On pauperism in present and past

Pauperism and pauperization are two of the most persistent and widespread phenomena in India. While a fierce debate rages on the line separating the poor from the non-poor, there is scant discussion on the huge mass of paupers - not less than one-fifth of the countrys population - living in destitution. Rural and urban case studies conducted in the state of Gujarat highlight the ordeal of these paupers, the non-labouring poor unable to take care of themselves, the migrant labour driven away from the village and back for lack of work, and an urban underclass redundant to demand, often experienced by the better-off as a nuisance.