While the fire of hunger is raging in the stomach of hundreds of thousands of Indians, some of the political Neros are singing a song of how much it costs to have a meal, and that may well turn out to be their swan song — come 2014 election.
The estimate began with 5 rupees (about 30 halalas). Rashid Masood mentioned Rs 4, and Raj Babbar, being more ‘generous,’ mentioned Rs 12 on an Indian TV channel saying that for that amount one can get “so much of rice, ‘dal,’ and vegetables” (his hands spread in demonstration to a size that could hold two footballs). Babbar may have left the reel life, but he has certainly not arrived in the real world. There is a way to bring him and his ilk down to the real world if only the man on the street is determined to do so. This is not the first time that Indian leaders, more often than not living in, stolen ivory towers, have shown contempt for the common man’s understanding — taking him to be plain stupid, and insulting his intelligence.
The only way to show them their place is to give them a salary based on the estimate that they have put forward. If this is strictly and seriously followed they will come to their senses (if they have any) in a matter of days. The other day when Delhites complained of logged roads because of rain, Chief Minister Sheila Dixit asked them to pray. I think they must pray ... pray to save them from such leaders.
It is a shame that despite more than 60 years after independence, our leaders have not been able to achieve sustainable development even in its most basic form. The infrastructure is so fragile that just one rain is enough to call off their bluff, but our leaders have such fertile brains that they come up with excuses, arguments, and advice that would make even the Sphinx double over with laughter.
If there were a tax on speech almost all of them would have gone bankrupt by now. Whether hundreds of thousands of Indians have food to eat or not; and go to sleep hungry, our leaders can have no such fears because they are accustomed to eating their words. As Raj Babbar, following a demonstration outside his house, did. One can trust them to make wide and false promises, but one can’t depend on them to repair a narrow broken corner of a sidewalk or lay a drainage pipeline in a small area that would save it from flooding following even a little rainfall.
It is said that people get the government they deserve. As long as they take it lying down, they will have to contend with lying leaders. The fault, to quote Shakespeare, is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings. We have the falling sickness — falling at the dirty feet of even those having battery-operated or remote-controlled power. — Habib Shaikh, Jeddah
The cost of hunger
