Sudhansu R Das
India’s social, economic and political woes continue due to the Indian politicians, intellectuals, social organizations, academicians and the youth’s inability to achieve political inclusion even after six decades of independence. One can easily get the version of our democracy from a councilor election in any metro city. In slum pockets, Politicians freely distribute sarees, dinner party, take voters for a local site seeing, offer Rs 500 note and liquor bottle to win election. Unscrupulous people who fund election wantonly loot public exchequer in the name of construction of roads, real estate development, infrastructure development, mining and social works etc. Ministry of Mines, GOI has found illegal mines for major minerals at 2496 and for minor minerals at 28055 across the country. Precous minerals worth thousands of crores have been looted from these mines across the country. All kinds of development schemes meant for the poor continue to leak. Finance Minister Mr Chidambaram in one of his budget speeches said we have no dearth of funds but we lack in deliverance.
Global rating agency “Standard & Poor” has shown India’s degradation from poor to negative in its long term ratings. India has the highest number of children under five years of age who don’t receive health care according to the US based global independent humanitarian organization report “Save the Children.” About 10 million Indian children die every year from easily preventable diseases as per the report. Many state governments have made initial posting of doctors in rural areas compulsory. Without medicines, trained nurses and equipments, doctors cannot save lives anywhere. Lack of advanced medical research and opportunities in India has compelled bright medical practitioners to shift to developed nations. Today Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) has 30000 doctors of Indian origin out of total 80000 doctors.
In the last eight years, malnutrition in India has reduced by just 1% as per the National Family Health Survey. Every second child under six year of age in India is underweight. Being the second fastest growing economy in the world with 121 crore people India struggled to win six medals and is placed below 54 nations in the medal tally in the London Olympic games. India’s economic and social indicators’ score slips below sub Saharan countries. The irony is that when India is not in a position to feed so many people, it allows its people to produce one Australia’s population per year. Over decades, lakhs of Bangladeshi nationals crossed over to India permanently which has become the cause of ethnic strife in North East India. The National Population Stabilization Fund projects India will have 1613.8 million people by 2050 and will beat China by 200 million extra mouths.
The UNESCO’s Global Monitoring Report found one third of world’s non literate people in India. Looming ignorance and illiteracy form unshakable vote banks for the politicians to ride on to power. Politicians instead of generating revenue through hard work and scientific planning resort to easy means. Liquor consumption in Maharashtra has increased 15 times in the last 15 years and the sale of liquor has touched Rs 17000 crore which generates a revenue of Rs 5000 crore for the state. In Bihar revenue from liquor sale has increased from Rs 319.70 crore in 2005-06 to Rs 1098 crore in 2009-10 after the State Government had given license to 6000 shops under policy one liquor shop per three panchayats. After the new liquor policy 20000 liquor joints have came up across Bihar. The revenue craze breaks families, causes productivity loss, damages health and creates social unrest. Countries need to keep in mind the vision of development that is sustainable, equitable and democratic, said Nobel Prize winning economist Prof Joseph Stiglitz.
Plugging the loot and leakages is possible if an inclusive democratic process starts in this country with the active participation of civil society, good politicians, conscious citizens and the youth force. Inclusive democracy only can bring quality public representatives who can distribute growth benefit, achieve financial inclusion, strengthen governance mechanism, improve public services, fine tune policy and achieve sustainable growth.
The recent Team Anna agitation for a Jan Lokpal is in fact a reaction to India’s political apathy to end corruption. Though Team Anna is dissolved it has shaken the iceberg of intellectual apathy and is bound to start the process for an inclusive democracy. The hope and aspiration of millions of common Indians rests in the process of political inclusion.
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