IT paying middle class- Celebration of deracination from humane concerns is unethical.

 

 

Late better than never, the love for IT paying middle class which was taunted as muddle class.

 

When, I read heading as ‘post COVID economic priorities of the FM?’

 

Better late than never

 

Some of the items mentioned are true. Some are not. I am not even a student of economics but an ordinary citizen who observes things and likes to share the observations. I am forced to repeat certain statements ad nauseum to reiterate certain facts which often get brushed aside in hyper enthusiastic justification.

It is easy to resort to unloving criticism or uncritical love and Indians are known for both extremes.

 

In retrospect if there are improvements and success, then, all faults and failures are forgiven or forgotten. It is like, if the best batsman of the team plays a stupid when is in his single digit and the fields misses a very easy catch and the batsman goes on to score a century that leads to the victory everyone praises the ton scored by the batsman. Whereas, if he had been caught followed by a poor performance by the others, then we all blame that good batsman for throwing away his wickets.

 

However, there is an undeclared fact that in large democracies the difference between the ruling party and the government is very thin and therefore, the political ideology or idiocy, governance or full-fledged corruption manifest depending on which party rules. Therefore, hidden agenda cannot be ruled out i.e., Delhi and Bihar elections, especially where anti-AAP sentiment has set in at last but still the majority of youth earning less than a lakh per month felt that with the soaring cost of living along with taxes beyond 7 lakhs was not getting them any financial breathing space or money left in hand power to invest, save or spend [in all these most of the present day youth are smarter than the previous generations-who only thought of saving].

 

When, I read heading as ‘post COVID economic priorities of the FM?’.

 

There were a few excellent measure executed by the government during the COVID pandemic itself our government instinctively realised the immediate actual required action on priority basis and took care of the needs of the poor [ huge a few crores in number] through free ration of provisions and the digital payment enabled the middle class as well to manage somehow [ especially when compared to the abysmal handling by many countries in the world from the poor economies to the richest ones.

However, when the post Covid sigh of relief emerged, one of the first things that the FM announced was something weird but need of the hour i.e., she realised that certain areas of consumption have obviously stagnated and caused a dent in the economy which may be addressed through some remedial measure within the limited option available. So, FM declared that all those employees, who obviously could not travel for almost two years of COVID and added phobia, may opt to use their LTC even enhanced up to 3 lakhs for purchase of any home needs products like refrigerator, television, air conditioners, Vehicles etc. Though this benefit was for a few eligible employees of offices where they had LTC facilities, anyway it was better than none. What could have been the main intention or idea behind that measure ‘to encourage consumption to spur economic growth’ [ though the FM in her wisdom would have realised that it was a tiny part, albeit a necessary one, among the whole lot of things that go on to spur the economic growth].

 

Here the key terms are, ‘encourage consumption to spur economic growth [while acting as one more vital aspect of revenue as well]’, after that in all the following budgets the same FM not only never thought about this aspect, but in addition created few unwarranted curtails on government employees going on overseas tour [ tourism is one of the most important and easiest way for people to explore other cultures and nations, what aspects of life are better in our country and what we are lacking in it etc., this is some basic right of all citizens. It is unfortunate that in our country real tourism promotion is the most neglected aspect even to pilgrimage centres-no other country with such long beaches, wonderful mountain ranges will remain indifferent to developing or promoting any tourism related better infrastructure.

 

So, that way the aspect of providing means of enhancing consumption has been delayed but at least now for whatever reason has been implemented in a small way. It does not require a great economist to decipher nor is it a rocket science to know that any extra money /income left in the hands of middle class will come back into the economy through these three fundamental things Savings, Expenditure and Investment [ not necessary in that order or same proportion].

 

So, better late than never, better some small step than slumber of all these years of missed opportunities [ both for economy and political dividends] but more needs to be done rather than taxing popcorn flavours and chasing roadside Paani poori vendors when those who have looted in millions are let to lead luxurious life overseas.

