Each one teach one
The arithmetic is quite simple. We are a country of 1,100 million people. Of which around 300 million people enjoy middle class or better standards. Another 30 million Indians live outside India, with typical disposable income at least 10 times higher. In simple economic terms we have around 600 million middle class ( or better) equivalents.
We have to make sure this 600 million equivalent at the top of the economic strata pulls the lowest 500 million towards themselves. This can happen.
It is not us versus them. It is not about why do "they" deserve what " we " have earned for ourselves ".
Looking at societies like Japan, Scandanavia, Singapore and most of continental Europe ( France , Germany in particular), it is clear that countries and societies hvae moved forward as a whole as the distance between the economic pinnacle and the base has flattened.
We , in India , need to do the same. But how ? Each one teach one. If every person who is fortunate enough to have the wherewithal , the education or to be born into fortune, helps out one person who is not, then we can get there.
Here are a few concrete steps how :
1. Employ or help employ at least one person from the bottom part of the economic pyramid. Specially from people who do not have much skill.
2. Spend an hour a week in imparting some skill and knowledge
3. Insist his / her next of kin goes to school. If not, pay for their school and college to make it happen.
4. Look after their family.
5. When hiring into organizations , hire "raw material" as opposed to " finished product".
6. Spend an hour a week educating sections of society who have no way of getting that education.
7. Impact by actual exposure to your children, how lucky they are to have what they have. What most others do not have. They shopd be imparted at a very early age, values , that would continue to bridge the gap in the next generation.
8. Introspect : For people who have worked for you at home as house-help or drivers for 5- 10 years, while you have thrived at work, have they done as well for themselves ( relatively speaking). Have they grown out of the cycle of poverty. Do they have enough savings? Can they start a small business when they go back home? Can they afford to send their kids to school if they did not have a job with you ? What is their social security net ? Our objective should be to think for them to get them out of the vicious cycle of poverty that has forced them to do jobs that they are currently doing.
9. It is our responsibility as much as theirs. Teach them Finance 101. Pension, Provident Fund, Public Provident Fund, bank accounts, Shares , Mutual funds etc.
10. Finally, help in spreading this. Ask them who else we can help. Help them get jobs. Proactively. Dont wait for people to ask.