In this archive story we are seeing the Poverty in the Bharat Mata area of Varanasi in India.
Read the background story of this archive photo by the photographer.

In this harrowing photograph of an Indian man in the Bharat Mata area of Varanasi, we see how poverty is affecting India. The circle of poverty has been defined as a phenomenon in India where poor families become impoverished for at least three generations, for instance for enough time that the family includes no surviving ancestors who possess and can transmit the intellectual, social and cultural capital necessary to stay out of or change their impoverished condition.


		By Kristian Bertel, Photographer – Updated on March 22, 2024

Circle of poverty in India

India happens to be a rich country inhabited by very poor people. Unfortunately, since departure of the colonial British all economic development has taken place in the cities, while the majority of the population lives in the countryside. Thus, the rural India has always remained neglected. Another peculiarity is the land holding pattern in India, where the most land has traditionally been under the control of a few landlords, leaving the vast majority landless.

What is the meaning of circle of poverty?

The circle of poverty begins when a child is born into a poor family. On paper, the circle of poverty has been defined as a phenomenon where poor families become impoverished for at least three generations.

Stark disparity in economic class
India, the land of diversity and culture, is also known for its stark disparity in economic class. While the country boasts of being one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, it is also home to a large population living in poverty. The issue of poverty in India is a complex and multi-faceted one and it has been a major challenge for the country in its path towards progress and development.

Photography touches almost everything
Before we delve deeper into the issue of poverty in India, let us first understand what poverty means. Poverty is a state or condition in which a person lacks the financial resources or essential commodities to meet their basic needs. These basic needs include food, shelter, clothing and access to healthcare and education. Poverty can be measured in various ways and one of the widely used measures is the poverty line. The poverty line is the minimum level of income or consumption necessary to satisfy the basic needs. In India, the poverty line is defined by the Planning Commission and it differs for rural and urban areas.

"Photography touches almost every moment of our lives and it is a visual language that can express universal ideas that are sometimes impossible to put into words and that is also why the photographer is portraying poverty in India"

The poverty line for rural areas in India
As of 2021, the poverty line for rural areas is set at ₹972 rupees per person per month, which is around $11 dollars, while for urban areas, it is set at ₹1,407 rupees per person per month. The Indian government has taken several steps towards poverty alleviation over the years. Some of these initiatives include the launch of various social welfare programs that aim to provide employment opportunities, housing and access to clean cooking fuel to the poor. However, there is still a long way to go in eradicating poverty in the country.

Education plays a crucial role in breaking the cycle of poverty
One of the major factors contributing to poverty in India is the lack of access to education. It empowers individuals with skills and knowledge, which can help them secure better job opportunities and improve their standard of living. However, a high percentage of the poor population in India remains illiterate or has limited access to education due to various reasons, including financial constraints, lack of proper infrastructure and social barriers. Moreover, poverty in India is not just an economic issue, it also has social and cultural implications. The poor face discrimination and exclusion, which hinders their ability to escape poverty so in many cases, children from poor families are forced to drop out of school and do menial jobs to support their families, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

The poverty in streets is a harsh reality in India
A significant section of the population, especially in urban areas, lives on the streets, without access to basic necessities like food, shelter and sanitation. They are vulnerable to various health issues and exploitation. Despite government efforts, the number of people living in extreme poverty in India is alarming.

"The cycle of poverty is a never-ending vicious circle, wherein poverty leads to poor health and education, which in turn leads to further poverty. To break this cycle and alleviate poverty in India, a multi-faceted approach is required. It involves not just providing financial assistance but also addressing the root causes of poverty, such as inadequate education, lack of employment opportunities and social discrimination"

A lack of basic necessities
Poverty is a growing and complex problem facing the world today. It is a lack of basic necessities such as food, water and shelter that can cause people to suffer from malnutrition, disease and death. Poverty also affects education, health and social opportunities, as well as opportunities to improve one's life and the effects of poverty are wide-reaching and it affects people of all ages, genders and backgrounds. It is estimated that 1.2 billion people live in extreme poverty and that number is growing every year. In addition to the people living in poverty, there are those who are at risk of falling into it, including those living in countries with high economic inequality.

The causes of poverty are complex and varied
They include economic, social and political factors, such as a lack of access to education, health care and jobs, as well as discrimination and unfair policies. Poverty is also linked to environmental degradation, conflict and migration. There are many efforts to reduce poverty, both nationally and globally. Governments and international organizations have created programs and policies to alleviate poverty and its effects. These efforts focus on providing access to education, health care, employment and other basic services. Additionally, organizations are working to improve the economic conditions in countries with high poverty rates. There are also efforts to increase access to clean water, sanitation and other resources, as well as to promote gender equality and empower women and girls.

