India has steadily dismantled the long-standing narrative of development stagnation, with extreme poverty recently plummeting to virtually nonexistent levels. Reflecting on his experience three decades prior, writer Siddharth Dube visited a northern Indian village steeped in the painful legacy of a peasant uprising. He painted a haunting picture of life there, characterised by mud huts and villagers bound by poverty, struggling to subsist on meagre wages that sometimes amounted to just 1.5kg of grain for grueling day-long labour. The villagers’ stark realities included cold nights spent clutching rice stalks for warmth, where even the concept of a quilt was an alien luxury, with most fortunate enough to own merely a single pair of shoes for life.
India is defying the myth of stagnant development by drastically reducing extreme poverty to negligible levels. Siddharth Dube’s memories of a village thirty years ago reflect the appalling conditions of life, where families battled against hunger and cold with nothing but old rice stalks and a pair of shoes for comfort. This transformation marks a significant shift in the narrative of India’s growth and progress.
In summary, India’s remarkable transformation in reducing extreme poverty shatters the preconceived notions surrounding its developmental journey. The vivid recollections of Siddharth Dube remind us of the harsh realities faced by rural populations, starkly contrasting with the progress now evident in many parts of the country. India’s story serves as a powerful narrative of resilience and change, underscoring the profound shifts occurring beneath the surface.
Original Source: www.economist.com
