H R Phonsa
The nature has bestowed India with abundant natural resources. We rightly claim to be the oldest civilization of the world. Despite all this the distribution of national resources among all sections of society have been unfair from centuries with distinction of continuing this even after attaining freedom seven decades ago. In ever selfish human world colour and economic disparities continue. But India in addition to the colour and economic disparities ,the caste hate and division disparities are followed. The colour and economic disparities can be won over but not caste hate among Hindus. Efforts of caste reformists have had little success. Despite all round progress since 1947 a larger chunk of population still feels it is not equally cared. The constitution guarantee of Equality of status and of Opportunity are casualties as also other Fundamental Rights. Even after attaining freedom country has witnessed India slipping into two Bharats Rich or Elite and Poor or Deprived Bharat having hardly anything as equality social, economic, caste unification meeting point.
Global Wealth Report 2016 places India as the second most unequal country worldwide ( the Credit Suisse Research Institute). A study by a Berlin-based NGO pegs India as ‘Most Corrupt Country in Asia-Pacific Region. Records say that since 1951-2018 nearly 207 scams took place involving enormous money . In nine shamefully top scams (2003-2018) Rs 6,71,420 crores were pilfer- aged by corrupt politicians, business persons including their relations and henchmen. Elite India is for Bullet Train and the other is for increasing trains frequency and increase of bogies to make them climb down from train roof tops into bogies. We are a home of 21 percent of world’s poor. As of 2014 showing 58 percent of the total Indian population were living on less than $3.10 per day. Economic gap between Elite and Deprived Indian is widening with every passing day. Elite Indian boasts of 121 billionaires (2018) where as in poverty ridden Indian from 1998 to 2018 as many as 3, 00,000 farmers committed suicides (Wikipedia). If effected farm labourers are added this figure may shoot up many times.
Indian economic capital Mumbai has $410 billion ( Rs 27.88 lakh crores) GDP, over 6 percent of National GDP (2018-19 estimated). But Maharashtra sadly witnessed suicides of poor farmers as large as 70,000 (1995-2017). Mumbai red light areas, bars, brothels have over 1,00,000 prostitutes, (sex workers) out of their country wide estimated population of 6,57,829 (Nov.2016 Unaids). Underage population of prostitutes is estimated at 12 Lakhs . All these unfortunate ladies come from deprived Indians with compulsions of bread earning. The “The Quint, Jan. 2018” quotes that Indian top one per cent of the population is owning nearly 73 percent of the total National wealth generated showing that their wealth increased by over Rs 20.9 lakh crores during 2017 , an amount nearly equivalent to Union budget 2017-18 pegged at Rs 21.47 Lakh Crores. However 67 crores unfortunate deprived Indian, making half of India, saw their wealth rise by just 01 per cent.
Unfortunate among poor Indian 454 million ( 38. 2 percent) of total population lived below poverty line ( Rangarajan committee report 2014). India houses 1/3 of world’s hungry and nearly 20 crores go hungry daily. The undernourished Indian population is as high as 14.5 percent with, children below 5years age accounting for 30.7 percent. These unfortunates are non but deprived free Indian .
Unfortunately so claimed progressing Bharat had in 2011 over 32 crores illiterates (26 percent of population), 60 million children of 6- 14 years of age are out of schools, large numbers of school drop outs, 90 percent of those who attend schools read very little. Despite this there is a total divide in imparting education for elite and deprived bhartiyas , a basic need and Fundamental Right of every Indian child. In Deprived Bharat many schools are run from under the tree shades with human needs infrastructures missing, student teacher ratio is as poor as 42:1 in many govt.run schools.Poor Bhartiya Children have right to go to school not quality education.
The elite India lives in palatial buildings with large lawns, ultramodern gadgets fitted. Where as in deprived unfortunate India living in slums has increased from 5.20 crores in 2001 to 12.8 crores in 2017. Four metropolitans Indian citieshave slum population varies from 15 percent, 42 percent and Chennai 28%. One richest Indian has 27 storey house in 4532 m2 plot in valued over $2billion. VVIP leader samadhies in Delhi occupy 245 hectares excluding Atal Behari Vajpayee Samadhi. Where as Carpet area of a house in EWS, LIG in Govt scheme house for poor is 30m2and 60m2 respectively.
Tricks of elite to swindle money include NPA. In March 2018 NPA of 26 PSU Banks stood at 10.25 Lakh Crores . As per CBI’s report disclosed in Indian Parliament Elite but unprincipled Bhartiya illegally hold US$500 billions in Switzerland Banks. In Panama leaks Panama leaks (Estimated Rs 1140 crores) show names of high placed politicians including their relatives, business persons and many bureaucrats.
Despite clear cut laws to evict land encroachers, large chunk of Government lands are under illegal encroachments by influential persons .In J&K State alone 18,00,000 Kanals or 90000 hectare Government land is illegally encroached ( Daily Excelsior 24/07/2018 .
The chances of reduction of gap between influential and deprived Indians seem little in the near future. The possibility of change lies faithfully implementing the constitution provisions of share of deprived Bhartiyas in all the four wings of democracy viz: political, administrative, judiciary and media. In the 16th Lok Sabha we have 449 crorepaties among MP’s. The Rajya Sabha has 90 percent MP’s crorepaties The Chief Election Commissioner has shown inability to check abuse of black money in elections . The SC has also left this matter of checking criminalization of politics to Parliament,which has as many as 186 Mps with criminal case and have 112 pending serious criminal cases against them( 16th Lok Sabha).
The infamous caste-class-power nexus, renders most program implementation vulnerable to hijack through the unholy conspiracy among the rural /urban elite to the detriment of the rural poor.
Elite Indians has created a world of their own with fencing so high and strong that hardly any person from the poverty ridden deprived Indians can penetrate in their domain. Elite Indians move by daily rise or fall of Sensux while poor by the daily market cost of Dal ( pulses) and Atta (flour).
Continuity of these trends are signs indicating civil war. So need of the hour is to check caste prejudices and inequality.
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