HS4350: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN DEVELOPMENT Article review on Poverty by Majid Rahnema

Arnav Choudhry CE12B103

Majid Rahnema has captured the true essence of the concept of poverty in his short but precise article. The article first tries to explain the concept of poverty. In a very apt manner, the author states that the definition of poverty is as one interprets it. The author explains the difference between a common misconception residing in the minds of the people about poverty being a way of living without riches and complete destitution. It is oft relegated to work of fate or such or freedom from material enslavement. He also makes it clear that although it is considered very bad to be poor on todays world, earlier it used to be a noble way of life, using the help of a plethora of examples like Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad, he gets the point across. The author explains of a different time when simplicity and frugality were the traits of a different standard of living and such people were looked up to, rather than provided relief packages. Earlier needs were simpler, people more socially helpful and convivial, and the satirical homo oeconomicus not having humans in its clutch. In a very apt manner it is stated that the word poor has gone from being an adjective to a substantive and poor people from venerated to mocked. A new category of poverty has formed which has induced needs from the society and lack of resources to fulfil them. The author compares yesteryears poor to todays poverty stricken people commenting that they used to transform lacks into assets but today they become destitute who lose their inner strength completely and also the intelligence to act for themselves. This results in them being taken advantage of by corrupt politicians, businessmen et al. The author describes this as them falling into a poverty bed. He is disapproving of the campaigns held by modern economic institutions, and rightly so, of so called helping poor people but just managing to create more demand and hence more destitute people. Which just the opposite of what they claim to do. The author has raised this point again and again in the article to emphasize on its importance. He calls them the main producer of poverty through their policies like intolerable debts, forceful liquidation of assets and the final transformation into a destitute. Indeed until these organizations one sided policies thrive, there will be no end to poverty possible. The author remarks that it is the play between the institutionalized autocratic power and the elegant invisible form of power driven by markets and technocracy that are the main culprits of this phenomenon. The author proposes that the only way to bring them out of this is to make todays poor rethink their lifestyle, get them back in touch to their simple but fulfilling lifestyle and most importantly make them realize that regeneration of ones riches is in his hand, not someone elses, so their exploitation stops.