On Poverty

On Poverty

Poverty! It is a poor word because it cannot take the weight and burden of all that it means. It is a week word because it does not have the strength to withstand the penury which its meanings depict. Literature is eloquent about poverty. What is poverty?

Look at the adjective it takes. Economic poverty, cultural poverty, religious poverty, intellectual poverty, political poverty, religious poverty/spiritual poverty…. . Then there are usages like poor quality, poor performance. Is poverty a synonym of apartheid? Divide-and-rule? Hegamony? Is it a class, caste, colour or creed? ‘Haves and ‘have not’s… bankrupt… pauper… . White rich and poor black – is it always so? Where does charity begin? In the head or heart? Even among the poor there are those who share! They really seem to know the true value of sharing. To feel the need to share is a quality, a virtue of human heart. Blessed is the heart which discerns it!

An impartial study of the unparallel cultural richness and the unity in diversity of India, that is Bharat unerringly points towards the prime reason for her not being in the top list of advanced countries. In spite of invasions after invasions India continued to be resourceful and rich! But only after the Indian history got reduced to “pre-independence and post-independence” colonial interpretation the Indian head and heart temporarily seemed to have suffered certain identity crisis. This is obviously the worst thing that has happened as the conspiracy was to secretly destroy the cultural inheritance. And yet the culture has withstood such catastrophes and tests of time.

Recently I read Reinert’s prescription for poor countries:

“Don’t do what rich countries ask you to do; do what they did.”

This implies a policy in the interest of the nation to restrict free trade. However, the war against poverty must be fought and won by the poor. Rights are not given, but often fought for and won.

Today the world speaks of India as a fast developing country. It is made possible because India accepted poverty without surrendering to it, and without yielding to forces which perpetuate poverty.

A true Indian believes that it is peace of mind which makes one a happy person. And only a happy person is a successful person. And it is not the other way. Money is not the measuring rod of success. It can enhance the purchasing power. But it does not ensure calmness and peace. If poverty is thought in terms of what one does not have, it is born of comparison. It creates artificial poverty. Mal nutrition, lack of proper medical attention due to low income and absence of basic literacy and lack of proper education all these form the criteria to identify who is below the BPL – below poverty line. Starvation, disease and death caused by such poverty can be remedied without the matter.

The Nature/Earth has enough resources to meet the needs of humanity. But, not enough for its greed. If the Seven Social Sins as enlisted by Gandhiji are eradicated where can there be ‘poverty’?