This is the condition of India, not in the past, but now, at this moment and if uncurtailed will grow worse in future.
We keep talking about "India Shining" and other political slogans,but, are these propagandists at least looking into the ground reality?
Keeping in mind the most of us, who wouldn't be aware of the exact figures of the calamity, I jotted down some numbers from a wiki page on "Poverty in India".
- According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 42% of India falls below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day (in nominal terms Rs. 21.6 a day in urban areas and Rs 14.3 in rural areas): This implies that almost every alternate person, if we were mixed together wouldn't be able to satisfy his/her most fundamental needs;Even feeding onelself adequately for one time a day in today's inflated market would be impossible...
- 27.5% of the population was living below the poverty line in 2004–2005(government-specified poverty threshold of 12 rupees per day) : Note the Govt. specified poverty threshold: Rs.12 per day... Imagine about 330 million people in this condition, given that we are the infamous 1.2 Billion people, and still counting....
- Income inequality in India (Gini coefficient: 32.5 in year 1999- 2000), and 36.8 in 2004 : And, I have no doubts that, this disparity index would have further widened with the IT boom in India.
- The worldwide recession in 2009 have plunged 100 million more Indians into poverty than there were in 2004 increasing the effective poverty rate from 27.5% to 37.2%, i.e., the previous number of 330 million has increased to 450 million people. And, we say India was most resilient to the recession... When there are already 330 million people below poverty line, an additon of 150 millions doesn't seem to influence the reputation!
So what have the governments,which have governed us all these years done, and doing about it?
Hmmm....Pretty much nothing...
Okay,let me be not this harsh on them: Yes, they were, and are doing lots...
Lots to safegaurd the interests of the creamy layer who own and run the country. So, why blame the government? They are right in their policy perspective...
Even while it's people are suffering, shelling out unscrupulously, their hard earned money on high prices for the commonest of the commodities, with it's farmers commiting suicides regularly, and an overall deteriorating lifestyle, the main purpose of the Governments has been taken care of, i.e.,to keep the balance sheets of the rich patriot businessmen in tact. Kudos!!!
If you support the cause of the common man, raise your voice against this atrocity.
To start with, sign this online petition against the unreasonable hike in fuel prices and deregulation of the same.
http://www.petitiononline.com/petrohi/
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