Articles
Permanent Poverty for the Poor: Prosperity for Politicians
Dt: 1/8/14
Permanent Poverty for the Poor: Prosperity for Politicians
Dr T.H.Chowdary *
That according to the World Bank, one third of the world’s poor are in India is a tribute to India’s political parties and the politicians. There have been 12 five year plans each one more eloquently proclaiming that its aim is to eliminate poverty. Those who repeatedly asserted that they and their party are totally committed to elimination of poverty are Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi. In 1969 Indira Gandhi gave the slogan garibhi hatao and nationalised several banks and coal mines professing to use those resources for garibhi hatao programs. There was a 15 point program, later on expanded to 20 points by her successor Rajiv Gandhi to eliminate poverty. During the 10-year rule of Sonia Gandhi-led UPA governments (2004 - 14), spending on welfare of the poor was stepped up from about Rs. 40,000 cr in the year 2003-04 to about Rs. 2,50,000 cr besides an equal amount on subsidies. There had been a onetime Rs.70,000 cr loan waiver for formers in 2008 and since the last several years, under NREGA abut Rs. 40,000 cr per annum are being given away to rural labourers. In the southern states (Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh & Karnata) political parties competed with one another and distributed bicycles, uniforms, mixers, grinders, TVs, a packet of provisions for the kitchen, cell phones, lap tops and now Andhra Pradesh has decided to give i-pads to farmers, doles for the unemployed, nutritious food for the pregnant, performance of mass marriages, waiver of the debt owned by women’s self help groups and a second round of waiver of farmers debts; tens of lakhs of Indira Awas, houses for the poor (claimed to have been built) free electrify, to poor homes, rice @ Rs. 1/- per kg, for over 85% of families; fee reimbursement costing about Rs. 5000 cr per year for all under graduate courses.
2. Inspite of all these measures according to the Planning Commission 30% of India’s population is still below poverty line. The Food Security Bill envisages spending of about Rs. 2 lakh cr per year for the poor 67% of India’s population! that is, not only the BPL but some above the BPL also will be given food grains at throw away prices and some states want to give them free.
3. All these measures are keeping the poor alive but not enabling them to get out of poverty. There is the wise Chinese saying that if we want to poor live for a day we should give him fish but if they have to live for year then we have to teach them how to fish. India’s political parties and leaders are content with spending ever increasing money in the name of the poor to keep them alive, obviously in continuing poverty. If the poor are not there, there can be no political activity for the parties are competing with one another to give ever more fantastic freebies to the poor. What does an illiterate former do with an I –Pad beats the understanding of intelligent people. Where there are going to be commons service centers which will give every type of government information for people in every walk of life freely, why should the mostly illiterate farmers be given i-pads?
4. House sites, are claimed to have been given to the poor . The local politically influential persons got these sites allotted to the poor but did not give them physical possession. They consolidated them into 200-400 sqyd plots as properties for themselves or sold them away with the poor left only with pieces of paper.
5. It is obvious that widespread corruption and personal and family aggrandisement in the name of poverty elimination has become the main trade of the politicians and political parties . Huge amount of wealth is being created in the country by the increasing number of aspiring and able entrepreneurs but that wealth is getting concentrated in a few . China also has been experiencing huge wealth creation but one percent of China’s families have come to possess 30% of the nation’s wealth . India is creating dollar multi billionaires faster than every other country. Inequality is not only growing but is becoming conspicuous . The rich are indulging in vulgar display of their wealth as exemplified by one person having a 20 -storyed residential building with a helipad on top, the whole costing a few hundred crores of rupees. Crony capitalism has enabled a business man MP to float an airline which has collapsed and the gentleman MP is in a over Rs. 4000 crores debt to banks . he is declared a wilful defaulter but nothing will happen to him. A former Chief Minister of a secular; social justice party in Bihar was sentenced to imprisonment after about 20 years of trial for misappropriating money allocated for fodder for animals. But he is out of jail or bail or parole and has resumed his full political activities. Neither sloganeering about socialism, inclusive growth, elimination of poverty nor the waiver of loans is lifting the poor out of poverty. The poor are periodically given gifts like TVs, radios, micro -waves ovens , stoves , i-pads, cell phones, mangal suthras . One politician in a girl deficient state has promised to bring girls from Bihar for marriage to his wife-less young male votes. The old adage that one can fool all the people for some time ; some people for all the time but not all the people all the time appears to be invalid in respect of our politicians. Most MPs seeking a follow-on term had declared two to ten times more wealth than five years ago.
6. Keeping people in poverty with unavailing education and periodical distribution of cash and waivers of debts is providing for the continued prosperity and power for politicians. ( 967 words)
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