We live in the land of abundance and prosperity. India truly is a country that inspires pride. But life here is admittedly imperfect. Even in our great motherland, people battle everyday with issues and disasters that plague our existence – an existence that has been shaken to the soul by countless instances of pain and suffering.
And these few images, while they don’t even come close to expressing it, may give you a haunting glimpse into the suffering of our countrymen.
The Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984 claimed many lives, including the one of this child, photographed as it was being buried.
The 2008 blasts that the city of Mumbai experienced, not only took numerous lives, but inflicted so, so much pain and suffering among those that survived.
Tamil Nadu among other places were hit hard by the earthquake and tsunami in 2004 and the damage caused to life was irreparable.
The catastrophic earthquake that Bhuj, Gujarat saw in 2001 destroyed the homes and lives of many.
This earthquake left countless families homeless and devastated.
The drought we are currently experiencing in Maharashtra has caused a severe blow to the crop and has claimed the lives of thousands of farmers who lost hope and committed suicide.
People across the nation suffer from a constant water crisis where fresh water is simply not available to all parts of the nation.
Acid attacks form a part of the painful plight of thousands of women in India.
Nationwide hunger, and severe malnourishment aren’t problems that can be overlooked.
A UN statistic estimates the number of malnourished people in India to be around 194 million.
A survey conducted by the Indian government revealed in 2012 that 42% of our children are underweight and about 3,000 young ones die every day due to illnesses related to poor diets.
And all of this, undeniably, stems from the gross poverty that we suffer from. According to the 2011 Census, India had an approximate 1.77 million homeless people, which is 0.15% of the country’s population.
The Census also revealed that our country’s slum population has risen from 52 million to 65 million in a decade. Currently, 17% of urban India lives in slums.
Child labour is excruciatingly rampant across the country. It is estimated that the total number of child labourers, aged 4–15 is about 12.6 million.
And such conditions have allowed frauds and quacks to thrive. In this image we see a child being stood on by a baba that claimed to have healing powers that could only be transferred through his feet – by standing on this sick child.
Pollution, of our water, air and our land is spinning out of control, and it’s the poor that get hit the worst.
India is a hub for a sorry number of child marriages. It is estimated that 47% of girls in India are married before their 18th birthday.
These pictures remind us just how much there still needs to be done and gives us an opportunity to think about whether we’re doing our part for the nation. Let us all keep our fellow Indians in our prayers always. And most of all, resolve never to take our lives for granted.
Feature source: Keep Indian Beautiful via Sagar Kaul
