Professor Bhagwati on growth and poverty

From: A V Ram Mohan

Dear Members of this discussion forum:

I write with a great deal of trepidation, for the fear of being
accused of practicing development economics without proper licence;
however, while following the numerous contribution from a variety of
participants, most of them made very politely with due deference to
‘senior academics’ in economics, I am somewhat disappointed at the
remarks of the grandees of the profession.

To reconfirm my impressions, I forced myself to re-read the several
remarks of Prof Jagdish Bhagwati sent over the past four weeks. To say
Amy Kazmin from FT writes a ‘characteristically shallow’ article, not-
so-gently putting down Jean Pierre Lehmann and Shukla, to point out
that Saner is advancing rubbish with his indices, to advise Fabian to
read more economics and not mix it with cocktails in Chanakyapuri,
directing marginally veiled invective at Amartya Sen, George Stiglitz
and Martin Wolf, the list goes on.

I did not know that development economics is such a rough and tumble
field of enquiry, till my football loving friend pointed out that if
you cannot play the ball, playing the man instead is a good strategy.
Does it advance the cause effectively, I wonder.

With best regards,

Ram

A V Ram Mohan.