Kaagaz has become a crucial word for people in their struggle for daily survival as they look up to the government for succour when economy fails them. The 2021 movie Kaagaz, starring actor Pankaj Tripathi as Lal Bihari Singh from Uttar Pradesh, seems straight out of a rural Indian landscape, where bureaucracy pushes a person into the darkness of a dreaded file by declaring him dead. Then starts Singh’s quest to be counted alive in the government roll call.
The story of the film may seem disjointed and unreal, but a part of it is certainly playing out in India’s hinterland. Take, for example, the case of 50 villagers of Khajuria Jagir village of Kurwai tehsil in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district who were declared dead on the Samagra portal in July 2023 when they were still alive. (Samagra is a social security programme of the state government.)
The quest of the villagers to prove themselves alive began with earnestness, as being declared dead means that they can no longer be beneficiaries under the many welfare programmes of the state and Central governments.
Unlike the people from Khajuria Jagir, who were officially counted before they dropped “dead”, many of India’s poor wait endlessly to be included in government lists of welfare programmes even when they can prove that they are deserving candidates. Governments and bureaucrats are, in fact, fighting a self-inflicted poverty of its own kind that has jammed public policy of welfare economics in the country.
And this is not just a result of India’s infamous redtape syndrome. There is much more to it.
Outside the Government’s Benevolent Gaze
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Outlook Business.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Outlook Business.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
SHANKAR PRASAD
C'EST LA VIE - MY FAVOURITE
Star Plus
Actor Keerthy Suresh's talents extend far beyond the silver screen. In a chat with Prachi Khanna, she talks about her growing interest in the world of investments - from real estate to tech to co-owning a cricket team
Shelter From the Storm
Taking care of 500-plus homeless was only the first of the challenges; the 24-year-old social worker has done more since
Saying No to Jugaad
In India, people often rely on a quick-fix approach to manage the daily challenges of taking insulin shots. But a Gen-Z innovator has other ideas
Green Skills Champion
An unexpected career choice was the beginning of efforts to demystify the conversation around climate change and raise awareness
Force of Change
An educator's journey that started in the municipal schools of Andheri West is helping bridge the learning gap among young students
An Appetite for Health
The 'food pharmer' has taken on some of the biggest names in the FMCG sector. His mission: to get consumers to read product labels
More Than Medals
India's success at the Paris Paralympics can inspire a new era of inclusivity
Checkmate
A new generation of chess elite, backed by early mentorship and building on the wins of the previous generation, is cementing India's place at the top
On A Strong Wicket
Team India has had a mixed month but a good year. This was the year Rohit Sharma and his boys brought the T20 World Cup back home
