On March 20, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network released an annual report named World Happiness Report. India was ranked at 126th position below several of its volatile neighbours like Pakistan, who is grappling from political debacle and fiscal crisis and need economic reforms, yet they are claimed to be faring better than India.
Similarly with other Indian neighboring countries like Nepal, China, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and various war-torn countries like Ukraine and Russia are positioned better than India. It is claimed that its a propaganda fueled by the west to conveniently set aside Indian progress.
India is facing no war-like circumstances, even able to tackle the tedious situation meticulously, no economic crisis is looming and the social fabric of India is also performing well. All these factors are blatantly ignored.
Global hegemon(s) Insinuating Incorrect Image of India
Let’s deconstruct the narrative. There was once a global hegemon who used to take care of the unprivileged countries, but just to the extent where they could stay alive and not prosper. Vanguard reminded that these countries would carry the burden of that ‘favor.’ This was a commonly accepted norm.
However, the change in the political regimes began. The approach to look at the situation from a different prism commenced. This did not fit well with the prevailing situation. They started to challenge the authority by empowering their own domestic and international situation. They started to work on socio-economic development to increase the capability of the unprivileged so that they could be self-reliant and self-sufficient.
Hegemon’s insecurities came to the fore. The less developed countries who used to be under the thumb of the superpowers are now looking straight into the eyes and voicing their own opinions. They demand a change in the status quo, thus this became a sore sight.
Hegemons decided to play the malicious textbook game of ‘Your House, My Rules.’ Thus, once again the indices were used as weapons to weave the same old tale. The moral of the story is when ego takes precedence then no logic is left to justify.
This is exactly what happened when India ranked amongst the lower rung of the happiness index. A country where socio-economic factors are on the rise.
Per capita national income (at current prices) was Rs 86,647 in 2014-15. It is now Rs 172,000. India’s per capita income has nearly doubled since 2014-15. Multi institutional reports claimed that poverty reduction in India is dramatic, numbers declined from 124 million to 15 million. The IMF has projected that the Indian economy will reach the USD 5 trillion goal by 2026-27. The basic and essential needs of the poor through various social welfare schemes have benefitted several backward and deprived, but no, that will be totally disregarded by such indices.
Finland tops the index ranking for the sixth year in a row with a score of 7.8. Status of mental health is one of the direct derivatives to understand the happiness level in a country. Did they even consider how much percentage of their population suffer from depression, and mental health issues? More than 7% of their total population.
Now, comparing the result with India. Multi institutional reports and studies claim that India has the highest number of people who are suffering through such chronic issues. If you take the absolute numbers, India’s share would always be the highest. 4.5% of the total Indian population suffer from depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. Yet, Finland is the happiest country. Do the basic math.
Such indices are reduced to Page 3 gossip created by the elites of the evening flash club. Showcasing their inability to digest that Global South underlinks have developed their own independent voice and now bypassing their authority. Thus, these indices are the frustrations as the global puppeteers witness the loosening of their grip on the situation.
Another major example of how indices and reports have lost objectivity. The US recently released its Human Rights report. They didn’t even bother to do the groundwork and copy paste the human rights situation as it is for almost all the countries, including India. Except for looking at their own backyard which is rotting with the issues of: racial discrimination, war crimes, gini factor widening in income, rape and drug capital of the world, tech hoarders, communal hate mongerers, etc. This is how happy and prosperous they are.
The indices are always backed or funded by the same selected few which are thwarted in the world to control the mindset of the international community. Happiness Index is clearly a self consolation for such global hegemons who still believe in the illusion of running the global narrative and they don’t want to recover from it.
With pre-decided results and creating a methodology around it to substantiate the argument, it is unsurprising that the presented outcome is what it is.
Well, it does not make any difference by even discussing such obvious explanations. But perhaps help the ‘clerks of the world’ who are habitual of their masters’ orders to go beyond and innovate and assist in the evolution of the human kind, rather than idle whining.
India is a young country with a huge potential to bring an impactful and meaningful change to the world order. No validation is required. It does not hamper the working of ‘New India’. India should channelise its energy productively. Instead of wasting time with the old money whose cause is a goner.
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