Just as we were getting used to a rising stock market, Shopping Malls on every corner in our consumeristic cities, billions of dollars coming in from FRI’s, all on the basis that we have such a young population – just as everyone (but the poor farmers) were celebrating and the headlines were screaming about India’s economic development – came the news that the a third of the world’s poorest people live in India ! And this is just when we were getting used to the idea that a third of worlds teenagers were living in India – so they are amongst the poorest in the world. What is the truth of India ? Are we really becoming two nations – and how long before there is intense conflict, ? Civil war ? Between the new lifestyles of billionaires and millionaires observed by those who live on the streets holding the little hands of their children that have not eaten for two days.
Sir,
I don’t imagine that India can ever witness a civil war.
It is right that the youths of the nation are being targetted to spend and in turn making them into a consumeristic society.
There aren’t enough jobs created for them as I read today in 2020 India will have a quarter of world’s total work force. This will in my opinion like today,Indians working abroad will continue to bring earnings in Dollars which are equal to near total export earnings.
India has always been living in villages and in poorer conditions than today’s times. Only the assessment and ratings standards were changed in time to time to show we have a modest improvement.
Sixty years and we can’t provide drinking Water and sanitation.
I believe the youth will/may migrate to job opportunities outside India, and as well might bring more outsourcing to Indian soils.
What in my opinion implies is a child (youth) without education or not in a capacity to work/migrate as a Gulf (cheap)labour, will continue to struggle in poverty(read earning to live opportunities).
On the other hand the liberating middle class witnessing the Malls and Multiplexes are/may going to scare the wits of our marketing geniuses. Indian culture of living within means is deeply rooted and that it will peak out soon and settle the Buzz of spending all around sooner or later.
All sectors cannot be levelled with Telecom as an exception.
The Big Thing missing is, spending in social sectors, which was an integral part of our culture. There lies an equal responisbility on the Billionaires and Millioniares to spend in addition to government on social sectors. Exception of opening educational institutes which becomes part of their recruitment planning.
We need to see cash for food, down the line so that no child sleeps hungry in a country where once people use to fast on Monday’s evening with LAL Bahadur Shastri to save food in 1965.
The Dollars are welcome and we need them for infrastructure unless they become the return route for Corporates to buy International Assets to get them listed in FORBES.
You buy us first and together we buy the next you.
Vinod Agarwal – Turns his head 360 degrees and no solution in sight.
Shekhar,
This seems to be the case in every country including UK as seen in this post http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/gap-between-rich-and-poor-widest-in-40-years-457609.html
But, I guess in India it is growing at an alarming rate and unfortunately the people in power can’t hear this alarm, as they are playing “selective listening” game and those not in power are playing “wait and watch”
‘Loss of words’
smile
This is India’s dilemma, the growing gap between the haves and haves not!!! I am sure there is enough money and resources in the country now to act on this problem. Whats the government doing??
Does India need to be governed like China to bridge the gap?? What is the answer?
Change is the need of the hour for India and Our World
People need to understand Community
and need to work, act to save the community, life
Do we want our kids, next generation to be proud of us ?
World needs at this moment more dedicated people without self interest
All of us need to have simple belief that the world as it is just won’t do
We have an obligation to make this world a better place for ALL LIFE…
Today’s inteligensia is the ONLY hope
Please try to understand what is here, a great motivation to learn from
Crosscurrents of history
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/08/25/sot.michelle.obama.history.cnn
Change is the need
and we all can do it
Let us hope and spread the word,
People should take responsible initiative to preserve all that is precious (humans) on our earth, all life
What can I as an individual do for the society. What is the first step? Join an NGO? Donate money?
What can be done to provide oppurtunites in life for a little girl who has not had food for past few day….and the last thing on her mind would be education. I am 23 now. I wish to make a change. But what I dont know is where to start?
