The Global Rise of Extreme Poverty & Politics of the Poor RajaRao Pagidipalli

The Global Rise of Extreme Poverty & Politics of the Poor: RajaRao Pagidipalli Even in the 21st century, billions of people still live in extreme poverty. Born poor invariably leads to longer poverty stints. Around 9 million people die every year of hunger and hunger-related diseases. Nearly 10 percent of the world’s population is living below the World Bank poverty line of $1.90 per day. Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. It is defined as people not having food, clothing and shelter. They live lives abundant in scarcity. The reasons for poverty are history, war and political instability, national debts, discrimination and social inequality and vulnerability to natural disasters. There won’t be any development if countries mired in internal conflict The Global Rise of Extreme Poverty & Politics of the Poor: RajaRao Pagidipalli 1

or plagued by natural disasters. People need education and job opportunities that will help their financial crisis to rise above poverty. Unfortunately, many people in poverty are too poor to afford education. The others are stuck in areas that do not have required resources. More than half a billion more people could be pushed into poverty unless urgent action is taken to bail out poor countries affected by the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. The scope and speed with which the pandemic has devastated the poor around the world are unprecedented in modern times. India remains persistently poor — especially specific group of its population. It will be overwhelming to overlook that India’s hunger situation was terrible even before the spread of this virus pandemic. There is a real menace that India’s casualty rate on account of hunger may amplify to higher numbers. India’s hunger data are among the poorest in the world. India was ranked 102 out of 117 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2019. As a comparison, India was ranked worse than Pakistan and Bangladesh. In absolute terms, the highest number of people living in poverty is found in India. Here 21% of the population lives below the poverty line that amounts to almost 300 million people. But Over the past couple of decades, rapid economic growth has allowed India to pull millions of its citizens out of poverty. Developed countries with strong economies still have a significant number of people who are struggling to survive. Infectious diseases continue to cause the deaths of the poor people around the world. Hunger, lack of sanitation and access to clean water are the main reasons for the reasons for it. The wealth enjoyed by most people in the developed countries is due in large part to our history of colonialism. For decades we have been looted — by means of slavery, the appropriation of resources, and dishonest trading regulations — through countries that are often still considerably poorer than our own. It’s a government’s job to ensure that its citizens do not live in poverty. Hence poverty remains a most important issue in the election campaigns. Political parties promise numerous schemes to eradicate it. Past experiences with hunger problem suggests that there is a significant gap between the /2

nations’ intention and its application. The poor and disadvantaged castes vote proportionally more than the rich in a hope of better life. And the voters are thrilled with their power and capacity to choose. They have the capacity to vote out incumbent government and vote in a new set of people to power. The poor have higher expectations of the newly formed governments than the rich. This faith of poor in the constitutional process for fair share of opportunities will make them cast their vote. Still, the problem persists. No one cares for the people. They easily become inaccessible thereby starting to misuse the vast powers conferred upon political leaders for the welfare of the people. Politicians reverse the truth. They say “war is peace and freedom is slavery”. People are thus expected to believe as true what is clearly false. The more developed a nation becomes; the larger the income gap grows. A nation’s growth does not promise that its people will be lifted out of poverty. What needs to be solved is the disparity that widens. By providing health care and education to the extremely poor, it can enable them to have enhanced life. We have the technology and the tools to end poverty. China and Vietnam effectively ended extreme poverty. So taking necessary steps to develop health and education sectors in the countries is a good way to reduce poverty. A country’s growth must benefit the poorest the most, and unlock opportunities for today’s extreme poor, access better quality services, and lay the foundations for the next generation to escape the confines of extreme deprivation. Ensuring social protection for all children and other vulnerable groups is critical to reduce poverty. The world leaders have set themselves a deadline. By 2030 the world must be free of extreme poverty. With political will and thoughtful aid, the challenges can be achievable. 3