yes, the tourism minister is planning to boost its marketing of barley as a paradise destination and businesses are hoping for better times a haven't done finance impact. it's very significant because in our shop, 80 percent of the customers are chinese and so it is as big for us, especially after we close down our shop for about 3 years. and on monday, china also allowed cross border travel to fully resume between the mainland and the special administrative regions of hong kong and macau changes that many hope will lead to the tourism industry. in the region thriving once again, florence louis algebra ah or one of the top stories now now j 0 more than 7200 people are now confirmed dead across took here and syria. after monday's earthquake, disaster, tens of thousands more have been injured. to care has declared

a disaster zone for 10 regions and imposed a state of emergency that will last 3 months or so said he has more from carmen marsh into here. the epicenter of the 2nd of monday's earthquakes, the level of the destruction in the city is beyond imagination more than $900.00 or 40. well buildings, how cold laughs in total, and there are more than $600.00 people already that and humbled other usual. and according to officials, the rescue team and the people here, there are tons of people on go beers. robles are that you, that you can see. so let us quite biblical to have access to this city. tens of thousands of search and rescue personnel are working into kia and syria to free survivors, trapped under rubble. around 8000 people have been rescued so far. teams from around the world are heading to the region in the hope of finding and saving more

people. turkish president, rich of type ad one says emergency teams are doing everything they can to rescue victims. librium in unit read. all i love it you that in our work will continue until we have saved every life that we can in the rubble. and until we are sure there is nothing else we could do further, we are mobilizing every possible operation, and many thousands of people have been transferred to each and every province to help. yes, president joe biden is making his final preparations for his annual state of the union address on tuesday in which will outline his administration's achievements and priorities. despite encouraging economic use, his leadership is still under great scrutiny. cronsa seen a 3rd day of nationwide strikes against pension reforms. hundreds of thousands of people have rallied across the country to post plans by president emmanuel michael to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. members of the national assembly met on

monday to debate the though the stream is up next examining why india's poorest people are being left behind on the back straight off. now with more news feed, thanks for watching i. for now, the american people have spoken. what exactly did they say? is the world looking for a whole new order with america in it? is the woke agenda on the decline in america. how much is social media companies know about you? and how easy is it to manipulate the quizzical look us politics? the bottom line, ah, welcome to the stream i have a dean. in recent months, india has risen to become the world 5th largest economy. but at the same time, the divide between the countries richest and port it appears to be deepening, as highlighted by the anti poverty and geo oxfam. today we ask,

why are india's poor being left behind? ah, in joining us today from bangalore oxy. tar f, a. the media specialist at oxfam, india, which recently published a report, exploring the impact of wealth inequality in the country. we also have in bengal root just not just the director at the center for budget and policy studies. her work has explored gender health and education equity. and last but not least in new delhi, i did saw is an assistant professor at the institute for studies in industrial development. now you too can join the conversation, send us your questions and comments through our live youtube chat. so very many things we want to get to, but let's start with the numbers. some of these numbers and ox time that i want to share with you take a look at this, the richest one percent owning about 40.6 percent of the countries. well, the poor, 50 percent,

just less than 3 percent of the wealth. now we have billionaires in the meantime, rising from 102 of them in 2020 to 100. 66 in 2022. and the combined wealth of $100.00 riches people, that's the top richest, it's $660000000000.00. now, when all those figures in mind, it's not what's behind the rise of this sort of deepening divide. and how serious a problem is it? when type, i think it's a very, very serious problem and then also paying, you know, it's, it's, it's not the it's own. so the policies that approach the supply side growth approach that has been followed the last 10 years is last be responsible for this. and, and we see that, you know, budget after budget we up to the see the movement of the from that if you take this year's budget, we bought, expecting last year's budget. there was

a huge expectation that they would be some kind of fall out between equate, you know, which will be like a good start that could happen. and this year, despite the fact that there was also merging, so you had for example, new capital been stuff that has been limited to 100000000, but then your income tax lab has also the job has to come down. so whatever game you have from the one that gets off from the other, well, and i don't think in the quality is an issue for everybody. you know, and that's, that's the biggest reason why you don't see any mess. i want to drill down on that point a little bit later about who this is an issue for who is actually most impacted. but because you brought that up, let's listen to the prime minister himself talking about this when the latest budget was announced in february, take a look. oh my god, you have the 1st budget if this neck to era will build

