Kerala govt's claim to have eradicated extreme poverty raises eyebrows

Indian state has pulled thousands out of destitution, but its claim draws criticism

- Rohini Mohan India Correspondent

Mrs Parameshwari (at right) and her family were among the 64,006 households that the Kerala state government considered extremely poor and assisted over four years in a massive grassroots programme. Mrs Parameshwari adjusting her paralysed husband Selvam's pillow as their daughters look on. Four years ago, Mr Selvam had a stroke while driving a bus, and the penniless family was kicked out of its rented one-room house. Mrs Remya S., a mother of two, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer three months after her husband died in 2021. She had her cancer medication and surgery fully paid for under Kerala's Extreme Poverty Eradication Programme.

(ROHINI MOHAN ROHINI MOHAN)

As the Kerala government threw a shindig on Nov 1 in its capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, to announce it had eradicated extreme poverty, Mrs Parameshwari S. was rushing back home from the village market to feed her paralysed husband his lunch.

She burst into her house, instructed her daughters to restock their little shop in the front yard with the shopping, and squeezed her husband Selvam's shoulder, assuring him that she would get his meal ready soon.

Four years ago, Mr Selvam, 37, had a stroke while driving a bus, and the penniless family was kicked out of its rented one-room house. Mrs Parameshwari did not think he would live to see this day.

The couple had two daughters seven and eight no income, no land, and not even government identity documents.

Mrs Parameshwari, 32, told The Sunday Times that she "would have drowned" if the state government had not yanked her out in time.

Her family was among the 64,006 households that the Kerala state government considered extremely poor and assisted over four years in a massive grassroots programme costing more than 10 billion rupees (S$146.7 million) in state funds and supported by 400,000 community workers and village officials.