SOCIETY AND BACKWARDNESS

Society and Backwardness

It is already 66 years after Independence and after several five year plans, and with various schemes announced from time to time, a section of the society continue to suffer.  In the recently published- Recommendations in India Rural Development Report- it is stated that - Poverty is markedly higher among scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs) who together constituted 44 per cent of the rural poor in 2009-10.  It is a sad story to be told after all those schemes and 5 Year plans.

Where is the lacuna? Have we not understood the real problems of the rural poor.

Farmers death which were sporadic and the governments measure of bringing in solace to waive of the loans taken from Banks with a massive Rs.52000 Crores have not borne fruit.

1. As a first step the government should start thinking in terms of withdrawing the concessions to the affluent among the communities for a social justice by distributing to the needy among the same community to bring in par within the community.  This can be done by withdrawing the concessions to those who pay 30% IT among them and thus their paid taxes are also used to various schemes and also not to garner further benefits from taxpayers' money. 

The process will usher in more number of people coming into 10% IT from these communities.  A phased system of eliminating concessions based on communities and corresponding economically underprivileged included should be the main theme in this plan.   The hope of many economically weaker sections will be answered by positive help from concerted efforts of government and society.

2. The promotions in government department which is caste based reservations should be scraped. Instead, the percentage of jobs shall be increased from the present 22.5% to these communities thus paving the way of 33.33% to be reserved for both SC and ST. With the present arrangement OC is not retiring with higher promotional avenues and stagnation results for OCs. This should be overcome and more retirement at higher levels give more people from OC to move above, paving the way for others. This also helps in for fresh recruitment of them with more arisings and also a small % of additional jobs go to SC/ST.  This will enhance the chances of employment from these categories and thus assured of jobs even with a lesser percentage of marks from these communities.   Those educated and on merit among SC/ST also can compete with people from other communities in private sector.  Social justice calls for not only providing employment opportunities but those who get into the service are motivated to get the best out of them.  The present system of recruitments in the private sector should not be disturbed.  The governments aim should be to completely do away with reservations based on communities on a time bound programme of not more than 10 years from now.

3. Farmers:  The death among the farmers continue to pose a problem for successive governments in spite of  a huge sum of money squandered by the UPA.  The plans did not see the end result due to leak pipe lines in the scheme, with a large number of middlemen making merry with and without party affiliations.   The assurance to the farmer with all the basic necessiities for farming with irrigation schemes maintained as initially planned, proper seeds and monitoring of crops at appropriate levels and failures in case of monsoons suitably compensated are an immediate necessity for not only as a support to agricultural output but also to stop migration from villages to towns and cities.  These are days where facilities in entertainment and communication already taken to the villages and only to seek a job and keep his livelihood the farmer should not come out of villages.  Rich villages should be the targets of governments for a better economic success of this country.

4. Social Responsibilities:  The people of this country who are above the minimum basic requirements and are indulging in conspicuous consumption should take it upon themselves to bring the less fortunate brethern to obtain minimum basic necessities.  Philanthropy was the forte of the Indian wealthy societies of the past which has lost its meaning with the English educated rich, to question all systems but not to help put the system alright.  This country survived with the large hearted philanthropic activities in seeing none went hungry at least in the food aspect of society.  Many institutions like Sri Ramakrishna Mission are NOT getting the help from society in a scale in which it should get as they are doing an yeomen service by means of orphanages, schools, colleges, hospitals, technical institutions etc.,    The government on its part should first raise the limit for IT relief for such activities of donations to institutions supporting retired persons/families, destitute children homes, life convicts' children homes like SEED of Chennai, spastic children homes etc.,   It will be appropriate to initially give such relief to 5% donations upto 5Lakh per annum salary, 10% donations upto 10Lakh annual salary and 15% donations upto 15L salary and 20% for all salaries above this limit to give impetus to donations by public to institutions instead of palltry Rs.10000/- as releif in IT.   There are genuine institutions which are providing immense help to the needy. 

