Poverty and Challenges of Livelihood among the Muslim of Dhubri District of Assam

INTRODUCTION

Poverty anywhere is poverty everywhere. The problem of poverty is not limited to a particular area or group of people. It crosses all boundaries. It is a curse on human species itself. The collective co-operation is necessary to have a poverty free world. The history of poverty is as old as the history of human being. With the passes of time the population is increased, it began to appear on a large scale. Poverty is a great challenge on humanity. It is accused not merely for the misery it inflicts, but also for the degradation that it brings. It is not an economic abstraction, it is a human condition. In other words, poverty is a social phenomenon in which a section of the society is unable to fulfill even its basic necessities of life. When a substantial segment of the society unable to enjoy the barest necessaries of life, having no fault of their own and continues at a bare subsistence level, that society is termed to be plagued with mass poverty. ―It is despair, grief and pain. It is the despair of a father with a family of seven in a poor country he joins the swelling ranks of unemployed with no prospect of compensation to the unemployed. Poverty is the longing of a young boy playing outside a village school but unable to enter because his parents lack a few rupees needed to buy text books. Poverty is the grief of parents watching a three years child die of a routine childhood disease because…..they cannot afford any medical care.‖

The basic objectives of the Study are: (i) To find out the factors responsible for poverty among the Muslims of Dhubri district of Assam. (ii) To examine the structure of livelihood of the Muslims of Dhubri district of Assam. (iii) To estimate the income level of the Muslims of Dhubri district of Assam.

The study is a qualitative as well as quantitative scientific social work. On the basis of the objectives framed, experiments are designed and to ascertain them data are collected both from primary and secondary sources. In its first stage, an extensive study is performed to the reference books and articles relevant to the study and information are also collected from various sources like government offices, organizations and agencies from which some of the secondary data, concepts and definitions are collected and developed. The study is mostly based on the primary data collected through enumeration and field survey for which a field work is conducted to collect In the second stage of the study, the data so collected from primary and secondary sources are classified both qualitatively and quantitatively and then purposefully analyzed. Simple statistical tools like averages, ratios and percentages for summarization and comparison, detailed case studies of different schemes have been carried out for identification of factors responsible for the observed utilization rates under different types of schemes. Finally, the conclusion is drawn with the findings of the study to serve the purpose of the research work through writing of the findings in a dissertation form and formulation of analytical statements.

The Muslim population of Dhubri district is relatively more backward to the other section of population of Dhubri district and Assam. In primary sector 140 persons are engaged which is 45.6 per cent of the total working population. In the secondary sector there are 81 persons engaged and in tertiary sector 86 persons which forms 26.39 per cent and 28.01 per cent of the total working population. The primary sector consist of 98 people as cultivator, 40 people as agricultural labour and 02 persons are engaged in livestock. The cultivator forms 31.92 per cent, agricultural labour forms 13.03 per cent and the livestock have minimum proportion of the engaged population of the Muslim area of Dhubri district of Assam. There are 81 people of Dhubri district Muslim dominated area who are engaged in the secondary sector out of whom 38 are male and 43 are female. The table indicates that 8 persons of male category and 7 persons of female category have been engaged as labour in mining sector. There are 5 male and 3 female who are found working as manufacturing labour and 58 numbers of people have been engaged as construction labour out of which 25 are male and 33 are female. In the tertiary sector engagement are more in service sector which includes the government service, private service, tutorial home, private school and institution and 24 male and 50 female have been engaged in this sector. There are 12 persons who have engaged in the trade and commerce sector.

In the field work study it is found that most of the work force particularly the cultivators are engaged in more than one occupation. The working population those are engaging themselves in a particular occupation in most of the days of a year is taken as prime occupation. Working person who is engaged in cultivation in maximum working days of a year is cultivator though he is earning from other sources also.

