Tag: Poverty

  • Why is there so much Poverty, Unemployment, Malnutrition, lack of Healthcare, etc in the World ?

    Why is there so much Poverty, Unemployment, Malnutrition, lack of Healthcare, etc in the World ?


    By Justice Katju
    I have explained in some previous articles that before the Industrial Revolution, which began in England in the first half of the 18th century and then spread elsewhere, there were mostly feudal, agricultural societies everywhere in the world. The methods of production in feudal society were so primitive and backward ( the bullock was used for tilling the land in India, the buffalo in several south Asian countries e.g. Thailand, Vietnam, etc and the horse in Europe ) that very little wealth could be generated by them. So only a few people like kings, aristocrats, etc could be rich, while the rest of the population ( 90-95% ) had to be poor. When the cake is so small, very few people could eat it.
    This situation radically changed after the Industrial Revolution. Now modern industry is so powerful and so big that enough wealth can be generated to give a decent life to everyone in the world, and now no one in the world need be poor, hungry, unemployed or lacking in healthcare or good education.


    However, though almost three centuries have passed after the Industrial Revolution, why is it that the majority of the world ( particularly in the underdeveloped countries ) are still poor, and still suffering from the socio-economic problems mentioned above ? This needs an explanation.
    The reason is that the countries which became industrialised after the Industrial Revolution ( North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, and now China ) have formed an exclusive club, and they do not want underdeveloped countries to join the club and become highly industrialised, since with their cheap labour the latter will undersell the goods of the former, causing their industries to close down ( as they will not be able to face the competition from the latter ), throwing millions out of employment. I have explained this in detail in these articles.


    https://writerscafeteria.com/guest-blogging/dr-faizis-fatuity/


    https://indicanews.com/2023/06/13/justice-markandey-katju-on-dr-pervez-hoodbhoys-superficial-understanding/


    To prevent this, the developed countries, through their local agents, secretly spread hatred and make people of the underdeveloped countries fight each other on the basis of religion, race, caste, etc ( as has been happening in India and elsewhere ).


    https://indicanews.com/2023/02/22/the-puppeteer-and-the-puppets/


    But without getting highly industrialised the underdeveloped countries like India can never abolish poverty and the other socio-economic problems which plague them, and this they can do only by launching powerful united people’s struggles led by modern minded patriotic leaders to create a political and social order, under which there is rapid industrialisation and modernisation, and everyone gets a decent life.

    https://thenewscaravan.com/lies-damned-lies-and-statistics/


    Since after the Industrial Revolution a unique situation has arisen in world history that no one in the world need be poor, hungry or without decent lives, the 21st century will be characterised as the century in which the protracted and arduous struggles of poor people in the world for decent lives will be fought out to a conclusion ( after tremendous sacrifices ), and result in creating societies everywhere free from the evils of poverty, hunger, unemployment, etc and people everywhere enjoying a high standard of living.
    When this happens, the progress of science and technology, which helps people get better lives, will become many times faster than it is now.

  • Lies, damned lies, and statistics

    Lies, damned lies, and statistics

    By Justice Katju

    An article by Justice Markandey Katju

     Discrepancies and Doubts Surrounding India's Poverty Statistics: A Deeper Look


    An article titled ‘Over 135 Million Indians Break Free from Multidimensional Poverty in Five Years, States NITI Aayog Report ‘ has been published in the portal thenewscaravan.com


    https://thenewscaravan.com/over-135-million-indians-break-free-from-multidimensional-poverty-in-five-years-states-niti-aayog-report/


    There are two problems accepting this assertion (1) The source is Niti Aaayog, a Govt of India body, which would naturally like to paint a rosy picture of the country (2) Statistics in India are highly questionable, as it is very difficult to verify them.
    There is an aphorism of Mark Twain ” iies, damned lies, and statistics ”.


    https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2017/02/02/lies-damned-lies-and-statistics-how-bad-statistics-are-feeding-fake-news/


    This aphorism squarely applies to India, as it is a pretty disorganised country. Moreover it is so vast,, with 1400 million people, that it is difficult to get accurate figures, often even by a neutral unbiased body, what to say of a Government of India agency. How many people are poor, how many unemployed, how many lack proper healthcare and good education, etc are impossible to verify accurately, or even to conjecture.


