From that Google search that translates to 1.77 million people from the 2011 census. Will be more now. Confusingly, that Google source for the above figure also gives this :
Both translates entirely different criteria. Those living in illegal slums are considered homeless, while the real homeless data that is of 1.77 million included only people living on footpaths or store front without taking into consideration shelters.
Just think of the incongruity of Mukesh Ambani's 27-storey "house" for a family of five and not far from that building will be so many living four or five people in two room jhuggis.
I live in a two-storey house, I still live with my parents and all of us are employed our house is empty for around 12 hours a day for 5 days in a week and our land, if we construct small houses around, could give housing for hundreds if not thousands( if we were to construct a flat) of people. Am I going to? Hell no, how would it make sense for my father who is a businessman to give away his hard-earned wealth to the so-called "less fortunate"? He's a self-made man, went from poverty to middle-income status.
I could easily accommodate a family in my house, how about you? I presume you earn enough to look after 4 more people? Let all middle to rich look after a poor family so we as a country can sing Kumbaya.
Ain't happening, I'm a "poor" Ambani, probably like you. If I had the level of income as the real Ambanis I would construct a Burj Khalifa and live there all by myself because it's my money, I earned it. I could throw that money into the ocean, and sleep like a baby, because it's my blood and sweat. It's not of the homeless guy.
The protesting farmers are from other states too, including Bihar.
I will tell you what Ravish Kumar said in his 9 PM show on NDTV India called Prime Time. He said that an average Bihari farmer earns 3000 rupees per month and this is enough to live a sparse life in a village but not something more. And combined that with loan-taking from micro-finance institutions or local mahajans both of whom charge high interest and this combined with a traditionally extreme capitalist socio-economic culture, pushes the farmers to suicide.
Now even if the Bihari farmer's monthly income is generally doubled and goes to 8000 they will remain poor. So their protest against these "reforms" where purchase of their farm produce is left to the decisions of capitalist big companies. This is also the fear of the Punjabi farmers. The supposedly richer Punjab also sees farmer suicides.
I don't know what I am missing, but all I see is a bunch of Turbans. So, the majority of the protesters are from Punjab. Also, just because a bunch of people are protesting, doesn't mean they are right. How come farming is the least income-generating job in the country? Despite the free electricity, water supply the government provides. If my previous employer was given free electricity, they would generate income that's in billions, higher than all farmers combined.
Your logic is getting funnier, so if farmers monthly income is doubled to 8000 it is not good?
Purchase of farm produce is left to everyone, Kerala government can purchase directly from farmers, as well as (your favourite) Ambani-Adani can purchase from farmers. I love it, let there be more Ambanis and Adanis.
Yes, India is a large country population-wise but it can be self-sufficient in food production and obtaining raw materials ( cement, iron etc ) for constructing good-quality housing colonies.
Additionally, agriculture in India should become modernized and scientific, and this will be through Urban Farming and Vertical Farming, both managed through computerization. Neighborhood-level Urban Farming is being implemented in Venezuela in conjunction with neighborhood-level decentralized political and economic organization like how it was in Libya and how the AAP and Swaraj Abhiyan want in India.
Yeah, the idea is good, but if farmers are not generating enough income, all these are just coffee table talking points. For a change in income, reforms are necessary. For reforms the government should take tough choices and not everyone is going to be on board in a country like India.
The real issue is, the government in Punjab losing revenue and big-ticket businessman losing theirs. That's the whole issue is about.