The data collected in the field survey from the Muslim population of Dhubri district reveals that 134 people have engaged in agriculture sector taking as prime occupation and it is 42.54 per cent of the total. There are 94 people who have taken wage earning as their prime occupation out of whom 37 are male and 57 are female. The female surpass the male in this category of occupation. Service sector is the third sector in order of the numbers of people engaged with priority of occupation and the female again outnumbered the male. In the service sector all persons who engage in government service, in private sectors, tutorial and coaching centers, private institutions etc. are included. Private English schools and the Assamese schools in the name of jatiya vidyalaya are found anywhere and everywhere except the remote char area has given the scope of engagement to a large number of educated female. The business sector has less importance in the Muslim dominated area of the district and given scope to 12 peoples. Out of the total 315 persons in the prime occupation category there is 208 male and 107 female.

The sample survey is conducted among the rural Muslim population of Dhubri district and it is found that 134 numbers of persons have taken agriculture as prime occupation and it is 45.73 per cent of the population having prime occupation. 29.69 per cent of the rural working Muslim population who has prime occupation is wage earner. They maintain their family from the work of daily wage and a total of 87 persons are engaged in these activities. The female wage earner is more in the rural area of the Muslim dominated part of Dhubri district. In the business sector there are 10 persons and the Muslim rural female is totally not interested in this sector. Actually the rural Muslim has little scope or interest in business. It is only 3.42 per cent of the total rural Muslim population is engaged in business sector taking it as prime occupation. Service sector is the third important sector in order of the proportion of engagement of the rural Muslim population of Dhubri district and it provides opportunity to 20.82 per cent of them. There are 61 persons in service sector taken it as prime occupation out of whom 19 are males and 42 are females.

In the urban area of the Muslim dominated part of Dhubri district there are 22 persons who have prime occupation to maintain their family. There are 12 males and 10 females of the Muslim urban population in Dhubri district of Assam. In the Muslim dominated urban area of the district the working population mostly has taken wage earning as their prime occupation. There are 5 numbers of male wage earner and 7 numbers of female wage earner who have taken it as prime occupation. Service sector is engaging 59.09 per cent of the working population of the urban Muslim population of Dhubri district and it is seen from the data available that the male constituent is 5 and the female constituent is 8. The business sector is another which has given the opportunity of engagement.

The Muslim populations of Dhubri district are mostly rural and economically backward. Their occupation is traditional in nature and they have more than one occupation to maintain their family. The second occupation is considered as

The subsidiary occupation of the Muslim working population of Dhubri district are classified into agriculture, wage earning, business, service and livestock, diary etc. 22.68 per cent of the total work force engaged in subsidiary occupation are taking agriculture as their subsidiary occupation and 71 persons of the Muslim population is in this sector. The highest number of person has undertaken wage earning as subsidiary occupation and it is 184 out of whom 101 are male and 83 are female. The proportion of the Muslim population undertaken wage earning as secondary occupation is 58.78 per cent of the total. Actually, the cultivators in their off season time engage in wage earning and they are the person who takes it as subsidiary occupation. Business sector is another scope for taking as subsidiary occupation by the Muslim population of the district and 8 male persons are engaged in this sector. Service sector is taken up as another scope and 49 people are engaged in this sector considering as subsidiary occupation.

304 people have taken up different occupation as subsidiary in the rural Muslim dominated area and out of whom 204 are male and 100 are female.71 people have chosen agriculture as their second occupation in addition to their prime occupation to earn their livelihood and expected income. In addition to their first occupation 162 people have second choice of occupation and there are 87 number of male and 75 number of female to take wage earning as subsidiary occupation. 23.36 per cent of the population who has subsidiary occupation earns taking wage earning as subsidiary occupation in the rural Muslim dominated area. Service sector is the third preferred sector in which 09 male and 25 female out of 34 persons have the choice and opportunity to take it as subsidiary occupation in addition to their formal occupation. The female take service sector as their preferred subsidiary occupation. Business sector is not in the preferred list may be due to non-availability or unwillingness to choice it. The char-chapori dweller of the Muslim dominated rural area fishing was one of the prime occupations but due to the non-availability of fish in the river and beel, they are forced to other sector and still some of them have continued fishing as subsidiary occupation. In livestock and diary sector a portion of the population is engaged but in subsidiary form.

