"These divides and disparities lead to disaffection, large-scale migration and discord," Singh said last year at a meeting of state chief ministers, drawing a rare link between economic inequality and internal security by a top government leader.

"In many cases internal security problems arise out of uneven development and we need to address this issue if we are to make any long-term headway in combating extremist elements," he said.

A government panel report last year on the informal sector said the buoyancy in the economy lead to a sense of euphoria at the start of this century.

"However, a majority of the people, who did not have even Rs. 20 a day for consumption, were not touched by this euphoria. At the end of 2004-05, about 836 million or 77 per cent of the population were living below Rs.20 per day," it said.

GATED COMMUNITIES

Inside the Emporio mall, the sybaritic grandeur is a sharp contrast to the grinding poverty of the Yamuna Pushta slum, one of New Delhi's most notorious, where the stench of raw sewage wafts from open sewers and barefooted children play in the dirt.

Visitors to the mall are greeted by porters who swing open glass doors leading into two huge oval atriums decorated with crystal chandeliers, fountains and pillars. The fittings on the three floors are burnished wood, etched glass and brass.

The mall sprawls over 32,500 square metres of retail space. It houses scores of exclusive brands such as Cartier, Dior, Jimmy Choo, Zegna, Chopard and Dolce and Gabbana.

... contd.