No complacency

The Economic Survey of India, recently published by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, says that 80 % of our rural population will be considered BPL (Below the poverty line), if India's official criterion of 2400 kCal of daily food intake (for rural population) is applied. However, the present estimations are based on 1820 kCal for rural areas, which leads to the figure of about 42% BPL in rural areas. Shocking! Isn't it? The criteria for determining the BPL are changing and the governments have some schemes to aid them, without altering the fundamentals. Even those schemes are not properly implemented by our Babus and their elaborate machinery that has to limp in the midst of extreme corruption and political interference. So, what are going to do? Shall we be satisfied that the Indian economy has been less perturbed by the global meltdown? Shall we regularly overlook the suffering of the masses? We have become used to the appalling situation. Our first duty will be to break down this complacency and to bring about a sense of gravity and urgency.