 |
| A girl seeking alms at a busy New Delhi Traffic signal |
One was a front page news in Mathrubhumi: PDP working chairman Poonthura Siraj demanded to the Chief Minister of Kerala that a team of Specialist Government doctors be sent to the home of PDP Chairman Abdul Nasser Maudani to examine his fever because "he cannot go to a government hospital as there was a non-bailable arrest warrant issued by a court in Bangalooru against him". I do not want to comment on it, but could not help laughing!
The second news item was also in Mathrubhumi, but in the inside page. The news said there are around 15 street children in front of Kannur railway station and they were seen scavenging chicken waste dumped in a waste bin there by someone. They were boiling and eating it and fighting over it. All this when a campaign on awareness on child labour etc... was being conducted just opposite them and the organizers were delivering speeches and distributing leaflets! That is Kerala! We pride ourselves being the most developed people of India and fight media wars over the most trivial things. But, no one does anything, but talk!
The left Government or any other Governments in Kerala collects tax and then uses is in populist gimmicks aimed at votes rather than investing in the development of the people. Kerala is the state where if you have an association for the millionaires and see the politicians properly, you may be able to win pension for all millionaires!!!
It is unimaginable and unfathomable that people has to live on the streets and on the waste produced by others when we have political parties with airconditioned head quarters, or run TV channels or run Theme Parks and spends millions for organizing huge rallies and spend million on advertising their "Leaders" photos?
How much money the Governments spend on ad campaigns to highlight their "achievements" and inaugurations?
How much will it cost to ensure that no one goes without food or a place to sleep or have something to wear? I am sure that it will cost less than what the government spends to pay the numerous corporation heads it has appointed, or the amount it spends on advertisement or the money it pays to the highly paid advocates to appear for its own party leaders in corruption cases in the High Court and Supreme court!!!
Or from the millions of rupees it earns every year from selling liquor to its people (Probably the only democratic Government which makes profit by making its own people addicts!!!!)!
Government should not be selling alcohol or making chicken 65 for tourists. It should provide governance, policies, ensure that its people are not hungry! Sell off all the companies being run by the Government like the beverages corporation and other numerous corporations, made only to make some party leaders its chairman and step out of businesses like running hotels. Leave the business to businessmen and do your job - Governance! Use the money earned from the sales to ensure that no one in Kerala goes without food, shelter and clothes. IT IS DOABLE!
Look at this from a wider perspective:
Why did I put these seemingly unconnected news bits together here? They are connected. Not only, the first seemingly innocuous news item is the disease that brings about the suffering of the children scavenging chicken waste and fighting over it. It is political callousness that revolves around the well being of a few so called leaders that brings about this decay in our society. They are supposed to be public servants and not served by the public as it is now!!! They vow to serve the public, but then demands to be served by Public!!!
This disease is stopping us from making any progress after 63 years post independence! Compared to the self serving leaders of today, probably we were better off being ruled by the British!!! At least, I believe, that they would not have stolen from the aid for the Tsunami victims or the cyclone victims or sold away the ration for the poor.
Not only, this is what gives raise to the Maoists finding support from the villagers and tribals. Who can blame supporting Maoists when you find that the leaders that you elect are the very ones who steal the land, the food, the money that was supposed to be yours? Obviously, the Naxalites used the situation in the past and today the Maoists exploit that anger. It is true that violence often spins out of control of the idealists and violence then becomes the goal instead of being the means. BUT, THE ROOT CAUSE IS THE INJUSTICE, THE DENIAL OF BASIC RIGHTS AND THE CORRUPTION. Take away the injustice, the poverty and give everyone the right to a life with minimum basic necessities and dignity and the violence will fade away.
Leaders, Governments, stop running businesses and concentrate on your job - of serving the people. Stop stealing from the poor. Stop corruption. Change the political system to make politics a well paid job so that politicians need not steal from the poor and subvert the goals by taking bribes. Make the tax system easier so that people take pride in paying tax and not pay bribe to the officers. Exit the businesses and corporations that were established to favour politicians and use the money for welfare and development.
Someone once said that it is difficult to understand why there was no revolutions in India even under such suffering. After 63 years, probably the Patience is running out.
No comments:
Post a Comment