Its 25TH JAN'08, not a special day in my calendar, when while reading newspaper, which is a daily routine, a strange paradox struck my eye, something which is very visible in any good daily everyday, but which we often oversee and ignore.
There was a news that a man, a kite maker by profession had pushed his two sons into a gushing river, they were aged 10 and 4, he was planning to drown another of his son and then take his own life when a passerby saw him and reported him to the police, he is now incarcerated under section 302. from where I see, poverty is all he is guilty of.
Turing another page I saw that the much talked about PDS scheme (public distribution scheme) where in essential commodities like wheat, rice sugar and kerosene are distributed to the ones below the poverty line, are being siphoned in the way towards their target, also as much as 39-49% of the goods is being distributed to those who are above poverty line, which is not at all shocking in our country, and I’m sure that onlookers like me will feel pity and turn the page, the govt. will promise setting up a committee to look into the matter, there will be some pseudo inspection, even if there is any, any ways time for the next page.
Well for those who do not know, the World Bank definition for poverty line for developing nations like India is US$ 1/day/person or approximately Rs 40, which means that 75% of India is under poverty line.
But we here in India we take the liberty of further marginalsing the line to Rs 10/day/person or US$ 75 for entire year. That amount which just means a movie at the multiplex for us (3 hours of entertainment), means a meal, shelter and clothing for 50% of India, for an entire year.
Turning another page I see yet another statistical data of the no. of peasants who took there lives in Vidharba and else where, well I had already done an in-depth analysis of how god forsaken those people are, so I didn’t have the guts of further depressing myself.
Now came the turn of the Business column, a page full of billions of dollars and the blabber of how Indian is trotting down the development lane. Sky rocketing sensex, amplitude of mergers and acquisitions progressing geometrically etc. etc. now I don’t say that it is bad, what I’m trying to say that why such an ironic situation doesn’t perturb any of the masses, why can’t the Indian growth story be more inclusive.
All said and done, I was at the end of my newspaper, and my clock signaled that it was time for the new blockbuster Hollywood action film which will be aired in minutes from now, so I just wrapped up my newspaper, grabbed a cola and wafers and got ensconced in my sofa, unperturbed….!!
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