What about Centralization?
In a way we can say that the greatest problem before the whole world today is its tendency towards centralization, which is the result of big undertakings. Suppose for instance I want steel. Then I can not have a steel plant in a hut! I can not make it a cottage industry. It will necessarily be a big thing. There are some things which are big by their very nature. For instance I want a rail factory It will necessarily be a big thing.
Only some things can be done on a small scale. There is also a natural tendency at present for the smaller units to increase in size, for if something is done on a big scale, it is always cheaper and easier. If a business man opens a big shop, he can wipe out 50 small shops, for he has more money, more goods and more resources. This tendency is seen in all spheres, in industry as well as in Government. We can see that in America it has grown to fantastic lengths. There they have huge trusts. The tendency grows unchecked. On the other hand it is human desire that there should be no check on individual freedom. Centralization acts as a check on this freedom for it involves working under some restraints. Whether you have socialism or imperialism or capitalism, these checks are there. I mean to say, to a certain extent we always need centralization. Without it we can not work for the good of the people. At the same time we also should try to introduce decentralization as far as possible to maintain individual freedom. The big problem is to strike a balance between the two.
Centralization in the political field...
A human being can never function as an individual in the political field. Only saints can work on an individual plane, as they live in their own world. The present method of doing work in the political field inevitably involves working through centralization. The Government also is centralized, though it is of a different type. Now if we have a democratic system it it is necessary that there should be a public centralization behind it. It, therefore, becomes essential that such support can come only through centralization. There is no other way of working except through an centralization where the members are generally of one opinion, even if not completely unanimous and are therefore a party. Otherwise every person would indicate a different way of work. The thing to be decided is in what direction you have to go. And the people who travel in that direction will have to be of one mind, otherwise, they will get confused about their direction and everyone will go his own way. This will be an impossible state of affairs. Of course, it would be harmful to think party interest only. It is not possible to draw a dividing line between the two. Therefore, we say that centralization also play an important role in political the field.
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