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"Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong; they are the ones to attain felicity".
(surah Al-Imran,ayat-104)
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User Name: Zaheer
Full Name: Zaheerul Hassan
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                                         Dimensions of Poverty in India

                                                        Sajjad Shaukat

 

Sociologists and economists have continuously been focusing on poverty as one of the major problems in the Third World. Poverty reflects a condition in which an individual fails to maintain a living standard sufficient for his physical and mental existence. Renowned economist, Adam Smith remarks, “Man is rich or poor according to the degree in which he can afford to enjoy the necessities, the conveniences and the amusements of human life.” 

 

Although India has rapidly been making progress in modern technologies-especially arms and ammunition with the help of the US-led western countries, yet it has the world’s largest number of poor people. According to a report, “of its more than 1 billion inhabitants, nearly 260.3 million are below the poverty line, of which 193.2 million are in the rural areas and 67.1 million are in urban areas. More than 75% of poor people reside in villages. Poverty level is not uniform across India. It is below 10% in states like Delhi, Goa, and Punjab etc. whereas it is below 50% in Bihar 43% and in Orissa 47%. It is between 30-40% in Northeastern states of Assam, Tripura, and Mehgalaya and in Southern states of Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.”

 

There are great socio-economic disparities between urban and rural regions of India.  People of rural areas are forced to move out of villages to seek some subsistence living in the cities. In this process, they even lose some little saving what they had in their native villages. In the cities, they have to live without food and other basic amenities. Thus they are compelled to adopt the profession of begging in the urban areas.

 

It is misfortune of India that a select few families have good standards of living, one can compare to the richest in the world, but the majority cannot get two meals a day.

 

Dimensions of rural and urban poverty in India are manifold such as lack of facilities or poor arrangement in the fields of heath, education, sanitation, nutrition etc. including low income. The overdependence on monsoon with non-availability of irrigational facilities often results in crop-failure and low agricultural productivity, forcing farmers in the vicious circle of debt-traps. In most of villages, people do not have clean-drinking water.

 

According to an Indian study, “our economic development since Independence has been lopsided. There has been increase in unemployment, creating poverty. Population is growing at an alarming rate. The size of the Indian family is relatively bigger averaging at 4.2.The other causes include dominance of caste system which forces the individual to stick to the traditional and hereditary occupations.”

 

Although the matter is worse in the rural areas, yet in urban regions, the principle of minimum wage for maximum work binds the workers and manual labour to a system which results into a number of social and economic perplexities for the people. The poor are compelled to accept very low wages as they have no other option.

It is notable that about 100 infants in Madhya Pradesh’s tribal districts of Satna and Khandwa have been reported in 2008, aggravated by malnutrition and hunger. More than 60% of children are malnourished according to the official National Health Survey. Although the government officials attribute the deaths to disease and not starvation, but in fact, lack of food evidently played a role in hastening their deaths.

 

Public health system in India suffers from many problems which include insufficient funding and shortage of facilities.

 

Indian Planning Commission has admitted in its report that the “country has a shortfall of six lakh doctors, 10 lakh nurses and two lakh dental surgeons. This has led to a dismal patient-doctor ratio in the country. For every 10,000 Indians, there is just one doctor.” In this regard, in the recent past, the much publicized National Urban Health Mission aimed at providing accessible, affordable and effective basic health care facilities especially to the urban poor badly failed in its objectives.

 

India has been facing multiple health problems like, hair lice, headache, painful menstruation, dental problems and short sight etc. Owing to these problems, Psychological dilemma also arises like emotional disturbances and depression.

 

Particularly, emotional abuse is due to the neglect and maltreatment of children and women. It involves a disregard of the physical, emotional, moral and social requirements of the children and women. Besides these, there are social abuses of children like kidnapping and forcing them to beg in streets including murder. According to National Crime Records Bureau, “crimes against children have increased by 3.8% nationally-14,975 cases in 2005 from 14,423 in 2004.” And latest estimate shows 10% percent increase in these crimes.

 

As regards poor arrangement of education, A Pratham survey report indicated decline in number of out-of–school children in India. In most of the cases, teachers do not take interest in teaching due to lower wages which bring about a number of problems for them. Even in major Indian cities, teachers are found absent from the class rooms. In Bihar, two of every five teachers were reported absent, while the figure in UP was reported to be one-third of the total teachers.

 

Especially, women are suffering in India. UNICEF released the State of World’s Children Report-2009 with some shocking findings regarding maternal mortality status in India. Avoidable complications during child birth are killing 78,000 women in India every year. One woman dies from complications of pregnancy and childbirth every seven minutes. One million children born in India are dying every year.

 

Another dimension of Indian poverty is that working women have to face a number of problems just by virtue of their being women. In this regard, Indian women face a multi-faceted dilemma which emanates from a gender-biased society of the country. As regards ladies, injustice of unequal salaries and wages for the same job—adductions and rapes are very common in the country. Recently, there have been several cases of sexual harassment involving even the senior women officials, working in civil and military establishments. The psychological pressure of all this easily leads to a woman to quit her job, making her vulnerable to crime or suicide. Divorce is very common dilemma of the Indian woman. In recent years many married couples in India are walking away from their marriages. Court data from crime record bureau reveals that over the past decade, divorce rates have doubled and in some cities even trebled.

