*Shame, minister, suicide is no joke** * *By LORD MEGHNAD DESAI*
* http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/news/top-story/shame,-minister,-suicide-is-no-joke-.aspx * New Delhi, Sept. 10: There are times when even anger is not enough. On October 2, the Mahatma's birth anniversary will no doubt be performed by the leadership of the Indian political elite again blubbering on about non-violence, and the poor, and even antyodaya. But what we had on Sunday when a UPA minister, Shankersinh Vaghela, joked about farmer suicides and the chief minister of Maharashtra joined in, must be declared the day of antyast -- the final sunset -- indeed annihilation of the lowest and the poorest of India. One has given up any hope of kindness to the poor except at election times, and even then only if they are vote banks. The latest floods in Bihar do not invite the launch of a national relief fund. A flyover collapses in Hyderabad. No need to worry about the dead of Hyderabad, nor about the dead farmers of Vidarbha. The dead are not a vote bank. So the minister and chief minister of Mahatma Gandhi's party can laugh. But never in my long life as a desi and then as pravasi did I think that I would see a Union minister make fun of suicide farmers. In Britain, no minister would dare make fun even of a suicide bomber. One Tory shadow minister was sacked for hinting that black recruits to the Army enjoyed being called "nigger". Gone are the days when Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned when a railway accident took place under his watch. Death is a serious business. Especially when that death has become routine for hundreds of farmers and, despite the government doctoring the statistics to claim a reduction (mind you, only a reduction, not elimination), the deaths go on unabated. The Prime Minister was concerned and went to Vidarbha and promised Rs 3,750 crores. We now know that even cheques of Rs 350 bounce despite being presented again and again. Rs 350 is too small for ministers to worry about, just a fraction of what the tour of the laughing minister will have cost the taxpaying farmers who lived and recently committed suicide in Vidarbha, and even a smaller fraction of what it would cost taxpayers when hypocritical Opposition MPs adjourn all business in Parliament protesting about this behaviour. So the minister says that farmers are lazy and only have themselves to blame. Why can't they live in Lutyens bungalows, be driven in large cars and be flown everywhere around the country for free so they can laugh at the aam admi? It is a great slapstick comedy that farmers have taken loans they cannot repay. After all, banks were nationalised 38 years ago when a previous Gandhi said, "Woh kahete hain Indira Hatao. mein kaheti hoon Morarji Hatao (sorry, Garibi Hatao)." If the farmers had only asked for a large bank loan to build a tall residential building on their patch to be sold at black market rates for the rich, with suitable kickbacks for the political elite, they would have long been out of poverty. Or they could have joined a political party and got elected against the heavy odds of not belonging to a political family. Then they could humbly serve the people, wear khadi and cry at Gandhi's samadhi. What they would not do is apologise for mocking their citizens in their hour of distress. If this was any other democracy, by now the Prime Minister would have sacked the minister or the press would have hounded him. But then, this is no ordinary democracy. This is a Gandhian Democracy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality." - Dr BR Ambedkar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
