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The Real Message of "Slumdog Millionaire"

I found "Slumdog Millionaire," nominated for best picture, an uplifting film. It tells the story, sorely needed in these times of economic despair, of a young man making good in spite of incredible odds. If Jamal Malik can overcome such severe handicaps of birth and circumstance, the film conveys, then despair is unwarranted.

Set in rapidly growing India, "Slumdog Millionaire" displays the best and worst sights that India has to offer. The glitter of the country is visible - -- plush cars, swanky apartment blocks, high-tech TV studios - -- as is its filth.

Many among India's elites are upset about this public viewing of their country's less glittery side. They are justifiably proud of what their nation has achieved over the past two decades. Their leaders no longer roam the world with a begging bowl looking for aid. Instead, the world is coming to India and China looking for investment opportunities.

Also, many fewer Indians live in acute poverty compared to 40 years ago. So what good does it do to lionize shantytown dwellers and emphasize the meagerness of their existences?

Well, for one thing, India's rising economic tide is not lifting all boats equally. Those born poor tend to remain less well-off, regardless of how smart or hardworking they might be. Jamal Malik succeeds through a combination of talent, hard work and sheer good fortune, but those with whom he grew up are condemned to less bountiful lives -- some turning to crime, others begging on Mumbai's streets.

As part of my research for a book that examines the dynamics behind poverty, I tracked down thousands of people in three parts of India who recently moved out of poverty. In the majority of these cases, improvements were slim. They were street vendors, chauffeurs, maids, itinerant repairmen, lorry loaders, messengers and day laborers. Not one among a randomly selected sample of 150 software engineers in Bangalore was born into a poor household. Despite the nation's spike in aggregate achievement, many Indians lack for opportunity.

Similar trends are visible in other developing countries. World Bank data show that between 1981 and 2005 the number of people living in acute poverty (below $1.25 per day) fell by 500 million worldwide. Yet, this entire reduction seems to have been absorbed by the ranks of the near-poor: Over the same period, the number of people living between $1.25 and $2 increased by 600 million.

In modern economies, only the well-fed and best-trained can compete successfully. As Nobel Prize-winner Amartya Sen notes, "It is hard to participate in the expansionary process of the market mechanism (especially in a world of globalized trade) if one is illiterate and unschooled, or if one is weakened by undernourishment and ill-health."

Below a certain threshold, one's life chances get drastically reduced. One cannot hope to become a successful financial analyst or computer engineer without mastering algebra and calculus in high school. In India and many other developing countries, more than 70 percent of teenagers do not even enter high school because it is too far away or too expensive, or because they are woefully unprepared to compete. Additionally, childhood diseases go untreated. Talents get hobbled at an early age.

The collective narratives that hold societies together invariably reward those who work hard and live honestly. Log-cabin-to-White-House is not just an American dream; other stable societies share similar visions. Rising social unrest in India and China indicates that instead of grousing about the ugly underbelly which "Slumdog Millionaire" exposes, elites need to sit up and pay more attention.

Enriching opportunities available to capable individuals - -- no matter where they happen to be born - -- should become a central part of public policies. Progress toward this goal can start by investing in better school quality and improved health care. Information is another important need. Institutions providing reliable career-related information -- such as counseling centers, employment exchanges, college guides and vocational centers -- simply do not exist within poorer communities, so people remain unaware of what they can aspire to become.

Over and over, in my interviews with poor mothers and fathers, I was brought back to one essential fact: One's own poverty is easier to bear if the future for one's children appears bright. As I watch the Oscars Sunday night, I will be pulling for "Slumdog Millionaire" and hoping its take-home message -- that talent is abundant within poor communities, but it needs to be connected with better opportunities - -- resonates with people worldwide.