Trapped in Poverty: Chronic Poor in Remote Tribal Areas

Based on research in India, Trapped in Poverty goes beyond the all-too-familiar statistical exercises based on Below Poverty Line (BPL) statistics. With the help of a well-designed field investigation, the book provides a ground level view of the poor. It builds on existing concepts and research in recognizing the heterogeneity and differentiation among the poor — and even the non-poor — in remote and backward rural communities. Without this recognition, it is easy to underestimate the barriers confronting the change agents intervening in poor Indian communities from outside, particularly those with an urban background and who belong to the developed world. Trapped in Poverty shows how to obtain a mapping of the rural context for checking the relevance and usefulness of the development strategy and the benefits it could confer on the poor.