01-25-2007, 09:05 PM
Ravishiji,
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Virenji-On this I would like to comment as follows:--
Despite these very positive signs, it is a fact that more than 20 percent of our population lives below the poverty line, the infant mortality rate is amongst the highest in the world, and there is acute lack of nutrition particularly in the case of women and children, there is absolutely no medical care for the poor both in the urban areas and in the rural areas, the all India level of literacy is still at 65%.
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Sorry for late response, just saw it. Agree with you here. But we should be also realistic enough to realize that the numbers and facts you list are all <i>relative</i> when compared with all other nations on the planet and it'll take centuries to put poverty, infant mortality or illiteracy to 0%.
The general trends are positive and as long as the spread of wealth is contained in a acceptable band using natural free market forces, it's good for society in general.
I'm reminded of the discussion on this forum some time back after NDA lost power where someone mentioned that ordinary people like taxi drivers voted NDA out since they were tired/sick of driving only rich people to malls and theatres. Here the tree is lost in the forest because one fails to see that extra fares will help the taxi driver put his kids to school/college and open a lot more door that didn't exist for him before.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Virenji-On this I would like to comment as follows:--
Despite these very positive signs, it is a fact that more than 20 percent of our population lives below the poverty line, the infant mortality rate is amongst the highest in the world, and there is acute lack of nutrition particularly in the case of women and children, there is absolutely no medical care for the poor both in the urban areas and in the rural areas, the all India level of literacy is still at 65%.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sorry for late response, just saw it. Agree with you here. But we should be also realistic enough to realize that the numbers and facts you list are all <i>relative</i> when compared with all other nations on the planet and it'll take centuries to put poverty, infant mortality or illiteracy to 0%.
The general trends are positive and as long as the spread of wealth is contained in a acceptable band using natural free market forces, it's good for society in general.
I'm reminded of the discussion on this forum some time back after NDA lost power where someone mentioned that ordinary people like taxi drivers voted NDA out since they were tired/sick of driving only rich people to malls and theatres. Here the tree is lost in the forest because one fails to see that extra fares will help the taxi driver put his kids to school/college and open a lot more door that didn't exist for him before.