By Jagmohan Parmar:
It all began with a small cup of tea. Bored with that tea (read water) we get in our hostel, I decided to visit this chai-walla on the roadside. I saw him prepare tea and pour it in a small glass for me and then chit-chat with other customers he had that evening. Trying to get along with the people around, and may be also trying to ignore about his meager income he earns from the stall.
We never notice such small chai-wallas, sabji-wallas, and rickshaw-wallas on the road that we pass by every day. It was not only Infy, Wipro, Tata or Ambani that was hit by the recession. The real impact was on these small people who lost their jobs on a per day basis and the government provided no help.
On being asked, he told me that this work fails to fulfill his basic necessities and there’s nothing else he can do to help himself. He has no money to hire people from outside and henceforth; he takes help from his two younger sons. That means there’s no education for them too! There are times when the municipal corporation employees come ringing their bell and he has to leave his stall and run away just to save himself from further hardships. And that gives rise to another bribe story. India is aiming double digit growth rate. But after meeting this man, I wonder where the growth is? Is this the development our politicians are taking pride in?
Ambanis still have big palatial houses to live in and also people in IT sector who lost their jobs, or dealt with some deductions in their salaries, can survive. They are still secured with basic necessities and a little more in their pockets. But what about these people? How will they survive? I did nothing for them just like you! But after my interview with this fellow I decided that I will open my own business to help such people. India needs young entrepreneurs, young ideas, and zestful people! And I fail to understand why we serve MNCs of other countries.
May be my firm will provide employment to some and yours to some — maybe we can make INDIA a better place to live!