Communicate to liberalise

The possibility of achieving these goals is very real: for example, research studies indicate that farmers are willing to pay for power, provided it is of good quality and available on call. The present alternative of 8220;receiving8221; free power of fluctuating quality and infrequent availability is, contrary to conventional wisdom and populist politics, not the preferred option. Education is another area where payment for quality services would not be grudged provided it is pegged reasonably and not at an extortionist level.

Privatisation or liberalisation of service sectors such as banking, insurance and transportation have introduced competitive pressures that inevitably result in the improvement of performance and the expansion and extension of facilities for the benefit of customers. Just think of what a blessed relief it will be to deal with 8216;customer is king/queen8217; insurance agents offering a wide variety of policy options, rather than having to chase reluctant, and generally unfriendly, nationalised insurance company reps, tying you down with restrictive and limited insurance choices. Despite the very real benefits of this welcome initiative, the only voices heard on this issue, on any public platform, were those belonging to vested interests and their political mentors. One has to wonder why workers in the insurance sector would fight to prevent the entry of additional players: My logic tells me that such entries should surely create more and better rewarding jobs 8211; both professionally and financially.

Agriculture is also an area where many politicians8217; tears are shed. We are repeatedly lectured on the inability of our incompetent and subsidy-dependent8217; farmers to achieve economic viability. My contention is otherwise: Our farmers are not fools they can deliver. The only support they need is ready access not just to traditional inputs needed by them ranging from seeds, fertilisers, power, water and technology at economically sustainable costs, but also to currently sadly neglected post-harvest facilities such as storage, transportation and processing. How many of us, lay citizens, realise that the neglect of these facilities results in anywhere up to 50 per cent losses? Astonishing, but true. By supplying these facilities, we would almost double the wealth of the farm sector.

Finally, I am shocked, saddened and sadly disillusioned by the political support provided to those responsible for the criminal destruction of the health and wealth of the citizens of India8217;s cities and towns. Do politicians realise that nearly 70 per cent of the children living in the capital of the world8217;s largest democracy8217; are suffering from lung diseases? Do they know that urban India8217;s water supply is disgracefully polluted? Do they understand that they are fighting for the just cause8217; of law-breakers? Do they give a 8216;dam8217; for the innocent, average man, woman or child whose lives and homes have been disfigured and despoiled? The answers to all has to be either a big, no8217;, or a cynical, don8217;t care8217;. The votes aren8217;t there8217;. Isn8217;t it about time that those who have remained silent sufferers, stood up and made their voices heard in support of some very fundamental changes to the wretched lives we live?