Middle Class :- Lester Thurow says, "A healthy middle class is necessary to have a healthy political democracy. A society made up of rich and poor has no mediating group either politically or economically.”

Again, the same author writes, "Change requires individuals who recognise that new things can be done and who take the initiative to get them done ... The existing bureaucracies, public and private, will not take on the job of changing what is".

I wrote the following in one of my blog posts on Middle class few years ago.

"Poverty is never an excuse for achieving one's dreams".

While I agree with the message wholeheartedly, I think it's also indicative of the sick mentality to celebrate poverty.

We all must praise and empathize with individuals who come up in their life and go on to scale great heights in different realms despite poverty and societal pressure driven hardships.

We as a nation, especially, the rich, upper middle class, governments of all parties, corporate CSR holders, NRIs all must feel ashamed at poverty levels ( in a country aspiring to become a super power) along with hyper conservative attitudes, a hoard of other irresponsible behaviours, our grand indifference all put together.

Not that disparities do not exist in other nations. Not that poverty is not used as very useful pawn by every religion, political system in addition to other pawns of race, caste, gender biases.

When disparities and discriminations are paraded either as virtues or objects of sympathy one must realize that behind the prolonged parading of such status lurks a sense of deprivations and insecurities which will turn into potential dynamites for revolts.

Mere superficial lip sympathies, periodic patronizing doting of freebies and praise when people from such backgrounds achieve some success alone will not do.

Collectively from 1950 the total number of MLAs and MP every time when they got elected if they have laid just 5 small roads properly , provided electricity to one small part of a village we could have had 20,00,000 well laid roads and 4 lakh small villages with electricity. The basic necessities for life. This applies not only to politicians but all others in the list mentioned earlier. If only we had a real humanitarian attitude from all those, ours is perhaps the only country which could easily become a poverty free nation.

Social welfare comes about not through political ideology peddling, religious preaching, or a multitude of economic systems but through a sense of social responsibility beyond and besides those social engineering tools.

History has been witness to poverty swing between two populist extreme ideologies:- one socio-economic political dispensation capitalizing on sensationalized victimhood peddling while other socio-economic political dispensation using its capital to trade off pecuniary benefits for inhuman treatment, hard labor and stripping the poor of self respect.

The least we can do is to abuse and to find fault with the community that has delayed the blossoming of such talents and subjected such talents to unnecessary hardships.

Let us not resort to over philosophize or to generalize or resort to comparisons of places worse than ours bla bla.

Celebration of Poverty is never a good thing. Celebration of deracination from humane concerns is unethical.

Any proposal that is put forth to change the status of the wretched problem of misery which has existed much before the famous ' Oliver Twist' and continues to haunt societies will sound obviously idealistic.

However, on progress I am a rational optimist and believe in possibilitarianism. Changes do happen either incrementally, gradually, spontaneously through the interactions and involvement of many at various levels through some developments observed across several societies where there has been a growing population of the middle class-the vital bridge between the poor and the rich. This bridge will strengthen by paying attention to the nuances of real values at multiple levels, be it healthy political democracy, protection of humanitarian concerns, value of the native culture , promoting arts, sports, scientific outlook etc.

The rich may not bother about most things unless their business and personal life are affected and the poor because of their dependence may not care for nuances and niceties as long as someone comes forward to help them come out of poverty.

The responsibility and relevance of the bridge between the two becomes vital in various aspects of a nation's economy, culture, collective socio-psychological behaviours etc.

As Lester Thurow says, "A healthy middle class is necessary to have a healthy political democracy. A society made up of rich and poor has no mediating group either politically or economically.”

Again, the same author writes, "Change requires individuals who recognise that new things can be done and who take the initiative to get them done ... The existing bureaucracies, public and private, will not take on the job of changing what is".

As existential priorities change, most identities of religion, region, race etc, may continue as they wish but will hopefully take a back seat as they should.