Recent chat conversation with a facebook friend (he is a staunch supporter of Nehru and is 20 years senior to me) who had graduated from IIT and is now settled in US.
Friend: I dont understand to what extent you can go to support Modi and his policies which are against poor.
Me: What do you mean? Can you pls elaborate.
Friend: You seem to be fine with his bullet train initiative. When so many people in India are dying due to hunger, why do we need bullet trains?
Me: The money going into building infrastructure for bullet trains is like an investment. Also, it requires tons of steel which means steel factories will have employment. Thousands of engineers will be required for it. It requires lakhs of construction workers and hence produces jobs as well.
Friend: Agreed it produces jobs and is an investment. But instead, why could not Modi initiate a large scale agriculture project and ensure that poverty is brought down to 0%. After that let him do whatever he wants.
Me: ok. Answer me this. How was the poverty situation in 1950s compared to today? Dont you think more people were dying in 1950s than today?
Friend: Yes. In 1950s, we had more poor & hungry people. What has that got to do now?
Me: ok. Good that you agreed. Now tell me, when so many poor people were dying due to hunger, why did Govt of India under Nehru establish several IITs and operated them using taxpayers money? I never saw you criticizing Nehru for that and in fact, you have been one of its beneficiaries because when so many poor were dying due to hunger, you studied for free (almost free) in IIT using taxpayers money (which could instead be used to feed the poor), took the first Air India flight (operated by the Govt) to get out of India soon after your graduation and have been happily counting money in US for the past few decades. Please dont think I am criticizing you. You are such a senior person and I have lot of respect for you. But you seem to have one yardstick to measure others (and other leaders) and different yardstick for yourself (and your favorite leaders). I am confused. So, answer me in simple words. According to your logic, wasn't IIT also unnecessary when we had poverty and hunger in 1950s as well?
Similarly, highways were also unnecessary. Indian Airlines was unnecessary. Parks were unnecessary. Nuclear weapon was unnecessary. Space research programmes, satellites etc were all unnecessary. right?
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(2 mins no reply)
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Me: You there? Hello!! Say something. What happened?
Friend: I dont understand to what extent you can go to support Modi and his policies which are against poor.
Me: What do you mean? Can you pls elaborate.
Friend: You seem to be fine with his bullet train initiative. When so many people in India are dying due to hunger, why do we need bullet trains?
Me: The money going into building infrastructure for bullet trains is like an investment. Also, it requires tons of steel which means steel factories will have employment. Thousands of engineers will be required for it. It requires lakhs of construction workers and hence produces jobs as well.
Friend: Agreed it produces jobs and is an investment. But instead, why could not Modi initiate a large scale agriculture project and ensure that poverty is brought down to 0%. After that let him do whatever he wants.
Me: ok. Answer me this. How was the poverty situation in 1950s compared to today? Dont you think more people were dying in 1950s than today?
Friend: Yes. In 1950s, we had more poor & hungry people. What has that got to do now?
Me: ok. Good that you agreed. Now tell me, when so many poor people were dying due to hunger, why did Govt of India under Nehru establish several IITs and operated them using taxpayers money? I never saw you criticizing Nehru for that and in fact, you have been one of its beneficiaries because when so many poor were dying due to hunger, you studied for free (almost free) in IIT using taxpayers money (which could instead be used to feed the poor), took the first Air India flight (operated by the Govt) to get out of India soon after your graduation and have been happily counting money in US for the past few decades. Please dont think I am criticizing you. You are such a senior person and I have lot of respect for you. But you seem to have one yardstick to measure others (and other leaders) and different yardstick for yourself (and your favorite leaders). I am confused. So, answer me in simple words. According to your logic, wasn't IIT also unnecessary when we had poverty and hunger in 1950s as well?
Similarly, highways were also unnecessary. Indian Airlines was unnecessary. Parks were unnecessary. Nuclear weapon was unnecessary. Space research programmes, satellites etc were all unnecessary. right?
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..
(2 mins no reply)
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..
Me: You there? Hello!! Say something. What happened?
