It is important at this point not to speak as a member of a political party, but as an Indian. There is a serious problem in India and it has to do with our energy security. Poverty is directly connected to energy security.

Three days ago, I went to Vidarbha. There, I met a young woman who has three sons. Sasikala, a landless labourer, lives on Rs 60 a day. Her husband who goes to work in a field nearby earns Rs 90 a day and with their total earnings, they have put their three children in a private school. The eldest son dreams of becoming a collector, the middle son dreams of becoming an engineer and the younger son wants to do a private job. When I asked Sasikala as to whether she thinks that her children will be successful, she looked at me and said “Absolutely”. As I was walking out of the house, I noticed that there was no electricity. I told the children that when I was younger, I would study in the evening and asked them how they studied.

The children pointed to a little lamp. “We study using that lamp.” This problem of energy security reflects itself everyday with all of us; it reflects itself among the poor, like in the house of Sasikala; it reflects itself with industry; and it reflects among all Indians.

I would take you to the house of another young woman, Kalawati, who has nine children. Kalawati’s husband committed suicide because he was dependent on only one crop, the cotton crop.

... contd.