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David Cameron 'must have difficult conversation' with India about poverty David Cameron 'must have difficult conversation' with India about poverty
(about 2 hours later)
David Cameron must have a "difficult conversation" with his Indian hosts about the challenge of tackling poverty in the subcontinent, which is home to one third of the world's poorest people, Save the Children has said. David Cameron must have a "difficult conversation" with his Indian hosts about the challenge of tackling poverty on the subcontinent, which is home to a third of the world's poorest people, Save the Children has said.
In a tough message to the prime minister on the first day of his visit to India, the charity's chief executive, Justin Forsyth, also raises questions about Britain's decision to cut aid to India from 2015. On the first day of the prime minister's visit to India, the charity's chief executive, Justin Forsyth, raised questions about Britain's decision to cut aid to India from 2015.
Save the Children has published a document highlighting the challenge of eradicating absolute poverty in India by 2030 – a new global target championed by the prime minister in his role as co-chair of a UN high-level panel. Save the Children has published a document highlighting the challenge of eradicating absolute poverty in India by 2030, a new global target championed by Cameron in his role as co-chair of a UN high-level panel.
The document says that India highlights the difficulty of meeting the target. A third of its population lives on less than $2 (£1.30) a day. While income per capita has increased by more than four times over the past three decades, extreme poverty remains at nearly two thirds of the level it was at the beginning of the 1980s. The document says a third of India's population lives on less than $2 (£1.30) a day, and while income per capita has increased more than fourfold over the past three decades, extreme poverty remains at nearly two-thirds of the level it was at the beginning of the 1980s.
Forsyth says: "There are now two Indias. While David Cameron will meet business and political elites it's critical that he remembers that India remains home to one third of the world's poorest people and more than one and a half million Indian children die every year before their fifth birthday. Forsyth said: "There are now two Indias. While David Cameron will meet business and political elites, it's critical that he remembers that India remains home to one-third of the world's poorest people and more than one and a half million Indian children die every year before their fifth birthday.
"The UK prime minister has recently talked about a plan to abolish extreme poverty by 2030. This will only be possible if India and other countries like it tackle inequality. This is a difficult conversation to have with your hosts – but inequality is one of the biggest threats to children in India and ignoring it simply isn't acceptable." "The UK prime minister has recently talked about a plan to abolish extreme poverty by 2030. This will only be possible if India and other countries like it tackle inequality. This is a difficult conversation to have with your hosts, but inequality is one of the biggest threats to children in India and ignoring it simply isn't acceptable."
Forysth, a former aide to Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, highlights a series of "difficult areas" the prime minister should raise with Manmohan Singh, his Indian counterpart: Forysth, a former aide to Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, listed a series of "difficult areas" the prime minister should raise with Manmohan Singh, his Indian counterpart:
• 400m of the world's poorest people (a third) live in India. • 400 million of the world's poorest people live in India.
• Each percentage point of economic growth in Brazil has led to ten times the reduction in poverty that the same growth has achieved in India, according to the World Bank. • Each percentage point of economic growth in Brazil has led to 10 times the reduction in poverty that the same growth has achieved in India, according to the World Bank.
• 1.7m Indian children die before they reach their fifth birthday every year and almost half of all children under five are malnourished. • 1.7 million Indian children a year die before they reach their fifth birthday and almost half of all children under five are malnourished.
Forsyth also said that the government's decision to cut aid to India would complicate the fight against absolute poverty. "The government's decision to cut aid to India by 2015 will reduce the UK's ability to tackle poverty in India at a time when it still accounts for a third of global poverty. If it is wedded to this policy and still wants to abolish absolute poverty it has to step up its engagement with the Indian government and express its concern at the growing level of inequality that is locking millions of children into poverty." Forsyth said the government's decision to cut aid to India would complicate the fight against absolute poverty. "If it is wedded to this policy and still wants to abolish absolute poverty it has to step up its engagement with the Indian government and express its concern at the growing level of inequality that is locking millions of children into poverty," he said.
Justine Greening, the international development secretary, announced in November that Britain would end its aid programme to India in 2015. A new emphasis will be placed on building trade links. Justine Greening, the international development secretary, announced in November that Britain would end its aid programme to India in 2015. A new emphasis would be placed on building trade links, she said.