(Amrit Pal Singh ‘Amrit’)

What would you call the head of any family, who does not provide food and shelter to his own family members, but gives large donations to other families?

A part of the population in many countries sleeps hungry. There are many people in these countries that are homeless. The government of a country is similar to the head of a family. The governments of these countries are unable to provide food and shelter to their own citizens. On the other hand, the same governments spend lavishly on less than useful projects. These governments even give large donations to other countries for various reasons, but mostly, it would seem, to earn a reputation among other countries.

There is a popular saying that charity begins at home. When their own citizens are hungry and homeless, giving donations to other countries for political reasons does not make a country great. It makes them hypocritical.

When a part of its population, even if a very small portion, is hungry and homeless, a country can never claim to be ‘a great country’. If those governing the country ignore their own people, they are simply betraying their country.

A country is not merely a geographical entity. People living in a country are an essential part of that country. A government is formed to take care of its own country and its own people. Own country and own people should be the priority of every government. A government ignoring their own people is a failure.