Poverty Is A Curse To Mankind - A High School Essay - India

I completely disagree with this statement. Man may be poor materialistically but spiritually and mentally he is not poor. Poverty depends on one's own thinking. There are many examples in public life which would support my view. Lal Bahadur Shastri, Abraham Lincoln, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam each belonged to a poor family. These persons touched the height of success. They encountered challenges of life lion-heartedly. They accepted the challenges, faced the difficulties and swam against the current of time, as a result of which they were mentally prepared for every circumstance of their lives. Poverty forced them to be strong, tough and bold.

Image Credits © Siddharth Bargate

Those who blame poverty for their failures are just making petty excuses. In fact, they have laid down their weapons against circumstances. They should have prepared themselves mentally and intellectually to face the challenges of life. Gold 'glitters with more radiance when it is burned in fire.

Children born with a silver spoon in their mouth are unaware of various aspects of life. They do not know the value of money. It is only when one has to take pains for money, food and other daily necessities, that he realises their price.

Dhirubhai Ambani who established `Reliance Industries' once worked on a petrol pump as a petrol-filler boy. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in his youth did the job of newspaper hawker, so that he could continue his studies. Abhijeet Sawant who defeated thousands of contestants to become 'Indian Idol' has lived in a Mumbai chaal (slum). Irfan Pathan's father owns a parchoon (grocery) shop outside a mosque at Baroda. Laxmi Nivas Mittal, born in Sadalpur, a remote village of Rajasthan, is now the owner of the world's biggest steel conglomerate with an annual turnover of $22.2 billion. They all have proved that success is obtained by talent, self determination and hard work, not by money. They all have established the fact that "Poverty is not a Curse" especially for those who are ready 'to face every challenge of life.

However, there is another face of the coin also. Poverty results in the lack of resources. Poor students do not have the opportunity to study in good schools, get good coaching, study good books. In many cases high fees of medical and engineering, colleges shatter the dream of many brilliant but poor students. One who would have become doctor or engineer by virtue of his talent has to satisfy himself only with smaller jobs.

Poverty also leads to crime. When one is unable to earn money from fair means, he or she resorts to unfair means. Most of thieves, pickpocketers and even terrorists belong to poorer sections of the society. Poverty also leads to overpopulation. Poor people think that by producing more children they would get more hands for work. This results in increased population of the country. Poor people begin to believe in superstitions and become orthodox. To set all these things in right order, it is necessary to remove poverty. As long as there is poverty, there is ignorance and illiteracy, and all these hamper the progress of the country.

So poverty can or cannot be a curse. One gets the opportunity to face every difficulty and experience every aspect of life in poverty. On the other hand, it may result in lack of resources leading to many difficulties in life. Poverty cannot be removed overnight. It is a long job. It can be wiped out step by step. Educational facilities should be provided to all the poor families so that their outlook might be broadened. The exploitation of the poor should be stopped. The money earmarked for Government programs for poverty alleviation must reach the needy people in full. Then and then only can poverty be removed.

Authored by Jayant Yadav (A High School Student from India).