Poverty isn’t invincible, after all

KOLKATA: Poverty is dismal, dehumanizing and desolate. But, as Meera Mitra shows, it is possible to write positively about poverty without mocking it. A collection of 18 real-life stories penned by her and released on the last day of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF), being held in association with the Times of India, provides an alternative discourse on poverty.
‘Breaking Through — India’s Stories of Beating The Odds On Poverty’ features people from all corners of the country who have overcome the odds and managed to lift themselves out of poverty. But it is more than just a collection of their stories. The book’s subtle narrative, and one that’s perhaps more important, is one that shows how the levers of the system could be worked to struggle for existence. There are stories of Dalits, small traders, marginal farmers and roadside vendors who work the system to climb up the economic ladder.
The book, as social theorist Ashis Nandy who released it said, is “beautifully written” and is positive in the sense that it offers hope for the poor and for policy planners and social activists who want to tackle the scourge
of poverty.
Meera, a sociologist and development specialist who is also the spouse of state finance minister Amit Mitra, said that during her extensive research over the years, she came across many positive examples of people who managed to beat the odds in India’s villages, towns and cities. Their stories had to be told not only to inspire other poor people
but also to show planners and others that there are ethical ways to beat poverty.
“Many NGOs are doing fantastic work in the fields of micro-finance, panchayati raj and other sectors. Their stories have to be told and the media has to be
asked to do that,” she said. She added that since the liberalization process started, the number of people coming out of poverty “is amazing” and the book
shows what ladders they are taking and how they are doing it. The book is a light read on a very heavy subject.
Nandy said that since the very beginning of development, there has been dissatisfaction with it. Development in all countries, he pointed out, leads to reduction of poverty in the short and long run, but also leads to many poor people being pushed into destitution. And development, when fast-paced, leads to some degree of authoritarianism by its pilots. Development, said Nandy, also weakens and destroys communities, especially those outside the market. The book, he noted, provides hints on how this can be avoided.
A telling commendation of the book came from film director Goutam Ghose. He said that the book offers a ray of hope that people can be lifted out of poverty without destroying their social structures and displacing them. “There are so many exciting and animating stories in this book that I’m tempted to make films out of them,” he said.
Sudha Kaul, founder of the Indian Institute of Celebral Palsy, said development’s dark side was that it bypasses people with disabilities. The session, held at The Park, was moderated by AKLF co-director Anjum Katyal.