Sir, Your editorial Desperation within (February 2) succinctly brings out the state of the nation. The recently concluded World Economic Forum meeting at Davos, Switzerland, showcased India as a nation that is an ideal destination for foreign direct investment. The question that automatically comes to mind here is whether we are over hyping our nation as a global destination for FDI, just because our annual growth rate is more than 8 per cent. Is the world really viewing us as an economic giant? Let us not forget that India has many problems and it is addressing these problems superficially. India still has a huge number of poor people. Poverty is an area of serious concern. The country can have a booming Sensex, and can be an international IT hub, but quintessentially, India’s is an agrarian economy. More than 60 per cent of the population depend on agriculture for their livelihood. The suicide of farmers in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh is a serious issue. The kidney-selling racket has been going on for years. Farmers’ apathy should not take such a turn that it takes the form of a national crisis. We definitely have a lot to learn from the American Depression of the Thirties, and the Bengal Famine of the Forties.
Yasmin Banu
Abu Dhabi, UAE
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