The word poor is an adjective and an insulting remark made against a person or a nation. It is a cruel joke to humilate a person or a nation. Poverty is mainly attributed to economic status of a person or a nation. To call India a poor nation is virtually passing an insulting remark against the dignity of her moral and spiritual configuration. When we say that India is a rich land inhabited by poor people, it also seems a comment made by some ruler or ruling class who plundered her and picked her pocket. Do we pick the pocket of someone who is poor? Then why this remark? It seems to be the slavish mentality behind the scene. If we take ecconomic standard as criteria then we will have to call Swami Vivekananda, a very poor person. When his disciples insisted on him to represent India in the conference of world religions in Chicago in 1893,he had no money to go abroad. Raja of Khetri offered him to pay the whole money for that but he refused. The disciples sought permission to collect money for his journey. He permitted them but told them at the same time that they would not accept more than one rupee from one donor. Would you call Vivekananda a poor man? No, he was the richest of the rich. When one day he was rambling in America, a young couple walking behind him made fun of his crimson robe and girdle. Swami Vivekananda said to them, “ Today I came to know that in your country a man is judged by the clothes he is wearing, but in my country he is judged by his character. “ This makes the difference. The word poor seems to originate from the feudal mentality of a man who took undue advantage of the hunger and helplessness of a man working for him. Poverty is the economic backwardness resulting most of the time from idleness. A man who is mentally and physically sound but doing no work is poor because he is burden on others. A good bank balance is not the criteria of a rich man. Robin Sharma has rightly said, “The size of your bank account or the size of your house has nothing to do with living life with a sense of joy and wonder. This world is full of unhappy millionaires.“ An affluent beggar and a beautiful pros are poor. A corrupt politician and a rich smuggler are also poor. The word poor is used above as an insulting remark against those who are not doing anything decent and positive for the society.What measures should we take then for poverty alleviation? It is the work culture that alone can help one in a big way.Work is the obligation on a man to contribute for the society to which he is a part there of. It is the moral education that goes a long way in the character building of a man and also of a nation. Men of character make a nation rich and strong. Poverty is the attribute of the weak. Let us resolve to shun weakness.

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T R Sharma

Chief Editor

Him Academy, Hamirpur ( H P )