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NEW DELHI | 1st Apr 2012
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The poverty ratio at an all-India level is the highest among Muslims at 33.9%.
ndian Muslims are the poorest of the three principal communities.
As per the latest poverty estimates released by the Planning Commission, the poverty ratio at an all-India level is the highest among Muslims at 33.9%, both in the urban and rural areas. In the urban areas, only 12.9% Christians are poor, while in rural areas Sikhs have the lowest poverty ratio of 11.9%.
While the Commission's estimates, released on 19 March, show an overall decline in urban poverty from 25.7% to 20.9% and in rural poverty from 41.8% to 33.8%, Muslim poverty has not decreased.
Speaking to this newspaper, a senior official of the Planning Commission said, "The poverty estimates released by the Planning Commission are based on the data collected by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). The NSSO collates the data on the basis of the consumption expenditure across social groups in states. The data suggests that Muslims are lagging behind other minorities in terms of poverty in urban areas, while the Christians have a significantly lower poverty ratio at an all-India level. The classification of poverty estimates according to religious groups and socio-economically backward communities is carried out so that development programmes of the government can be more targeted community-wise. Otherwise, the poverty estimates will be merely reduced to statistics."
Commenting on the data, M.J. Khan, general secretary of the Peace Party said, "This should be an eye-opener for the Congress not to club all minorities in one category. Christians are more advanced because of immediate access to better quality of education. This was evident in measures such as the 4.5% sub-quota for minorities and the welfare schemes designed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The poverty figures show that the Muslims are much more backward compared to other minorities in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan and West Bengal."
"The poverty figures released by the Planning Commission should be used as a basis for more targeted initiatives in allocations that benefit Muslims. At present, Muslims are competing with highly advanced minority groups such as Christians for resources. In fact, one needs to ask if there is any need for differential treatment to advanced social groups within minorities such as Christians and Sikhs," he further added.
The poverty estimates of the Planning Commission are based on an estimate of Rs 32 per capita per day as the poverty line.
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