MM Lee was right, of course. India has to urbanise to make greater progress.

But the Indian farmers who refuse to give up their land – and thwarted plans to build the world’s cheapest car in West Bengal — know one thing. As long as they have their land, their fate depends on the weather and the harvest. Once they leave their land, they face even greater uncertainties — from the job market to the world economy. Just like Singaporeans today.

Despite being the best educated workforce in Asia and living in the fifth most competitive economy in the world, Singaporeans are the first to suffer recession.

A very succinctly expressed point of view. But who should the Indian farmer actually fear more? The world economy, as Abhijit seems to indicate, or the Indian Government?