The poverty level of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in rural Tamil Nadu went down from 65.8% in 1993-94 to 24% in 2011-12, according to the Tamil Nadu Human Development Report (TNHDR) 2017.
Quoting an article authored by Kalaiyarasan A., published in Economic and Political Weekly in April 2014, the TNHDR says that in the more recent phase (2004-05 to 2011-12), the level had “more than halved” — it was was 51.2% in 2004-05. Also, there were “sharper reductions” across all social groups. [The figures were calculated using NSS CES (National Sample Survey Consumer Expenditure Survey) data for the years.]
Role of PDS
However, the poverty level of the SC/STs continued to be the highest among social groups, says the report, even as it attributes the overall decline in poverty levels to the “increase in rural casual wage rates” .
M. Vijayabaskar, associate professor at Madras Institute of Development Studies, who has authored a chapter titled ‘Income, Employment and Poverty’ in the HDR, explains that the fall in the poverty levels is due to a number of factors including diversification of livelihoods away from agriculture and the effectiveness of the universal public distribution system (PDS). A senior official attached to the Planning Commission says the rise in the rural wages has been facilitated by the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.
Not disputing the findings of the study, D. Ravikumar, general secretary of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), however, says the poverty reduction has taken place due to two factors – out-migration and freebies. But, he views these two factors negatively because the failure of agriculture has led to out-migration of people from villages to urban centres. Freebies have just helped the Dalits to overcome the poverty level and their withdrawal will again push them down the level. So, these findings should not be cited as a pretext to withdraw any welfare scheme, Mr. Ravikumar cautions.
But, P. Sivakami, a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and founder-president of the Samuga Samatuva Padai, does not agree with the assessment on the poverty reduction and says there would have been only a marginal fall, even though she would not put the poverty level as high as about 65% even in 1993-94. According to her, the level of poverty should be around 35%. Thanks to the PDS, Dalits do not go hungry but “that has not enabled them to come out of poverty.”
Lack of assets is another visible feature of rural Dalits, Ms. Sivakami says.
