The main thing holding back the poor are the poor themselves, because they continue to fall for the tatics of their leaders who are simply exploiting them for political gain.
Subsistence agriculture is, and always will be, doomed to failure. India's population is growing, but it's land area is not. If even today the farmers are having a hard time, it will be much harder for them in the future.
Their only hope is to increase their skills and education; which can only happen if India leaves subsistence agriculture behind, and embraces industrialization.
The level or industrialization in India is woefully low compared to other countries which were as under-developed as india 50 years ago (Korea, Taiwan, China, Maylasia, etc.). We can't blame the British anymore for this. We have to calmly and rationally ask what is the reason for this tragic state of affairs. IMO the main reason for this is obstacles that the govt puts in the way of business. For every 1 TATA which chose to stay, there will be at least 10 companies who will just give up; leaving the farmers and their corrupt leaders to bask in their hollow victory, so they can go back to farming their land, and their families can go back to a life of poverty and deprivation with no hope for the future.
