ABSTRACT
An objective observer of Indian society and economy today would not be able to avoid a sense of deep unease: on the one hand, there is a visible real estate and share market boom; on the other hand, many thousands of farmers in excess of ‘normal’ numbers are committing suicide. On the one hand, there is fast burgeoning consumption by the urban middle classes of more varied high-protein diets and of modern consumer durables and electronic goods. On the other hand, foodgrains absorption in rural India has fallen to a level lower than before WWII and the depth of hunger is growing with declining energy intake for the poor majority in villages and more recently in towns as well.
