Opinion To fight poverty,fight the acceptance of it

I had to take a radical step to release myself from poverty. My parents’ stringent discipline when we were under-privileged banned me from watching Hindi films,possibly to avoid my adopting Bollywood fantasies. I remember stealthily accompanying school friends at the age of 14 to watch ‘Around the World in 8 Dollars’ at Lakshmi Cinema,Kanchrapara,my native town. These last-bench school friends showed me many prohibited areas. When followers of my father,a well-known proletariat leader,sometimes caught me,my grandmother had to save me from severe punishment. I was witness to pitiable situations like the wage workers of Kanchrapara railway workshop getting totally drunk on pay day,returning home and beating up their wives. Subconsciously,though,I’ve never since enjoyed Hindi films and don’t drink alcohol despite having worked for several alcohol companies. I do watch popular Hindi films today but only for half an hour to observe and understand the public enthusiasm of the masses in the theatre.

In early life I was poor both in India and France. Here’s the difference. In keeping with India’s caste-ridden structure,poverty becomes another social layer. Poor people are afraid to take advantage of opportunities. I remember my shivers when my rich fellow students at the Government Art College in Kolkata insisted I accompany them to the air-conditioned American Library that was open to all. In contrast,when I found my first employment as a sweeper in a lithography print studio near Paris,the owner would introduce me as a fellow artist to all the famous artists who got their lithography prints done there. In my experience,the acknowledgement of equality is the biggest driver for personal ambition and performance.

Let’s look at how industrial auto mechanisation machines can help remove poverty. Inventions through auto mechanisation have changed the poor classes in the Western world. Six hundred years ago,Leonardo da Vinci made mechanical inventions ahead of his time. His principles of flying machines,bridge building,functioning of the human anatomy have changed the way we operate in modern times. Yet he had to hide his ingenious inventions as they went against religious dictates then. Feudal lords,in association with religious authorities,totally opposed development that would deprive their usage of human labour to slave-drive the interests of the aristocracy.

Historically,economic growth has led to poverty reduction. Britain’s Industrial Revolution spread to Europe,led to overall development,and eliminated mass poverty. In 1820,75 per cent of humanity lived on less than a dollar a day; in 2001,only about 20 per cent did so. The World Bank says three-quarters of the world’s poor live in the countryside,so the fight against poverty should begin there. Two weeks ago I had written that practical inventions are required to fortify people like two-acre farmers and porters,and that affordable,effective commercial transportation is required. I was heartened by a reader’s response that people are working on such innovations in India. But how can they be converted for mass-scale usage,while sustaining quality,for the poor to get off the dependence ride?

From human labour to mechanisation has been a significant shift that society has had to accept. With deeper injection of democracy in political systems,the mechanical aspect is gaining ground in reducing human effort. It has since transformed into auto mechanism and now landed in digital auto mechanism,fuelling a productivity chain that’s prompting the masses to work,earn money and then spend.

There is no barrier,religious or otherwise,against invention in the world today. Courage is all the poor need to change their mental acceptance of ‘slavery’.

Shombit Sengupta is an international creative business strategy consultant to top management. Reach him http://www.shiningconsulting.com