We have just a little over seven years left.  Nearly eight years after the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals in September 2000 by all world leaders to accelerate global efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest population, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow and very few countries are on track to fulfill all the eight goals by 2015.  In some places the conditions have not only worsened, but pose grave dangers to other neighbouring countries.

India with its 70% rural population is struggling hard.  Given the interconnectedness of the whole country one extreme cannot be abolished while the other is allowed to exist. Efforts to eradicate poverty must include an earnest re-evaluation of the state of governance, the system of trade and commerce vis-à-vis the government in power, the civil society and the role being played by private sector. 

Are these forces perpetuating the widening chasm between the wealthy and the poor? Greater corporate accountability should not be restricted to the environment and labor standards but also take into account the full panoply of human rights. The legitimacy and social benefit of one's material resources depend on the means by which they are acquired and the end to which they are used.

Why this great country with multiple freedoms and rights for its citizens has failed to reached the promised goals is the moot question. Blaming the bureaucracy with which any interface is extremely frustrating is not the answer. The staggering proliferation of ministries, commissions and other agencies to accommodate larger numbers of politicians whose support is necessary for survival has led to a plethora of decision-making institutions and an army of unproductive employees.

The enormous power wielded by the State and its agencies to regulate day-to-day economic life, and the proclivity of ministers to micro-manage governance; endemic politicization and the reckless use of postings and transfers are factors of grave concern.  Despite all this our gross domestic product continues an upswing trend, largely due to the private corporations, autonomous institution, or individuals at the top of their professions. Such a public-private dichotomy is likely to increase if reforms do not take place. 

Bahá’í Writings categorically state: “One of the signs of the breakdown of society in all parts of the world is the erosion of trust and collaboration between the individual and the institutions of governance... Human society has arrived at a stage in its evolution when unity of the whole human race is imperative. To not appreciate this reality is to not grasp the meaning of the current crisis in world affairs. The principle of the oneness of humankind identifies the code for resolving the far-reaching issues involved…”