‘Dignity lacking in way welfare measures are implemented’

el weighs in on poverty in the country and the need for better markers

Pulitzer-winning journalist Katherine Boo, former minister Jayanthi Natarajan, AIDWA national president U. Vasuki and Readers Editor of The Hindu, A.S. Panneerselvan, at The Hindu Lit for Life 2017. — Photo: R. Ragu

: The element of dignity is completely lacking with regard to how welfare schemes are implemented in the country, said Jayanthi Natarajan, former Environment Minister, at a discussion on the ‘Violence of Poverty’ at The Hindu Lit for Life on Monday.

“With reference to the welfare schemes in place, people might call it doles, populist schemes or even see it as pandering to the electorate. But, this does not take away from the fact that a few schemes such as providing school girls with bicycles have been empowering as well,” she said.

A.S. Panneerselvan, Readers Editor of

The Hindu, initiated the discussion asking the panellists about the way poverty is classified and defined within the purview of the Indian society and the economy.

“Tools such as the poverty line, which are used to measure and classify people, are static markers. The best way to gauge poverty is to follow and look at the situation of the people under consideration over a period of time, and this can be best seen in the effect that demonetisation has had on many groups of people over the last six months,” said Katherine Boo, Pulitzer-winning journalist.

Ms. Natarajan echoed her views and said that markers such as the poverty line and the calories consumed were arbitrary and that the brutality of poverty was beyond this.

While Mr. Panneerselvan brought up the subject of gender and the impact of poverty, Ms. Natarajan pointed out how it was a double burden for women and the need to consider work done by women for household consumption as productive work or gainful employment. “Feminisation of poverty is happening all around the world and it is happening in a heart-rending way in India. This is evident when you look at women who work round the clock including fetching water and firewood and taking care of their families, which slowly diminishes them,” she said.

Reflecting on how economic reforms had been leading to more inequalities in the society, U. Vasuki, national president of the All India Democratic Women’s Association, brought up recent instances of farmer suicides and said that there was a definite lack of attention towards poverty and such related issues on the part of the government.