5. Child labour:  It is very easy to condemn child labour but large number of families in this country are depended on such wages and the parents of these are even ready to be give these as bonded labour so as to provide help to the rest of the family.   The problem should be approached objectively and instead of calling for complete abolition abruptly, it should be made mandatory for a period of 10 years from now for employing only for 4 hours a day in shifts and there must be schools also in shifts to cater to the needs of these and a total abolition can be thought at that time.  The law should be amended accordingly.   When chocolate manufactures of the world, famous with their names employ child labour to bring down their costs and the West knowing fully well about these, shedding crocodile tears for child labour, India should view it in a totally different angle and provide the necessary livelihood for the families for the present and slowly bring down the number before abolishing completely.

More to follow.

Peoples aspirations

Peoples aspirations

(This is sort of introduction to the new blog and will be writing more on all subjects pertaining to peoples aspirations.)

Ever since human being came upon this planet, his search for food and livelihood had decided his actions.   Group living was a necessity and was governed by the rules vocally spelt by a leader or consensus among the group.   There had been cases of disputes and each period had its own way of settling their disputes.  Though early history could only be surmised based on various findings and written history was only recent over a thousand years, many of our views are based on what has been told by some and to be agreed upon by many.  Wherever disagreement became vociferous and these turned into disputes, these have been settled through both discussion and muscle power.  Hence peaceful settlements and those with the use of power have formed part of history and thus the adage "learning from History".  Even when disputes with the peaceful way of "agreeing to disagree" are settled, these have left a clear mark many a times.  There had been enough cases of people fighting over land, women and greed of wealth and just to establish ones supremacy.   To this list, in the modern world, has added the status and recognition by society contributing for disputes.  Unfortunately, some of the reasons, which could only be between groups have been taken to the levels of different countries and thus vigil between borders of countries have become an important issue with lot of the earnings of the countries going for this purpose and little to other basic requirements.  Thus this resulted in the widening of the already existing gaps based on economic considerations.   The haves and have not theories contributed for mass struggles especially in the East Europian countries and China and a few more countries of Latin America and Asia which lost their way with the all round progress on economic fronts all over the world.  As the progress in developed countries had to be depended on the mass consumption of the products of automation,  consumer became important and more consumers had to be brought into the system, by various names of trading and when the lesser powerful under-developed countries woke up to the reality by including them calling globalisation.

Thus whether willingly or unwillingly people of different countries had to be dependent upon the global impact of various decisions they make.  Countries with strong leadership and a vision of the future survived more with a clear set of planning and executing them well, even as limitations were imposed due to the geographical and financial aspects.  Awareness of the people also has a corresponding role in all these developments which led to the proper use of trade as well as getting a government they deserved.    Thus peoples aspirations have to get the priorities from those who govern and in turn the people should be aware of what they require and  choose a government that can fulfill their aspirations.

In India, there is going to be an election which brings in a new government at the centre.  A strong central government can only be present with a single party getting absolute majority and may be other smaller parties of various regional interests supporting them.   The present dispensation of United Progressive Alliance have ruled since 10 years and have proved that their economic policies have not been a success with a Re. at 63 per $ and inflation touching and jumping towards North with a slump in Industrial Growth and leaky pipe lines in schemes with corruption at all levels.  Added to these are the compromises the government had to make due to political compulsions and dependence of smaller parties and an economist heading the government.  It goes to prove that either he did not have a free hand or he spoiled the economy.  But this dispensation had created a holier than thou, advisory council with not an economist at helm but a person who had no knowledge on governance and only had manipulative politics and threatening of smaller parties which indulged in corruption and thus made them to submit to all wrong policies.

Thus the 2014 Lok Sabha election brings in a new aura to the Indian National Scene with a 4 time CM of Gujarat aspiring to become the PM of the country with an unblemished record, though MSM thinks otherwise bringing in riots of 2002.  On the other hand the state of Gujarat has seen the development unparallel in recent times under his leadership and  he will be the right man with the determination and vision to take this country forward.  But as said, he should be given the majority and already the people of various regions are expressing their faith in him as could be seen from the different surveys all over India in different states whether ruled by cong, bjp or other parties.   This should further grow in the days to come to give him a clear majority. The BJP, the party which projects him as the PM candidate would do well to turn a new leaf and totally prevent a few corrupt elements in the party, from contesting the election, which is what the people of the country want.