    And what is the definition of poverty ? Since prices of essential commodities have steeply escalated in India in recent years, and incomes have not correspondingly increased ( assuming they have increased at all ), it is obvious that poverty has increased ( since incomes are relative to the price index ).

    india's Poverty by justice katju


    https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/oil-and-gas/steep-rise-in-prices-of-essential-commodities-burning-a-hole-in-common-mans-pocket/96557653


    https://scroll.in/article/1023709/explained-how-the-prices-of-essentials-have-soared-in-india-over-the-past-decade


    Global Hunger Index, which is a reputed international agency reporting on world hunger, reported that half of Indian children are malnourished, wasted and/or stunted. India (which has a population of 1400 million ) has slipped from position number 101 to 107 in just one year ( 2021-2022 ) among the 121 countries surveyed by that international agency

    https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/global-hunger-index/#:~:text=India%20ranks%20107th%20out%20of,countries%20covered%20in%20the%20GHI.

    Over 55% of our women are anaemic

    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/46-of-girls-under-15-anaemic-in-india-report/articleshow/89098690.cms

    Tens of millions of our young men and women are without jobs? If 100 class 4 ( peon or unskilled manual labour ) govt jobs are advertised, there are often several hundred thousand applicants, many of them having M.Sc M.A., or M.B.A. degrees ( some even Ph.D. ), engineers, etc.

    https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/over-93000-candidates-including-3700-phd-holders-apply-for-peon-job-in-up/articleshow/65604396.cms

    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/8-lakh-apply-for-4400-jobs-advertised-by-maharashtra-govt/articleshow/67911127.cms

    Proper healthcare and good education is almost non-existent for the masses. Private hospitals and clinics are too expensive for the masses, and the condition of the govt ones is terrible (to say the least ). Even the All India Instititute of Medical Sciences ), New Delhi ( AIIMS ), a premier Indian medical institute, looks like a railway station, with thousands of sick people waiting outside endlessly, and usually with perfunctory care, if any. The condition of most schools in India is terrible.

    It is sometimes claimed that GDP in India is growing, but no one asks who is getting the fruits of that growth, the Indian masses, or just a handful of big businessmen and international corporates ? The gap between rich and poor has widened in India, with a handful of big businessmen becoming richer ( often by illegal means ) while the poor get poorer ( because of escalating prices of food, etc ).

    Oxfam India’s report directly contradicts the report of Niti Aayog

    https://www.guwahatiplus.com/oxfam-india-highlights-widening-gap-between-indias-rich-and-poor#:~:text=GUWAHATI%3A%20A%20report%20by%20Oxfam,3%25%20of%20the%20country’s%20wealth.

    https://www.oxfam.org/en/india-extreme-inequality-numbers

    Other sources also contradict Niti Aayog’s claim.

    https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2017/10/world/i-on-india-income-gap/

    https://thewire.in/economy/india-world-inequality-report-poor-affluent-elite-progress

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-64286673

    https://www.news9live.com/opinion-blogs/rich-poor-gap-in-india-has-become-wider-in-terms-of-wealth-distribution-165312

    So whom is one to believe ? One’s mind boggles.

  • JK Budget 2023-24 Fails To Address Unemployment, Poverty Alleviation: NC

    JK Budget 2023-24 Fails To Address Unemployment, Poverty Alleviation: NC

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    SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) on Tuesday said the budgetary allocations for J&K for the year 2023-2024 have failed to cater to the needs of people of J&K saying it has nothing substantial for J&K’s trade, industry and commerce.

    In response to the budgetary allocations for J&K, the party’s state spokesperson, Imran Nabi Dar, stated that it was all “flamboyance and wordplay.”

    According to him, “There is nothing for unemployed youth. No blueprint on job creation for youth. We have lakhs of unemployed youths in J&K. There was not even a single word about addressing the plight of contractual, daily wagers and need-based employees. There is no ray of hope for our unemployed and skilled youth. They have been forsaken.”

