If at all we could lay our hands on some old Economics Textbook, it would still classify nations as developed, developing and under developed and then later on with the sweep of reforms, the countries were classified under two heads only developed and developing with all the under developed and developing nations coming under the developing category. What is this development actually? What does it signify? Does it actually matter as to what state the people live in or what matters is only the green that the country has deposited with the World Bank or various other financial institutions.
Its been a month since I stepped into the swanky new terminal of the Doha International airport with newer terminal coming soon behind the present airport and from the airport as we drove past flashy office buildings in the Old Airport area, and to home finally the only thing that I could think of was, "Wow! This country has got richer." A look at all those buildings lining the Airport Road would really trigger that response from anyone, more so for me who had seen this place last prior to the Doha Asian Games when probably barrels of money were pumped in to make this oil rich country look rich reflecting its state. I had earlier read somewhere that Qatar has one of the largest GDP's in the world and is one amongst the developed countries of the world. So what do we expect? A high standard of living for all its people, terrific infrastructure and life like nothings there to be lost, its all to be won. This was exactly the impression that I carried until one fatal trip changed it all and made me ponder over these questions or rather one look at the by products of development and it leaves us in distaste.
An old garage had been rented out, a fleeting look from the outside makes it look like a warehouse or something but then the real picture inside, it is home, home for around 20-30 Nepali workers. Old villas divided into rooms and home for 10-20 Indian workers. It is this part of the population that constitutes a major chunk of the people that reside in here - Migrant Workers. These are the very souls that contribute loads to the prosperity of this so called developed country and where do they live in, in dingy garages and pathetic buildings. If this is what is the standard of living of a major chunk of the population, what is the use of that high GDP ... these are the people whose hardwork results in that high GDP, results in all the Riyals and yet these are the people who live the poorest lives. So what is development?? Which is a developed country? Where the people live in comfort or where the dollar flows without any hindrance??