Will economic stress and hunger lead to political change?

Will economic distress affect how people perceive the role of the political class as a whole, and judge how they responded to their suffering?

Even while the buzz is that the Indian economy is on the road to recovery, Agence France Presse (AFP) reports that many middle class Indian families are selling gold to stay afloat. Mumbai jewellers told AFP that a majority were women selling off their personal jewellery – gold bangles, rings, necklaces and earrings. One of them said, “You start crying when she takes off the ‘mangalsutra’ from her neck and says, ‘Give me money for this’. That’s the worst scenario.”

Mannapuram, an active player in the gold loans segment, auctioned a massive Rs1300 crore worth of gold (about 4 tonnes) in