Nation’s shame

It all started with planning commission’s report, that in our country those earning below Rs.32/- per day come under the category of ‘below poverty line’ implying that those earning more are not poor! This created uproar in the parliament as well as in the media. Different views were aired, a Delhi politician claimed that one can have full meals for Rs.12/- whereas one cine star turned M.P. said that Rs.5/- is sufficient in Mumbai to fill the belly. Not to be left behind,  a state chief minister waiting to be the next Prime Minister declared that in his state, those earning Rs.17/- or more cannot be treated as poor. So much concern for the poor! Can there be a bigger shame than this when a small cup of tea cost anything from Rs.7/- to 10/- and even Rs.20/- in Metros!

It is only in our country; these politicians from various states keep going abroad on a study tour to make their city Singapore & Hong Kong but hardly study anything there. These study tours are going on for years but nobody knows about their study report or implementation of their recommendations. These leaders enjoy VIP status with full security and demand all facilities not available to common man. They are even allowed to carry pepper spray & knives inside the parliament and to use them to justify their demands. No security check for them. No doubt, with such instances, the sale of pepper spray must have gone up if not anything else. Black out of parliament proceeding on important issue over TV channels is a new trend.

Prime Minister calls it Nation’s Shame but what about 2G, 3G, CWG, Coal/Granite mining scams and the recent incidence of pepper spray in side parliament or removing of shirts by some MLAs in the UP assembly  adds to the big list of shames. It can happen in this country, one day our media on all the news channels keep harping on death of a VIP’s wife in a 5 star hotel in mysterious circumstances and black out from very next day of reporting further investigative coverage!

It is here legal cases go on & on for decades without any judgment. Mercy petitions of death row convicts are left to gather dust and ultimately courts have to convert their death sentences to life sentence due to inordinate delay. A convicted film star get frequent furlough & extension by jail authorities while a common man’s family suffers in pain without their bread earner getting any such relief for a long time.

We are already burdened with the shame of swamis/ gurus involved in rape or sex scandals on one hand, sports celebrity in batting scandal on the other. Doctors involved in organ trading on one hand, nexus between builders, contractors and civic authorities on the other hand. Where will it all end and how many more shames this country is going to witness? Time can only heal but the scar remains!