The essay paints a grim story. There is only one way that poor governance leads to and this is widespread hunger. The essay brings this out sharply. At one time we used to say that whatever may happen to the world at large, India grows its own food and so will survive any calamity.Not any longer. India can no longer support its own population as far as food is concerned. In our collective folly, we are using our fertile soil to build SEZs, posh 7 star Hotels, and all the glamour industries instead of food Land sharks and builders now talk of land bank account to provide housing and 7star amenities to a rich and wealthy Indians and NRIs. Somewhere something is going wrong for all of us,our politicians, our planners, our bureaucrats and the media, all know it. But, it seems that every one of these sections has decided, nothing can be done- the sheer magnitude of the problem is daunting. We do even want to make a beginning but allow things to drift; reconciled to a kind of fatalism that is apalling in these times. The terrible waste of food in PDS and the FCI warehouses is one area which can definitely be plugged but there is no will. The Govt has no will to lift the grain from farmer's stock and pay him a wholesome price for his grain. We have a large army to defend our borders, surly we can create an " army" for providing the work force for tilling the soil and connecting our rivers.
