Do you agree with what Bill Gates has to say about PM Modi?

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CherHorowitz

@TotalBetty

Sparkler

+ 3

Posted: 8 years ago

#11

Originally posted by: Angel-likeDevil
well... I always thought our nation needs a PM - the first among equals, who can talk well - I do not underestimate oratory skills and the power it can have over the hearts/minds of the people..
While I appreciate that aspect of him, of being able to communicate and inspire - I feel he leans more on the sensational side, and there is some lack of procedural probity on his and his party's behalf, that I find really distasteful.

Anyways, all talk aside - anyone with oratory skills can :) I am not particularly impressed with this government, not yet, infact, sometimes I am wondering where our nation is heading to - in the context of demonetisation, healthcare system, foreign policy, internal security - only speaking of the current affairs, not even going into other issues.. Ofcourse, all of it is not in PM's hands, nor are the issues in general are new - but they way the government is dealing with some of the major issues, is not really impressive.

But Angel, you didn't mention anything about this cleanliness drive

Do you agree what Bill Gates has to say about PM Modi?

What's your answer Yeh or Nay?

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Angel-likeDevil

@Angel-likeDevil

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Posted: 8 years ago

#12

Betty, I think my answer will be both Aye and Nay as for cleanliness drive goes 😛

Aye -- because the kind of attention it was given was unseen before. When the PM - who is the leader of our nation, beats his drum to bring attention to the basic issue like sanitation that we are ignorant about, it is a very very good thing :) Never before have we seen people in general taking cleanliness/sanitation seriously, so much so that now a movie is being made on it. The number of government sponsored advertisements that we'd see surrounding this issue was never seen before(atleast not on that range). School kids became serious about 'Swach Bharat' too, that was really some achievement.. I think, as a PM, he did achieve in bringing out awareness and inspiring the people to take steps on cleanliness if not on sanitation, toilets etc. Because, I believe 50% of the responsibility for cleanliness lies in people - when there is community participation. Like, there were many news items on how these days daughter's aren't getting married into a house with no toilet, so yes, the awareness is doing wonders!

Nay --- ...while the hype/motivation/awareness was created, it fizzled out just as soon too.

When it came to implementation, the programme did not gain any momentum.

Besides, Betty, TBH, I always think that sanitation/waste management are issues that need time to progress, no matter who the PM is. I'll explain in brief points --

1) Our government is cash-strapped. We don't have money to invest much and to continue investing in waste management or cleanliness or sanitation. To reach the level the social programs envision is a long journey to travel... We don't even have proper dustbins in every street to dispose off household waste, if there is one, then it is piled up with garbage scattered all around it... Not saying this is the case EVERYWHERE, some places have overcome this. Point is, government has not enough money, resources.. By government here I mean the local governments - municipalities. It's a slow journey.. because I think our government just has innumerable issues to deal with all at once... :-) That is why community participation in atleast keeping our surroundings clean, disposing waste in orderly manner, drawing attention/pressurizing municipalities is the most that can be done as for now and as the responsible citizens we are :p

2) I'll give you an example of what I saw in my grandparents' village a few years ago(maybe 2009). Toilets(with the Indian style commode) were constructed in every house of the village in exchange for some money or maybe foodgrains(don't remember), but people still did not use the toilets. Because, more than just constructing toilets the program lacked a proper sewerage connection, and the villagers felt that the toilet was 'unhygienic' and a very important thing here is... human nature. People are slow if not averse to changing their habits no matter how much it is scientifically backed, old habits die hard... so, lots of challenges.. but we must not lose motivation and continue in spreading awareness perhaps someone somewhere may be inspired to adopt healthier lifestyle :)

Edited by Angel-likeDevil - 8 years ago

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Angel-likeDevil

@Angel-likeDevil

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Posted: 8 years ago

#13

Betty, also, I am unaware of official statistical information on the success of Swach Bharat.. I remember that this programme of making villages/districts open-defecation free was started in a piecemeal manner but do not remember more than that.

I should read up first and then come here :p

http://www.swachhbharaturban.in/sbm/home/#/SBM

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Angel-likeDevil

@Angel-likeDevil

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Posted: 8 years ago

#14

My biggest gripe about PM and this NDA government has to be w.r.t how the RBI's autonomy has been compromised.

This reflects a lot on the government, and honestly, I am worried for this nation because of the kind of lack of procedural probity on part of the government to try to have control over RBI.. Sorry but when Raghuram Rajan resigned his office - it did look ominous and was proved right in the following months w.r.t reconstitution of MPC, demonetisation... I have no good feeling about this government just because of the way they want to undermine RBI's autonomy.. woah.

