Asian drama v.1

A decade of research lies behind Arian Drama: An Inquiry Into the Poverty of Nations. This three-volume study is an analysis of the problems of underdevelopment, development, and planning for development in South Asia. The countries included are India and Pakistan, which are extensively studied, Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and, to a lesser extent, Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam.

Unlike most current studies of South Asia's economic problems, Asian Drama is candid to the point of being undiplomatic. It does not assume that the South Asian countries, though poor, are developing. Nor does it assume that it is just a matter of time, and outside assistance, before these countries begin to develop. Instead, this study takes a hard and searching look at the economic, social and political realities of South Asian life, and finds that they cast a serious pall on the region's development prospects. Just as Professor Myrdal's approach is unconventional, so is his explanation of the region's plight. South Asia's poverty is commonly attributed to a shortage of capital. Professor Myrdal disagrees. He concludes that irrational attitudes and outmoded institutions are mainly responsible for the abysmally low levels of living in South Asia. On the basis of this exhaustive inquiry, which included residence in the region, discussions with leaders and ordinary people, and close examination of publications and statistical material, he is convinced that the key to South Asia's development is what he terms 'institutional' change. Volume 1 contains a long introductory section that attempts to put the economic facts in their true social, political and physical setting, and goes on to deal with political problems and economic realities.