The problem of want or poverty has haunted human beings, in some form or other, since the beginning of their abode on this planet, and efforts have been made by them from time immemorial to secure relief from it. The quest for security and freedom from want and distress has been the consistent urge of man through ages. Thus, from the cave age till date, the story of evolution of mankind is in fact a saga of continuous search for security. The problem has remained the same through the centuries, but its form has changed with the changes in economic and social circumstances.
The pre-historic man fought against the forces and creatures of nature to protect himself. The man in the Stone Age struggled for security by taking shelter in a cave. Gradually, security was strengthened by the formation of groups within which, all its members shared the common risks.
In the course of time, forms of security changed to meet particular needs. Man derived security from the possession of land and livestock. The earliest planned economy in India was agricultural economy, which gave rise to the system of the joint family. The joint family is the poor man's main and often sole form of security in sickness and old age. It assured the education of the children. Industrial economy gradually supplanted the pure agricultural economy resulting in the disintegration of the joint family system. With the advent of Industrial Revolution first in England, and thereafter in other countries including India, man became an individual unit. Today, he finds his security in money power, which enables him to buy food, clothing, shelter and other necessities of life. |
