Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi is on Aladdin's 'magic carpet ride'. He soars through the winds wanting to reach the sky forgetting, that realities on the ground are falling apart as he chooses to look the other way. India’s Modi Government braces itself to spend around Rs 10 Trillion (approx. $ 135 Billion) on 7 more Bullet Trains, which according to the recent developments will now cover a total distance of 4,869 kilometers connecting major cities of India.
However, the foundation of this massive wonder project will doubtlessly be laid upon the graves of the projects which were the need of the hour and a suffering population.
Roads- Death in disguise
I certainly don’t know about heaven but I know hell exists, on Indian roads. According to the official figure given by the Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways over 9,300 people died and 25000 were injured in three years (2015, 2016, and 2017) due to bad conditions of roads and potholes. Given the fact of how unsafe roads are in India, it would be safe to assume that the number of deaths due to potholes on roads has only increased in recent years.
Monsoon- Don’t even get me started now.
Monsoon rains in India become aggressive around the mid of August and all you can see around after that is, water and sometimes even dead bodies floating on it. According to the official numbers by the Indian Government, the monsoon floods of 2020 killed 868 people in India’s 11 states. Monsoon Floods and water logging is a problem that arrives in India during the same time almost every year and it is a matter of utter shame even after knowing and foreseeing the awaiting disaster this is something government turns a blind eye to rather than trying to fix it by creating better flood control systems, drainage, and better functioning sewers.
So how fair is it for the Modi Government to spend Trillions of Rupees on ‘Bullet Trains’ when Bad Roads, hideous and clogged up drainage systems and sewers are claiming the lives of the common People?
The answer is hidden in unfulfilled propaganda which goes back till the Indian General Elections of 2014.
Sources:
1. New Plan for Bullet Trains By Indian Government: https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/centre-plans-7-more-bullet-train-projects-at-rs-10-trillion-cost-120091300999_1.html
2. Bad roads and pothole deaths: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/over-9300-deaths-25000-injured-in-3-years-due-to-potholes-1294147-2018-07-24
3. Monsoon floods: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/868-killed-in-floods-in-11-states-govt/story-vFPuyObuA8JsccQXR4toqJ.html
