Firoz.T.Totanawala The Bangalore Metro Reporter Aadmi Ka Kya Hua? The Forgotten Promises

FIROZ.T.TOTANAWALA

THE BANGALORE METRO REPORTER 

 Aam Aadmi Ka Kya Hua? 

 The forgotten promises 

‘Congress ka haath, aam aadmi ka saath’ (The Congress party is always with the common man), which literally means that the Congress Party would care for the poor people, understand about their requirements, address their poverty and resolve the problems of their sufferings. This has been the party’s watchword and slogan for winning the elections and capturing the seat of power. 

 More than 50 per cent of the people living under the poverty-line are in 8 states including the UP, Bihar and West Bengal. Their status of poverty has been placed on par with that of 26 poorest African countries according to a UNDP report. The sufferings of the poor people and their status of the poverty need not necessarily be reported by any international agency, because it’s well known by everyone of us, especially by our own politicians, those who are in power or otherwise. 

 The poor people living in the villages never have witnessed any progress or development during the past 60 years, except for the verbal promises that have been delivered by the contesting parties prior to the respective elections. The conditions of their lives have been deteriorating further and further after every successful election. 

 These villagers are dying for a simple life. The parties in power have never bothered to look into their problems and attempted to resolve them sincerely. In addition to, subsequent failures of monsoons have caused their lands to go dry rendering them barren and unworthy for cultivation. India is a blessed land agriculturally and agriculture is the base and foundation for the people. 

 The prices of consumables, such as, rice, wheat, pulses, edible oils and other essential commodities have gone beyond the reach of the common man. The Ministry of Agriculture has done absolutely nothing during the past 2 years towards keeping the prices under control. Several tonnes of rice, wheat and other pulses stored in the FCI godowns are getting rotten and have become unworthy for consumption. The public distribution system (PDS) has failed in its cause of helping the poor living below the poverty line, whereas it has helped the middlemen, swindlers and bootleggers. 

 The UPA at the centre and the governments at the states have been virtually cheating the people by giving false statements for the miserable current state of affairs concerning the availability of food and its reach to the poor. Further the price of fuel – the main component of the economy drive, has further influenced the hike in the prices of the commodities. The fuel prices could be brought down if the centre and state governments think to help the poor and bring down the taxes imposed on it at least by 50 per cent. 

 It’s high time the respective governments at the centre and states thought and implemented necessary steps to increase the supply of the essential basic commodities to the needy, especially those living below the poverty line.