S. Arockiasamy S. J.
The constitution of India emphasizes that the state shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, in particular of the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and shall protect them from social in justice and all form of exploitation (Article 46, №4).
In the backdrop of our constitution, The ‘Option for the Least’ may be perceived from economic, political, social, religious and cultural dimensions. The attempt is to look at the concept of the Least from the point of view of Amartya Sen, a Nobel laureate in welfare economics. In the words of Sen, “Poverty must be seen as the deprivation of basic capabilities rather than merely as lowness income, which is the standard criterion of identification of poverty’’ (Development as Freedom Oxford. 2000, p.87) .
The capability approach of Amartya Sen encompasses, expansion of health care, education, social security etc. contributing directly to the quality of life and to its flourishing (Sen, Development as Freedom 2000, p.144)”. Let us analyse the capability approach in terms of Education, Health care and social security taken by the Government of India. If we focus on the Educational scenario of the country today, the education policy 1992 of our government geared towards “Education for all” and the universalization of primary education was very much stressed and an act was passed in the parliament in 2009 to promote primary education across the country. After 2014 the new education policy of the Government of India is moving towards the deprivation of education to the poor especially the socially and economically under privileged people. Thus the empowerment of poor is ignored and it is given less importance now.
With regard to Health care of the poor people in the country, it is very shocking and disquieting. Nearly 60% of rural population in India is without nutritious food. Approximately 29% of men and 50% of women are malnourished in our country. (National Family Welfare Report 2019). From this analysis, we come to understand that the health care of the Least is undermined by the state and central governments.
When we look at the social security measures of the government, the situation of the poor population is deplorable and miserable in India. As per the Government of India’s Census report 2011, it is obvious that only 34.5% of the scheduled tribe population of India work on their own land. The remaining 65.5% of them remain landless. Similarly, only 14.8% of the scheduled caste population is working on their own land. While the remaining 85.2% of them remain landless. Besides, the poverty level is 44% among the SC population in India, while it is 45.9% among the Scheduled tribal population in India.
In the light of the capability approach of Sen, when we analyse the state-wise poverty situation in India, it is alarming and disappointing, because it is very high in the northern states ( 40–47.7 percentage), whereas the poverty level is low(11–23 percentage) in the southern states of Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra, Telangana and Tamilnadu. Thus, the high percentage of the poor living in a miserable situation is a social concern and it is a big challenge to the empowerment of the Least. Hence, poverty of the Least must be tackled with empathy and concerted and concrete measures, programmes and schemes to eliminate it.
When we compare the poverty level of BC communities with the SC and ST communities of India, it is very high and disheartening among the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes across the country. Therefore to build and enhance the capabilities of the Least of the vast majority of the population of the India, our State and central governments should provide quality education, health care and social security to them.
When the Least are entitled to have access to quality education, Health care and social security, They will be liberated from all enslavement and exploitation and oppression in our country. They can walk with human dignity and freedom and self-respect in our country.
Poverty makes a person vulnerable and a helpless victim deprived of social, cultural and political freedoms: poverty is not just ‘low income’ and ‘ low consumption’ but a multiple deprivation causing premature death, chronic undernourishment, Illiteracy, illness and social exclusion. (The Sen Difference article, 2005. P.4). Thus the capability approach looks at the Least of society in a holistic and comprehensive way. It paves the way for egalitarian society stressing the implementation of social, economic, political, religious and cultural rights, freedom equality and justice in all spheres of human life and society in our country.
To sum up:
“In the capabilities paradigm, poverty is understood as deprivation of basic capabilities. People may get deprived of such capabilities in several ways: Included in the domain of capability theory are all possible factors, that can possibly influence human capabilities, which is the prime measure of human well-being. The capability approach focuses on two things, freedoms to achieve and the capabilities to function.”
About the Author:
Dr. S. Arockia Samy SJ is a Jesuit of Madurai province. He did his doctorate in economics and specialized in Managerial Economics and environmental Economics. He taught for 22 years in different colleges and guided 3 Ph. D and ten M. Phil. Scholars. At present he is the Registrar of the Satya Nilayam Faculty of Philosophy, Chennai.
