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Abstract
Eradication of absolute poverty was the overarching objective of policymakers in most of the developing countries that achieved political independence after the Second World War. They were determined to correct the perceived failures of colonial rule by embarking on a structural transformation of their economies and societies. It should surprise no one that—given the abject poverty of their populations and the then-prevailing low life expectancy at birth; high rates of mortality (particularly infant and child mortality), illiteracy, and malnourishment; and lack of educational and health-care facilities—they viewed poverty as a multifaceted phenomenon and not just a reflection of inadequacy of incomes. A few among them also viewed the absence of participatory democracy as an aspect of poverty. All of them recognized that, given the low level of average income, redistributive policies at best have a limited role (and at worst are counterproductive) in eradicating poverty. They were therefore emphatic about the instrumental roles of rapid growth in income and its better distribution for achieving the objective of poverty eradication.
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