On September 9, I wrote a little piece on Narendra Modi, the much-discussed chief minister of the state of Gujarat, discussed I believe, for the wrong reasons. Titled, The End of Narendra Modi, my idea was, and is, that his authority and achievements are hugely overestimated. In today's edition of The Hindu, there is a piece by Indira Hirway, on how the silent masses of Gujarat languish in squalor. As a diligent Economist, Hirway presents the results of surveys she has conducted, in a rather dry manner. She would like the numbers to speak for themselves. And they do.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/not-vegetarianism-or-dieting-mr-modi/article3939379.ece
To quote a few important sentences:
'To start with, in spite of a slightly higher workforce participation rate compared to other States, the quality of employment is extremely poor in Gujarat; with the result that a large part of the workforce does not have enough purchasing power to buy enough food for the household. About 89 per cent of men workers and 98 per cent of women workers in the State are informal workers (the all India figures are 90 and 96 per cent respectively), who usually earn low wages, have poor working conditions and low social protection.'
' As per the latest National Sample Survey Office statistics, the daily wage rates of casual men and women workers in rural areas are lower than the corresponding rates in India, with the State ranking 14th (Rs.69) and ninth (Rs.56) in men’s and women’s wage rates respectively among the major 20 States... In the case of regular rural workers also the State ranked 17th (Rs.152) and ninth (Rs.108) in the male and female wage rates respectively. The corresponding ranks for urban areas are 18th (Rs.205) and 13th (Rs.182) respectively among the major 20 States in India.
In short, in spite of the high growth rate, wages in the State are repressed with the result that most workers do not have the purchasing power to buy adequate nutritious food.'
'According the 2011 Census, 67 per cent of rural households do not have an access to toilets and more than 65 per cent households defecate in the open, polluting the environment. The State ranks 10th in the use of latrines. Our recent study adds that 70 per cent villages in the State have yet to organise waste collection and disposal, and 78 per cent have yet to put up drainage for managing liquid waste. In the case of urban areas, the State ranks ninth in terms of the use of latrines.'
This is the vast, silent majority of Gujarat I speak about in my September 9 piece.
http://satyaki.blogspot.in/2012/09/the-end-of-narendra-modi.html
Modi and his followers would like to believe that further growth will eventually alleviate these sufferings. Yet, in the few years that he has been at the helm, the change is negligible. On the contrary, harsher inequality mutilates well-being. This is, in effect, Social Darwinism at play. Modi would rather have these lesser mortals vanish, and he forge a new, shining world with his disciples. Thankfully, it wont happen.
Modi has remained in power using questionable means. Using his intelligence apparatus to follow his colleagues and friends, and harassing those who have the courage to criticize him, he feels in control. Yet, control slips away as we speak.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/not-vegetarianism-or-dieting-mr-modi/article3939379.ece
To quote a few important sentences:
'To start with, in spite of a slightly higher workforce participation rate compared to other States, the quality of employment is extremely poor in Gujarat; with the result that a large part of the workforce does not have enough purchasing power to buy enough food for the household. About 89 per cent of men workers and 98 per cent of women workers in the State are informal workers (the all India figures are 90 and 96 per cent respectively), who usually earn low wages, have poor working conditions and low social protection.'
' As per the latest National Sample Survey Office statistics, the daily wage rates of casual men and women workers in rural areas are lower than the corresponding rates in India, with the State ranking 14th (Rs.69) and ninth (Rs.56) in men’s and women’s wage rates respectively among the major 20 States... In the case of regular rural workers also the State ranked 17th (Rs.152) and ninth (Rs.108) in the male and female wage rates respectively. The corresponding ranks for urban areas are 18th (Rs.205) and 13th (Rs.182) respectively among the major 20 States in India.
In short, in spite of the high growth rate, wages in the State are repressed with the result that most workers do not have the purchasing power to buy adequate nutritious food.'
'According the 2011 Census, 67 per cent of rural households do not have an access to toilets and more than 65 per cent households defecate in the open, polluting the environment. The State ranks 10th in the use of latrines. Our recent study adds that 70 per cent villages in the State have yet to organise waste collection and disposal, and 78 per cent have yet to put up drainage for managing liquid waste. In the case of urban areas, the State ranks ninth in terms of the use of latrines.'
This is the vast, silent majority of Gujarat I speak about in my September 9 piece.
http://satyaki.blogspot.in/2012/09/the-end-of-narendra-modi.html
Modi and his followers would like to believe that further growth will eventually alleviate these sufferings. Yet, in the few years that he has been at the helm, the change is negligible. On the contrary, harsher inequality mutilates well-being. This is, in effect, Social Darwinism at play. Modi would rather have these lesser mortals vanish, and he forge a new, shining world with his disciples. Thankfully, it wont happen.
Modi has remained in power using questionable means. Using his intelligence apparatus to follow his colleagues and friends, and harassing those who have the courage to criticize him, he feels in control. Yet, control slips away as we speak.
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