I am in Bangalore. What can I do to make a difference? If you have any thoughts…pls advise.
shekhar, that is the reason why we dread to open the morning papers for such a longtime now…….the alarming rate at which the crime ratio has risen !
the rising number of malls is not neccesary……. neither are the expensive and highly over rated designer brands tumbling into our country !
earlier there was a feeling of peace among families as you always feel a sense of well being if your earnings are greater than your need to spend and your inner voice says ‘ you can afford it but do you really need it ? are you in anyway feeling less complete without……… XYZ ? ‘ that sense of well being is a generator of positive energy, confidence and the capacity for productivity.
in today’s times the pollutant is this energy of greed and anxiety that leaves even millionaires insecure and feeling like beggars if they do not have what the next guy is flaunting ! what of the middle class and the poor………? dont ask !
in my opinion it is way beyond redemption……………and we can as individuals try to make changes in smaller ways by beginning with our own homes…….and hope more people feel the same way…….in order to make a diff on a larger scale.
Why we Indians are so REACTIVE?
Some stupid report from foriegn country makes our minds on tenderhooks, like this report be taken so seriously and drawn inferences upon!
Whenever a foriegn report comes, my first instinct is who is behind it? an NGO, A foriegn bank, or what is the need for this report to come at such a time? who will benefit with this?
I think we are really a good country and we Indians know that we dont like civil wars. Majority of people would not like wars – we can’t afford them and others are terrorist and brains behind terrorist.
However, I would like to point out one thing which will explode with time. You see the government in order to improve financial balance sheet of nation, has opned SEZ and is selling government lands and to some extent farmers lands and compensating them. Traditionally Indians were used to give lands to their children or heirs but now a days government itself is selling land , as it brings revenue to it. This move by government not stopped, in long run, the future generation of villagers will have no legacy.
Hi AJ, thanks for your comments on the other thread and for taking over the video link 🙂
You are very welcome, your doing a great job yourself on your site. I watched the videos and immediately a song came into my mind:
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow, you’re only a day away.
I love you now. Our country is a ‘water’ country. Our Prince Willem Alexander is an expert on water issues. He recently visited India with his wife Maxima. Surely they have made some good working arrangements between our two countries 🙂
Love, Mieke
I do hope that you are not right. Having said that, I kind of agree with you that the time is becoming ripe for an uprising in India. How long should the poor continue to accept their fate? They need to fight for their rights – I actually may support this war if it is non-violent.
Yes Shekhar,
You are right that we are getting closer to civil war day by day. We have several singur in front of our eyes, but we are forced to stay away.
Well,I think you must write in Hindi too, so that people can come closer to you. Your fellow artist Manoj Bajpayee has started his blog recently and he is writting in Hindi as well as in English.His blog’s URL is- http://manojbajpayee.itzmyblog.com
we certainly hope not tho’ it cannot be ruled out.
with the post liberalisation mode of development and the dumping nehruvian socialist democracy , the balance is titlting dangerously.
the leaders are so busy playing politics that their ears have become insensitive to ominous rumblings of discontenment of the poor.
It is sad to know that people need a front page write up on a news paper to know this fact. But, if people read it and registered it and understood what it means, then too i think the print media did some good. Instead of only highlighting chest thumping news about mergers acquisitions and all the money that is flowing into our country which every media does best, they sometimes do a bit to educate the ignorantly blissful indians who think India is Shining!
What people like us can do abt it??
1. Be aware.
2. Have an educated opinion.
3. Practice and preach what is true.
4. Inform peers of the unjust prevalent in the society.
5. Do our bit to save world resources.
6. Live a decent and not a lavish life.
7. Nurture the feeling to give.
8. Let go of our prejudices.
9. Stand up to injustice — even if it is happening to someone else.
10. Let go of the thought that ‘how can I make a difference when the rest of the billion people are giving a damn’.
11. Stop thinking that I have too many issues in my life to think abt others, because you dont have to look too hard to find someone who is in deeper mess than yourself.
12. Be tolerant of people who are different but not wrong.
I am not preaching, I constantly try to practice everything that I listed — some things come easy to me, for others I make a conscious efforts.. But the beginning and truth of change is that it has to start with you.
We are partly responsible for the current state of our people. As the old adage goes “Every country gets the government it deserves”
We need to make ourselves better to get better leaders.
The day every person sleeps with a full stomach, justice is not limited to the powerful, when education is not a privilege, when our women can do what they please and still be safe, maybe then we can say that india truly is shining.
I hope you are not right on this one.
