It is ironical that Nilotpal Basu of the CPI(M) writes of India’s 128th ranking by the UNDP. The Human Development Report by the UNDP had last year ranked India 126th I the development scenario in the world. In spite f the Sensex zooming upwards for the last few years, our socio-economic inequalities have only increased. And Basu’s Party is part of the coalition central government. One wonders why Basu is so eager to highlight this dismal performance of India. After all, politicians are rarely known to speak without hidden agendas. Of course, this is all for the good of the nation.

His article, published in IndiaInteracts dutifully presents all sorts of statistics to show how the usual culprits are to be blamed. Our kids are not getting enough education; our primary education system has collapsed. Our primary health care is in doldrums; the capitalist medical fraternity hates going to the villages. Then there is the old bogeyman of unemployment. The rich are getting all the jobs and getting richer. All these are now cliches; the Human Development Report is a wake up call to our politicians including Mr. Basu’s Party. Ordinary Indians know all these home-truths, report or no report.

Basu harps the stereotyped coalition music.

The point now is how to change this situation. It is clear that the provision of the National Common Minimum Programme dealing with health and education sector will have to be implemented with a sense of urgency. The annual financial allocations that has marked the earlier budgets of the UPA government will have to be radically rectified. Otherwise, we are heading towards a social explosion. Additionally, India will find itself inadequately prepared to face the catastrophe of the climate change which this planet has been forced to bear by the developed world.

A few questions remain!

How is it possible for any one man in one small article to solve the developmental problems that besiege India? That brings us to a journalism related question. Does good journalism which is another name for popular journalism have to involve giving solutions at the end of every article? Echoing Marx, Basu wants to do something about everything. He wants to correct everything from the UPA’s State policies to budgetary allocations to even environmental activism. One feels that by now we are no longer talking of the HDR report but rather of political rhetoric.

I for one do not know ho our nation can be brought out of the mess we are in. Our best minds are even now moving off to the West. Our country is in the grip of anti-intellectuals who hate deep analysis and seek temporary fame by catering to popular sentiments. We need to have the best Indians sit down with this UNDP report and do some serious soul searching for us. May be instead of Mr. Basu, we could have a certain Amartya Sen do an analysis of this report and give tangible advice to our confused Government.

Images: Telegraph UK

Via: India Interacts