Governing the Ungovernable by Ishrat Husain

At the same time, the book recognises contextual challenges, which are more complex now than they were 25 years ago. While the author laments the immediate past, he gives hope for the future of Pakistan. In brief, the challenge to India is to make its governance standards catch up with its ambitious development agenda. One is left with the lurking fear that the weak governance standards in India may not be able to sustain high growth, and that the growth process will be under serious threat if the deteriorating trend is not immediately reversed. The relevant question for us now is whether a high growth rate can be sustained in India with continued weak governance. The author refers to Devesh Kapur’s exploration of this paradox. He offers enough evidence to show that India remains one of the top performers among the emerging economies, despite weak governance and the frailty of institutions.

The author provides a comparative picture of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India in relation to various governance rankings compiled by different organisations. Of the last three chapters, which suggest the way forward, the chapter titled ‘Lessons from the Experience of Other Countries’ is of particular significance for us in India. The components of governance are examined in detail over eight chapters, namely the civil services, judiciary, legislator, military, religious edifice, private sector, justice and external actors. The chapters on the economy, polity, society, provincial governments and local governments provide the macro picture. The first two chapters provide the background. His book, consisting of 18 chapters, can be divided into four parts. The author is admired as a public intellectual in Pakistan, and I was familiar with his personal and professional reputation globally, even before I became Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, and we interacted closely as Governors in SAARC. Why and how does a country get left behind? There are many books on how countries have become richer, and how reforms can lead to growth and prosperity, but Husain explores the reasons for deceleration of economic growth. At another level, it is also very informative and appealing, backed by substantial research, analyses and insights - a very serious read on those counts, which concludes on an optimistic note, showing the way forward. At one level, the book is very light reading, describing the challenges, achievements and shortcomings of Pakistan over the past seven decades.

Governing the Ungovernable by Ishrat Husain