The only hope for India is to have a strong Hindu Nationalist Government. It is extremely simple you see..none of the other religions are as tolerant and accepting as Hinduism, and their expansionist nature of religious conversions is sure to create more hate and problems among Indians. How come the current government is so soft on all these fanatics who are converting poor people in villages in return for basic amenities..the so-called “missionaries” and such. Would it have anything to do with Sonia Gandhi’s past? All these guys have repeatedly taken advantage of the tolerance and peaceful nature of Hindus for ages..and incited the lower castes against the upper for their own short-term benefit. The masses, who were in their ignorant cocoons before the advent of the 24/7 news channels, are getting to know about all these cunning tactics..and truth cannot be ignored.
Let the BJP rule, remove all memory of the UPA, and things will be better.
respected sir,
I do feel that what you have said and warned us for is true,i keep on travelling to the nooks and cornres of our country,i can say that there is apathy and deprevation in most of our country,everybody is harping about india becoming the next super powere,economic stability,dependence and hub of i.t sector cynosure of tecnology and pristine knowledge,in the tribal region of orissa the women folk to earn a livelihood is forced to pledge or sell one’s infant child,respective goverment(incumbent) decline to look into this issue take stock of things,there are certain belts which are far from the light of civilisation,multitude of family who hail from the giri samajh are in shambles.In many of such families there is just ONE Saree for family comprising seven to eight womens,in bihar the plight of the people is absolutely harrowing and with this cosi river curse invading has left multitude homeless,as per the report of the world health organisation india holds the highest populatin of malnaurished children which is harrowing in number (i do have a brief account of it),in vidarbh and marathwara every second day a farmer is commiting suicide,in states like U.P and Bihar unemployed youths are thrown into the quigmire of crime by tainted and unscruplous leaders who have an axe to grind mentality,in sigur police perpetrates atrocities to such an extent that during the course of lathicharge a women who is farmer’s wife who is pregnanat is so mercilessly beaten ke uska bachca marr jata hain in the womb,then all the parties collude to politicise the issue,there is all round apathy and devastations galore,on the top of it apathetical and indifferent attitude of the politicians and their government is adding to the woe betide of the commoners,this is not at all looking good as the people who are surfaced at a grass root level are in rage ,disconsolated,the people who were billionars have become zillionars,por has become poorer,i was in bihar believe mi ShekharSir in the name of relief and rescue nothing has been done to improve the conditions ravaged by the greatest disaster after indipendence,we along with few n.g.o’s had visited bihar with food grains and vegetables people were hungry for 13-14 days they pounced upon the food grains and little children were eating raw potatoes and onions,believe me none of the government representatives were there,still only a few bevy of people are rendering their services,state govt and the central are involved in a political imbroglio wer each one is playing the blame game,in 60 years of indipendence about 45% of our villages in india are deprived of basic aminities, bare necessaries and infrastructural development indian army is one of the lowest paid army in the world,wereby a paramvirchakra recipient is paid a compensation of just 3000 aq month,vir chakra is paid 1500,a frail fatigued old man has to run helter skelter to realise her pension,means a commoner has to fight tooth and nail for his right in democracy,rampantcorruption,red tapesim are few to name and if this continues than there is a possibilty of india being witenessing a civil war,
Its a scary divide.
There are two India’s.
How far is economy the reason? Or exclusion from opportunity the reason? Or the blatant display of the haves, a reason?
Why would you have this divide in a state like Gujarat (lets leave out 2002 and N M for a while), where the GDP is growing 12%, and over 80% of the villages have 24 hr electricity?
dear mr kapur: i have a take on this. about the two indias that you write of. please have a look at this: “the poverty of myths” http://www.write2kill.in/critiques/people/186.html
tks.
I chanced upon your blog by a stroke of luck. I feel thrilled to have had the opportunity to talk to you. Its an exciting feel.
The sub-continent has 2 major communities. Hindus and Muslims. They need not remain “eternal” enemies. Both can survive and grow, provided mutual respect (not one-upmanship) is the dominant POLITY. No amount of economic growth (10% GDP growth for 10% of the population); or PR campaigns can save India from civil war, genocides and severe destruction. Afghanistan multiplied by 10,000 i.e. Signs are not good. The country is on the threshold. People’s anger can explode anytime., leading to horrible consequences. The mixture (overpopulation, unemployment, communal hatred injected by RSS, frustrations, youthful desires and the inability to lead a normal happy life as shown on TV) is lethal.
