A Christmas beyond Santa Claus

As India8217;s economic prosperity also gathers momentum, it is appropriate to enquire if we are building a more tolerant and compassionate society. We have a long history and tradition of tolerance and inclusion of different religions. This is manifested notwithstanding some unforgivable aberrations in acceptance of modern, cultural and linguistic diversity. In short, there is acceptance of differences and understanding of differences. There are, however, many other areas where tolerance can hardly be justified. These are, say, rising income inequality and more importantly in opportunities between rural and urban areas, within cities, between men and women, boys and girls, upper caste and lower caste. The social barriers to economic egalitarianism impedes progress and compromises national dignity.

So what has been our record? Our record in bridging the chasm between these 8216;8216;unforgivable tolerance8217;8217; has been a mixed one. While economic growth is an essential requisite for improving life quality, it may not be adequate to usher a more egalitarian order. However social engineering, beyond a point, may result in constantly re-distributing a cake whose size remain static. In the end, there is no substitute to pursuing growth, mindful though that its fruits and gains also percolate to the poor and the disadvantaged. In recent years, we have certainly moved to a new growth trajectory almost taking for granted that over 6.5 is in our pocket and happily talking of 8-10 which should double per capita income in less than a decade and substantially wipe out poverty. So far, however, our economic divides can hardly be overlooked.

The per capita income of the country is Rs 11,799 in 2003-04 1993-94 prices but inter-State variations are dramatic 8212; the per capita income of Haryana is Rs 15,721, which is four times more than that of Bihar at a meagre Rs 3,707. The disparity between rural and urban income is also stark. The average monthly per capita expenditure in rural India is Rs 485 while in urban India it is significantly higher at Rs 854 NSS 55th Round 1999-00. The disparity in per capita expenditure among different social groups continues to be significant where against an average of Rs 577 monthly expenditure for others, it is only Rs 387 for the Scheduled Tribes and a little more for the Scheduled Castes in rural areas. The urban-rural divide on education is also a sharp contrast 8212; literacy rate in rural areas is at 66 per cent and in urban areas close to 80 per cent. The gender inequality on education remains significant. Male literacy in rural area is 67.8 per cent and the female literacy is 43.4 per cent, and the contrast becomes sharper for the SCs and STs. The contrast remains the same on other parameters of human development indicators like infant mortality rate, expectation of life at birth or the number of doctors per one lakh population. In fact, inter-State inequality, both on a critical human development indicator or infrastructure availability also suggests widening differences 8212; per capita health expenditure in India is Rs 214 compared to a meagre Rs 76 in Bihar or Rs 91 in Uttar Pradesh. The overall per capita domestic consumption of electricity is 70 kwh but a mere 34 kwh for Eastern and North-Eastern regions.

Certainly, poverty has come down from appalling levels of over 55 per cent in the 1970s to still unacceptable level of 26 per cent. While Gini co-efficient of inequality suggests that inequality within rural areas has come down, it has increased in the urban pockets. Overall, levels of poverty remain unacceptably high and what is worse is that there is sharp accentuation in regional divides.

Does our policy matrix suggest requisite compassion to wipe out these intolerable differences? More so, is there civic involvement, volunteering and a philanthropic culture deep enough to evoke an adequate response. State initiatives like job reservations, education quota, unemployment guarantees which upset 8216;8216;the merit order8217;8217; to mainstream the disadvantaged is not an abiding substitute for overall societal response? We are reminded that 8216;8216;no one is without Christianity, if we agree on what we mean by that word. It is every individual8217;s code of behavior by means of which he makes himself a better human being than his nature wants to be, if he followed his nature only. Whatever its symbol 8212; cross or crescent or whatever 8212; that symbol is man8217;s reminder of his duty inside the human race.8217;8217; To nurture tolerance rather than apathy, and evoke compassion rather than pity is a daunting challenge. A challenge that goes beyond the Santa Claus culture. It is always easier to keep holidays than commandments.

Write to nksinghexpressindia.com