Harsh Mander, social worker and writer, said on Thursday that writers should kindle and nurture empathy among their readers. He was speaking on ‘writers and social justice’ after inaugurating a three-day communication fest titled ‘Article 19’ at the Manipal School of Communication, here.
Mr. Mander said that it was necessary for writers to speak out against inequalities in the society and it was crucial to fight against ‘normalisation of injustice’ and ‘legitimisation of prejudices.’
The outcry after the Delhi gang-rape in December, 2012, when a 23-year-old woman was raped and later died, was an instance of public empathy. A large number of people had turned and lit the candle, which had to be lauded, he added.
But there were many homeless women in the country, who were subject to repeated sexual assaults. This could be prevented if shelters for homeless women were built. It was necessary to think and take action on this issue, he said.
Whenever any subsidised scheme was launched for the welfare of the poor, some economists and writers criticised it. But it was essential to realize that the poor too were people like those in the middle and upper classes. “The middle class enjoys three to four times the subsidy provided for the poor,” he said.
Mr. Mander said that people had become indifferent to the sufferings around them. Nearly two million people in the country were dying of completely avoidable causes every year such as clean drinking water, malnutrition and others. “Yet these issues do not worry us and there is hardly any coverage of these issues in the media,” he said.
According to a former Union Finance Minister, poverty would get alleviated in the country by 2040. This meant that many poor persons would not see any change in their economic condition during their lifetime. “We have normalised poverty,” he said.