    Imran commented on the budget, highlighting that it was the fifth budget in a row that was not passed by the elected legislature of Jammu and Kashmir. He questioned the reasoning behind this, stating, “The exercise itself raises a question why an entire populace of nearly 1.40 Cr people continues to remain without a representative Assembly. An elected Assembly could have discussed and ascertained the needs and aspirations of the people of JK before tabling annual budgetary allocations and estimates. It is again for the fifth time that the concerned stakeholders were not consulted before the tabling of the budget.”

    “There is nothing substantial for the horticulture sector of J&K. We expected them to announce a waiver on the KCC loans and bring down the GST rates on packaging items. Their claims of boosting horticulture and other allied sectors have remained restricted to statements only. No steps have been taken to augment fruit processing infrastructure either,” he said.

    There is no handholding of artisans, marginal traders, transporters, hawkers, and start-ups, he said, adding that the budget has failed to fulfill the needs and aspirations of all the stakeholders across Jammu and Kashmir.

    Ruing the failure of the government in upgrading the connectivity of Kashmir with the rest of the country, he said that there is nothing substantial for the upgradation and augmentation of Mughal road, Kishtwar-Sinthan road, Sadna top, and other road projects. (KNO)

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    #Budget #Fails #Address #Unemployment #Poverty #Alleviation

    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • Mercy Killing, Cancer, Poverty and Court: A Play Linked Interesting Extremes

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    by Maleeha Sofi

    SRINAGAR: The theatre play Fataah was an adaptation of Shankar Shesh’s play Fandi that artists from SR Theatre Ganderbal exhibited in the just concluded theatre festival at Tagore Hall. It linked interesting extremes to tell the story of death, poverty and the rule of law.

    The play opens with a group of prisoners doing a traditional performance Dambael while the group is consoling a person in the middle of the circle formed by their lyrics Ma Bhar Cxe Gham (avoid stress). The person is the main character, Fataah who has been awarded a death sentence. A lawyer, Rustom Rahman has been appointed by the court, an amicus curie, to fight Fataah’s case as she could not afford one.

    The court had chosen Rustom as his lawyer merely because he shares his name with his father. However, Rustom Rahman has never won any case before and is apparently a kind-hearted person who wills to help Fataah.

    Fataah is hopeless. In the conversation with his friends and well-wishers, Fataah denies meeting him and accepts him as his lawyer as he thinks nothing can save him. Finally, however, he somehow agrees to it.

    The story unfolds gradually. The reason behind his imprisonment is gradually unfolded in their conversation, so it does create a little suspense in the audience. Fataah has been charged with the killing of his father who was battling cancer. He had strangulated his father to death only to relieve him of the pain on repeated requests by his father as they could not afford the injections any longer. Fataah had taken debt from someone.

    The lawyer plan to do a rehearsal of the next day’s court trial in which they both imitate the possible witnesses in favour of Fataah. Fataah himself plays the role of judge, the debtor, his wife and other witnesses. It seems as if they win, but it doesn’t happen. All the witnesses speak lies against Fataah and even his wife could not make it to court due to an accident.

    Artists who were part of teh theatre play Fataah that was shown in Tagore Hall Srinagar as part of Kashmir Theatre Festival 2023
    Artists who were part of the theatre play, Fataah that was shown in Tagore Hall Srinagar as part of Kashmir Theatre Festival 2023. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur

    Rustom helps to get him another lawyer who luckily does not charge any fee. The conversation after the next trial (The trial isn’t shown in the play) reveals that the lawyer has done well in the court but could not save him. They again rehearse for the next hearing and the play ends with that only without showing whether Fataah will win or lose. The decision is left for the audience to decide.

    Fataah is a family man. The play sequences suggest he can not be the person who can kill his father. He had done so, however, to end his father’s pain. The main theme of the play is mercy killing and poverty. There are people who can’t afford the treatment of certain fatal diseases and they tend to die one day or another. Fataah was trapped in the same conundrum until he choked his father to death.

    The role of Fataah was played by Sahil Shafi, who did a commendable job of playing different characters. He changed his articulation, enunciation, tone and draping style within seconds to shuffle from one character to another. The set-up was given a touch of Kashmir by choosing the props traditional to Kashmir.

