When we look back upon the administrative set-up and its growth during the last two decades, we find a significant shift in the emphasis from law and order administration to a welfare administration. This is as it should be in a developing country which is undergoing revolutionary social, political and economic change within a democratic frame-work. But when we look around, we find a disquieting and disturbing trend towards growing violence in the country. There is an increasing tendency to take issues to the streets. In a democracy, violent means have no place in decision-making processes. Democracy stands for a continuous dialogue, discussion and debate on various issues which face us as a nation. The increase in violence, whether due to communal, regional or economic causes, can cut at the very root of our progress and stability. I would, therefore, like to urge that though the problems of growth and welfare are important, the problems of law and order are equally important if not more important. I am sure our administrators will be able to meet this challenge of violence with firmness coupled with tact, patience and understanding. I mentioned this aspect of the problem mainly because in all our discussions of developmental administration, we tend to take law and order for granted. But no superstructure of progress and prosperity can be possible unless we have peace and stability in the society. This is more so when we are in the midst of significant social and economic changes. Any change does lead to resistance from sections of society which are affected by it. This is as true in matters like removal of untouchability and money-lending practices as in agricultural, economic, educational or industrial sectors. A deep and human understanding of these processes of action and reaction so as to deal with them with tact and patience is an important task before the administration today. I am sure, we will meet this challenge with fortitude and courage of conviction.
I briefly referred to the problems of developmental administration earlier. As Nepolean had said, war is easy; it is waging it that is difficult. This is equally true in another but a more real context. A war against poverty, squalor and misery is easy, it is waging it that is difficult. An organised attempt to plan a country's development introduces new and unfamiliar entrepreneurial and managerial tasks on an unprecedented scale. Few developing countries can cope with these administrative problems successfully over a substantial length of time. These problems are so complex that in most of the developing countries, the limitation in implementing the plans is not the financial resources, but achieving democratic socialism.
