The Moon and 26 Pence.

An article I read by a guy called Ali. Very interesting. Just thought I would type it down.

If man were to live by bread alone, he would have a very tough time indeed. Im not saying that because bread does not contain all the nutrients the human body requires functions normally. Im saying it because a loaf of bread costs around Rs.18 today. That's a helluva lot considering we used to pay barely Rs. 5-6 about a decade ago. And man does not live by bread alone.
And therein lies the problem.
For years, inflation was a term I only used to come acroos in the papers. It was not something I understood well and certainly not something I lost sleep over. Today, I still dont know much about the theory of inflation but im getting a crash course in the practicals. I bought a litre of sunflower oil in March for Rs. 70, which in itself seemed a lot. Barely three months later I was paying Rs. 106 for the blasted thing! Inflation had made a very rude entry into my life- it was no longer something on the newspaper. It is something I deal with on a daily basis. And it is hitting me where it hurts-my wallet.
Wether its a onions, or potatoes, the story is the same. And if I, a man who just about manages to stay above the poverty line, is suffering so how are those below the line faring? Not very well, Im afraid.
According to a report filed the Arjun Sengupta, which was formed to study the working and living conditions of workers in the unorganised sector, about 836 million people (77% of India's population) subsist on Rs 20 a day each(about 26 UK pence) or less. As to how people can survive on such a paltry amount, I have no clue. But that apparently is the case.
And before you go thinking the panel got the numbers wrong. Here's more evidence on the state of the nation. Confirming the Sengupta Survey Org. report on household expenditure in India 2006-2007, reports that the average indian spends Rs 440 or less in a month on food.
What is disturbing is that none of these statistics have aroused any interest in the media. All they're concerned about is wether India continues to record 7%-plus economic growth. A friend of mine says growth would see money trickle down to the most needy. That's a load of hogwash if u ask me. In 1991 when the industrial reforms began, India was ranked 123rd on the UN's Human Development index. Today, it proudly occupies 128th place.
For those who're dismayed, here's something we top the rest of the world- about 665 million Indians defecate in the open(a WHO and UNICEF finding). Indonesia is a distant second with 66 million.
Last issue, I had written about the utter waste that is Chandrayaan-1. The country had to shell out Rs 386 crore on a mission thats sending us black and white photographs of the moon. In my opinion, black and white lunar images are unlikely to help those wallowing in poverty- nor, for that matter will colour ones. Still, the fact that we've got a satellite gallivanting up there shows there are brilliant minds in this country, in ISRO and outside it. We need to put those minds to good use nad make this country a better place for everybody, politicians willing.
But are they willing?
In the upcoming elections, I'll have to either vote for an alliance that has helplessly watched inflation and terror rise, or for another front that seems to believe fomenting divisions in society is the best way to power. Talk about being stuck betweeen a rock and a hard place. The prospect getting an inedible mark on my index finger after enduring a long wait to only vote in a cretin simply doesnt appeal to me. Perhaps, Ill be better off staying at home.
As for the poor, Im not sure whats in store for them. I only hope the powers that be brush up on their history and refrain from adopting a 'let them eat cake' attitudes. If this is the case, its highly unlikely heads will roll. India has far too many internal divisions to see a popular uprising. But the multitude may simply have no choice but to wait for someone to come along and multiply loaves of bread and fish.