Mahima Dayal- The Truth of Development

In the era of global economic interdependence, where international relations and technological break through are the issues of utmost importance we tend to forget the basic reality that haunts our country.

Imagine a scenario where over one quarter of the population of a country is oblivious of all the terms, and issues mentioned above. How can we move forth when most of the people are still unaware of their rights, rather what good would these rights be to those who don’t have any material possessions. My point of argument is very simple; in this rat race to survive we have forgotten that a huge gap has emerged between the rich and the poor. To top that, we brag to be the world’s largest democracy with a splendid list of rights bestowed to our citizens. It seems to be a great achievement. But who shall all this affect. Only those who have something to protect or safeguard, would value such rights. The concept of giving rights is a bourgeoisie concept. What happens to the have not’s in this country……..nothing becomes of them …what rights do they need while sleeping on the footpaths. What would a thief rob ‘them’ off!? Worse comes to worse a drunken rich kid might drive his\her car over them but beyond that what rights are they to loose? We live in a system that is made by the rich, of the rich and for the rich. It’s an eye wash.

The system teaches the poor to never stop aspiring… never to stop dreaming………………one day they also, could become like the king khan….who knows … maybe one day…………………….The system makes or forces us to believe in it, to the extent that we stop doubting it. It has been engrained in our minds that the system we live in is the best or the most acceptable. The truth is that not every ‘autowala’ becomes a famous actor and nor does every poor boy finally marry a rich spoilt girl as we have been told endlessly in Bollywood flicks.

I am not suggesting that the system is entirely at fault all I mean to say is that we live in a democracy ie; the rule by the majority, yet why is it that Ratan Tata has a direct hotline with the Prime Minister and I don’t?

My role ends the moment I caste my vote, I go back home and enjoy the holiday. What becomes of that one vote, one can never foretell.

Bottom-line is that we live in an intensely differentiated society, which surely does all the sweet talk about eradicating poverty and stuff from that genre but what I’d really like to know is how many of the people sitting out there making all those fancy policies really know or are aware of the grim reality….The reality that is shouting out loud. Only to go unheard…The truth …Our country cannot survive if we do not start working from the grass root level. The system has forgotten that the people of the country must be given the utmost importance. It is the people who have to be brought up to the level so that we could actually be potent enough to talk about issues such as space exploration, financial meltdown so on and so forth...

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The Author is I year BA Programme student and part of the Webteam of DevelopmentChannel.org