As Cameron visits India to drum up business and profits we should acquaint ourselves with some statistics on India.
There are, according to Arundhati Roy, around 450 million Indians living in dire poverty, a total equivalent to all the poor in all the countries of Africa combined. ‘Dire’ poverty, meaning just existing, 12 Rupees or 30 (US) cents a day or less does not allow for anything other than bare survival.Is it possible to be healthy on such a sum: To eat nutritiously - to eat at all, to drink clean water, sleep in clean clothes, on a clean bed, brush your teeth with toothpaste, wear shoes whilst working, rummaging through waste mountains, or digging drought-ridden land, is it possible to be happy and retain ones dignity as one begs for the 12 rupees. All ‘normal’, recognizable requirements of living are regarded as luxuries. The number of poor people in the country has barely fallen over a 30-year period. “The Human Development Report released by the Planning Commission shockingly revealed that the poor in rural India were better fed about 30 years ago.”By the government’s own figures 50% of the rural population (836 million) live in poverty, surviving somehow on less than 20 rupees (50 cents) a day, 20 cents more than those in ‘dire poverty. Every second child is underweight and stunted.
The Forbes rich-list places India fourth in the world league table of the greatest number of billionaires – 61 at the last count - with a combined wealth of $250 billion. India’s richest man is Mukesh Ambani, whose personal wealth is said to be $20 billion. India’s 100 richest people own assets equivalent to one-fourth of the GDP
There are, according to Arundhati Roy, around 450 million Indians living in dire poverty, a total equivalent to all the poor in all the countries of Africa combined. ‘Dire’ poverty, meaning just existing, 12 Rupees or 30 (US) cents a day or less does not allow for anything other than bare survival.Is it possible to be healthy on such a sum: To eat nutritiously - to eat at all, to drink clean water, sleep in clean clothes, on a clean bed, brush your teeth with toothpaste, wear shoes whilst working, rummaging through waste mountains, or digging drought-ridden land, is it possible to be happy and retain ones dignity as one begs for the 12 rupees. All ‘normal’, recognizable requirements of living are regarded as luxuries. The number of poor people in the country has barely fallen over a 30-year period. “The Human Development Report released by the Planning Commission shockingly revealed that the poor in rural India were better fed about 30 years ago.”By the government’s own figures 50% of the rural population (836 million) live in poverty, surviving somehow on less than 20 rupees (50 cents) a day, 20 cents more than those in ‘dire poverty. Every second child is underweight and stunted.
The Forbes rich-list places India fourth in the world league table of the greatest number of billionaires – 61 at the last count - with a combined wealth of $250 billion. India’s richest man is Mukesh Ambani, whose personal wealth is said to be $20 billion. India’s 100 richest people own assets equivalent to one-fourth of the GDP
No comments:
Post a Comment