"The primary causes of poverty in India are lack of access to education, lack of basic infrastructure and unequal distribution of resources. The country has an extremely low literacy rate, with only 74 percent of adults being literate, according to the 2011 census. This means that many people cannot find gainful employment, leading to a cycle of poverty and a lack of resources. In addition, many people lack basic infrastructure such as access to clean water and electricity and this lack of resources further exacerbates the poverty crisis"

Unequal distribution of resources
The government of India has taken steps to alleviate poverty in the country and has implemented a variety of initiatives, such as providing free education and healthcare, subsidizing food and fuel and introducing job creation schemes. In addition, the government has implemented a guarantee scheme, which guarantees employment to rural households in the country. Despite these efforts, poverty in India remains a pressing issue. In order to address the issue of poverty, there needs to be a comprehensive approach that takes into account the various causes of poverty, such as lack of access to resources, unequal distribution of resources and lack of infrastructure. Only then can India truly make progress in alleviating poverty. In addition, poverty in India is exacerbated by the unequal distribution of resources. The country is highly stratified along the lines of caste and those in lower castes have less access to resources than their higher caste counterparts and this further contributes to the cycle of poverty, as those in lower castes are not able to access the same resources and opportunities as those in higher castes.

Circle of poverty
In India and in the rest of the world poverty can go into a circle or cycle, which actually means that poverty begets poverty and it is a concept that illustrates how poverty causes poverty and traps people in poverty unless an external intervention is applied to break the cycle. A very poor family with children have very little to eat and have and access to health facilities. As a result, the children are malnourished and unhealthy and have many health complications. They are therefore unable to go to school even if there is a school in the next village and they grow up with no education or skill and cannot do any economic activity. Their parent die from preventable diseases as a result of lack of health facilities and their fate is in their hands. As the children turn adults, they find wives who are just on the same level of poverty as them and they have their own children. They hand over this condition to their children, who will also grow up in similar conditions.

It takes an intervention from governments, charity organizations or family members who are better off to step in and provide some kind of assistance for instance health, feeding, shelter and basic education to get the youth to do some kind of economic activity to bring in some income. Without that, this cycle or circle will continue for generations and it is a trap that is extremely difficult to get out of. This concept can also be applied to countries and larger economies, although the dynamics may be slightly different. Poverty cannot be completely eradicated, as it largely caused by human factors. Over the past years there has been a lot of 'Poverty Alleviation Programs' designed to break the cycle or circle of poverty in many households and communities in the world. The result is remarkable, but there is still a lot to be done.

"India is a developing country which is also the world's fastest and largest growing economy. However, it cannot be seen in the photograph above from the Bharat Mata area of Varanasi"

Varanasi portrait of Indian poverty
As a photographer and traveler in India it is hard to ignore the poverty in India. But many things are already done to prevent the poverty. 'Poverty alleviation' involves the strategic use of tools such as education, economic development, health and income redistribution to improve the livelihoods of the worlds poorest by governments and internationally approved organizations. They also aim at removing social and legal barriers to income growth among the poor. Quality education empowers people to take advantage of opportunities around them. It helps children get knowledge, information and life skills they need to realize their potential.

Training teachers, building schools, providing education materials and breaking down that prevent children from accessing education are important features of poverty alleviation programmes. Many programs aim at feeding kids at school and providing health services as well. This encourages parents to send the children to school and keep them there. If children have food to eat and are healthy, they can learn and respond to the needs of the programme. The youth and able-to-work in the communities are provided skills to help with farm work or other economic activity, which helps them earn money to make a living and take care of their families. It is important that the government extends its development programs such as roads, bridges and other economic facilities to rural areas, to make it easy for goods and services and farm produce to move to and from the farming communities. With a bit of effort in the areas mentioned above, it will not take long to see real improvements in the living conditions of the community.

Reasons for poverty in India
So why is India so poor it may be primarily because the British Empire thoroughly looted the loose conglomeration of city-states, which was collectively once one of the richest countries in the world even though there was no country named India back then, at least not in the way we have now. They came in, they saw the wealth that was there, they took their time nearly four centuries worth and they got the job done. The Empire looted India so thoroughly that they did not even spare the word 'Loot' they looted the word as well. India is a interesting and unique dichotomy among nations.

