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15 Socio-Legal Rev. 84 (2019)
Rethinking Poverty: A Socio-Legal Enquiry

handle is hein.journals/soclerev15 and id is 95 raw text is: RETHINKING POVERTY. A SOCIO-LEGAL ENQUIRY Socio-Legal Review interviews Dr. Usha Ramanathan1 At the time of writing this, the second phase of the 2019 General Elections are ongoing. Unemployment rates are at an all-time high2 and one of the planks on which opposition parties are campaigning is the lack of measures by the party in power to eradicate poverty over the past 5 years.3 The Congress has promised a Universal Basic Income scheme if it is voted to power and has touted this to be the deliverance from poverty for millions of people.4 But what is the understanding of poverty that lies behind this narrative? As Amartya Sen said, while emphasising the multi-faceted nature of the concept that goes beyond its economic dimension, poverty is not just a lack of money, it is not having the capability to realize one's full potential as a human being.'5 Due to its complexity, poverty has been termed by the United Nations as a social phe- nomenon which mounts a comprehensive assault on human rights.6 Given the perennial importance of this issue, the Socio-Legal Review took the opportunity to interview Dr. Usha Ramanathan, an internation- ally renowned expert on law, poverty and rights. She has also written and researched extensively on environmental law, labour law, consumer law, The Editorial Board is extremely thankful to Ms. Rashmi Venkatesan, Assistant Professor of Law, National Law School of India University for her help in framing the questions. The interview was conducted in person on December 23, 2018 when Dr. Usha Ramanathan was at the National Law School of India University. It was then transcribed by the members of the board and finalised through email exchanges. 2 Unemployment Remains the Biggest Challenge as India Prepares for 2019 Elections, Livemint (March 31, 2019), <https://www.livemint.com/politics/policy/unemployment-remains- biggest-challenge-as-india-prepares-for-2019-election-1554005275121.html> (accessed April 22, 2019). 3 Satyasundar Barik, In Odisha's KBK Region Modi Slams Congress on Poverty Alleviation, The Hindu (April 2, 2019), <https://www.thehindu.com/elections/lok-sabha-2019/in-odis- has-kbk-region-modi-slams-congress-on-poverty-alleviationarticle26710246.ece> (accessed April 22, 2019). 4 2019 Lok Sabha Elections: Rahul Gandhi Promises Rs. 12000 to Poor under Minimum Income Scheme, Business Today (March 25, 2019), <https://www.businesstoday.in/current/ economy-politics/2019-lok-sabha-election-rahul-gandhi-promises-rs-12000-to-poor-under-mini- mum-income-scheme/story/330726.html> (accessed April 22, 2019). 5 Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom 11 (1999). 6 United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Dimensions of Poverty (2010), <https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/ DimensionOfPoverty/Pages/Index.aspx>.

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