Repercussions of a faulty policy

Before rushing in and passing bills, repercussions of the legislation should be studied properly. By the Food Security Bill of 2011, government would be spending60,000 crore a year for providing food for the poor of India.63% of India’s population will be provided by subsidised grains of rice, wheat and coarse grains. The fair-price shops or government’s ration stores would take this opportunity to distort the implementation. The cunning shop owner would sell this grain at higher price (open market price) and give to the ration card holder inferior quality food grains. The receiver will not complain for he is getting grains at nominal rate and the shop owner would make big big profits. Government has to give what it has promised and would buy half of what the country produces for the implementation of the food bill. This would distort the agricultural economy—government also gives subsidised seeds, subsidised fertilisers, subsidised pesticides, and subsidised diesel for motors and tractors. It is a loss, loss situation for the government. Roads, electricity, drinking water, housing, sanitation, hospitals, medicines, and livelihoods are all basic urgent needs just as important as food. No policies are made for making of these infrastructures quickly for the betterment of the people. Why?

India is a living laboratory for experiments on “what if everything goes wrong” state. Government is entirely responsible for letting down its people. Government makes policies for the cunning capitalist to prosper; and to make-up, it is doling out subsidised food grains to the poor as namesake reforms. The right aim should be to provide proper livelihoods, so that the poor can buy their own food. Farmers would see their produce given away at lesser price than it was taken from them. With costlier inputs and fixation of price of their produce, they are working at a loss.People survive by going through everyday struggles to meet daily requirements of food, requirements for shelter from cold, to live in a place to identify themselves in and a way to live within their cultural norms. Can they? It is as if they are stuck in middle of nowhere-but they are in the midst of civilisation or in an urban concrete jungle. How to rescue these poverty stricken people? The Indian people are exceptionally brilliant and their culture is unique and exquisite and they are worthy of survival on the planet. But we cannot showcase culture without revealing the open poverty of India. In the midst of humanity, Indians are lost and isolated in a sea of poverty.Nor 1000 year old temple, nor ‘puja’ or prayers, nor nice celebrations/ festivals can help overcome poverty, but appropriate legislation on time can.