Many attribute poor social indicators in India to her heavy reliance on the Soviet model for all these years. Partially true, however the subsequent non-reliance has yielded no better results either. Hence, there emerges a need for a more discreet and objective introspection, a certain level of conviction and a definitive plan of action.
The staggering economic growth of 3.5% per year shot upto 9% after the reforms were introduced and it was widely accepted that India took a bold, yet inevitable step of coming out of its cocoon. But, in the midst of all this hullabaloo almost everybody comfortably ignored the obscure, yet vital statistics that build a country's economy. These statistics, given the fancy name of 'social indicators', do not merely represent the jargon blabbered at human development conferences or crafted to vent out frustrations on coffee table conversations. These figures go a long way in creating a nation's destiny, laying foundation for the tomorrow we visualise for our future generations, if at all we do so.
When one talks of child nutrition or the problem of malnourishment, the premise does not remain limited to problems of acute poverty, non-availabilty of decent livelihood options or the lacunae in the public distribution sytem, in fact, it trickles down to the very soul of our socio-economic-cultural framework, evoking questions that are subtle, yet extremely vital. Questions of whether we can realise the new world of our dreams with a generation that was brought up with empty stomachs? Can we establish the foundation of a free thinking, free-spirited society with its youth harboring underdeveloped, poorly nourished bodies and minds?
Yet another set of disturbing questions....