We have a heritage that goes back at least 5,000 years old in recorded history, yet as a nation, India is only 70 years old. What India has achieved in that time is astounding, keeping in mind the state it was left in, the diversity of its populace and having to reconcile so many disparate and often competing interest groups and their as-yet-unbroken but now-strained covenant with democracy. Because Indians want to be poor being divided and fighting among themselves and with a believe that their god and degree will make them rich so they do not work smart and hard. Moreover, the politics and religion drives India and not rational or sense so it will remain Poor.

Situation of poverty arises when people are not able to satisfy their basic needs and have a low quality of life. Which happens due to lack of capital because of disguised and chronic uneployment and the vicious circle goes on. In developed countries, people as young as 13 years start to earn and live independantly, human capital and human knowledge is valued for, whereas in India, even at 25 years of age people find it difficult to get employed Kristian Bertel | Photography learned. Despite several attempts from the Indian government to solve this problem, certain loopholes make it difficult to function which results in lopsided development and cases of extreme poverty.

Rising wealth inequality in India
According to a report about Inequality in India and many other countries, the richest 1 percent in India owns 58 percent of the country's wealth. As the myopic 'economic experts' gloat over rising number of billionaires in India, the inequality is growing bigger with each passing year. Rising inequality is trapping more and more Indians in poverty and it is also fracturing the society and undermining Indian democracy. It is in fact a global phenomenon and the report also revealed that 7 out of 10 people live in countries that have seen inequality widen in the last 30 years.

Organizations that can help
Additionally, there are organizations dedicated to providing food, shelter and other basic necessities to those in need. Ultimately, reducing poverty requires a comprehensive approach that addresses its underlying causes. This includes investing in education, healthcare and other essential services, as well as promoting economic growth and creating sustainable jobs. It also requires working to reduce inequality, promote gender equality and empower women and girls. Only then can we begin to make a real difference in the lives of those living in poverty.

Poverty in India is a pressing issue that has been affecting millions of its citizens for centuries. According to the World Bank the year 2019 estimated, more than 22 percent of the population in India lived below the poverty line. This means that in these days over 270 million people are living in extreme poverty, making India one of the world's poorest countries.

Welfare programs in India:
• National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)
• Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)

See this video about poverty in India made by The Hindu.

The photographer's own experience of seeing the poverty in India
"- India is a land of contrasts and nowhere is this more evident than in the stark class divides that exist between the rich and the poor. As a traveler, I had the opportunity to experience firsthand the realities of both worlds and it was a profound and humbling experience. On one hand, I was awed by the opulence and luxury of India's elite. I could see people stayed in opulent palaces and hotels, enjoyed fine dining in Michelin-starred restaurants and witnessed the vibrant nightlife of India's major cities. I was surrounded by people who were wealthy beyond my wildest dreams, living lives of unimaginable luxury", the Photographer says.

"- On the other hand, I was also exposed to the harsh realities of poverty in India. I visited slums where people lived in squalor and deprivation. I saw children working in hazardous conditions and families struggling to survive on meager incomes. I was confronted with the stark contrast between the opulence of the rich and the desperation of the poor. This firsthand experience with class inequality in India left a deep impression on me. It made me realize the privilege I've and the immense challenges faced by so many people in the world. It also made me appreciate the resilience and hope that I saw in the faces of the poor, even amidst their struggles", the Photographer says again.

"- I came away from India with a renewed sense of empathy and a commitment to social justice. I believe that we all have a responsibility to do our part to address the challenges of poverty and inequality, both in our own communities and around the world. India is a country of immense beauty and diversity, but it is also a country with deep-rooted class divisions. As travelers, we have a unique opportunity to experience the reality of these divisions and to learn from the experiences of others. By doing so, we can become more informed and engaged citizens of the world", the Photographer says again.

"- The privilege I have as a photographer to capture poverty photos in India is something I don't take lightly. Reporting what I witness serves to bring awareness and provide a voice for those in poverty there. Ultimately, my goal is to make a difference and ensure these images make an impact. Poverty in India is a complex and pervasive issue that requires the collective efforts of the government, civil society and individuals. While the government has implemented various poverty alleviation programs, there is a need for effective implementation and monitoring, along with addressing the underlying causes of poverty. Education and employment opportunities are crucial in breaking the cycle of poverty and creating a more equitable society. As individuals, we can also contribute by supporting and advocating for the rights of the poor and marginalized communities. Only then can we truly achieve the vision of a developed and prosperous India for all", the Photographer says.

Read also: Crippled beggar of India


			Read also: Crippled beggar of India

Circle of poverty in India

Read also: Crippled beggar of India

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