a strong foundation for building a developed india. this budget provide stability to those in need and it will fulfill the dreams of today's aspirational society, including villages, poor people, middle class people, and farmers when you call. but if i did, i'd say hearing that i mean indian government thing, it's final budget before the general election in 2024 will spur economic growth. critics are thing, it'll do the opposite. what do you think the prime minister today that india is growing, but we need to ask the question that who is growing for and then the growth is going, you know, this is the story of the indian inequality, the story of the promise by government of india that has the authority of faith the can down economics is this still believe in and the budget is also reflection of that. we are seeing that, that the deb claiming that they have increased the budget and education budget, which is true. they have,

there had been significant in the but it's not enough. the government had promised the hell they've been fine. 5 percent of the duty and foot education, they will spend 6 percent of those are the p and it is their own national policy which talks about back. but what we are saying is that, you know, the union government, which is the national government of india, is to spending, i think, less than half on education and head board. so we need to see that. but there might work, but for well, that's an important question. who does it work for? i did i want to share with you a video that we have. this is from a union. this is from a clip from my colleague al jazeera as partners natal from december, but this is a union of farmers. and it's a protest basically, and they're very close to the b p. so they're certainly affected by this. take a look at the an impromptu dawns is broken out at the rally, new delhi. the song comes from the rest of the day to roger pon,

one of the many regions represented here, pounds of farmers from across india have gathered to demand the government, lower taxes on fertilizers and other agriculture equipment and increased financial support. now, we want prices that earned as a profit. right now we are not recovering our costs. we are very deep in debt for 3 generations. we have only been passing on death. i did what is the government doing in order to quote some of these concerns? i think the 1st of the 1st of the important thing that police coming might when a listening so i just stood there so can properly. he had everyone. so i'm curious. yeah. we can hear you, what is the b j p government doing in the interests of the people of india in this

dire sort of situation where there's so much income inequality. see the thing is that late because we talked about this inequality in india. one point up at one point of paying yes, the government, the focus of the amenities based on a dog sitting, noting that important, you know, a to could you job the new and do and then the focus is on that so so just give me, give me a sec, i understand what you're saying just now. what do you make of, of the b j p 's argument and all of this, i mean, the budget really does put a lot of it's faith in private investment. is that going to impact the middle class? and more importantly, the poor class. yeah. up to the that's the whole point. see the pilot in risk when

you can have faith in private investment. if you see the evidence of it, you look at the last 3 years. it's not the 1st time that the government has put its faith in the biggest investment. we have seen back continuously. that hadn't been the philosophy actually. and that continued in this budget, and we do not see any investment coming up. the investment is actually not rising at all, and one has to understand why that don't feel that these incentives are not enough enough situations. when private investors clearly see that demand is not growing. and therefore the focus has to be on demand. and i'm afraid we do not see that. so there is a problem in don't solve where you are hoping you'll creep in. we have nor, and then you are looking at him on the monitor stuff, not really retrieving all time low form. unless you actually have measures that

will build demand, that you will want to see the change. and let me add please, and that it's important that you know, the dumont comes from the large number of people and not on number of people. that's what will be the so you have to have all the sees that will give money to in the hand for will who actually spend that that's, that's to be to. we don't see that and actually when you have, well nobody got, you know that that's something it's, it's a clear cut example. then you are actually not responding to unmet demand. you are actually reducing money for something that would have ensured book that would fit your b as well as wishing the demand. right. and, you know, you talk about a large number of people. well, in india, a large number of people, 80 percent. in fact, 8 out of 10 indian support higher taxes on the rich on corporations. primarily

those who benefits benefited during the pandemic. with that in mind, i do want to share with you and when you, when you allow me to add one more thing. sure. we do this, but we have, you know, we have, if you look at the world vices and tuition, we have not done very badly when it comes to grow, you know, the bank to make and everything, but it has been a jobless school. so i think employment is a huge fan, especially among the you'd well that all unemployment rate is much longer as compared to the youth employment. right. right. i got screwed. me had to focus on. well, no, and i appreciate you bringing that up. i mean, when, when i talk oxy about that, 80 percent that want to tax the rich and bigger corporations. you know, if we have a social justice activists who's kind of making a criticism that you are mentioning thing, the government not spending enough specifically on programs like health care and education which are so critical. so to take a listen to what he shared with us, there's an increasing bulk gap in india,

