India was one of the 'wonders of the world' for her legendary wealth and resources. Naturally plunders (looters) cast their covetous eyes on India as tourists were attracted to her. Exploitation down the ages has, however, drained India dry and today her place is among the poorest countries with nominal per capita income and high density of population. India today, in the words of Dr. Radhakrishnan, our former President, a rich country inhabited by poor men ; chronic as well as severe poverty is her lot.
There was, however, a time in ancient India when it was difficult for an Indian to be poor. The common people in India have been ever hardworking and peace-loving but somewhat fatalistic. They were reconciled to their chill penury (poverty) and accepted it as their fate. The greedy foreign rulers took advantage of this position. Grinding poverty fell to their lot due to consistent exploitation and deprivation.
Prof. Amartya Sen, the Nobel Laureate economist, has viewed Indian poverty from three standpoints—(i) poor as deprived (ii) poor as degraded (iii) poor as dominated. Inequality degrades the poor. Long long ago, poet Kalidas characterised poverty as a curse that spoils all the good qualities. A poor person lacks consumption, commodities, education, food, health, income, nutrition—practically all the good things of life; that he is doomed.
According to statistical records, 95 percent of about forty countries in Africa and 8 in South Asia, once under imperialist domination, are poor. The imperialist policy of administration for exploitation, impoverished the inhabitants of these areas. So Netaji Bose's first concern was to throw off the foreign yoke, to end the British rule in India. Gandhiji and Tagore advocated the development of character among the exploited poor. Prof. Sen pleads for good opportunities for the poor to have more education, growth and health. The Marxists want the penniless poor to unite, to organise, to agitate and then bring about revolution, to usher in a complete change in the administration and distribution of property. The socialists in India, however, prefer gradualism, ownership of all wealth by the state and ensure equitable distribution. Gandhiji propounded the theory of 'trusteeship'. He expected the rich proprietors to hold all their assets as trustees of the society and under moral pressure to remain satisfied with only 12% profit from their total income. Swami Vivekananda, however, was more radical or militant in his prescription as cure of poverty, "Exploited people should stand up, fight and become men." Prof. Sen suggests as the first step towards eradication of poverty, for spending more on education, health, growth and — regulation of parts of the market, to avoid gross injustice. The solution is somewhat empherical as also time-consuming.
India's backwardness is admitted on all hands. Only 52% percent of the population is literate. Women are subjected to gross economic injustice. Child labour is appaling. According to official statistics, 37% percent of the people live below poverty level.
To make things worse, corruption is rampant, especially at the top with the criminalisation of politics. And India is financially in debt-trap, with unavoidable deficit financing of about 90 thousand crores unbridged. By allowing multinationals to carry on joint ventures in India we may have a short time remedy effect —but prices will ultimately go up and the cheap labour will be more exploited. So the Indian scene presents a dismal picture economically.
Jawhar Yojona is a good scheme for self-employment. Such schemes explore new avenues and openings. They should be pursued to alleviate the acute unemployment among the educated. Similar schemes for those who live below poverty line are called for.
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