Distribution in terms of urban category of the population engaged in different types of subsidiary occupations the highest per cent of them are engaged in wage earning manual labour source of income and is 52.38 per cent of this category. Second preference is found in service sector with 35.72 per cent of them. In service sector the female participation rate is more and nine out of 17 urban female work in this sector as subsidiary occupation. In the wage earning sector a total of 8 female has taken part from the 17 urban female of Muslim population of Dhubri district of Assam.

In the table it is seen that in the earning population category there are 315 numbers of people found and it is 27.87 per cent of total population of the sample from the Muslim populations of Dhubri district of Assam. The male and female earners are not equal in numbers as there are 208 males and 107 females. The female earners are mostly private school teachers, tutors, wage earners and engaged in other subsidiary occupation. The earning dependents are another group of earners those earn a little to contribute to the income of the family and they are the dependents class of population in actual and practical term. It is found in the field work study that there are 142 numbers of earning dependents out of them 37 are male and 105 are female. 12.57 per cent of the total population of the sample is earning dependents. In the non-earning dependent category, the survey report reveals that 298 male and 191 female constitute 589 persons are in the tally of 0-15 years of age and 60 and above years of age. But in the table 29 male and 55 female are also added up to get the total figure signifies that these are the

The population from whom the sample is taken up for study is categories into rural and urban and the Muslim of rural area bears the character in the same line as 27.59 per cent of the rural population is the income earner class. There are 36 male and 103 female in the earning dependent category signify that the rural female have more part time work to put forward their helping hand in the income of the family. The earning dependents constitute 13.09 per cent of the rural population. The non-earning dependent of the rural area dominated by Muslim population of Dhubri district is also categorically classified and found that 59.32 per cent of the total populations are non-earning dependents. In this category 281 male and 273 female are dependent by age and 25 male and 51 female are otherwise non-earning dependents.

The urban population of the Muslim dominated Dhubri district has more proportion to the earner group of the rural counterpart. There are 12 male and 10 female added up to 22 earners in the The non-earning dependents are also more and it is 35 in number out of which 17 is male and 18 is female in the dependent age group and 4 male and 4 female comprises 8 from other age group. It is seen in the table that 21 male and 22 female non-dependent people constitute 63.24 per cent of the total population taken up for study.

Income earners are that section of population those has to shoulder the actual burden of the economy. A developed economy consists of high proportion of income earner in the sense of quality as well as quantity. On the other hand, in an economy like Assam, the proportion of income earner is less in number as well as quality. The income earner of Muslim population of Dhubri district bears deplorable character. The distribution of income earning proportion of Muslim population of the district is done in the tune that there are 315 income earners and among them 208 are male and 107 are female. In the recent days the female participation to the income earning class is encouraging and in Muslim women come forward due to opening up of new scope in the locality like private educational institutions. In the sample survey in Muslim dominated rural area of Dhubri district 196 males and 97 females are found as income earner. The educated female population in the age group of working population is coming out of home to teach in the private educational institutions though they get minimum return in the remote villages also. In the urban category, 12 males and 10 females are earning for the family.

The survey is conducted among the Muslim population of the district and the data so collected reveals that there are some earning dependent that are basically dependent but contribute something to the income of the family. The earning dependents are the income earner with minimum contribution and they are also the burden of the working population those are earning for the family. There are 142 numbers of earning dependents found in the survey and out of them 37 are male and 105 are female. The earning dependent are more in rural category as 139 numbers of rural earning dependents have 36 male and 103 female. In the urban category there are 03 total persons earning dependents out of which 01 is male and 02 are female.

There are 703 numbers of Non-earning dependents found among the Muslim population of the district in the sample survey. In this 703 non-earning dependent 589 are the total populations in the age group 0-15 years of age and the population in the age group of 60 plus of

persons. In the rural category there are 326 numbers of male and 324 numbers of female non-earning dependents and the total non-earning dependents are 630. There are 554 numbers of actual non-earning dependents in the category age and 76 numbers of people is included here from the working force age but are not working. In the urban category there are 43 non-earning dependents found in the survey. Though the number is 43 but 35 are from the dependent age group and 8 are from the working population age group. The male is 17 plus 4 and the female is 18 plus 4.

