Poverty

Children of a lesser God

Over Rs1 trillion in subsidies benefit large industries and landowners in Pakistan, with little trickling down to the country’s poorer communities, says the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

By Sajad Jatoi | January 2025


Despite concerted efforts by individuals, organizations, and countries worldwide, pursuing poverty alleviation remains a formidable challenge. According to the World Bank, 700 million people live in extreme poverty, while another 3.5 billion hover just above the poverty line, living on less than $6.85 per day. However, what complicates the situation further is the marginalization that poverty causes, meaning the poor are consistently marginalized.

Before we talk about why the poor are always a marginalized class, it is necessary to briefly explain what marginality and marginalization mean. A research paper by the University of Bonn aptly defines marginality as “an involuntary position and condition of an individual or group at the margins of social, political, economic, ecological, and biophysical systems, preventing them from accessing resources, assets, and services, restraining freedom of choice, preventing the development of capabilities, and eventually causing extreme poverty.”

Meanwhile, marginalization is the process of pushing certain individuals or communities to the brink of society. This social process thrusts individuals to the fringes, depriving them of access to power and influence. While not all marginalized individuals or communities are poor, nearly all of the world’s poor are marginalized. They remain far from power corridors and have no say in decision-making, not even in matters that affect them. For instance, certain ethnic communities or religious minorities are not impoverished but are marginalized due to their identity. For example, Muslims in Myanmar, India, and China experience marginality due to their religious beliefs.

However, the majority of marginalized people worldwide lack the resources necessary for a decent life. Marginalized people can be found everywhere, though they are more prevalent in the Global South, with high concentrations in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Many factors contribute to their marginalization. Here are the general and most common reasons behind this phenomenon.

Before examining the reasons for the marginalization of the poor, it is essential to explore the historical background briefly. Historical inequalities and colonial legacies have left a lasting impact on marginalization patterns, particularly in regions like South Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Colonial resource extraction practices disrupted the economic structures of indigenous communities, leaving them marginalized even in the post-colonial era. In many countries, land ownership and resource control remain concentrated among elites with historical ties to colonial powers, perpetuating cycles of poverty.

Foremost among the reasons for marginalization is the lack of resources. The destitute are seldom heard, as the world listens only to the powerful. Some may argue that modern democracies and adult universal suffrage have mitigated financial discrimination. However, merely having voting rights does not influence policymaking. Once elections are over, the poor are rarely heard. This issue may be less severe in advanced Western nations but persists worldwide. An article by Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page, titled ‘Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens,’ highlights how economic elites and business interests have far more political influence than average citizens in the United States.

In developing countries, the situation is worse. For example, according to the latest report from Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue, tax exemptions in the fiscal year 2023-24 reached a cost of Rs3.8 trillion. These exemptions primarily benefit sectors dominated by elite interests, such as agriculture, sugar, textile, and real estate industries, contributing little to poverty alleviation or equitable resource distribution.

Read More

One thought on “Children of a lesser God

  • January 6, 2025 at 9:30 am
    Permalink

    Absolutely right. From Past to the present, lower class has been struggling in every field, albeit they live in developed countries. We are in 21st century but till live in 15th century.

    Reply