I had the unfortunate task of ferrying a friend to the liquor store a few days ago, and instead of waiting outside, I stepped inside the store. I was surprised to see the shopkeeper charge him double the price for an Indian brand of wine. I couldn’t help it, so I started to look all over the bottle to find the MRP and to my surprise, I couldn’t see it. The shopkeeper simply said “this is how much we charge” Period. My friend paid, as if it was no big deal. He was completely oblivious to the actual price , or to what just took place.
This post isn’t about a shopkeeper overcharging for wine.
This is about the city I live in. The problem lies in the inhabitants of this city and their mindset. Surprised?
Gurgaon , has transformed in to a mini city populated with major corporations and people who are employed in these corporations. I’m not going to try and give a demographic profile, but I will list what these people go through, because I am one of them.
Young people have comparatively more ‘perceived disposable income’ and less time. They feel proud of the money they make, the life they lead and why shouldn’t they? They don’t like hassles. I come across people who are proud to announce that they work 12 hours a day, and spend another hour commuting, so they don’t have any time whatsoever for anything else. They are so happy to pay a premium or get charged more for anything or everything, and feel proud they can afford it.
They feel proud because they feel it separates them from the rest, it marks a shift from what their parents had to go through and they confuse this with prosperity, in the quality of life sphere.
They begin to further confuse this convenience with peace and happiness – which is even dumber.
Somehow, in their knowhow of things, awareness of their ‘society and rights as citizens’, is so fucking LOW, its appalling!
In Gurgaon, most neighborhood’s have private security, lots of electricity they consume is privately generated. People prefer to use private courier / postal service. Anyone who can afford private healthcare [ the people I am referring to certainly can and do] goes for it, along with private education for their children, if and when they manage to produce and nurture them with the help of multiple nanny’s.
So, I can debate the fact that I should build a case to pay less tax to the state. Because the basic civic amenities that I need are being met by me PAYING Extra money for, to private players! I don’t mind paying a federal tax, but I certainly hate the fact that indirectly I am also paying tax to the state of Haryana, for which I’m getting zilch!
Don’t worry I won’t bore you with the economics.
I’ll leave you with a general mindset in Gurgaon. Local people think that the new inhabitants have more money, lets charge them for it, they always agree to pay.
People who work in big glass buildings – I’m not from here, I don’t know how it works, I just wanna get on with it and can afford to do so. My money is good for what it’ll fetch me!
I often remind these people that they live in a bubble, and bubbles always burst, and when it bursts there is chaos. Collectively, we need to correct what is happening. And will it begin by shedding our self proclaimed financial prosperity and material progress. People need time to think about life, others, introspect and act – that is the essence of life isn’t it?
Irony ; the young people we consider educated, pillars of society and agents of change, continue to live in oblivion. What they don’t realize is that they are not buying convenience; they are selling their right.
They are certainly not behaving ‘young’
This is what scares me.
