On the other hand, there is a group of programming languages that explicitly prohibits memory management, i.e. they have no pointer concept. For example, the Java and .NET family. Don't even count the script languages.
That's true but, for instance .net applications often feel clumsy and slow (unless on a very, very fast machine) the same is often true of Java programs. Of course, for simple things they do ok but, when it comes to real programs they inevitably fall short of the mark.
I like and use AWK relatively often and, for some things it is wonderful but, I don't see something like Oracle or Photohop written in AWK given its totally absent facilities to manage memory.
Some programmers should work on their aversion towards pointers. It's like an airline pilot being afraid of flying.