We have seen at times that in the name of a better future and electoral benefits, the poorest of the poor are offered some piece of clothing or some money in order to gain their confidence and their right to choose. These people, who are deprived of even the basic necessities, are not thinking of the bigger picture, all they want is to sleep at night with their stomach full. Who can blame them? All they really want is to survive and live another day. The question, however is, are they really here, on earth, for just that?
We, the people of the middle class that make the majority of India, are dreaming of a nation which is fully digital and ready to compete with other nations. We are well aware that people in rural areas live by the factor and philosophy of “roti, kapda aur makan” yet the rest of us want reality upgraded to “Brand and Bank Balance”. Nothing wrong with that, aspirations and development go hand in hand. For those too low still on the economic ladder, many steps have been taken by the government to help them, and the investments have been increased in the existing schemes to do so.
There has been an investment of Rs 48,000 crore for MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and there is increased participation of women in this programme, from 48% to 55% last year. This leads one to conclude that there is a better delivery of the facilities to the rural people. This year it is believed to increase its outreach to more people and increase rural power. So help is on its way.
The point is we are born with certain rights and have the freedom to practice them too, but we lack is the opportunity and freedom to make choices for ourselves. Very often, the scarcities of life hold us back and never really give us the freedom that we have inherited from the development of society. In order to enjoy the life we dream of, we, each one of us, need an environment where our dreams can flourish and grow and not be left to rot away under the name of fantasy.
