“They’ll kill me!”, were his last words.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old black American man, was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, who knelt on Floyd’s neck for almost eight minutes. Why? Simply because George was not “white” but a “black man”. Here comes inequality.
George Floyd’s dying moments have played on an endless loop, horrifying the world and prompting a spam of street protests with special emphasis on widespread inequality against the blacks.
Article 14 of the Indian constitution provides fundamental rights of equality before the law to all citizens. Similarly, the constitution of other countries promise equality to its people. But there is still inequality .Everyday a large number of people die of hunger. The rich are getting richer, the poor getting poorer. There is large scale unemployment. A large number of people do not have a roof on their heads and the others have palatial houses. In India people living below the poverty line are more than 20%. There is discrimination against women as they are not treated equally. Here, goddesses are worshiped but still women are beaten in their own houses, and are burnt for dowry. They are also kidnapped and assaulted. Women get less pay than men for the same work. Even in places of worship there is no equality as some women and people of some castes and religions are not allowed to enter and worship. Even though the constitution promises Universal Adult Franchise, the poor are still not allowed to vote freely.
What kind of equality is this?
Many governments are fueling this inequality crisis. They are massively under taxing corporations and wealthy individuals, yet under funding vital public services like healthcare and education.
The world today has been broken – by forces of indignity, inhumanity and bigotry. Universal brotherhood has become a myth, when there are mass killings, distrust of authorities and racial prejudice.
Why has the world become such an uncomfortable one?
I think it is right that everybody has the right to live a life on their own terms. But sadly I can say that there is no one country in the world where all people can expect to receive rights. No country in the world can yet say that they have achieved equality.
If all I know for certain is that inequality has to be stopped. There has to be political, economic and social equality for all.
The growing gap between rich and poor is undermining the fight against poverty, damaging our economies and tearing our societies apart.
Yet inequality is not inevitable – it is a political choice.
Equality.
I don’t see it anywhere.
Certainly, there are laws to provide and protect equality of citizens, but the implementation has to be corrected. There have to be new minds, new ideas and new ways to overcome inequality. The government should put its attention towards issues of inequality. There should be mindsets of more than 1 generation. Certainly, there should be old and experienced people but there have to be people of this generation in the making, amending as well as the implementation of laws concerned with equality. Governments around the world must act now to build a new, human economy that values what truly matters to society, rather than fueling an endless pursuit of profit. An economy that values the care work of women and girls instead of billionaires’ wealth. An economy that works for everyone, not just for a fortunate few.
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