People's Mandate
This photograph which came out in a daily recently reminds that we have less than couple of weeks left to witness the polling to elect the people's representatives for the 15th Lok Sabha.Seasoned politicians are too busy to campaign and hell bent on convincing that they are best suited to do the best for the people.The photograph portrays a well known politician,presently a senior cabinet minister, asking for votes with folded hands from a "Common Man." We can not make out the face of the "Common Man." in the photograph.
During the last five years the "Common Man" was not much in the limelight but it is different now.The election is at the doorstep and he is forming major part of the electorate.After all,the democracy is that form of government which is of the people,by the people and of course for the people.From time immemorial, this common man is all that the people means.
Since the beginning of the general election in 1952, the politicians approached the "Common Man" and asked for his valuable mandate.He complied and several governments formed "by the people".But what actually happened to the "Common Man"? Has his status changed considerably? Is he now affluent enough to provide for two square meals a day for self and his family? Is he literate enough to understand what this elaborate drama of election means to him?
Let me take the liberty to produce some excerpts from published official records and share with you all.This may permit us to have a cursory glance to the state of affairs in relation to the "Common Man" shown in the photograph.
The population of India stood at 1027 million as on 1st March,2001.The World Bank estimates that 456 million Indians (42% of the total population)now live under the global poverty line of $1.25 per day.This means that a third of the global poor now reside in India.On the other hand, the Planning Commission of India uses its own criteria and has estimated that 27.5% of the population was living below the poverty line in 2004-2005, down from 51.3% in 1977-1978, and 36% in 1993-1994.The source for this was the 61st round of the National Sample Survey (NSS) and the criteria used was monthly percapita consumption expenditure below Rs.356.35 for rural areas and Rs.538.60 for urban areas.75% of the poor are in rural areas,most of them are daily wagers,self employed householders and landless laborers.It is estimated that about 42.5% of the children in India suffer from malnutrition according to the report given by the New York Times.
India is ranked 86th in the list of countries comparing population below poverty line.Our situation is worse than SriLanka (93rd),Egypt (97th),Iran(103rd),South Korea(112th)and Vietnam(114th).People Republic of China who got their revolutionary government installed more than two years after India got it's independence,has only 8% of their population living below the global poverty line.
Moreover, we must remember that considerable size of the population who earn marginally more than the defined poor mass can not be termed affluent enough to feed their family or provide for education for their children.
In reference to education, India is one of the countries(along with the Arab states and Sub-Saharan Africa)where the literacy levels are still below the threshold level of 75%.As per 2001 Census, the overall literacy rate of India is 65.38%.India is yet to come out of the list of 42 selected countries with lowest rates of literacy.Uganda,Nigeria & Iran, who are not considered that well to do in World's standard ,fare much better than us in this area.
So, where do our "Common Man" stand after 62 years of independence? As it appears from the photograph that now a days he can sport a benian over and above the loin cloth, which his forefathers could afford with difficulty.And while we go beyond the photograph and look at the statistics? We find that he is inching forward while the world around is going ahead much faster.
The politicians, who wrote so much about the "Common Man" in their election manifesto, shall not find time for them once the election is over.The "Common Man" as usual shall accept their bleak future as their destiny.Can we, who claim to be a part of the so called civil society,not raise our voice through suitable forums and remind the politicians of their responsibilities? Or, shall we allow the "Common Man" to remain as faceless as depicted in the photograph?
During the last five years the "Common Man" was not much in the limelight but it is different now.The election is at the doorstep and he is forming major part of the electorate.After all,the democracy is that form of government which is of the people,by the people and of course for the people.From time immemorial, this common man is all that the people means.
Since the beginning of the general election in 1952, the politicians approached the "Common Man" and asked for his valuable mandate.He complied and several governments formed "by the people".But what actually happened to the "Common Man"? Has his status changed considerably? Is he now affluent enough to provide for two square meals a day for self and his family? Is he literate enough to understand what this elaborate drama of election means to him?
Let me take the liberty to produce some excerpts from published official records and share with you all.This may permit us to have a cursory glance to the state of affairs in relation to the "Common Man" shown in the photograph.
The population of India stood at 1027 million as on 1st March,2001.The World Bank estimates that 456 million Indians (42% of the total population)now live under the global poverty line of $1.25 per day.This means that a third of the global poor now reside in India.On the other hand, the Planning Commission of India uses its own criteria and has estimated that 27.5% of the population was living below the poverty line in 2004-2005, down from 51.3% in 1977-1978, and 36% in 1993-1994.The source for this was the 61st round of the National Sample Survey (NSS) and the criteria used was monthly percapita consumption expenditure below Rs.356.35 for rural areas and Rs.538.60 for urban areas.75% of the poor are in rural areas,most of them are daily wagers,self employed householders and landless laborers.It is estimated that about 42.5% of the children in India suffer from malnutrition according to the report given by the New York Times.
India is ranked 86th in the list of countries comparing population below poverty line.Our situation is worse than SriLanka (93rd),Egypt (97th),Iran(103rd),South Korea(112th)and Vietnam(114th).People Republic of China who got their revolutionary government installed more than two years after India got it's independence,has only 8% of their population living below the global poverty line.
Moreover, we must remember that considerable size of the population who earn marginally more than the defined poor mass can not be termed affluent enough to feed their family or provide for education for their children.
In reference to education, India is one of the countries(along with the Arab states and Sub-Saharan Africa)where the literacy levels are still below the threshold level of 75%.As per 2001 Census, the overall literacy rate of India is 65.38%.India is yet to come out of the list of 42 selected countries with lowest rates of literacy.Uganda,Nigeria & Iran, who are not considered that well to do in World's standard ,fare much better than us in this area.
So, where do our "Common Man" stand after 62 years of independence? As it appears from the photograph that now a days he can sport a benian over and above the loin cloth, which his forefathers could afford with difficulty.And while we go beyond the photograph and look at the statistics? We find that he is inching forward while the world around is going ahead much faster.
The politicians, who wrote so much about the "Common Man" in their election manifesto, shall not find time for them once the election is over.The "Common Man" as usual shall accept their bleak future as their destiny.Can we, who claim to be a part of the so called civil society,not raise our voice through suitable forums and remind the politicians of their responsibilities? Or, shall we allow the "Common Man" to remain as faceless as depicted in the photograph?
Comments
What do we see? The common man is still sitting on the roadside. He has a smart looking tee-shirt, globalization has reached Indian villages too! But before we get carried away, we note he has nothing more than a "gaamcha" below his waist, something that his great grandfather would have used. He has no footwear either. His arms and legs seem thin. Perhaps he needs the stick for walking. So much for our progress!
But the neta is on a spanking new jeep. An ambassador with fog lights is following him. Possibly there are many more cars in his convoy. He is also wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap. The piece of cloth around his neck betrays his politics.
The common man is below, the neta is above. The former is static, the latter is on the move.
But the neta is shameless enough to beg from a poor man whom he helps to keep poor.