mainly due to an equal access to this. so so sent over that terms from systematic discrimination based on cast religion and gender. multiple studies have come from the same and from that of action should be the not the super rich have a dc here that is nobel tax. and that should be taken care of immediately. and the government expenditure and help and education should be improved. and the distribution of political and fiscal pover should be more towards the stage because every state has a different issue to address. so i did, i want to ask you the finance minister on february 1st introduce the budget. $550000000000.00 budget critic thing it doesn't include as we just heard from one activist. there doesn't include the reintroduction of this wealth tax. why not see the 1st thing is that the was, well thanks is not a new concept. it was already in an environment as

well. and it was the but the that the, what is the objective up into the if you were to do the text, whether you want to collect the venue. because the d test was that when there was a real x in india, the collection was there was not that, but the fact that that, that there was, it was formed in 1990 under the 10 minutes. and it won't that have to repeat that because when you introduced a bill that's the us would be on the productive and so again, so, so i, well if i can stop you there because just not looks like she might have a response to some of what you're saying, i'm wondering just now if 8 out of 10 indians want to see this wealth tax on,

on the written on corporations. is it not possible that it could have the potential to, in fact, dramatically increase lives or, or is what i was saying there? correct. the better the argument. oh that one often he'll isn't there better that talk from that it that you know when should be left to will be plea because they know how to do that. i would have bought that you're doing 95. that might have been true that, but if you look at, you know, as an, as an artist, you know, as long as all the job is to look at them. and then we look over them in current, you know, off in immediate, contemporary us. we do not find that you look at corporate tax was lloyd the same argument, so it will, you know, it will, it will generate more. ready sources will be invested. that was why we like to go. i had a good jump in there. explain. you weren't. you were shaking your head

a lot as we were hearing josma there. why were you shaking your head so much? i would like to disagree that i think you, i say go ahead law did let's, let's move back in india right now. should have to go beyond it to the didn't mandation because we had a lot of other countries which are actually implementing and bringing backwards bags. we have paid, we have bolivia, and there are a couple of other countries also who are trying to bring the tax back. and i think the government contributed lee. we can really implemented more cleverly and more visibly. and i understand their tax order is an issue, but i'm sure government has the resources and tactics to address that. i just wanted to add one more point in. sure. you know, this is not discussions or, and be just about the budget here. it is a continuous trend indian economy from 2012. if you see the numbers, the well to it has been created, almost 40 percent of the new world created. had to grab it and only 3,

but i don't have that which isn't the right. and we'd like to mean you don't have a distribution measure to do my just in please. right. and you know, just to visualize that more, we have a short social video by al jazeera that highlights the controversy over 1000000000 or in particular, gout don, take a look at this. ah

of course mister dani and mr. mckee, very close there. i do want to just ask you straight up, is this case? does this help strengthen the case that billionaires should be taxed your thoughts? ok say yeah, definitely been it should be more taxed. i mean, you know, that is the most common sense and right now to combat any quality. we are not saying that the tax is fillable solution to the, all the problem. but it can be that in combat being, you know, currently existing mach suffering, and health crises, and climate prices. and it's good guys because i'm not sure what do you think? i mean, should, should billionaires be taxed more? and more importantly, what do you think? i think with that being the being that the 2nd person is that with, with the in the text into the relative for that. so the listen to the previous but elizabeth thing that was really but then i will leave 4 countries in the world

that had to do with that thought it was 15 countries in 99. i think that will be happens to the logic of the resume or anything just and i was, i mean that that's all women selecting the bag are going to see that that's the movies or not but but, but i guess, i guess the question that i'm wondering if i can, if i can just focus us in a bit, then why do you think there is this growing divide, why you know, who is actually missing out on the story of economic growth and success that the b j piece painting? i did. i did. can you hear me? ok. it seems like maybe i did cannot hear me. ok let's let's just know who is missing out. can you answer for us? you know, of course, you know the what i think i did,

i did forgive me. i think you might have a delay. can you hear me when i did? can you hear me? ok. i think we're having issues forgive me with his audio. we're going to just continue with you. just not as you were saying. yeah. well, if you don't, one is that, and if you look at the last spaniards train because it backs connection has been actually falling down. so i'm not sure, you know, if richard actually paying the taxes because and it would be because of the fall in the rate. so i'm not saying that, you know, avoiding because, but the tax rate, when we cut down that have, you know, that the logic was that that will actually increase right. collection that has not happened. income tax collections have been going up and collections have been done . if you look at and got that i want you, we please go and just and i want to give and, and bed you all for fee that you don't for the grant will be, i think it for good major in this field budget. then we are putting

