Boom. Recession. And the moral police

Moral policing has hit a new high (or low, actually). The moral brigade are now targeting men too. For wearing sleeveless tees !! So are they really trying to protect "Indian culture" ?

My guess is that they are just looking for an excuse, any excuse, to vent thier frustration. Why? Because they were left out of the last economic boom. They envy those who made money. And envy those who spend that money even more. Sometimes I wonder are they the only ones to blame ? Or are we equally at fault ?

There is definitely no justifications for their actions. You cannot go around town hitting and molesting people. For whatever reason.

But have we contributed to the overall situation ? I think so. I think it is a miracle that this did not happen sooner. And I would attribute that to karma. Fate. Religion. God. And the way Indians believe that their whole lives have been written out before they were even born. But even fate has its limitations.

Would you blame the doorman at the pub you went to last weekend for being envious of you ? He knows how much you spent. And he knows that he does not earn that much in a month. And feeds 5 maybe 10 mouths with that amount.

Or would you blame the waiter at that new restraunt you went to to celebrate your birthday and ran up a bill of more than 10 grand ? For 6 people ? That guy feeds 6 people for a whole month. And pays his rent. His electricity bill. His water bill. His childrens fees. His medical bills. In most cases on less that 10 grand a month !!

But that does not mean that we should stop going out and enjoying the money that we have honestly made thru' hard work, intelligence and perseverance. It is after all our money and we have every right to do what we want with it.

The problem is that the speed of change was very fast. And it left out most people in the bargain. The massive priorities given to IT & ITES in the past 8-10 years has ensured that though India has gained a prominent spot on the world map, it is only 1-2% of the population who have benefitted. And the balance 98% have been left out. So when a small part of that balance 98% get frustrated, I think we are all to blame.

We need to look at a more inclusive growth model. Develop education. Develop health care. Improve farming technics and bring in newer technology. Focus on manufacturing. And yes, also focus on IT, ITES and service. But definitely not one at the cost of others. We as individuals can make a difference. We need to get involved in the whole political system. And the first step is going out there and voting. And then engaging our representatives and demanding action. And change. And improvements. We cannot be mute specators and just sit back and complain. And hope that things change. Because they won't. Not if we don't do anything.

I vow to make a differnce in an indifferent world. And I hope that you do too.