Poverty Line

The past decade or so saw a striking change in household consumption: those at the bottom of the HCES pyramid in 2011-12 made dramatic gains. Upward mobility among the relatively poor sets the stage for India’s next stage of economic development.

Those from evidently privileged backgrounds who claim hardscrabble lives in the past probably confuse being broke with being poor. They are not the same. Yet public figures are prone to putting on poverty as if it’s makeup.

The gaping divide between the rich and poor in India is stark, especially in its cities like Bengaluru. This cannot be blamed solely on policy. What individuals see and choose not to see could make a significant difference to how millions of lives are lived.

A new government in West Bengal will inherit a state that is neither in crisis nor on an upward trajectory, but at a crossroads. The state can quit being a story of contradictions if its next phase of governance pursues all-round development.

The poor are mostly incapable of violence. This should be evident from the luxury industry, where the hard-up serve the wealthy without any sign of havoc caused by the disparity between the two.

India’s economy is growing rapidly, but inclusive prosperity remains elusive. With inequality entrenched and even the middle class under strain, the challenge is not just to sustain growth, but ensure that its gains are shared widely.

Unemployment, poverty and inflation numbers make headlines and stir political commentary, but are we deploying data as a credible tracker of India’s progress? Unless we tell our statistical story with clarity, candour and confidence, others could steal the narrative.

What holds the country back are the low standards we set for ourselves, with India’s widespread poverty serving as the typical pretext. This needs to change for our standards to go up. Thinking of all Indians as upper middle class would make a difference.

The film Homebound' cues an unsettling thought: Is poverty today more painful because hope is everywhere? The modern world has been selling everyone a path out of despair without letting people know how devious it could be.

Many wonder what they can do to improve the conditions of those living in abject poverty in India. Everyone can contribute, from business leaders and researchers to teachers and journalists. Though their efforts may seem weakly linked with visible outcomes, they could work wonders over time.