Himalayan Times (1954)

BY PRO BONO PUBLICO

The • feature of the new
export policy announced by
the Political Agent of the
Government of India for Sik-
kim, Bhutan & Tibet on the
18th Aug 1954, is worthy
of an abiding place in the
heart of the Trade in the
sense that, it marks the
process of liberalisation in
the Indo-Tibet export. Be-
fore the announcement of
this new policy, the export
was in an air of perennial
uncertainty which had rather
, overshadowed the diurnal
move of the export, and it
was generally regarded in
the Trade as a constant
swing between liberalization
and restrictions during all
the while. Thanks to the
Political Agent's keen in-
sight into the intricacies of
the problem who has now
succeded in overcoming this
contrast, and this is taken
as one of the most notable
achievements of his as th*
Authority entrusted in this
behalf who has now been
able to bring the export
policy on to a plateau of
comparative stability, to the
deep gratification of all
concerned that is to *y
a consummation devoulty
to be wished.

The basic objective of the
new export policy seems
to be to reconcile two aims
which have for some to

been in clear conflict as
stated above. First to in-
tioduce the fundamental
principle which would ensure
that consumers get adequate
supplies of their more essen-
tial needs on a fair leval;
and secondly, one would
assume, not to allow export
so liberal a scale that the
competitive productions of
our Home Industries are
forced out of the market
altogether. This two-fold
basic objective, therefore,
is to be faithfully executed,
and recognised as on a
footing of experimental
basis.

It will be admitted by
every right think:ng person
that the output of the Home
Industries chiefly dppen^s
upon the export of her
productions to other coun-
tries, and this we may ap'ly
describe as the only means
of ensuring full employment
in the country and finally
as one of the back-bones
of the country's resources.
Obviously, our prirrary aim
is, therefore, to ensure
balance of export trade in
favour of our Home Indus-
tries in such a way as to
drive out foreign gooJs from
the export market by
economic pressure of un-
equal value. Accordingly,
the reconciliation of this
two-fold basic- objective,

September I'S, 1904

therefore, prima facia
demands effectual protec-
tion; for while full scale of
export of the productions
of Home Industries as an
immediate goal may not be
feasible, there is every need
for an effective machinery
to promote the export of
the produce of Home In-
dustries and facilitate this
national adjustment on a
much larger scale. The
encouragement of this na-
tion 11 output is both desi-
rable and netcssaiy in this
context.

Why is the demand for
effectual protection nece-
ssary ? The .inswtr is quite
simple India is not a highly
industrialised country, and
the productions consequent-
ly i'ot up are, in the eyes
of foreign enterprise, still
in their infancy. And, yet
it is heartening ; for our
soil is the land of craftsmen
with a great degree of indus-
trial skill. Naturally, there-
fore, to further the cause
of industrial both output and
upliftmenf, and to bring on
to the par of foreign In-
dustries, the export of in-
digenous productions needs
every sympathetic: support
from all pairons and lovers
of the Home Industries.
Now with the Industries in
India gearing up to cope
with advances and com-
petitions, it is indeed abso-
lutely necessary to charge
ths optimistic views on the
foreign goods, and let
(Continued on^py/e 10)