Shorthand Dictation 80 Words per minute with outline, 10 Minutes Test 15

Social tensions are inevitable if excruciating poverty of the masses is juxtaposed with the conspicuous affluence of a few. I have been repeating this at every meeting, and not here alone. Jawahar Lal Nehru used to tell me that the greatest danger to the Indian economy would be the concentration of wealth in a few hands. In those days, 20 years ago, I was the president of the congress and when I used to walk with the prime minster on his lawns he used to tell me that the danger sot the country would be form the economy being crippled because it is managed and controlled by a few monopolists among our people. We seem to have reached that stage. If we are careful, we may yet avoid this danger. This vulgar display of wealth and the ostentatious style of living of the upper classes are a latent source of social and economic tension. Poverty breeds hatred and violence.

This social malaise cannot be dealt with merely as a law and order problem. Your president has said that the law and order has broken down and there is no safety. How can there be safety if a few people enjoy all the privileges and 99 percent of the people suffered agony in silence? Because of the five year plans, our industrial and agricultural production has gone up. I do not know how much wealth has been created in this country. But where has it gone? Has it reached the common man? He does not get even 40 paisa more. Yet thousands of crores of rupees are concentrated in the hands of a few.

The rising expectations of the mass of our people and their demand for a better life is irresistible. Shri Gandhi has referred to the cataclysmic changes that have taken place in quite a few neighboring countries. The happenings in Iran should be an eye opener to us. The corrupt elite there built up huge personal fortunes. Some of our own people who went there as an agent, or sub agents also minted crores of rupees there? The people  in Iran are searching for those people who have misappropriated and squandered their nations’ wealth. The elite there did not see the writing on the wall, and were swept off their seats of power by the wrath of the people. Our people are not doubt a patient lot, but there is a limit to their patience too. Our people believe in the theory of Karma. We all say it six our Karma. If I am not born in a rich family, I say that it is my Karma. When some people enjoy all the benefits, enjoy all the comforts just because of the accident of birth, others lead a wretched life on the pavements, getting a pittance as a daily wage, and they quote the Bhagwat Gita and say it is our Karma. But AI give a different interrelation to the Bhagat Gita. I say that this theory of Karma should not come in the way of our fighting poverty and allowing one’s wife and children to suffer is not what Lord Krishna preached. I believe the Gita wants us to fight for our rights. If a few greedy people are snatching away everything, and make others beg in the streets, the people must fight for their rights.

This kind of collusion creates difficulties in our economy and national life. In the past took such collections were made for party purposed. But now we do not know who is collecting how much and for what purpose. Individuals are collecting money now. How much they have collection the president of the party to which they profess to belong does not know. I was congress president for three years when Jawahar Lal Nehru was the Prime Minister. I conducted elections throughout the country and for that I needed money, and it did come in small driblets.