 

Sometimes, this deteriorating situation has compelled Indian women to take relief through alcohol and smoking. In this respect, the third edition of the Tobacco Atlas released in Dublin by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation points out, “more women in India are turning smokers and oral users of tobacco. India has the third highest number of female tobacco users in the world.”

 

So far as crimes are concerned, even foreigners are not spared. Theft, robbery and rape which have become routine matter in India have also been conducted against the western nationals form time to time.

 

One of the horrible dimensions of poverty in India is that the total number of HIV/AIDS infections in 2007 was 33 million-the highest ever, which is rapidly increasing as disclosed by a UN report.

 

However, there are several laws in India so as to control various anti-social activities and crimes, but the same has failed due to their non-implementation.

 

Similarly from time to time a number of plans and schemes have been launched by the Indian subsequent governments to improve the poor standard of living by ensuring food security, promoting self-employment, increasing wage employment and improving access to basic social services including raising the status of women, but all these proved unsuccessful owing to ineffective implementation coupled with high corruption among the officials. In this connection, even five years plans of New Delhi could not be utlilised fully owing to the corrupt government officers.

 

All this gives rise to a feeling of discrepancy in a multi-cultural society of India. Directly or indirectly, acute poverty in the country has resulted into ethnic riots, movement of separations and violence of various forms—social strife, economic crisis and political instability under the so-called democracy of India.

 

It is owing to these reasons which have placed India at the lowest rank in the human development index. The Indian state has undoubtedly failed in its responsibilities towards its citizens over the last 60 years.

 

Sajjad Shaukat writers on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

 

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

 Reply:   Pakistan 60 Millions cars with Pakistani Muslims ,Indian Muslims 10 lacks
Replied by(rchisty20099) Replied on (3/Oct/2009)
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while Pakistan is small population with 60 Millions cars with Pakistani Muslims while india =secular hindu nation have 10 lacks cars with Indian Muslims !!?? have very less Business , property ,Government jobs with Indian Muslims !!?/ have very less =0.2% Scientific jobs with Indian Muslims while in Pakistan 90% Jobs are with Pakistani Muslims , they have Mr. Jahaulhuck and Prevez Mussarf those were migrated from india as president top Army power !!?they have 90% Scientist ,90% engineers ,90% Doctors , 90% Top Business , 90% Top Jobs are with Pakistani Muslims only !! while in This secular Hindu nation =india ,secular Indian Muslims have only 0.2% scientific jobs ,0.3% engineers ,0.15% Doctors , and 0.3% Business are with secular Indian Muslim only !!?? these all are those who like to stay in india =Jawaharlal Nehru , Gandhi , Atal ,Modi , LK Advanni=Migrated Hindu from Pakistan !!??
Bomb blasts in Pakistan ,and India from past 20 years , A research !

