Disclaimer: Before writing on this, I would like to state here that I am against no particular community or individual. I am merely stating this from the point of view of India, the most populous nation in the world with 1.4 billion to feed. We are all entitled to our perceptions.
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A Kerala friend who is a meat eating Hindu was telling me how as a small family they need to suffer. There are ports/sea coasts/backwaters in Kerala where you can get freshest catch of fish, just about to be frozen. This is that very morning’s catch mostly. There are markets where the meat is freshest and not frozen. The friend lives with her husband and two adult children. Whenever she goes for getting meat or fish in the market especially on sundays, says she, she can’t get good deals because, there are some ‘peaceful’ families with 5-6 kids who want the meaty (pun intended) portion for themselves. With adults such as parents, grandparents in typical joint family system, the size of these families may come to 10 or 12 or more. What happens in that event? Even if my friend who is nuclear family has the resources to pay for HER cut of meat/fish, she is DENIED that little legitimate portion of hers because, there are bulk buyers for the fresh meat and fish. Huge families with 10-12 members and half a dozen children, pay up and take the best cut. My friend is left to crumbles. Says she, this is the plight of all Hindus left to the leftovers even if we can pay fair price for what we want. The sellers in the markets naturally want to close a single big deal and wind up. Half a dozen or a dozen of big families of peacefuls take everything leaving literally nothing to smallest families other than crumbs. Big families buy from markets the way restaurants may shop for their daily groceries/meat: wholesale. She was happiest during the demonetization drive because the big buyers did not have the usual 500 rupee note bundles to pay cash and lift the fish basket right from the fishermen. It was the only time she says she ever got a fair deal competing with big buyers, as a middle class wife.
So the questions we have here may be:
- Just by sheer size of family should one be entitled to larger portions of consumption?
- Take the case of precious resources such as water. A family with half a dozen kids uses far more water than a family with 2 kids. Even if the bigger family may be able to pay the bills, is that even fair? With extra consumption of water, the bigger family is raising the rate/price of water for small families as well. Over consumption can lead to shortage for everyone. So how should one distribute resources in that case? Both a family with 2 kids and a family with 6 kids, let us say, can only receive 10 buckets of water per day. Its left upto you how you manage the water usage. The reason that the bigger and richer family can afford to pay is IMMATERIAL. The small families and the lower middle class families can still afford to pay their fair bills, provided artificial scarcity for water is NOT created by the big unfair consumers pushing up rates. I think this is how societies must function to ensure social justice to everyone. Everyone should have an equal stake in the pie.
- This same rule about consumption of water also applies to electricity, gas and other resources that we all pay and use for making our lives better. Suppose someone is earning monthly salary of 100,000 rupees and another one earning mere 10,000 rupees every month. What gives the wrong sense of entitlement to the richer guy to imagine that he can use more of water or electricity or gas than the poorer guy when both are willing to foot reasonable bills for modest/rational consumptions of resources.
- Suppose the kids of the 6 kid family are doing great in academics. Why should 6 kids from one family be allowed entry to elite institutions in the country with scarce resources denying others their spots. Even if the small families may produce mediocre kids, still their 2 kids must be able to win a merit place in universities, competing with the 6 kid family.
- The impact of larger families on real estate is horrendous. Suppose the 6 kids buy properties in the city on growing up. Unnecessarily the real estate prices shoot up for everyone. The smaller families have to cough up astronomical prices, the result of a needless competition.
- Only the sky and air and sunlight and moonlight are free for consumption for all family sizes. Rest are all chargeable.
- Its wrong sense of entitlement on the part of bigger or richer families to assume that if they have the economic capacity to buy something, they can take possession.
Hindus with small families of 1-2 kids mostly and rarely a third kid therefore face unfair deals everywhere. We are a declining population today – increasing at a decreasing rate. We are losing out to the population j*h*d. This is the sordid truth.
Land ceiling was introduced in India in the early ’70s when most of the wealthier/landed families gave up their real estates voluntarily for redistribution to small/marginal farmers, rural artisans, and urban poor and the landless. The next land ceiling act is long overdue in India. Amassing of wealth started right after the 70s once again. We need one more correction very badly in current times to ensure that everyone has a toehold in the metro cities and not just the old rich or the new flashy rich. A similar act for family planning will also go a long way in preventing the over exploitation of resources by select few who can buy out anything and everything with their economic capacity. Those of us Hindus with limited family size feel cheated at the end of the day.
Google BHOODAN MOVEMENT and Acharya Vinoba Bhave who campaigned the movement. Bhoodan means ‘land donation.’ It was a nonviolent, bloodless movement when the landed gentry came forward voluntarily to donate land to the landless in the country. Vinoba ji was Gandhiji’s disciple who followed in his footsteps. He ushered in a revolution in the country which is unparalleled in world/Indian history thanks to which the rural population in India have a chance.
Some snippets from Google:
What is the significance of Bhoodan Andolan in agriculture sector in India?
The Bhoodan Andolan was the brainchild of (Vinoba) Bhave who wanted to redistribute land from landlords and wealthy zamindars to landless agricultural labourers. Bhave hoped that these labourers would be able to use this new land to practice subsistence cultivation and empower themselves
The Bhoodan movement successfully collected over 4 million acres of land through voluntary donations, with some of it being distributed to landless families. It raised awareness about the issues of landlessness and inspired discussions on land reforms in India.
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For me, a strong believer in social justice but not necessarily a Marxist/communist, limited natural/manmade resources must be distributed free and fair that everyone stands to benefit from them and nobody is excluded from enjoying what is their birthright.
vijiravindran's 