Shades of Gray

Often in the newspapers or on TV, we hear special reports that would make us feel that in the next 15 years, India will truly arrive on the world scene. It feels good to think that we would be a superpower along with the US and China isn’t it?

Contrary to this perception is the ground reality. We are a country divided on caste lines, a country where people of two states don’t see eye to eye, a country where merit takes the backseat whether it is education or jobs or promotions. And to top it all, we are a nation that is very corrupt and where every day more than one farmer commits suicide for lack of funds.

India and eight other countries share the 88th position on a list of most corrupt among 159 countries. Last year, we were ranked 90 in a field of 146 countries with a corruption index of 2.9. The recent CBI reports about a former Chief Minister of a relatively small state alleged that the man had made a whopping Rs. 1500 crores in his six-year tenure as chief minister. It may not seem very large when you think what Bill Gates earns but when you compare it to the poverty in our country, the figure assumes significant proportions. Consider this: 41.4 percent of our population lives on less than $2 (Rs. 90 approx) per day. In spite of this, our government continues to shield the corrupt. Our people continue to support the corrupt. It is unfortunate that we are willing to accept the corrupt for either fear of their power or for the simple fact that most of us don’t mind paying someone off illegally to get a job done.

We are also a country where the poor does not have access to quality healthcare. Female infanticide is very high in states like Haryana, M.P. and Rajasthan. A huge number of poor, rural women die in childbirth. In addition, we have the highest number of HIV positive cases. After years of pulse-polio campaign to eradicate polio, one case was detected in Maharashtra a few days back. The worse part of the picture was the victim had been given polio drops. Clearly, corruption and inefficiency is rampant even in healthcare industry.

Many Years ago, in a conference in New Delhi, Mother Teresa told a stunned audience, ‘I am so happy to be amongst all you successful and powerful people. I have only one small request. I would be grateful to all of you if, after you finish eating today, I could collect all your leftovers.’ Hunger is the worst punishment one can inflict on anybody. Recent studies show that between 80 to 200 million men, women and children go to sleep hungry every night in our country. The ones who are slightly fortunate survive on one Vada Pav a day.

Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, is a city where wining and dining never stops but the reality behind all that came out in the open a few months back when a number of malnourished children were admitted in Mumbai hospitals. Sixty million children in India are malnourished, half of which live in rural India. Of every three malnourished child in the world one lives in India. Still, we waste a lot of food. The next time you go to a dinner, remember Mother Teresa’s words.

The education scenario is no better. Hardly cutting-edge research is actually done In India. Today, tens of millions of children do not get the minimum education that is their right as citizens. The government schools run out of dilapidated buildings and hutments that often do not have toilets. The teachers seldom teach and the drop out rate is high. There is political interference and the history textbooks are changed every time we have a new occupant in Human Resource department. The unemployment situation is equally grave. Most of the jobs are being created in the services sector and the performance of the agricultural and manufacturing sector is nothing to boast of.

In spite of our huge population, we find it difficult to win medals in Olympics. And the excuse we offer is that participating is more important than winning. Child marriage, superstition and sati are still part of our culture. We have laws against Child labour but the administration is not bothered to implement it. Thousands of cases are pending in our courts. A mail from Pune takes four days to reach Mumbai and even that is not guaranteed. I am afraid to admit this but the truth is that we are satisfied with our mediocrity.

India will not become a superpower if it gets nuclear technology from US or if gets a seat at the UN Security Council. That day will come when this corrupt nation gets out of its slumber and works together to ensure that all countrymen have access to education, housing, food, clean drinking water and quality healthcare. It will happen if we match standards set elsewhere in the world, not just in sports and education but also in the way our bureaucracy functions.

The wish list is long but the wishes are achievable. It isn’t easy but it can be done. And for it to happen, all of us need to contribute instead of leaving it all to the government. The road ahead is a long one.

Cursing the country’s middle class has become a fashion these days. It all started during the students’ rightful protests when the GoI took its first step to reserve seats for OBC candidates in centers of higher education. They said the selfish middle class is getting what it deserved. That all it ever cared for was its own prosperity. That it snubbed elections because it thought it can prosper while fellow countrymen languished in poverty.

All this rhetoric sounds like music to the supporters of the quota. But there are a few learned men who have fallen for this fallacious argument. One such gentleman is former Director of National institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies astrophysicist Rajesh Kochhar. Mr. Kochhar lamented about the appalling teaching science teaching standards in our country in an article published in the Mumbai edition of Hindustan Times. He rightfully suggested that the boom in the services sector has led to fewer and fewer students opting to pursue science. He was highly critical of the services sector and indirectly criticized the low wage jobs (read outsourcing and BPO) that our youth is involved in. He said that since Indian’s share in IT revenue is less than two percent, India is actually a ship-breaking superpower rather than the IT don it likes calling itself.

Mr. Kochhar is not entirely wrong. He is a scientist who is frustrated that no one wants to study science for his post-graduate studies. But his criticism of the services sector is uncalled for, as I will demonstrate. The main flaw in his argument was that he blamed the middle class for the mess scientific pursuit is in. He wrote that the extant middle-class has got used to a consumerism-oriented lifestyle that can be maintained only by doing petty jobs for advanced economies and that this self-absorbed, selfish group is not interested in a career in science.

It is here that the flaw lies. Whether you like it or not, it is the middle class that has been responsible for whatever India has achieved so far. Look at it like this: the poor could not be expected to contribute to science and technology when they hardly get two square meals a day. For this class, survival comes before science. The upper class consists of rich businessmen who do not see any reason for pursuing sciences. Their heir apparent had better study commerce. Thus, you are left with the salaried middle class who must work hard through schools and college to earn a degree to find a well paying job. As far as being selfish is concerned, everyone is with the possible exception of Mother Teresa. Is Arjun Singh not selfish?

The middle class has always taken interest in country’s politics. It still votes but the problem is because of the gun-totting politicians with several criminal cases on their heads, a majority of which belongs to the OBC. It is better to stay alive than get killed by one of them. Why is any party not opposing reservations? Because OBCs dominate country’s political stage and no one would want to earn their wrath for the fear of losing their deposits.

Look who is opposing these reservations. It’s the middle class.  They are the ones who are serious about maintaining India’s competitive advantage. To blame them for every ill that plagues India is foolish. Then why pure science has no takers today. Well, it is actually because it gives you nothing in return. That is the truth of today’s job scenario in India whether Mr. Kochhar likes it or not. Show me one person who gets a job after completing his B. Sc. or M. Sc. When these studies cannot guarantee a job, why blame the students for ignoring them and choosing courses that give them a way to feed their families. If you pursue science, the only job that you are guaranteed of is that of a teacher. But as recent incidents show, all you get there is humiliation and hunger for the government will pay you salary once in six months or so. The student unions would blacken your face and worse, some political activists may murder you and go scot-free.

One must also talk about education standards. Why our best brains go to the USA? That’s because government’s expenditure on infrastructure and facilities is not sufficient to carry out any useful research in our universities. Our primary education churns out parrots and our history textbooks are changed every time we have a new occupant in Human Resource department. Who is responsible for this- the politicians or the middle class?