If asked, the Oxford literate Montek Singh Alhuwalia can defiantly prove that cribbing is the second nature of the common man in India. The advantage of being a glorified economist is that they can use their fancy statistical tools to bring out figures that can make a gloom & doom situation look like a happily livable environment. These perhaps are the major reasons why they dominate the National Planning & Economic commissions & committees in this country. Montek surely is a politically blessed economist. No doubt he has bagged a 'Padma Vibhushan'.
India is still the only nation where the largest number of poor people live. It is the only nation in the world where you can find the tinniest of children picking through huge rubbish piles for a bit of morsel . At an age where most of the children of the affluent are pampered and showered with ice creams and chocolates, the children of these poor are forced to become "chotoos" in dhabas' and tea stalls' to eke out their bit to scramble few morsel for the family. Poverty in India remains a shock that can numb your heart, but we are brave hearts therefore we survive in indifference.
The going speed of cost of living & rate of inflation has started running over the affordability of the affluent. However that does not stop our brilliant economists in the planning commission to pass an order that states that a 'person earning Rs.32/(in city) & Rs26(in village) will no longer get below poverty line benefits'(BPL) . If you still insist that Poverty is a very major concern, you are simply trying to make a Mountain of a molehill.
Please start trusting our Planning commission. If Montek feel"poverty" is molehill issue...it has to be so . After all he is an Oxford read and a glorified Economist and what are you...? a cribbing common man....!
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