________________
52
ECONOMICS OF MAHAVIRA
complete system. And this is possible only through the principle of anekanta.
Modern Economics has thus propounded the principle of prosperity, and the race for prosperity was unleashed. The conceptual world of modern Economics has some fallouts industry, mechanisation and urbanisation. Industry is an important corollary. With increasingly expanding industries, there was that much more prosperity. As a consequence, the race for industrialisation started. Several nations became industrial countries, became rich and created a considerable amount of prosperity. With industries, mechanisation intensified, and with mechanisation urbanisation grew. Earnings were correlated with industries located in and around cities and, as a result, village people started migrating to cities. Cities continued to expand, multi-storeyed buildings continued to be built. But these buildings along side rows of jhuggis and jhopris (slums) also grew. 'Heaven' and 'hell' both existed together. If heaven was to be seen on this earth, then it was there, and if hell was to be seen, then it was present in the form of slums.
Jain Education International
Problems Related with Industry
Industry created certain new problems. When people's attention was drawn to environment, it was found that the environment was becoming polluted; land, water and air all were getting polluted. The problem has assumed such large proportions that the burden of mitigating the problem created by big industrial nations is falling on developing nations. To discuss this problem, the Bio-Earth Summit Conference was organised. The conference underlined the seriousness of the problem of pollution, but the problem continued to remain critical.
Excessive destruction and exploitation of land have been evident. Man, for his own comforts and for the satisfaction of his needs, has been destroying land. This is not anything new. But during the twentieth century, the extent of such damage has been so extensive that it has exceeded all reasonable limits. The extent of exploitation of resources has never been so colossal in the past. Many a time the thought occurs that, if the present
-
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
