Sometimes when you read the papers or talk to the analysts you're led to believe that India has been transformed, that this vast impoverished nation has miraculously been turned into a modern, wealthy nation where people spend all their time joining wine clubs and shopping for French cheese in Western-style malls.
Certainly change is afoot. New economic policies since the early 1990s have helped make India's middle class wealthier than it ever was and has created a small number of ultra rich who indulge in the sort of reckless consumerism that fuels the headlines. But that is only part of the picture; the vast majority of Indians remain desperately poor and the gap between the two extremes appears to be getting wider. A recent report by the National Commission for Enterprises in Unorganised Sector revealed that more than 800m people in the country were living on less than 20 Indian Rupees a day - about 25 pence. Another side to this is that while stories of the rich living designer lifestyles in swanky new high-rises in Mumbai get talked about incessantly, the plight of the 800m plus is largely ignored.
A new campaign is seeking to redress some of the imbalance and persuade the government to act to help India's rural poor. Up to 25,000 people (pictured) set off this week, marching from Gwailor to Delhi, to draw attention to the need for land reform and swifter judicial settlement of land disputes. The activists say the plight of India's rural poor - the majority of people in this country fall into this category - is getting worse rather than better and that the land they rely on for food and income is increasingly being taken for industrial development and mining. The campaign, entitled Jandesh 2007(or People's Verdict), was spearheaded by social activism group Ekta Parishad and its head, PV Rajogopal. The group is supported by the UK charity Christian Aid.
Christian Aid's John Davison met the activists this week as they set off and he also spoke with some of those desperate for help from India's federal government. One man from Chhattisgarh state, told Davison that his and four other villages are being threatened by plans to build a 100 megawatt power station on 950 acres of land they currently cultivate for rice. Some compensation was offered when the scheme was first announced three years ago - on the basis that if they refused the land would be taken anyway. But they refused and are still refusing despite moves by the authorities which have turned into violent clashes. "We are still on that land," the man told him. "We won't leave it, even if they take our lives."
Talking to the marchers Davison said it was not difficult to find similar stories of threats and intimidation from government officials and "powerful people" either trying to seize small plots of land from tribal and Dalit communities or to deny the claims of the landless. Also there were stories about the more recent impact of Special Economic Zones, where land is simply acquired by the state for industrial development. "The government talks only of industrial development and dismisses agriculture. But 73 per cent of India's population depend on agriculture. What are they to do?" said Rajagopal. "Development cannot only be for the benefit of the richest people, it must be for all the people - starting with the poorest. First agricultural and land reform, then the rest."
Picture copyright Simon Williams
Without denying the existence of issues highlighted in the article a vast majority of people still face in India, I do however question the motivation of the writer in framing such articles. Christian aid organizations have a subtle agenda in propagting and publishing such issues derogating anything foreign to their idealogy. The brutality of crusaders were followed by the the cold bloodedness of the missionaries - still in practice. If only the christian aid organizations could persuade their people and governments to stop selling arms, dividing and ruling people, stop installing their puppets as heads of regimes, stop supporting them, stop dumping their toxic garbage in such nations, stop bombing nations that stand up against them, ..., the world would be a better place to live.
Posted by: Vijay Kumar | Thursday, 18 October 2007 at 08:00 PM
I am responding to the last comment as I think the writer clearly cares a lot for what is happening in India and so I am giving thought and time to him, bearing in mind that I am not particularly interested in defending Christian Aid but more interested clarifying things that do lead to lost opportunities to work together to address inequalities and injustices wherever they occur.
He does need to inform himself of the work organisations like Christian Aid, do. Is he confused because of the word "Christian" in relation to historical events during the time of the Crusaders? Are all organisations involved in supporting movements of marginalised people in India seen as missionaries?
The responder is missing a great opportunity to get involved in change for a fairer world. We do share this Earth and through Globalising processes we are more interlinked than ever before, in much larger numbers.
How do you square progressive ideas held by such people who campaign tirelessly to: stop The Arms Trade, Make Poverty History, Cancel "Third World" debt, are responsible for laws to punish Sex Tourists in their countries of origin and support Fair Trade with defining those involved as having hidden motives?
As an Indian I ask, why are Indian intellectuals disproportionately absent in the support of such actions in their own country given their disproportionate presence in other "heady" activities in the International sphere? (e.g. Microsoft, World Bank, UN, etc....)
What about getting involved and supporting people when they organise to do something about their totally unexceptable and unjust situation instead of putting energy into maligning people who do get involved wherever they see injustice simply because they believe in solidarity?
If more people like you (who seem to care enough to write a comment) get involved people will be able to achieve greater things together.
Further, I think this is very sectarian talk in 2007. What is wrong with solidarity and showing we care for eachother as human beings and feel barriers need to be broken down? What is your position when it comes to doing something about issues that we face together (whether you are a Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Parsee, Jewish, Buddist, Pagan.....)on Climate Change?
I hope you are able to step out of your box and join hands with people who are striving to make a fairer world by putting yourself forward as a human being first and then a Hindu........or whatever alongside...........
Posted by: Vibha | Tuesday, 30 October 2007 at 09:41 PM
Vibha, I think you make a powerful point. And this Janadesh march is a huge thing. I went and spoke with some of the marchers on Monday when they were in Delhi. They were hugely impressive people fighting for very basic rights.
Posted by: Andrew Buncombe | Wednesday, 31 October 2007 at 04:08 AM