a cap on the capital gain stuff because it's a transactional and the back alone is not enough. we have gifts back, so we have the same, so we'll get in there. but if you look at the exemptions, you know, it's almost everybody's exempted. so if you know, i can receive any by the, you know, whatever you're married your husband's on, on. maybe you need for anybody can off things for you and everything is so so, so, and if i may, if i'm in the logic, yeah, go ahead the logical smokestacks. is that the, since one of the most, you don't rent is something that has nothing to do with who you law. it's largely comes from the fact that there you are born. yeah. so it's, it's the social capitol, electric i'm and sick. so therefore, it in the book context, then rich on, you know, the, the used to read as a student or we can all mix that. would it to becoming just temper or becoming florida. what don't we have a glaring piece of that. and therefore, i think,

you know, when you have some major, but the moment you reduce the surcharge, you basically offset that. so be have to have a very clear policy that i haven't said demonic growth. so employment should be incentivized and not production. and you have to have taxes and, and then you have to did it those taxes. sure sir. so just now let's take, let's take a moment. i do want to kind of go ahead oxy. i know you want to get in there. but, but before we come to you, i wanted to share with our audience, you know, we want to talk about the economic challenges on a day to day basis that affect the majority of indians. we do have a little clip from, i'll deserves poverty metallic. this is about day laborers who come to new delhi from the villages looking for work. take, listen o. scenes like this are an every day routine on the outskirts of new delhi. dozens of laborers come to the street every morning to find work. they fix their wages with recruiters and

head to the work site. most of them a hide in construction, is a messiah gable. you know, good at that. to put op says he holds a master's degree, but was forced to leave his village because his job doesn't be enough. does contribution out bought buddy wall? it's very competitive. there aren't enough jobs that are fuel gorman, jobs, and private companies don't be. well, it's also difficult for us to get paid on time. the government should fix a minimum beach for daily ridge workers make us i say, i want to ask you and you tube we have solid cancer asking which regions are most affected by the economic inequality? is it related to religion or to cast? what were you going to add and what do you make of what the daily laborers were saying there? yeah, so i just wanted to, i thought for the, for the question of who exactly is losing on who is exactly is getting most affected by different quality and down could, is very straightforward countries. the muslim then margin late been it's also the

informal cause which was throwing in right now on the screen which form majority also for then government estimated. so say that they might be running like less than $10000.00 or like $100.00 per month. so these are the people who lose and they are dependent on government services. and then you got the government budget. when you got 40 go to the budget on which almost 80800000000 people are dependent on and it's all and look to the population of united so so, but it's auction, i'm curious, what does a more economically fair and yeah, actually look like to you i think, as i said, the tax go over and must consider, and once you have driven you from the tax, we need to universalize public services documents back to help get better and better what, what, what i mean by that is we need more time and he had guess and does we need more doctors? we need more school is because lot of children are right now out of school. and

that would be a step towards more unequalled india. and just briefly, just now, what would you add to that? you know, what i will add is that it's it for you to when you are doing, when you get public investment is high on health and education, it also leads to growth. look at the entire, i mean, i keep arguing this all the time. look at the capital is toyota. it has placed on heavy investment on public health and education. so we have to realize that and it's for the long term the people talk about, you know much, it's already flipped off the capital investment. i would say that the distributive aspect of multiplying effect off public investment on occasion must be studied bechtel and adopted. that is one. it's very important that technology we're running out of time. you ok fine. so i'd say then basically inclusive, you know,

and then miss cannot be just a rhetoric, you have to up to the back it up with policies that really, you know, that meet the economy. and while we have heard from nero, someone who's shared with us, the role of philanthropy and all of this, which we haven't discussed as much take a listen to it near, i'd say during the 2023 budget india parliament was celebrating impressive economic growth rates of 7 percent, but we continue to be a country with deep inequality. 10 percent of our riches who got even richer during the pandemic on 80 percent of the wealth, it's clear india needs to redefine the social contract. and what we can expect from each other in society, irrespective of wealth, there's a growing responsibility for philanthropy to support our most vulnerable communities. we see the rise of family philanthropy shaping a new social contract where a 1000000000 thrive with dignity and equity. well,

what certainly stood out to me is that statement about india and needing to redefine its social contract. so many different ways to do that. i want to thank our guests for sharing some of their insights on solutions, as well as highlighting what the problem was. remember, you can always find us online at stream dot al jazeera dot com. thanks for watching . ah ah a

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