The Next Stage in World History

Justice Markandey Katju-

Justice Markandey Katju

Markandey Katju is a former Judge, Supreme Court of India, and former Chairman, Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own.

In my opinion, the next stage in world history will be marked by two main events (2); Conflict between the USA and China (2) India’s smashing its way into the ranks of the developed countries.

Regarding the first, I have explained this in my article’ The truth about China ‘published in the thestatesman.com.‘ The Chinese are today’s Nazis ‘ published in theweek.in, ‘ Trump could keep China in check ‘ published in indicanews.com, and ‘ Trump’s opposition to Chinese imperialism overshadows his defects ‘ published in outlook.com.

There are two superpowers in the world today, USA and China. As mentioned in my articles, the difference between the two is that China is aggressive and expanding, while USA is on the defensive. Hence the Chinese can be compared to Nazi imperialism in the 1930s and early 1940s, while USA can be compared to the British and French, which were on the defensive. At that time the real danger to the world was Nazi Germany, not the British or French. Today the Chinese, with their huge 3.2 trillion dollars foreign exchange reserve hungrily looking for new markets, raw materials, and avenues for investment worldwide, are the real danger to world peace, like Hitler’s imperialism.

The main check to the Chinese is the USA. Therefore the Americans and the Chinese are bound to come into conflict with each other, though no doubt the conflict will not as of now take the form of a direct open war between the two countries ( in view of the fact that both have nuclear weapons ). But limited conflicts may take place, in various forms, and in different places, e.g. the South China Sea, tariff wars, etc.

As regards the second, I have explained in my articles ‘ India needs a modern-minded revolution to become a first-world nation ‘ published in theweek.in , ‘ India has to choose between path of progress and dismemberment ‘ published in theweek.in, ‘ A French Revolution is coming in India ‘ published in indicanews.com, ‘ India edges closer to its own French Revolution ‘ published in theweek.in ‘, ‘ India’s moment of turbulent revolution is here ‘ published in firstpost.com, ‘ The two worlds ‘ published in nayadaur.tv, ‘ The Indian Century ‘ published in linkedin.com, etc that in this world there are really two worlds, the world of the developed countries ( like North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, and China ) and the world of the underdeveloped countries ( like India and the other countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America ). India is on the verge of smashing its way into the ranks of the developed countries.

Before the Industrial Revolution, which began in England in the beginning of the 18th century, and then spread everywhere, there were feudal agricultural societies everywhere. The feudal mode of production  ( the bullock being used to till the land in India, the horse in Europe, and the buffalo in Vietnam ) was so backward and primitive that very little wealth could be generated by it. Consequently, only a handful of people ( kings, aristocrats etc ) could be rich, while the rest ( over 95% ) had to remain poor.

This situation has drastically changed after the Industrial Revolution. Now the modern industry is so powerful and so big that enough wealth can be generated by it to give a decent life to everyone, and now no one in the world needs be poor. Yet, despite this situation over 75% of the people of the world are poor, particularly in underdeveloped countries.

In fact, the world has been transformed into two worlds, the world of the developed countries, and that of the underdeveloped countries.

The object of the underdeveloped countries must be to become developed countries, and therefore the 21st century, and the next stage of history, will be characterized as the period of struggle by the people of the underdeveloped countries to make this historical transformation, otherwise, they can never escape from massive poverty, unemployment, hunger, lack of healthcare and other evils. There are powerful forces which for their own vested interests oppose this historical transformation, so it will not be easy, but the task must be done by patriots.

India will give a lead to all the underdeveloped countries in this process, because it is the most developed of all the underdeveloped countries, and is on the verge of smashing its way into the ranks of the developed countries. Today it has all that is required to become a highly developed country–a huge pool of technical talent with thousands of bright engineers, technicians, and scientists ( Indians are largely manning Silicon Valley in California, and are professors in the Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Departments in many American Universities ), and immense natural resources.

However, Indians were till now divided on the basis of feudal forces like caste and religion and lacked genuinely patriotic and modern-minded political leadership, and this was blocking their advance.

Now the present ongoing Indian farmers’ agitation has come as the spark which will ignite the revolutionary process which will in 10-15 years transform India into a highly developed country. Its historical significance is that it has smashed the barriers of caste and religion and has united the people. It has also kept at a distance our selfish, reactionary politicians whose only object was power and pelf, and who had expertise in polarising society and inciting caste and communal hatred for securing their vote banks.

I have explained this in detail in my articles ‘ The Giant is awakening ‘ and ‘ This agitation is of earth-shaking historical importance ‘ published in indicanews.com,

It is said that a single spark can set the prairie on fire. But this is possible only when a huge amount of inflammable material has already gathered. In India it has gathered, as explained in my articles ‘ Why celebrate Republic Day when the Constitution has become a scarecrow ‘ published in theweek.in, ‘ The sleeping giant is awakening from its long slumber ‘ published in indicanews.com, ‘ A united India in the making ‘ published in dailypioneer.com, ‘ A Tale of Two Movements ‘ published in nayadaur.tv, etc.

In my articles ‘ The Indian farmers’ agitation is the spark which will set the country ablaze ‘ and ‘ The historical significance of the farmers’ agitation ‘ published in indicanews.com, and ‘ Indian farmers, like Lord Krishna, have displayed their mighty form ‘ published in theweek.in this has been explained in detail.

Indian farmers constitute 60-65% of the Indian population of about 1.35 billion people, i.e. they are about 750 million. This giant was till now slumbering. Now it has awakened, and it has unleashed a force that no power on earth can resist. The historical struggle for transforming Indian from an underdeveloped to a highly developed country, which will no doubt take 10-15 years, has now truly begun.