"Poverty ****" on Indian Reality TV?

[RiazHaq]

The 2008 release of the Academy award winning Slumdog Millionaire movie showing extreme poverty in India's financial capital was met by expressions of anger and embarrassment by the Indian elite.

Decried by many in the Indian media as "racist poverty ****" and condemned by Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachan in his blog for showing India as "a third world dirty under belly developing nation (sic)", the movie Slumdog Millionaire was greeted by howls of protests in India. But it received wide acclaim in the West.

With the Indian reality TV series "Big Switch" focusing on poverty, it now appears that India's entertainment moguls see an opportunity in what has been called "poverty ****" to make big bucks. The first season began airing in October, 2009 and ended in February, 2010. The run was a big success with nearly 26 million viewers tuning in every week.

The show brings rich Indians to live with poor slum dwellers for two to three weeks, though it stretches "reality" by putting them in a dormitory specially built near shanties for the show, while cameras roll. "When you bring people from two clashing worlds together, it makes for great television," says UTV Bindaas chief executive, Zarina Mehta, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal. The show marks a new direction for Indian TV, which in the past has steered clear of plots that focus on the poor in India. "Even if you have a driver as a main character, he always turns out later to be a prince," says media critic Parsa Venkateshwar Rao, who writes for the newspaper DNA.

I think the popularity of reality TV shows depicting Indian poverty is a sign of a maturing society that recognizes the depth and breadth of extreme deprivation in economically resurgent India. And I hope this recognition will spur a more serious effort to alleviate the suffering of the world's largest population of poor, hungry and illiterate people.

Haq's Musings: Slumdog Inspires India's "Big Switch" TV Show

Haq's Musings: Grinding Poverty in Resurgent India

 

[BJlaowai]

OK. So Mr. Haq, whats your point?
What are we to discuss here?

 

[RiazHaq]

"Shining" India is home to the world's largest population of poor, hungry and illiterate people, according to United Nations data.

In India, the rich and poor rarely cross paths. More than 80% of people live on 20 rupees a day (43 U.S. cents) or less. Of the country's 1.17 billion population, less than 1% earns more than 85,000 rupees ($1,850) a month. On "Big Switch," many of the rich participants earn more than that. And some of the highest earners among the slum dwellers pulled in about 5,000 to 7,000 rupees ($109 to $152 a month).

Reality Bites - WSJ.com

 

[Gene]

"Shining" India is home to the world's largest population of poor, hungry and illiterate people, according to United Nations data.

In India, the rich and poor rarely cross paths. More than 80% of people live on 20 rupees a day (43 U.S. cents) or less. Of the country's 1.17 billion population, less than 1% earns more than 85,000 rupees ($1,850) a month. On "Big Switch," many of the rich participants earn more than that. And some of the highest earners among the slum dwellers pulled in about 5,000 to 7,000 rupees ($109 to $152 a month).

Reality Bites - WSJ.com

I can't understand by posting this article,what you are going to tell???

It is true that india has lots of poor,illiterate people & everybody in the world including we indians know that.

you have posted the half part of the story,only the dark side...
so,where is the bright side???

The bright side is India is developing & it is as much true as the fact of its poverty.one can't expect to eliminate poverty in a developing country over night.

by the way thanks for reminding us..

 

[Vasily Zaytsev]

@hque

Please also share what is the condition of poor in other countries.



So that we can learn some poverty reduction policies of theirs.

 

[sulemani keeda]

"Poverty ****"

I resent the use of such inflammatory and derogatory words in the Title.


@ RiazHaq, you are back.

We missed your Anti India feitish for so long.

 

[Spring Onion]

"Shining" India is home to the world's largest population of poor, hungry and illiterate people, according to United Nations data.

In India, the rich and poor rarely cross paths. More than 80% of people live on 20 rupees a day (43 U.S. cents) or less. Of the country's 1.17 billion population, less than 1% earns more than 85,000 rupees ($1,850) a month. On "Big Switch," many of the rich participants earn more than that. And some of the highest earners among the slum dwellers pulled in about 5,000 to 7,000 rupees ($109 to $152 a month).

Reality Bites - WSJ.com

Thats we all already know.


What is new or what are the suggestions to overcome this level of poverty ??

 

[Spring Onion]

@ RiazHaq, you are back.

We missed your Hate India feitish for so long.

These are facts and there is no hate India in this post.


You just come up with some logical countering thats it.

 

[Justin Joseph]

"Shining" India is home to the world's largest population of poor, hungry and illiterate people, according to United Nations data.

