Himalayan Times (1961)

October 29, 1961

Himalayan limes

Seven

hardly afford any medi-
cal, eduoational or social
expenditures.

Yet it is very reveal-
ing that the lower income
groups use liquor. In
some oases the expendi-
ture on intoxioants work*
out to one third of the
income. The lower income-
groups are more liquor-
addicted. On the whole
the bustees dwellers claim
to be lito to tallers. Marua
drinks are generally used
by these bustee—dwellers
and also by others on
certain social functions,
marriages or melas among
the Ifiwer—income—group
—people.

Chowkidari taxes are
also charged from the vil-
lagers but they are much
resented by the poverty—
ridden tax — payers. In
fact they are very critical
of the ever mounting tax—
burden. \

Although the incomes
made by the people are
found, more or less, to
meet their expenditures
with greater hardship, it
is possible only due to
the fact that their stand,
ard of living is extremely
poor. In other words,
they have no other alter-
native but to live within
their incomes. Even the
standard of living of high
income groups' is below
the standard adjudged a
reasonable minimum.

At the bottom of the
class structure in their

oommunity is the lower
class which comprises the
greater population. In
the lower class are found
the great body of the
unskilled workers who earn
a precausus living on ir-
regular employment Ihey
have little education and
are illiterate. However,
this olass is set off from
the middle olass and Up-
per class because of occu-
pation and low income
and even illiteracy; _ •;

The lower class is'
distinguished from the
middle class because of
certain forms of behavior
whioh are associated with
lower stratas. The beha-
viour of the lower olass
is free from the control
of neighbourhood influen-
ces and the control of
other institutions.

They have humbly
Accepted the faot that
they are poor in worldly
goods as a part of God's
plan but they believe that
even the poor may live
righteously. They may
believe that by living
honestly and justly and
rearing their children pro.
perly, their children will
rise to a higher stratas.
One does not normally
find people living high
or low income or low or
high income. There must
be a surplus to make
high living possible. To
be sure, it does not al-
ways follow that size of
income is sufficient, peo-
ple will live high. They

may ' prefer indeed to
breed,: adding to ' their
numbers, till no margin
above animal subsistence
remains, or they may pre-
fer to save and increase
their accumulation, instead
of improving - their ', mode
of Hving.

Although surplus, in-
come makes possible these
alternatives, surplus in-
come not only determine
the possible standard of
living but largely diotates
the probable standard.

In the bustee areas
there are, not so many
gradations, however, as
in the cities, nor are they
so far apart. Farm labour,
farm tenants owner ope.
rators are groups varying
in their scale of expendi-
ture.

Agriculture is wealth
creating in a primary
sense. It originates wealth
from a first source. Land
is the source and it is
the chief, if not original
source of all wealth. But
there is no improvement
upon the reclamation of
the agricultural land upon
the steep range of moun-
tains. Current income is
a better index of the
material welfare of the
farmers, than accumulated
wealth By ourrent income
is meant merely the total
income, whioh inoludes
no gains and losses in the
value of property owned,
but net dash receipts plus
the value of income re-
( Continued on page 2 )