    The play is originally written by Shankar Shesh and adopted by Raja Maqbool. It was directed and designed by Sahil Shafi. The character of the lawyer is played by Ashraf Nago, the warden by Aaquib Hameed and Fataah by Sahil Shafi. Dambael was sung and presented by Nazir Ahmad, Bilal Ahmad, Hilal Ahmad, Sahil Meghraj, Shakeel Sheikh, Mohsin Qadir, Shahzad Ahmad, Aqib Nazir Paray, Maroof Majeed and Syed Imtiyaz. The backstage management was done by Mohsin Qadir, Nazir Ahmad, Hilal Ahmad, Aaquib Hameed, Masoom Mumtaz Khan, lights by Manzoor Ahmad Mir, Props by Haider, make-up by Rasid, Stage by Sahil and Ashraf.

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    #Mercy #Killing #Cancer #Poverty #Court #Play #Linked #Interesting #Extremes

    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • Soaring fuel bills may push 141m more into extreme poverty globally – study

    Soaring fuel bills may push 141m more into extreme poverty globally – study

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    Soaring energy prices triggered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict could push up to 141 million more people around the globe into extreme poverty, a study has found.

    The cost of energy for households globally could have increased by between 62.6% and 112.9% since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a modelling study by an international group of scientists published in Nature Energy.

    The study modelled the impact of higher energy prices on the spending of 201 groups, representing different expenditure levels, in 116 countries, covering 87.4% of the global population.

    Despite efforts by governments to insulate consumers from the price rises, researchers estimated that overall household expenditure rose by between 2.7% and 4.8%.

    As a result, they estimate that an additional 78–141 million people worldwide could be pushed into extreme poverty.

    One of the report’s authors, Yuli Shan, a professor at the University of Birmingham, said: “High energy prices hit household finances in two ways: fuel price rises directly increase household energy bills, while energy inputs needed to produce goods and services push prices up for those products as well, and especially for food, which affects households indirectly.

    “Unaffordable costs of energy and other necessities will push vulnerable populations into energy poverty and even extreme poverty.”

    Shan added: “This unprecedented global energy crisis reminds us that an energy system highly reliant on fossil fuels perpetuates energy security risks, as well as accelerating climate change.”

    Household gas and electricity bills rose sharply last year, while petrol and diesel prices hit record highs.

    A report prepared for the World Economic Forum in Davos last month said soaring prices for energy and food could persist for the next two years.

    The energy crisis has led to calls for nations to move faster in building renewable energy sources, while governments have turned to polluting fuels such as coal to ensure security of power supplies.

    Another of the report’s authors, Klaus Hubacek of the University of Groningen, said: “This crisis is worsening energy poverty and extreme poverty worldwide. For poor countries, living costs undermine their hard-won gains in energy access and poverty alleviation.

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    “Ensuring access to affordable energy and other necessities is a priority for those countries, but short-term policies addressing the cost of living crisis must align with climate mitigation goals and other long-term sustainable development commitments.”

    The UK and Europe have been urged to follow the US’s lead in encouraging green investment through Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

    Western nations have attempted to put a dent in the Kremlin’s coffers by placing a price cap on Russian oil while still allowing it to flow to avoid spiralling fuel prices.

    In recent weeks, wholesale gas prices have fallen as the mild winter and strong gas storage levels in Europe have boosted confidence that countries will not experience energy shortages this winter. However, concerns remain over how nations will replace Russian gas supplies next winter.

    In the UK, energy bills are to rise by 40% in April when government support for bills becomes less generous. National Energy Action estimates there are now 6.7 million UK households in fuel poverty – a figure that has more than doubled since 2020.

    Last week Greenpeace threatened to take legal action against the UK government as it emerged that a target to lift millions of struggling households out of fuel poverty was likely to be missed.

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    #Soaring #fuel #bills #push #141m #extreme #poverty #globally #study
    ( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

  • NC Says The Demolition Driver Will Add To The Poverty

    NC Says The Demolition Driver Will Add To The Poverty

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    SRINAGAR: National Conference on Sunday stated that the ongoing demolition drive is deepening the despair of poor and the rightful landowners across Jammu and Kashmir.