Congress must take on RSS head-on. Soft Hindutva will destroy Congress first., and finally the Idea of India. Jawaharlal Nehru’s India., the IDEA is worth fighting RSS a million times for a million years.
RSS & its off-shoots are the largest terrorist factory in the world (Established 1926). The world’s largest holocaust is waiting to happen – in India.
RSS /Hindutva will destroy India and eclectic Hinduism. The Hindu Taliban will not rest until they turn India into Afghanistan.
I wonder how many people here commenting about over population leading to all problems will stay single and bring no children in this world. Thus far, 19 comments have been posted. 19 people, when they get married (assuming they are all singles till date and all Indian citizens) will have at an average of 2 kids in their lifetime. So, if they don’t marry it will be 19*2 = 38 children less. Now that’s a great start.
Try doing something urself other than blaming the Govt. Trust me, with the kind of sham modern marriage is, u won’t be missing anything. God bless India which has men who have to be married even at the cost of their lives.
To – Mr Harshad patel (Comment # 19) : You are just another patheitc anti-india mullah hiding inside the skin of a fake hindu name. All the relegious discrimination and relegious fights are due to the taitors like you. You people bark openly against hindus, lure hindu and sikh girls and lastly kill hindus by being their best pals. You dam relegious bigots are some of the dirtiest curse on our beutiful country.
I think the time is approaching.
Still it may take 2-3 years more but I expect some action between 2013-2016.
dear all ,i almost read all the comments on this post .i am happy to see many people who think about their poor country mens well being.its true our country is not flourishing instead its really heading towards a civil war .i would only blame our ruling party whoever it is . we are forced into many things than how can we call ourselves a citizen of democratic country ? we accept whatever is banged on our heads evry morning we wakeup .our politicians assures of a daily surprise for people .
we all are forced to be seated on a chair to which we are chained/locked and to watch the show presented by our politicians .we cant do anything nothing at all .all hopes are gone .so forget all this. go home sleep ,majja karo ,weekends pe jao ,time pass ke liye desh hith ki batten karo ,chai pete pete ye hona chaiye wo hona chahiye aisi badi badi batten karo . jai hind
here people are dying because of inflation and i find quite amusing still people are worried about their castes and religion .does it really matters where survival is the priority ? god/allah/bhagvan or whatever ur name is please guide these people .murkh hai jo jativad ko badhava dete hai .kyun ki isika faida wo topi pehne wala macchar leta hai .jago bhai jago .aage nahi bad sakte to kam se kam piche to mat jao .socho mere pyare bhaiyon socho .rehne ko ghar nahi ,sone ko bistar nahi ,khane ko khana nahi ,ghumne ko paise nahi KYA HUM INSAAN NAHI ? socho ek insaaan ne dusre insaaan ke liye kya kiya ? socho . yehan upastit logon mein kitno ko lagta hai ki wo baar baar janam lenge ? salon zindagi abhi mili hai isse jiyo ji bharke tumhari jaat tumhare saaat nahi jayegi marte samay .keval tum jaoge .bloody chutiye .
the darwin’s rule will apply bcoz we are now 120 crore
“struggle for existence” & “survival of fittest”
I agree with Shekhar that there may be a civil war if we are not able to control our bursting population. Our politicians see their immediate benefit in whatever they do to appease a section of the society but they do not see what would happen in the future of theirs as well as others future generations.
I am of the opinion that all our politicians unite and chalk out a programme to contain population growth. It is not question of a particular community but beggars and the living in the shanties add to the population alarming. What they produce- beggar and criminals and more poverty
It is in every bodies interest to share our responsibility to lessen the burden of population on the society and the country
Mahender Singh
from my view here are the primary factors that could lead to civil war in India: the terrible treatment of women, extreme poverty, religious extremism in most major communities, tensions between religious communities, government corruption, the divide between religious and secular groups, and over reliance on middle eastern oil.