A Tribute to Indian Reality

A Tribute to Indian Reality
(written before the financial crisis of 2008)

 The GDP is escalating unprecedentedly. Some of the richest people on the globe hails from this land. The country has been accredited as one of the largest democracies in the world. This is the latest face of India- an India that is defined and destined to become one among the Global Superpowers. 

Nevertheless, there is a difference. If the multinational silver sky-scrapers flaunt India’s exponential progress, then the slums behind those speak volumes about India’s bitter truth. If the GDP talks about India’s steady growth, then the Hunger and the HDI Indices reveal real shocks.  While some Indians suffer from anorexia, then others die of piercing starvation. Are we really happy or are we sad?  Otherwise, are the billionaires or the anorexic patients representing a false microcosm of modern India? Well, some things can be as true as the words of Charles Dickens (in the present tense|), “It is the best of times, and it is the worst of times.” 

Sweet Meats and Ice Creams

For the last consecutive three years, the Indian Economy is experiencing a consistent growth rate of more than 8 percent. This growth without development is like an aging child affected by a retarded mental growth. Such a growth would lead to benefit only his limbs and other organs but lack of mental development would distort his personality as a whole. Similarly, economic growth would be nothing other than ostentatious outer appearance if development is not incorporated into it. Despite the country having a high growth rate, India is ranked 126 among a total of 177 countries in the Human Development Index. At the same time, when Mukesh Ambani topped the list of world billionaires, India was placed below Ethiopia in the World Hunger Index. Be it movies or developmental strategies, Indians are remarkable imitators. Unlike movies, the outcome of imitating successful developmental strategies of the West in India has not been expectedly rewarding. For example, United States is a developed country. On an average, in US every citizen possesses a car. If India tries to imitate US, would it be viable for more than a billion Indians to do the same? 

India is basically an agrarian economy. Its structure cannot easily absorb or adapt to abrupt industrial designs. While introducing industrialisation for developmental purposes, the fundamental agriculture and other trade activities should not face a set back. At Singur, Tata Motors proposes to construct a manufacturing site that would produce India’s cheapest car (Rs. 1,00,000 per car) . The ongoing mass protests and outcry are being answered back by gentle justifications that the farmers are paid handsome compensation and the setting up of a factory would ensure not a only large scale employment but also help in the progress of that area. However, would not this idea be implied at the cost of losing acres of fertile land that help feed thousands and thousands of people? Would not this project give rise to the already existing problems of pollution and environmental degradation? Further, with the rising incomes of the middle class, more number of people would be able to afford this cheap car. Hence, if the number of vehicles increases day by day, would the volume of fuel or the width of road do the same? Similarly, the advent of multinational and corporate retail stores has given the states the benefit of modern infrastructure, lowered the prices for consumers, higher returns for farmers etc. However, local traders and vendors are facing a severe blow due to the emergence of such stores. If the corporate retail stores appear as a boon for farmers and consumers, then on the other side they pose a doom for the trading class. On measuring these two aspects, the detriments far outweigh the benefits. In this case, the Uttar Pradesh CM deserves applause for prohibiting the entrance of corporate retail stores, and promoting the livelihood of thousands who thrive on local trade.   

Environmentally Incorrect

When it comes to environmental protection and sustainable development, the government of India has lots of words and little action.  In the Environmental Sustainability Index, India was positioned 104 out of the 146 surveyed countries. Apart from this, our paucity regarding food, water and good air is not due to the lack of these but due to mismanagement. A peep into our daily routine can well indicate major flaws relating to food and water wastage.

Demon-o-cracy

Shashi Tharoor once wrote, “Democracy is perhaps the most arrogant of all forms of government because only democrats presume to represent an entire people.” This statement has indeed translated the reality of Indian Democracy into words. In fact, India is a democracy where people are coaxed to voting at the temptation of a bundle of cash or a bottle of rum. It is a democracy where indecisive coalition parties fight over the ruling chair. And with the formation of these coalition governments, the meaning of democracy has been diluted and given varying contours. During the 2007 Presidential Elections, the sms polling conducted by NDTV showed a clear win for Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. However, due to the political motives of the so-called representatives of the people, the majority of the Electoral College did not favour the same person. Well, can we call this a democratic set up? The irony is that we still like to call it, “The government of the people, by the people and for the people.”

India is the largest democratic nation in the world and it claims to be one of the forerunners of democracy. If this is so, why does the Indian External affairs minister extend co-operation and bond ties with Myanmar’s military rulers? And when questioned, he remarked, “Democracy, human rights are Myanmar’s internal affairs. We would like to increase our participation and also construct a natural gas pipeline from here to India.” What can one say when the upholders of democracy pawn this ideology for commercial interests?

This is India, which has gradually transformed itself from the land of snake charmers to the IT booming cities. Labelling itself as world’s next superpower would not hold that momentum until the grass root factors are aptly strengthened. Whilst we have modern metro cities with the likes of Silicon Valley, there still exist the primeval systems of child marriage, caste discrimination and problems like that of child labour, farmer suicides and female foeticide. And the irony is that, we often ignore these cancerous issues and take pride in the achievement of a momentary charm. Apart from all these glitz and glamour, there is nothing worthy that makes India proud. Hence, I wonder, “Is India 60 years young or 60 years old?”