Progressive India? Hungry India?
What comes to mind when you think of famine, of people starving, of death from hunger ? Africa, isn’t it? Harsh as that may sound, most of us tend to associate that unfortunate continent with the misery of famine and hunger - Ethiopia, Somalia - these are the names that come to mind. Though we see poor people all around us, somehow, our own country, India, doesn’t figure in our minds, because, oh, we are not short of food, are we? There is no famine here, there is plenty of food in the shops - if only you can afford to buy it. I am ashamed that I fall into this category myself, the category which sees, yet somehow doesn’t really see.
Which is why, I was shocked to read a week or so ago, the findings of a global study on hunger, which revealed that not only does India figure in the list of 88 countries which fail to meet standards, it ranks 66th on this list, with many Indian states ranking below countries such as Gabon, Ethiopia and Chad. What does it say about us, that 60 years after Independence, our populations continues to rise steeply, but we still cannot feed the millions entering this world? Does it not indicate a huge lack of political will as well as systemic failures that prevent social welfare schemes from really reaching the poor?
The causes are many. Populations are huge, making implementation of our Below the Poverty Line (BPL) food programme difficult. Mid-day meals, which are a huge incentive for children to go to school, are not uniformly or well implemented by all states. Rural areas continue to be excessively dependent on low-paying, subsistence agriculture. Worse, there are many landless people, who are under-employed. India’s long history of license-quota raj meant that manufacturing has grown very slowly, and is still much lower than what is needed to employ such a large population. No jobs, no land - no food is a natural result.
Does it not tear your heart to hear that “India…does not have a single state in the ‘low hunger´ or ’moderate hunger’ categories?” After all, food is the most basic of needs. Parents who cannot feed their children are unlikely to be able to afford other expensus such as sending them to school. Hunger leads to malnutrition and lesser immunity to diseases; it also stunts mental growth.
Too often, we think of patriotism as fighting at the border, indulging ourselves in rants against Pakistan, or insisting that everyone should sing Vande Mataram; but if true patriotism is love for this country that has give us, privileged ones, such a good life, surely, this love has to reflect as concern for its masses of under-fed people, whose only crime is to have been born on the wrong side. There is no way we can claim to have become a developed country, till this problem is addressed.
But, I don’t work in the government. I do my bit by paying my taxes, which are supposed to address such issues. Occasionally, I contribute to charities, especially those that work with children. Is this enough? What else can we, individual citizens do? The scale of the problem is so large that individual efforts at charity may not make much of a dent. Ever since I read this report, I find it difficult to get it off my mind. What can we really do to bring about the change we want to see?
I too read the report and was surprised.I always felt that the standard of living is improving with maid servants and the like affording the luxury of a colored TV with cable connection and every chaiwalah and auto driver using a mobile phone. I guess this is the scenario in cities and metros.Rural India continues to suffer thanks to our conniving politicians who would like them to remain so. The fight against hunger and poverty will remain an useless one unless the government, the common man, philanthropists and social activists join hands and work in a complementary manner and not as isolated pockets. Honesty is an outdated concept and those who advocate it are a misfit in society. There is a ‘don’t care’ attitude among those who can risk questioning the rights of the public and duties of the government. The situation can improve only by collective effort.
when u see the line of hungry people outside mosques and temples you know hunger exists even in the cities
maybe corporate adoption/ sponsorship of villages is one workable option
Padmaji - thanks for the comment. This post was written in a pretty despairing state of mind. Somehow, the way things are moving, I don’t feel too hopeful about our ability to fight this battle, though yes, collection effort is needed and we can’t stop trying.
Art - you know, when I see people like the Ambanis and Amitabh Bachchan donate huge sums to Tirupati and such, I feel the money could be so much better utilised. Of course, its their own money and they may be doing other worthwhile stuff, and Tirupati could also be doing its own charitable work, still, there seems to be a lot of money wasted on religion.
The Rang Rasiya Freedom of Expression Art Competition extended until January 21, 2009
After receiving an overwhelming response , the Rang Rasiya Freedom of Expression Art Competition, a nation wide contest, a venture by Infiniti Film Entertainment has extended the closing date of entries till January 21, 2008. This Art Movement is an endeavor to bring about a socio cultural movement in India and provide a platform for new talent who are passionate about Art.
The competition is open to all above the age of 18. Entries open till January 21,2008.For participation, log on to http://www.rangrasiya.com .
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