Recently it has been observed and reported by world donor agencies that a major chunk of people residing in rural areas of Sindh not only fall into the category of living below the poverty line but also their living standards were found to be inferior to even Nigerian people.
These rural communities are characterized by high infant mortality and a lack of food, infrastructure and education. They inhabit a feudal system and are caught up in vicious cycle of poverty with deep historical roots.
Economic development is not an overnight phenomenon; rather, it is the corollary of unceasing endeavors and works over time. However, the Pakistani and South Korean economies were identical at their inception, defined by low-productivity , meager resources and agricultural reliance, but today South Korea is arguably the most innovative and one of the most developed economies of the world whereas Pakistan languishes at the take-off stage it has occupied since the late 60s.
Pakistan’s economy still lies on the left side of Kuznet’s curve which implies increasing returns to scale, despite having available technology as quasi-modern that may be triggered by financing the livestock sector. Moreover, as our MPC (marginal propensity to consume) is higher, so the Keynesian multiplier is higher in Pakistan. As a result, lesser doses of investment are required to boost up the economy when compared to developed ones.
Livestock, one of the most vibrant sectors of agriculture, has not yet been focussed on and given due credit in any government’s economic policies for Pakistan or Sindh, despite having the capacity to elevate people from below the poverty line to subsistence level and bring about a more virtuous cycle of prosperity. Before modern irrigation systems were implemented in Pakistan, the term “Maldar” was used to describe the wealthy. A crucial measurement behind this label was whether or not the person had livestock
Some economists view three norms as the core values of economic development in any economy or society:
1. Sustenance: meeting basic needs such as food, clothes, shelter and health provisions.
2. Self-esteem: valuing self-identity or worth by service or role rather than by clan or political attachment.
3. Liberty: giving people the freedom to live according to their own values. How then have cultural values remained unchanged?
There have been minute changes in rural areas throughout Sindh but these have been achieved in a sluggish pattern minutely and are set against the longevity of history in the province.
The very manifesto of PPP intends to reinforce the said three values in society to attain better living standards accompanied by economic development, which is an increasingly complex organism.
Quasi-unemployment in rural Sind has been observed at very alarming rates of between 50 and 60 percent, with many lacking the land acquisition and trade engagements necessary to maintain their subsistence. As a result, many people are prone to criminal, immoral and begging tendencies arising mainly from the pang of starvation.
Gini-coeffceint and Lorenz curve (indicators of discrepancy ratio of per capita income) is very high in rural areas of Sindh, owing to the British legacy of the jagridari system. Such inequitable distribution of land has caused drastic variations of wealth and income among people of rural areas of Sindh, effectively separating them into two classes. The people of rural Sindh are now either kings or serfs, and the effect of this divide has brutally deteriorated the social and economic prospects of the majority of people and left them in a desperate condition.
Despite the passing of almost 71 years since the foundation of Pakistan emergence, the economy is still primarily agrigarian. Rural areas of sindh are intensively dependent on the agriculture sector. To balance the unequal distribution of land and boost economic productivity, land reforms in the form of five-year plans were implemented but the desired objectives could not be attained.
The major reasons behind the abysmal poverty line in rural areas of Sindh remain that the people of the area are landless, unemployed and discouraged workers.
Livestock, one of the most vibrant sectors of agriculture, has not yet been focussed on and given due credit in any government’s economic policies for Pakistan or Sindh, despite having the capacity to elevate people from below the poverty line to subsistence level and bring about a more virtuous cycle of prosperity. Before modern irrigation systems were implemented in Pakistan, the term “Maldar” was used to describe the wealthy. A crucial measurement behind this label was whether or not the person had livestock. By better focussing on and financing the sector, landless people could find employment. This would increase productivity for the benfit of all. Such improvements are to be expected under a suitable framework of government policies. By financing the rearing of ducks, sheep, goats, buffalos or cows, a central element of the basic needs of people living in rural Sindh could be met.
The writer is a PhD Scholar of Economics