Edited by Angel-likeDevil - 8 years ago

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CherHorowitz

@TotalBetty

Sparkler

+ 3

Posted: 8 years ago

#15

I cannot get over the fact that it took almost 70 years after independence for someone to even bring up this issue and then, do something about it

I understand so many problems to be taken care of in our country, poverty, disease, population explosion etc. But I think this is as important as any... Then again our leaders don't care about people and their quality of life...

Even after the market was opened in the early 90s, economy started improving, quality of life was improving by leaps and bounds in India, no effort was put in the direction of basic sanitation, that's

When they claim the country is becoming super power and do zilch about the fact that more than half the population goes in the open and the country ranks no.1 in this issue, that's quite baffling

So I agree with Bill Gates that Modi made the boldest statement on public health :)

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CherHorowitz

@TotalBetty

Sparkler

+ 3

Posted: 8 years ago

#16

Another Leader from Gujarat was obsessed with this issue 😆

https://blogs.wsj.com/briefly/2015/10/01/5-things-mahatma-gandhi-said-about-sanitation/

Edited by ---Betty--- - 8 years ago

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lizzy84

@lizzy84

Dazzler

Posted: 8 years ago

#17

Originally posted by: Angel-likeDevil
My biggest gripe about PM and this NDA government has to be w.r.t how the RBI's autonomy has been compromised.
This reflects a lot on the government, and honestly, I am worried for this nation because of the kind of lack of procedural probity on part of the government to try to have control over RBI.. Sorry but when Raghuram Rajan resigned his office - it did look ominous and was proved right in the following months w.r.t reconstitution of MPC, demonetisation... I have no good feeling about this government just because of the way they want to undermine RBI's autonomy.. woah.

I agree with Angel over here :)

Even I have my own set of speculations about this government and most importantly our economy.

Raghuram Rajan's resignation was sudden and suspicious.

The current RBI governor is more like a puppet there

I have my utmost respects towards Urjit Patel

But the way demonetisation was executed , the chaos and the hassle has left a bitter taste in my mouth.

A plan should be implemented with proper resources on hands and also effective control mechanism.

Sudden changing of rules and regulations in middle of the day vouch for the fact that demonetisation was not planned appropriately .

Now coming over to sanitation.

Public sanitation is a good thing but

This year's budget was a little disappointing when one looks at the allocation of funds for Public health .

Health is wealth!

I hope our government wakes up to this soon.

Now the Vocational training

I agree vocational training is a huge step but at what cost?

'vocational' training for unemployment they say but

Unemployment is always not forced or involuntary

Sometimes people just don't want to be productive.

Using such humongous funds towards this cause is unsettling for me.

First of all training is one thing but ,

what is the guarantee that these people will be employed over years?

Economically,

GST bill is the only plus point that I can give to this government.

Edited by lizzy84 - 8 years ago

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Angel-likeDevil

@Angel-likeDevil

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Posted: 8 years ago

#18

Lizzy, on demonetisation, firstly, I have not found any logic behind this huge operation.

They say it is to weed out black money, but black money accounts for 4% of India's entire wealth. Shaking up 96% of the wealth just to weed out 4% ??

It is like being asked to wear bulletproof vest and being shot at to empty the gun, while one could just unload it.

Besides, in India, unaccounted wealth in the form of gold, land, shares, is much much much higher than the black money in cold hard cash.

And, OK, they did introduce the exercise, but who introduces 2000/- when 1000/- were taken away :s ..introduction of 500/- was fine, but why introduce 2000/- a higher tender??? Imagine what would happen if 2000/- notes were counterfeited. -_____-

Lastly, the way it has been handled yes, bank staff were overburdened, the long queues, the dead ATMs, absence of banks in rural areas(1 bank per 12 villages) and so on..

I have read an article by Amartya Sen on this issue, will try to find it, but I remember him making a very very important point on how the federal system of our country was undermined in this exercise by not informing any of the state governments. India may be a 'union of states with strong centre' but, somehow I see a point in what he said..

This talk about 'cashless economy', 'digitisation' is nothing but political propaganda to cover up the issue and coalesce the people, and it's easy to do so now, because millions are very supportive of Modi govt. However, having said all this, I am still hopeful if this exercise MAY have some benefit of some sort that we may get to know in the future.. do not wish to rule out such a big move by government. If it doesn't really reap any benefit, my feelings are going to be proven correct that this exercise was done with an ulterior motive.

To achieve a cashless economy in India is simply a FAR AWAY dream... hundreds of villages are not connected by roads, and WTH is this about digitization and a "cashless economy".

NO WAY RBI would've supported this, RBI Governor has become a puppet indeed. I remember how happy I was when Raghuram Rajan took his office, our country has now lost such a great economist :'(

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Investment on health has always been a very unfortunate issue in our country..

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On vocational training, I never looked at the issue that way :) You are making a very important point there.. hmm..