually beneficial. Galbraith the economist is famous for his view that the state can, and must, apply mechanisms to regulate and guide markets. Unfettered capitalism, Galbraith believed, chronically underserves the public good. In India from 1961-1963, Galbraith had a natural rapport with then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. In fact, it has been written that the rapport among Kennedy, Nehru and Galbraith was unmatched; all three had an appreciation for wit and women. Galbraith also had a rapport with certain Indian industrialists who were the nation's leading philanthropists then and now. Through these relationships, he was able to found the now-famous Indian Institutes of Technology. He also secured government investments into infrastructure. He was also appreciated by Indians for his efforts to secure foreign aid from the U.S.

When Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, and Nehru died a short time later in May 1964, Galbraith's vision for Indo-U.S. relations were dashed. The U.S quickly became mired in the Vietnam quagmire, and under Nehru's daughter, Indira Gandhi, India took a few steps closer to the U.S.S.R. From that point on, perhaps even until as recently as Clinton's visit to India in 2000 or Bush's recent visit, U.S. foreign policy towards India had the single goal of preventing India from becoming a full-fledged, nuclear-armed, ally of the Soviets.

What I find most curious is that Galbraith was also appreciated for his book The Affluent Society, which by some measures is one of the first and most searing indictments of consumerism as an economic model. Yet as I have written before in the Zavelogue, India is moving ahead towards a consumer society with great zeal. Perhaps the only people in India who have read The Affluent Society are the editorialists who have been commemorating Galbraith's life.

On the other hand, it could be that Galbraith's departure from India in 1963, and the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, left Indians without a vision for their own future. By default, then, India is embracing global capitalism's model of consumerism. There is no choice, many Indians will tell you. And I believe they are right. Perhaps this is why John Kenneth Galbraith is so revered. Galbraith's vision was the last time Indians believed there was an alternative to embracing the American way.

Posted: Sat - May 6, 2006 at 03:45 AM          

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