HARD TIMES

By Rupali Gaurav

The Swine Flu has come to India---it had to because not only is there a large pig population but in most cities they can be seen foraging in garbage dumps. Pune has reported 12 deaths with over 2000 confirmed cases of infection. Mumbai a city of 18 million has shut down its 1100 schools and over 400 colleges. Not only is life disrupted but there is panic as the cases pile up.

People facing hardship because of the weak monsoon are in open revolt over serious power and water shortages. Protestors frequently block highways to get official attention to their plight. Rajasthan is the worst hit and the national highway was shut down for almost a month by unemployed protestors. People are watching their crops wither and their children go thirsty. A very large number of farmers have committed suicide prompting an official inquiry. The power shut downs are increasing.

That is not all. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has placed India on its watch list of countries where such freedoms are at risk noting the disturbing trend of violence against minorities. There has been an incident of violence against Christians in Pakistan but just a year ago Orissa's Khandamal district saw some of the worst atrocities imaginable against Christians by Hindu mobs. Earlier in 2002 from February to April Hindu mobs rampaged through Muslim neighborhoods killing thousands of Muslim men women and children. There were no convictions and politicians and police actually connived with Hindu mobs.

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