Nothing is common about the common man

The ‘common man’ is now in the limelight - an unmistakable sign that elections are around the corner. While we find a lot of empathy for the aspirations and sufferings of the aam aadmi , there is no clear definition of who a commoner is. True, the term invariably brings up the image of the vest-clad old man in the timeless R.K. Laxman cartoons; but the social or financial profile of this oft-referred person is quite unclear. Let’s try to gauge who this aam admi really is.

How much does the common man earn? Data show that the average income of an Indian citizen was Rs 5,130 in 2011-12. Of these, 27 crore or around 22 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, defined as those earning below Rs 1,000 per month in urban areas (Rs 816 in rural areas). A chunk of the aam aadmi segment could therefore, be living a hand to mouth existence. Beyond that, there is not much light on income distribution from income tax data to find out the median or most commonly encountered income, as only 2.9 per cent of the population filed tax returns during 2011-12.

But what use is there in knowing the income, without insight into the living expenses? The average monthly consumption expense, estimated at Rs 2,630 in urban regions, is almost double the Rs 1,430 in rural areas, according to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). This wide urban-rural divide means we may need rural commoner and urban commoner profiles.

Not just that, there are also wide variations in the average income between states. For example, the average Goan is quite affluent, earning Rs 16,000 a month, while in Bihar, the figure stands at under Rs 2,000. This is according to data from CEIC, an economic data research organisation, which also shows that the per capita earnings gap has been on a rise.

Even the State-wise profile may not paint the full picture, as those of us with meagre incomes may be sitting on a pot of gold, real estate or other assets. The average Indian’s net worth in 2013 stands at $4,700 (around Rs 3 lakh), according to Credit Suisse Research Institute’s Global Wealth Report 2013. One can assume that those living below the poverty line do not have assets, which will bump up the average wealth. Also, only 0.4 per cent of the population (around 28 lakh people) hold assets of over $100,000 (around Rs 60 lakh), so the rich are quite rare in the population. Therefore, while Rs 3 lakh may be the average wealth, the everyday reality may be that the only asset held by the common person is the human capital.

Yet, the human asset does not mean muscle power, which may help vest some control over situations. If we try to arrive at a profile of the common man, we may find that he is not one who could wield political power at even a local level. He is also unlikely to be able to persuade an influential network to get a posting without merit or money. He is incapable of swaying the media to look at his issues.

He is even unable to get his rightful dues and may be forced to pay bribes. And he is not above the law and cannot escape punishment for his crimes, if any.

A common person is probably powerless, asset-poor, managing on a small monthly budget with expenses burgeoning beyond his income. You probably cannot tell him apart in a crowd; but in the system of government which is for the people, he emerges every five years and with an ink dot, lets his frustrations and aspirations be known.

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