The Famous Indian Conundrum And Society

All is not well let’s face it. We have to use condoms. You think I have gone insane, no I have not. I have proper reasons and moreover statistical data also favour my verdict-we have to use condoms or we will definitely win the race of Highest Population, leaving behind China (which has three times more land than we have).  We have more mouths to feed than the hands contributing in country’s earning. Everybody today is talking about inflation, while shielding their hope that everything will be fine one day from the winds of the great Indian Conundrum.

In the current fiscal year the inflation rates have rode on double digit. If you observe the whole price index of food products, they have forced many people to ‘Adjust’. Many variables can be blamed for this food crisis like 1)Global situation(more specifically USA situation), 2)Government for letting millions sleep with empty stomachs even as fruits, grains and vegetables rot in government food storage rooms. 3) US- Yes we are also responsible for this crisis. Because we started ignoring it in the first place. It is a shame that a country which was called country of farmers is going through food crisis. Those who are not blinded by the 8% annual growth rate, will see that contribution of agriculture in net GDP is decreasing every year. At present its share is lingering around 15%, while at the time of independence it was healthy 55%. We are building IT cities and parks and what not, but who will make dams, canals and proper irrigation systems. What a pity that our agriculture system still remains monsoon dependent even in the new millennium. Consequences are also not unheard of- Farmers committing suicide, people leaving farming at all, people dying of hunger, increase in poverty. If we talk of the national consequences then we have a fresh example- RBI First Quarter Review of Monetary Policy for 2010-11. RBI has tried it’s best to control this maverick inflation but not without compromising on the growth rates. Reverse Repo Rates have increased by 50 basis points, public has been sacked from the credit, and industries are denied the liquidity they need to compete with global competitors. These are the small symptoms of a deep rooted disease. They demand action on multiple fronts ranging from PDS and liberalizing retail, which would ensure farmers and consumers fair prices. Government needs to get cracking on a whole range of unfinished business. Systemic lacunae need correcting to cushion inflationary impacts and sustaining high growth that’s necessarily inclusive. India’s future economic health as well as public health relies on it.

I will not end this article on a pessimistic note, having described the current glitches in Indian system which creates an illusion that we are heading towards doomsday, but trust me we are not. I can say that very boldly because I trust the “Society”. Every society in itself is a living organism, and we are the building units. No matter in what condition it is, it tries to adapt to work with optimum efficiency. There is no other answer for how people manage to live in India(If you use West as the as the measuring scale). How else can you answer the question, How despite of such high mortality rates, high inflation rates plus having one of the highest population density, and with other umpteenth problems we manage to increase our population by 2.2% every year. All these conundrums can be answered if you try to look at the larger picture. By above argument I am not at all saying what nowadays most of the people are saying “All is Well”. I am not an idiot.