GS Mains Model Question & Answer: Discuss the impact of Drain theory of Dada Bhai Nauroji in the growth of Economic nationalism. Comment

 GS Mains Model Question & Answer: Discuss the impact of Drain theory of Dada Bhai Nauroji in the growth of Economic nationalism. Comment

Q. Discuss the impact of Drain theory of Dada Bhai Nauroji in the growth of Economic nationalism. Comment

Model Answer:

Discuss the impact of Drain theory of Dada Bhai Nauroji in the growth of Economic nationalism.

During the late 19th and early 20th century, ‘the drain theory’ came to be seen as the symbol of Indian economic nationalism. Its message was that financial mechanisms by which British rule in India was maintained led to a transfer of wealth and income from India to Britain, imposing a ‘bleeding drain’ on the Indian economy.

The essence of the drain theory is that the unilateral transfers that India was compelled to make to Britain systematically stripped the country of resources and thus perpetuated poverty. Naoroji observed that ‘the chief cause of India’s poverty, misery, and all other material evils is the exhaustion of its wealth, which continuously and increasingly exhausting and weakening its production, by the excessive expenditure on the European portion of all its sources, and the burden of a large amount each year to be paid to foreign countries for interest on the public debt, which is chiefly caused by the British rule’.

Naoroji emphasised three types of drain. First, the most important item was the remittance to England of a proportion of salaries, incomes, and saving by civil, military employees of the British origin, as well as by professionals such as lawyers and doctors. These, together with the payment in sterling by the government of India of the pensions and allowances of British officials, constituted a heavy burden on the resources of India.

Impact:

a) It was easy for the common masses to apprehend and understand.

b) It was a real awakening for every section of the society the plunder of British.

c) It became the moderate weapons to fight with the British in economis issues.

d) It changed the perception of British as Mai-Baap amongst the common people.
 

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