P. A. Chacko
Poverty! Yes, a menace. But a man-made one! Our politicians have made it a sales product. They swear by poverty alleviation programs. Wait, not eradication programs! Don’t be in a hurry to eradicate it. If poverty is eradiated, there won’t be poor people. There won’t be vote banks. The saris and dhotis meant to be distributed to cover their nakedness will remain stockpiled.
Feed the poor with substandard rice. India proudly speaks on international platforms about our glorious poverty alleviation programs. There is this National Rural Livelihood Mission, 2011. Then there is Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G). Public Distribution System (PDS) is another. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MNREGA) is yet another.
If these programs are implemented well, poverty may be alleviated to an extent. But, will poverty be eradicated as long the poor man’s land is illegally appropriated for industries? Will large-scale displacement of Adivasis help poverty eradication? Those of us who live in glass houses will surely go for industrialisation even at the expense of displacement of people. Our version of progress and development is different from that of the poor.
Will our glass ceiling be broken? It has to be. The remedy is in the hands of the poor. Not in the hands of politicians and pundits.
Africa is poor. Aid agencies rush there with doles. But, no one questions the loot of Africa’s goldmines and minerals by developed nations and tycoons. Soothe our conscience with alleviating ointment for the poor in Africa.
Examples abound in other developing countries too. It is the resource loot by the muzzle man. Might is right. Survival of the fittest! Why eradicate poverty!
“The poor will always be with us.” Let us have the poor around us. We can pray for them. We can feel ‘sorry’ for their condition. We can throw up our hands in air and say: ‘What to do!’