Indian Evaluates Gains

"If you compare India's economic progress with China's, you will find that India is filling her needs much faster than China," said R. Venkataraman, high official in Madras, India, visiting here this weekend. "Furthermore, China and the Soviet Union never broadcast quantitative statistics, they give you percentages instead.

"To evaluate India's second five-year plan on the basis of what we outlined at the start, rather than what is actually being done, is foolish--but it is the basis of most outside criticism."

Mr. Venkataraman is Minister for Industries, Labour, Cooperation, Housing and Slum Clearance, Clearance and Commercial Taxes in Madras and a former M.P. "In most cases, an Indian politician would rather be a state official than a Member of Parliament," he commented.

Madras has a relatively modern industrial and power structure left over from the days of British rule. Venkataraman is currently trying to take advantage of a large deposit of bauxite in the area.

Venkataraman stresses the importance of the Community Development Plan in India's economic success. "Community volunteers are an important part of the government. A village agrees to provide 25 percent of the materials for a school or hospital, and the government does the rest. Now it has gotten so we can't keep up with the villages' initiative."

In rural areas, Indians are beginning to accumulate surpluses for capital. "Before, we lent money and only 'got it back,' Venkataraman said. "The Chinese and Russians get surpluses by exploitation--you can't do that in India."

Social satisfactions seem to play a major role in development. "The average villager does not say 'look at how income has improved,' but 'look at the new factory, or school we have now.'"