The beauty of Justice of Pakistani Police for its Minorities =Pakistani Hindus in compare to Indian Police =Hindu ! for Indian Muslims ,Indian christen !!??
Pakistan police did not captured Pakistani Hindus living and passing through the Bomb blasts areas ,you can get this proof from all leading English news papers of Pakistan n from past 20 years , while in Pakistan every week, two bomb blasts take place !!??
but in India ,Hindu police captured 99.999% Indian Muslims only when any bomb blast taken place in India from past 20 years !!??? No any Indian Hindu !!??
the maximum of them innocent Indian Muslims !!?? that police controlled by Dr Manmohan singh =manmohan@sansad.nic.in =prime minister of india !!
,you can get this proof from all leading English news papers of India from past 20 years ,this is all because this India have 99.9% police staff from hindu only they are not secular ,they are Hindu only ,like terrorist in Police dress !!??
I put point for UNSC ,UNGA ,UN ,USA ,EU ,White house that they can compare the Justice of Pakistani Police for its Minorities and Hindu =Indian police !!
Not only this hindu police will do extreme torture ,hit abused to all these innocents Indian Muslims =Like Hyderabad Karnataka , Ajmer Rajasthan ,where its put that these blasts done by Hindu terrorist !! But Hindu police captured 20+15=35 Indian Muslims and hit them , torture ,abused them in Jail for 1 years to 2 years !!??
The real face of India ,secular Hindus !!! The Sikh Terrorism =Second face of Hindu terrorism from 1978 to 1996 !! this terrorism was open at UN ,UNSC , Interpol ,DHS level up to 18 years continuous !!??
(1) did not stop Secular Hindus to hire Sikh in Defense , army as Official , Soldiers, that why BJP +Congress party =Indian Total Party given 30% of Indian defense =Army ,Navy ,Air force as Sikh =One Hindu Minority of india , its total population is 20 Million only !!
(2) Indian Police , also have 20 % Sikh In its Total India Police , here also Sikh Terrorism did not stop to hire Sikh =Hindu Minorities in Jobs !! in India =Hindus nation !!??
(3) RAW ,IB ,MI =Intelligence system of india also did not stop to hire Sikh in Jobs In india , that�s why RAW,IB,MI ,CID ,CBI having 20% - 40% its officials are from Sikh only !!??
(4) Canada ,UK ,USA ,EU , ++ 20% Citizen ships of India�s + H-1B visas are with Sikh only=Hindu Minority !! its tell that Sikh terrorism also did not able to stop Sikh to get Canadian ,UK ,USA ,EU Citizenships and jobs !!?? As it promoted by Indian Government =Secular Hindus government from past 66 years !!??
(5) The Sikh Terrorism , Also did not stop to get Jobs in Civil servants , =Sikh In Indian government that why 5 % to 10% Civil servants are Sikh only in India !!
But Kashmir ,Assam ,Indian Muslims ,Indian christen =Indian Non �Hindu Minorities NOT Allowed to get Jobs in India army ,Defense , Police ,Civil servants to get job there as due to problems of Kashmir ,Assam look to Indian government as terrorism activities !!
That why This Hindus Nation ,politicians =Innocent !!?? do not like to hire Kashmir ,Assam People , Indian Muslims ,Indian christen in 30% Job level ,these people have only 1% to 7% Jobs Lower Posts only !!!?? as they are Not Hindu ,And Hindu minority !!!?? =Jobs In Indian army ,Police , Intelligence =RAW ,IB,MI , Civil servants = IAS ,IPS +++ =Hindu s Nation !!?? while these people have 26 Million are Indian christen in india !! 130 Million Indian Muslims in india , Kashmiri are 50 Millions , Assam are 46 millions !! these people only have 1% to 7% Jobs that also ,low level =solider level ,not officials level !! but Sikh are Brigadier + caption , highest - Top ranks of India army ,Navy ,Air force are. were with Sikhs only ,, even Prime minister of india is also from Sikh from 2003 to till now 2009 August 27th !! !! Sikh terrorism also did not stop Sikh to get highest Jobs of Indian Government !!?? while non =NO of Indian Christen ,Indian Muslim got Indian Prime minister post till now + Indian highest Top defense ,Army , Navy Jobs also =NO from past 66 years of this Hindus nation freedoms !!??
What does it tell , is this is only due to Kashmir ,Assam problem posed By Hindus =Hindu media as terrorism activities of Indian Muslims + Indian Christen !!??

OR Something else !!?? Just Innocent Hindus nation =Innocent 82 +2.5 % =84.5 % Hindus /Sikhs =Hindu Minority = brains !!!??
Indra Gandhi was killed by Sikh terrorist only ,when she was prime minister of india in 1982 -1984 !!?? that also did not stop to hire Sikh in Army official Jobs = Top hire official jobs for work at India ,and Kashmir ,Assam !!?? to allow Army Rule in Assam ,Kashmir , While these Indian government did not put any army rule in Punjab ,Hariyana !!!?? Like they have Army Rule in Assam ,Kashmir from past 30 years !!!?? Sikh were allowed to get Canada , UK ,USA , EU citizenships , more and more , from support of Indian Government ,But this support is not with Kashmir and Assam people as they are Not Hindu minority ,they are Indian Christen , Indian Muslims !!??
Ruhel Chisty MRACI CChem A Date 27-08-2009 Udaipur Raj india 313001 .

Pl ,I invented Ruhel sensor , Nobel - Ruhel -Far-Brain -Sensor, Ruhel word converter attach in scanner, Handy Ruhel -Micro -GC/MS, Ruhel New to anti -chemical terror ,Pl I have 75% in Physics 1989 � BSc, 2 year +70% overall physics BSc, I have four publications anti terror ,anti explosive at IUPAC =www.iupac.org, www.iupac2003.org ,National research council Canada = www.nrc.ca ,Canadian society for chemistry =CSC ,SAM-2006 , www.dhs.gov , Please I got nominate for **The William T. Pecora Award.*2006,2007 , Its for remote sensing Technology, http://remotesensing.usgs.gov/pecora.html ,Pl Its NASA Award , ,Pl I am Indian minority +OBCs=Other backward class - scientist ! ,Pl I am one of the reviewer in J . Schizophrenia Research ( www. elsevier.com) from May 2007 . Pl I have two publications against Al-Qaida , one against LTTE =South Indian in ME=Gulf !? , few against Hindutava terror groups ,which came from real life in India !!?? Please recently = 15th April /March -2008 , my one paper=Abstract got selected in prime conference of royal society of chemistry =www.rsc.org/arf08 = Analytical Research Forum 2008, Title: Ruhel New concept to anti -chemical terror by use of speed checker AND Chemical detective sensors to stop Al-Quaida attack at Saudi Aramco AND SABIC AND Other Petrochemicals companies in Gulf and whole world , = Two publications Against Bio chemical, Chemical terror =Weapon of mass destruction =WMD .
,Pl I am one of the reviewer in Journal Of Public Health And Epidemiology (www.academicjournals.org/JPHE) ) from August 2009 .. pl I am Indian minority +OBCS=other backward class - scientist ! ,

 
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