‘Bowling alone’ while they starve together Sony Pellissery Institute of Rural Management, Anand (India)

Indian poverty story Absolute standard for measuring poverty (using calorie requirement): 27% $1 dollar a day: 24%; $1.25 dollar a day: 42% Concentration of poverty in rural areas; but inequality in urban areas. Regional variation Social identity variation (lower castes & tribe) Informal economy Drivers into poverty: Micro level: sickness (83% of health expenditure out of pocket). Macro level: ‘paradox of plenty’

Gini coefficient (inequality) before and after liberalisation

HDI of Indian States (2004) Kerala: Punjab: Tamil Nadu: Haryana: Karnataka: Gujarat: All India: 100 Rajasthan: 89.8 Andhra Pradesh: Orissa: 85.5 Madhyapradesh: 83.4 Uttar Pradesh: 82.2 Bihar: 77.75

National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (2005) 100 days of job guaranteed (Rs.100 /$2) for a household in exchange for work improving community infrastructure. Since its inception 45 million rural households have been provided jobs every year (33% of the rural population). Close to 1% of GDP spent on the programme. Revolution in rural power structure: Agricultural wage has gone up; and dependent relations (landlord-landless labourer) are being challenged because of the new alternative available.

Struggle for recognition Family obligations. Keeping the word in reciprocal relations. Carrying out rituals and social practices even at the expense of falling into debt.

Identity (caste & gender) Lower caste (16%) and tribals (7%) + backward castes (32%): subjected to historical injustice. Most unhygienic (e.g. manual scavenging) work given. Being born as a woman is shame; giving birth only to girl children is a shame (macro level: female infanticide); Rape as an instrument to control women through shaming. Positive discrimination: jobs gained by people of these identity shamed calling ‘reserved’.

Sex ratio in 0-6 age group Number of male children per 100 female (source decennial census)

Hierarchical society Acceptance of one’s status in society results in limited sense of shame while dealing with out- groups. This intensifies fights (seen as shameless fight by outsiders) for resources within in-group: This creates creamy layer within lower levels of stratification.