India, a country famous for its IT, engineering and medical professionals. Yet, it’s stricken with poverty which was so serious that almost every day, there will be a person or a child dying on the streets with sickness, hunger, and unloved. There were even cases of abandoned babies on the streets.
One of the person that I admired and I read, was Mother Teresa. She was a saint living among the poor. Devoting her life to the poorest of the poor. To stay by their side during their dying moments, saying words of comfort and offering them her prayers. She had done so much for the people around the world. Yet, her quest was still far from over.
The government’s aid to alleviate the problem is not helping much at all. There were almost 8 states in the country that was identified as the poorest. And they have to contend with the largest and fastest growing populations.
In the rural areas, where the effects of poverty is the most obvious to be seen, they still practice the caste system. This system identifies a family’s rank in the society based on their wealth. And as the richer becomes richer, the poorer becomes poorer. Some families were not able to afford food every day. Even the rivers and ponds were used to wash their clothes, to bathe, are not sanitised for drinking. Which caused illness to the people. People who are not able to afford the medical expenses were refused admission and were left to survive or die on their own.
Children from the rural areas did not receive proper education as well. They would only learn how to work from their parents and teach them to their children and then their grandchildren. They will not be able to further improve their lives without proper education if Mother Teresa had not stepped in to establish new schools for the children all over the country.
One of the other reason this issue was never resolved was due to the war between India and Pakistan over Kashmir which had lasted more than 50 years. The government spent a fortune on military might and most probably even nuclear weapons as well but this is not the war that they should be fighting.
The issue of poverty and the concerns of the citizens are the main things that should be resolved first. Not waging wars with Pakistan over control of Kashmir. Because of this war, many of India’s citizens paid with their lives as they were not able to have access to the basic necessities like food and medicines. Some of them have even decided to leave the country to find a better life in other parts of the world.
But, with the effect of globalisation, India may be able to be free from this dilemma. Though not immediately, but there will be improvements with increased job opportunities that can bring in more income for the country.
Being a Malaysian, I feel blessed that we can have access to all the basic necessities here. And looking at the effects of war and poverty that has affected the other countries makes me feel more appreciative of what we have here and not wasting them.