In India, the rich and poor rarely cross paths. More than 80% of people live on 20 rupees a day (43 U.S. cents) or less. Of the country's 1.17 billion population, less than 1% earns more than 85,000 rupees ($1,850) a month. On "Big Switch," many of the rich participants earn more than that. And some of the highest earners among the slum dwellers pulled in about 5,000 to 7,000 rupees ($109 to $152 a month).

Reality Bites - WSJ.com

1. What's the point of starting this thread?

2. This is not your first thread about poverty in India??

3. How many thread you want to open for the same topic? Why spam this forum?

4. Your country Pakistan has lots of poverty and your best friend and most superior super power on planet earth ever "china" also has poverty then why single out India only?

5. Who is denying that there is lots of Poverty in India, we all know it govt. accepts it, but there is also no denying about India's progress and no one should belittle it.

6. But, there is no denying that there are poor people in India as in china. At present India has more poor people then china because china has turn into low cost cheap manufacturing factory of the world. It has provided employment to large number of people.

On the other hand India is a service sector dominated economy but we are moving towards being the manufacturing hub of the world.

7. For your kind information since its independence India for first three decades has less number of poor people then china.

Presently, China has has less poverty then India. Soon situation in India going to change. We know it, govt know it and we are working towards it.

8. Last but not the least if you would say china is shining or developing very fast even when china has lots of poverty.

You should say and accept the same for India also.

 

[KillBill]

Hi Mr Haq,

As this is your nth thread on high level of poverty of "Shining India", looks like you have done tremendous research on this issue. I hole heartedly thank you for the same. Wish some from our Babus would have shown half the interest in this compared to whatyou shows.

Now, can you do a favor to all of us? Could you give us some inputs how we can reduce the poverty in India? I donno about others but I myself would love to see a truly Shining India without any poor. Please some pointers would really help.

 

[Chanakyaa]

I doubt if any mod will close this useless thread or even dare to change the title...

Pdf is loosing its purpose.

 

[Progressive]

"Shining" India is home to the world's largest population of poor, hungry and illiterate people, according to United Nations data.

In India, the rich and poor rarely cross paths. More than 80% of people live on 20 rupees a day (43 U.S. cents) or less. Of the country's 1.17 billion population, less than 1% earns more than 85,000 rupees ($1,850) a month. On "Big Switch," many of the rich participants earn more than that. And some of the highest earners among the slum dwellers pulled in about 5,000 to 7,000 rupees ($109 to $152 a month).

You must be very jealous of Indians since you stay in California and see lot of well established Indians in every sphere of life.

Even the aliens in Mars know that India has the world's largest concentration of poverty. It's nothing new but I guess if it makes you feel happy then good for you.

 

[Schindler]

Mr Riazhaq what's wrong with you? Yet again dancing on india's poverty? How many pakistanis believes in Karma? Never make fun of poverty, never do bad karma, never say u want war (hitler gaves order instead of killing people by himself) yet he got what he deserved 'a roasted hitler'. Trust me that its my point of view that most people on PDF says bad thing (does bad karma) are the one pays in real life. Never make fun of anyone, avoid eating nonveg, stop spreading hatered and voilence through web net. We all should talk about DEFENCE rather than ATTACK and WAR. India has large population. In which some r bad karmic but most are alot emotional peace loving and thats what makes india a INDIA. When we start doing good karma than there is no fear in our heart. People who eat nonveg, spread violence, drinks alcohol, drugadics, murderers, sex with other womens, hatered etc etc are the one who has fear all the time and pays for its bad karma one day or another. Remember always that Karma is everything. Never forget line 'What goes around comes around'.

 

[Dr.Evil]

We have lot of Poor people and poor infrastructure, that's not hidden and we are not trying to Hide anything.

These are the problems on which the Govt. and people are working real hard to solve them.

If your post was only to highlight the poverty in India - You have Failed, as it is well know all over the world that a large number of Indians are in Poverty.

By Making the heading of thread as POVERTY **** - You are just showing your sick Mentality and your great Love for ****.

Mods : I request you to kindly change the word Poverty **** , and Just use Poverty

 

[Progressive]

We have lot of Poor people and poor infrastructure, that's not hidden and we are not trying to Hide anything.

These are the problems on which the Govt. and people are working real hard to solve them.

If your post was only to highlight the poverty in India - You have Failed, as it is well know all over the world that a large number of Indians are in Poverty.

By Making the heading of thread as POVERTY **** - You are just showing your sick Mentality and your great Love for ****.



Mods : I request you to kindly change the word Poverty **** , and Just use Poverty

The problem is if you hide your poverty like China for the world media, then they will have human right groups and other countries coming after you shouting that India is not a democracy and what not.

However if poverty is there for all to see then you will have people like Mr. Riaz who will earn a living writing anti-india blogs.

There is problem both ways.