    According to the statement pointing to the new disturbing trend of arbitrary acts of demolishing homes and structures, the party’s In Charge constituencies of Srinagar district Ali Muhammad Sagar, Mubarak Gul, Shameema Firdous, Irfan Shah, Tanvir Sadiq, Ahsan Pardesi, Mushtaq Guroo and Salman Ali Sagar issued a joint statement saying the meas has compounded the vulnerabilities of marginalized traders, women, children, senior citizens, socially and economically downtrodden.

    Causing  immense distress, the eight segment In Charges said that the ongoing bulldozer rampage has created a humanitarian crisis. “The worrying trend of state demolishing homes, business units, and shops violates all due norms and established human rights procedures,” they added.

    The leaders reiterated that the government should make the bulldozer its last resort, give people a chance to prove their claim and issue proper notices to the people having illegal possession of State land. “The ongoing bulldozer rampage has been carried out by government agencies professedly to ‘clear encroachments’ and remove ‘illegal structures’ from public land. However, the state authorities have used this reasoning to arbitrarily select and demolish settlements. All we seek is a strict adherence to due process and ensuring that informed demolition. The wanton rampage, it goes without saying, will only disproportionately affect marginalised communities and divest them from accessing the most basic facilities, essential for a life with dignity,” the leaders said.

    They said the government should regularise  those sitting on the State land if such policies exist in other parts of the country. “This will bring ease in the common man’s life and help the government earn as well,” they added.

    Calling out hypocritical condemnation of  demolitions by Apni Party, whose mayor is at forefront of harassing Srinagar residents, the Segment In Charges said, “On one hand we see party chief denounce bulldozer rampage and evictions. On the other hand,  the Apni party’s Mayor is at the forefront of the drive. They cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hound. Nothing brings the glaring paradoxes within Apni Party’s to the fore as this new diktat, asking traders to evict their complexes and shops from Doodh Ganga. They cannot continue to smokescreen the reality with their theatricals. People have seen their masks fall off.”

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    #Demolition #Driver #Add #Poverty

    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • NC Says The Demolition Drive Will Add To The Poverty

    NC Says The Demolition Drive Will Add To The Poverty

    [ad_1]

    SRINAGAR: National Conference on Sunday stated that the ongoing demolition drive is deepening the despair of poor and the rightful landowners across Jammu and Kashmir.

    According to the statement pointing to the new disturbing trend of arbitrary acts of demolishing homes and structures, the party’s In Charge constituencies of Srinagar district Ali Muhammad Sagar, Mubarak Gul, Shameema Firdous, Irfan Shah, Tanvir Sadiq, Ahsan Pardesi, Mushtaq Guroo and Salman Ali Sagar issued a joint statement saying the meas has compounded the vulnerabilities of marginalized traders, women, children, senior citizens, socially and economically downtrodden.

    Causing  immense distress, the eight segment In Charges said that the ongoing bulldozer rampage has created a humanitarian crisis. “The worrying trend of state demolishing homes, business units, and shops violates all due norms and established human rights procedures,” they added.

    The leaders reiterated that the government should make the bulldozer its last resort, give people a chance to prove their claim and issue proper notices to the people having illegal possession of State land. “The ongoing bulldozer rampage has been carried out by government agencies professedly to ‘clear encroachments’ and remove ‘illegal structures’ from public land. However, the state authorities have used this reasoning to arbitrarily select and demolish settlements. All we seek is a strict adherence to due process and ensuring that informed demolition. The wanton rampage, it goes without saying, will only disproportionately affect marginalised communities and divest them from accessing the most basic facilities, essential for a life with dignity,” the leaders said.

    They said the government should regularise  those sitting on the State land if such policies exist in other parts of the country. “This will bring ease in the common man’s life and help the government earn as well,” they added.

    Calling out hypocritical condemnation of  demolitions by Apni Party, whose mayor is at forefront of harassing Srinagar residents, the Segment In Charges said, “On one hand we see party chief denounce bulldozer rampage and evictions. On the other hand,  the Apni party’s Mayor is at the forefront of the drive. They cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hound. Nothing brings the glaring paradoxes within Apni Party’s to the fore as this new diktat, asking traders to evict their complexes and shops from Doodh Ganga. They cannot continue to smokescreen the reality with their theatricals. People have seen their masks fall off.”

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    #Demolition #Drive #Add #Poverty

    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )