Potatoes and Potato Chips

My friend called me this morning. Yes, the same friend of the big joint family, I wrote once about.

‘What is happening? How is the new democracy progressing?’

‘Naradaa, we are in big trouble. I think you must make a visit here at once.’

‘Me? Why and what can I do?’

‘Look, no excuses. You must come. We have a few guests here and there is trouble brewing.’

So, Naradaa sat in the lazy chair and set off.

Naradaa met the two guests who had come from some remote village. Actually they were invited by someone in the family who had gone to their village and came back highly impressed.

‘My cousin was so impressed by that village – he says it is like a paradise. So he invited them and he is requesting them to make our village also prosperous. And they said that the whole system here must  change. They have almost convinced grandpa about the changes.’ My friend said.

‘What kind of changes?’ Naradaa asked.

My friend said he asked them and this was their answer. ‘See, your Grandpa, for example is spending lot of time, money and effort for the villagers. But what actually happens is the situation of the villagers remains the same. No improvement. Have you got any good roads here? Any good clean shop where one can go and buy things. And is there anything you can see actually worth buying? Is there any good school? Of course, you have got a school. But with no proper study, how can they go out into the world?’

‘Well, I thought you are all happy with what you have. Maybe yes… some good roads, maybe a little better power supply. Little bit cleaner shops, yes. But these are things you can do with some effort, if everyone cooperates. What other changes your guests want?’

‘You see, all the things they produce are very well packed and look very clean and desirable. They want to make good clean shopping centers here and bring those beautiful-looking products and sell here. So people in our village can have the best of products, they say.’

‘Can’t we make good products?’ Naradaa asked.

‘Of course, we can. But do we take enough care to make them really looking so clean and beautiful? Just for example, if one of our guys makes potato chips, he doesn’t care to put it in a nice beautiful package. The shop also would just put them in a glass jar.’

‘But normally it will be sold off in one or two days. Why should you increase the cost by putting them in a packet, keep for three months and sell after three months? And what happens to the potatoes that your guys grow here?’

‘Oh, grandpa will make an agreement with them that they will buy those potatoes.’

‘I see, so you can give them the potatoes and buy potato chips from them, as if you can’t make potato chips …’

‘But they are insisting that we do not know to make good quality potato chips …. And they have given some nicely packed chips to Grandpa and he is almost getting convinced.’

‘What if they say your potatoes are no good and to get good quality chips they have to use their own potatoes?’

‘That is a risk, of course. But every venture will have some risk, no?’

‘But why are they doing it? Why are they so generous?’

‘Oh, they are going to invest good money in making beautiful air-conditioned shops etc. So part of the profit they will have to take, no?’

‘Of course, that is only reasonable and fair! What are the reactions from different family members?’

‘Oh, we are almost becoming two groups. One For and one Against…. That is all! There is no reasoning. That is why Naradaa, you have to advise me. If Grandpa tells them like – look, our guys are no good and will not be able to make such good beautiful products. So, you better bring them from there or you come here and make them - What will our guys do?’

‘You can grow potatoes, can’t you? And then you can sit and relax and have a leisurely munch! And if you do not have enough money to buy the chips, don’t worry, they will have many schemes to give you loans etc…. They will take care of everything!’