Amol Kaikini in the WSJ Best of the Web column wonders why journalists never mention that between 1947-1991, India was socialist. He comments on his life.
“Mr. Kaikini reports that after graduating from a top engineering school in India he landed what was considered a good job in the Indian economy of the early 1970s. But he and his wife could take little for granted. Mr. Kaikini writes that “when our son was born we increased our daily milk ration. We were spending 70-75% of our take-home pay for food. This is modest food, all cooked from scratch, maybe fish or meat once in two weeks.”
Mr. Kaikini recalls that “means of production, communication and transport” were government-owned and “operated with unfortunate outcomes. Everything was typically in short supply.”
He adds: “When I had the opportunity to leave India and live in the U.S. in 1976 I did and have no regrets.” Mr. and Mrs. Kaikini arrived in America with $8 each. “Our first year in the U.S. we worked small jobs until I finished computer school. We could afford to eat anything we wished. What a contrast,” he notes. “We now are happily retired in Brooklyn. Not too many countries reward talent as does the US.””
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