There are 14 numbers of household out of 281 sample size taken from the Muslim population in Dhubri district those earn less than ten thousand rupees per annum. In the income group of range ten to thirty thousand rupees per annum there are 85 numbers of household. In the next range of thirty thousand to fifty thousand of annual income earner there are 76 numbers of household. In the range of fifty thousand to seventy five thousand there are 56 numbers, seventy five to one lakh there are 15 and in the group of more than one lakh there are 29 numbers of household. The population size is 1130 persons from 281 household, so each household consists of average four persons and the income earning household in the range Rs.75000 to 100000 also virtually earns per capita income of Rs.20000 to Rs.22000. The household in the earning group of Rs.50000 to Rs75000 have an average per capita income is Rs15625 per annum and it is clear to derive that 252 household out of 281 sample size is under the poverty line. It is evident from the analysis of the data that 89.68 per cent of the Muslim population of Dhubri district earns equal to or less than Rs.10225 in average and 84.34 per cent of the population earns equal to or less than Rs.9527 per annum and are living below the poverty line in economic sense.

For the very purpose of the study, information is collected through direct observation, questionnaire, interview and discussion with the people of 281 household taken as sample. Information also collected from Books, Journals, periodicals etc. i) The study finds that dependency ratio of the Muslim population of Dhubri district is 52.12 per cent of the total Muslim population of the district. ii) The study reveals that out of 1130 people from whom data is collected 27.87 per cent (315) people earn and manage the family and categorized as earner. Other 12.57 per cent (142) are also earning few to contribute to the income of the family is termed as earning dependent and remaining 59.56 per cent of population (673) are fully dependent upon the income of others and named after non-earning dependent. iii) The investigation find out that the occupational structure of the Muslim population is not similar to that of the State as 45.6 per cent of the Muslim working population is engaged in primary sector with 31.92 per cent as cultivator and 13.03 per cent as agricultural labour. In the secondary sector 26.39 per cent of the working population is engaged comprising 4.89 per cent as mining labour, 2.6 per cent as manufacturing labour and 18.89 per cent as construction labour. The tertiary sector covers 28.01 per cent of the worker out of which 24.11 per cent of them is engaged in service sector and the remaining 3.9 per cent in business. iv) The occupational mobility among the Muslim population from agricultural sector to other sector particularly in the wage earning sector like construction v) An important fact revealed from the study that a portion of the people of the district is engaged themselves in some subsidiary work to earn to meet the need. A total of 313 people earn from subsidiary work viz. agriculture (71 persons), wage earning (184 persons), service (49 persons), business (08 persons) and other (01) out of whom 196 are male and 117 are female found in the study. vi) Another important fact reveals from the study that poverty is a ‗never failing friend‘ of the Muslim people of the locality. 89.68 per cent of the people earn less than Rs.10, 225 per annum and 84.34 per cent of them earn Rs.9, 527 per annum and it is easy to assess that 89.68 per cent of the Muslim people of Dhubri are living below the poverty line. In this micro study the first hand data on the nature of economic problems of the people of this area have been collected from different wings. It has been found that the people of this area enjoy very little economic opportunities. This condition is also reflected in their educational attainments. The degree of indebtedness of the people is also alarming. The people of this area have very little land and that is why, they were partially or totally dependent on some subsidiary occupation. All these indicate an acute economic backwardness of the Muslim people of the district. It is obvious from the study that due to lack of proper strategy, this area is lying in the vicious circle of poverty. The public authority should come forward and should adopt a direct intervention to alleviate poverty and to mobilize the human resource available, which would help the community to have a better standard life.

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Assistant Professor, Hatsingimari College, Hatsingimari, District-South Salmara Mankachar, Assam