Saturday, March 01, 2008

Inconvenient Truth

She too is a citizen of SHINING India. The Telegraph reports the following about Suku Soren on the day Chidambaram rolled out a "progressive" budget:

Suku Soren

Age: 17

Where: Nadna, 10kmfrom IIT Kharagpur, in West Midnapore
Education: Never been to school
Occupation: Domestic chores
Family: Mother Saraswati, father Kanon and five siblings
Family annual income: Rs 2,800
House: Single-room mud house with thatched roof. Space inside not more than 200sqft and the entire family sleeps there
Vehicle: None
Most valuable possession: Utensils, Kanon’s black stone ring, and junk jewellery worn by his wife and Suku
Least valuable possession: Nothing
Most cherished dream fulfilled: The poor can’t afford dreams, says Kanon
Cherished dream yet to be fulfilled: Two square meals a day

Top
Dismayed ? Hold on .... there is more ...
The tribal girl has grown up in Nadna, just 10km from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur — a symbol of India’s march in the knowledge economy — without ever going to school. Kharagpur has the world’s longest platform, too, but Suku has never seen a train. Or a movie ......
The report concludes saying,
India’s economic boom has passed Suku and Kanon by. “I am where I was 10-15 years ago, if not worse,” Kanon says.

And I am a great fan of Dr. Singh and his economic policies. My own life has improved so much in last 10-15 years !!!
Read the full report.

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