INDIA TODAY

It estimates that India will have 41% (or 575 m) of its people living in cities by 2030, up from the present level of 286 million and 28%. Delhi (94%) and Goa (53%), Tamil Nadu (48%) are the most urbanised states while states like Himachal Pradesh (10%), Bihar (13%), Assam (13%) and Orissa (15%) are the least urbanised ones. With cities contributing over 62% of GDP, the importance of urbanization cannot be under-played. An NSSO survey reports that there are over 80 million poor people living in the cities and towns of the country, of which the TCPO estimated that in 2001, 61.80 m lived in slums. In 2001 an estimated 23.7% of the urban population was living in slums.

Urban poverty, unlike rural poverty, imposes considerable negative externalities on the society and economy. As the report points out, the urban poverty poses the problems of housing and shelter, water, sanitation, health, education, social security, and livelihoods along with special needs of vulnerable groups like women, children and aged people. Over-crowded slums, without access to these basic civic amenities and social welfare nets, and with constant uncertainty associated with evictions and loss of livelihoods, imposes conderable drags on the productivity and opportunities available to its residents besides constraining economic growth. It also fuels social evils like drugs and crime. The "lower levels of informal or traidtional support structures in urban locations for most poor households, the excessive monetization in urban areas as opposed to rural areas" magnifies the extent of these problems. Even a God-fearing man like Mahatma Gandhi was so much depressed to observe the poverty-stricken world that he said: God can never appear before the starving man except in shape of bread. The statement clarifies that for a hungry man no sermon, no ideology, no prophecy could work.

Hunger and poverty are both sides of a coin. They are synonymous. It is difficult to enumerate who stands first between the two. Whether poverty first or hunger first. Eradication of hunger goes neck and neck with eradication of poverty. Author has pointed out in this book about the plight of some of hungry zones of the world with an objective to create ''human consciousness'' against hunger and poverty.

The poor cannot get access to food simply through stabilized economy or through market economy at the national level. It could be achieved through balanced increase of food production, equitable distribution of food and ownership rights of the poor over the instruments of production. These important aspects of economy should be inducted to the economic science which only can uphold the right for food for the hungry.

Global CSR Leadership
Summit & Awards 2010

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