POVERTY ALLEVIATION

POVERTY ALLEVIATION

It is well understood that to lead a healthy life one needs to have a good and balanced lifestyle which is possible only when he/she has economic stability and sufficient money to fulfill the health requirements. Therefore the alleviation of poverty is a must to lead a healthy lifestyle.

It is estimated that two-third of the world population lives in a state of poverty .According to World Bank; more than 40% of the population in the developing countries lives in absolute poverty. It is estimated that by the year 2020 ,about 5000 million persons ,i.e. more people than the total world population as it was in 1980,or , in other words, about 78% of world population in the year 2020,would be below the poverty line.

It should be realized that poverty affects one's life in many ways. It means lack of total absence of medical care, malnutrition for the aged or the children, diseases caused by unhygienic living conditions, erosion of morals, tension in mutual relationship, spurt in crimes and even deaths to many people because of want of proper food and medicine.

Isn't it a pity that, at a time when millions of people of all age groups are suffering gravely from the curse of poverty, billions of US dollars are being spent on sterile and destructive pursuits! If these resources are released to attack the serious and dreadful problem of poverty, the world would be a much better place to live.

Let us understand that at least in the current world situation, peace and prosperity are indivisible and are global in their nature. One prosperous nation cannot have peace if there is a poor nation struggling in its neighborhood with its problem of malnutrition and disease. Let us therefore divert the huge funds spent in armaments research and military built-up for the betterment of the millions of our poorer brothers.

Let us create an awareness that wastage of eatables, food materials and water is a crime against millions .Let us avoid storing or hoarding clothes ,shoes and other consumer goods in excessive and long-time stocks because food and these other commodities are the bare minimum one needs for one's earthly existence. Let the affluent nations not shy away their responsibility for sharing the rewards of their enterprises with the poor of the poorest people, for the latter having been on the planet earth, have some right to its fruits.

It need not be said in so many words that the quality of being spend thrift, and of being considerate to others and the virtues of non-hoarding and making sacrifices for the happiness of others, and the habit of economy and the spirit of generosity towards those who are less fortunate, are religious merits or spiritual virtues, planted and nourished by spiritual wisdom.