Poor Indian people going to bed empty stomach, while their leaders threaten for a decisive war
KHANNA, India — Surplus from this year’s wheat harvest, bought by the government from farmers, sits moldering in muddy fields here in Punjab State. Some of the previous year’s wheat surplus sits untouched, too, and the year’s before that, and the year’s before that.
To the south, in the neighboring state of Rajasthan, villagers ate boiled leaves or discs of bread made from grass seeds in late summer and autumn because they could not afford to buy wheat. One by one, children and adults — as many as 47 in all — wilted away from hunger-related causes, often clutching pained stomachs.
'More than two decades after a "green" revolution made India, the world's second-most-populous country, self-sufficient in grain production, half of India's children are malnourished. About 350 million Indians go to bed hungry every night. Pockets of starvation deaths, like those in the Baran district of Rajasthan, have surfaced regularly in recent years.'
Also from the Article:
'About 350 million Indians go to bed hungry every night. Pockets of starvation deaths, like those in the Baran district of Rajasthan, have surfaced regularly in recent years.'
India is sitting on wheat surplus of about 53 million metric tons. They have been spending $14billion per year on defence in recent years. They allegedly want to be known as a superpower. Yet, they cannot feed their own people.
Lookslike, the only thing the current leadership of India is good at is burning Muslims and trying to divert attention of their nations misery by blaming Pakistan for all their ills. When will they learn !!!
2B actually NO. The good thing the Indian gov't is doing is laying the foundation for the future. These issues are related to poor infrastructure and pricing controls on commodties. The legacy of 40 yrs of mismanagement. Inventory is held and food is hoarded to artificially inflate the pricing and delaying the disbursement of goods. This is a result of socialist styled planned economy rather than market driven economics.
The same thing happened in the ex-Soviet union in the seventies. At the height of the cold war there were annual shipments of wheat from the US to some of the SSR's to avert famine. And russia was a technolically and militarily an advanced country.
The absolute numbers are indeed daunting but poverty rate will be dimished over time as the reforms from 1991-on change the dynamics of the country in forms of economics and governance.
Chaltahai, u r absolutely right. Food surplus country, doesn’t automatically translates into a rich country (with no poverty or hunger). There are more to it than simple food distribution dynamics. But our western neighbours feel good about it so be it. Here is an example from Dawn : http://www.dawn.com/2002/12/02/letted.htm#5
They would be amazed to find that there are millions of people living on the streets for generations in India, but **not anyone in Pakistan. **
Of course, due to its mammoth population, India has a big ‘potential’ to become an economic power but with a per capita income less than all its neighbours, it would take it many more decades, if not centuries, to properly feed its citizens and provide them decent housing and clothes.
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*Originally posted by Chaltahai: *
2B actually NO. The good thing the Indian gov't is doing is laying the foundation for the future. These issues are related to poor infrastructure and pricing controls on commodties. The legacy of 40 yrs of mismanagement. Inventory is held and food is hoarded to artificially inflate the pricing and delaying the disbursement of goods. This is a result of socialist styled planned economy rather than market driven economics.
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Chaltahai, there should be no excuse - socialist style or the market driven economy.
India has 53 million tons of surplus wheat - People are dying of starvation - get the damn food to the people.
2B you say this as this is a novel idea. It;s conventional wisdom chanda. Everyone knwos what the problem is. And it has nothing to do with burning muslims as your illogical tangents tried to reflect.
if governments of India and Pakistan decide to end their 50 year pissing contest and start spending the money that is spent on weapons on their people it may help the situation.
poverty and honlessness etc may not be completely averted. Look at USA, with all the programs and services there is still a homeless problem.
It good to see that India ais doign something on a grassroots level to resolve this problem. Pakistan has done much in teh areas of kacchi abadi development, which were the illegal urban slums. You will still find squatters in many open plots etc.
Maybe in the spirit of Ramadan and Eid, people here should try to send something to those people so they can be helped. Winter is approaching.
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*Originally posted by Fraudz: *
...Maybe in the spirit of Ramadan and Eid, people here should try to send something to those people so they can be helped. Winter is approaching...
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Yes, the interested people should chip in and buy equipment to transport the surplus wheat (53 million tons of it) to the starving. Heck, the Indian government could do with all the help people can give in this regard, as they have no more money left after spending $14billion on defense.
In the meantime, the Indians can continue to decide which economic policy to follow.
One can understand If their gowdans were empty but with millions of tons rotting and ppl still starving, its a shame... May be they got their priorities wrong.
This is the first Ramadan of my life I started fasting and first time I can tell what hunger means...
