My friend called me up this morning. The same friend who was planning to get democracy into his house and was going to have elections etc. He is calling me after almost a year since I told him about his potatoes and potato chips and the investment from the next village, which he called foreign investment.
I was much interested to know what had happened about his democracy and elections and all.
‘Hi, where have you been? You did not call me after I gave you my considered opinion about potatoes. Did you forget me totally?’ I asked him.
‘No, no. After I started discussing your views with a few people, especially people who were going to be candidates in the elections, there was big problem. I was so angry with you for putting me in a spot with your opinions.’
‘But….’
‘I know… not your fault, of course. But then they asked me to take a couple of intellectuals with me and go to different villages and study their model of economy and then make a recommendation as to which model we should adopt. So I had been travelling all over during the year and that is why I couldn’t contact you all these days.’
‘So, you have now come back after your travels…?’
‘Yes, and now I want you to come here as soon as possible, because I want to tell you what all things happened after you left last time and I want you to help me recommend the right strategy.’
So, I reached my friend’s place.
‘Naradaa, things have become so complicated over last year.’
‘Grandpa is now all sold on this crazy investments. He had been inviting investors from all nearby villages. To add to it, every other prospective candidate for our election have started inviting people from other villages to put their money in ventures here… And if any of us talk against this, people almost throw stones at us.’
‘So, what is wrong? Your village is getting lot of money and your economy is booming!’
‘But everything we need in our life are becoming costlier… Our money have much reduced value than last year!’
‘So what? You are getting all good things! And if you want to enjoy good things, you have to pay a little more, no? Moreover, the people have choices. They can choose items from any nearby village. Either you make items as good as those and convince the people they are good or let people buy from wherever they want.'
'So now you are also changing sides.’
'No. I am saying when there are good things available from elsewhere, why do you bother to make them? You sit and relax....'
'But if we do not make things, we have to buy them. How to buy when we do not have money?'
'Oh, that is not a big worry. I told you last time. Loans will be arranged. Credit cards will be arranged. Some better jobs for you guys will be arranged to manage the beautiful stores, so you will have no problem.'
'Does it mean that you do not mind this invasion into our economy? Do you not mind our wealth being taken away?'
'May be Naradaa is disillusioned. What wealth? Unless you make some good quality things and sell either in your village or to other villages, you are not generating any wealth. Then what are you losing? And until you start generating it, you sell them potatoes and get excellent potato chips. Why worry?'
I was much interested to know what had happened about his democracy and elections and all.
‘Hi, where have you been? You did not call me after I gave you my considered opinion about potatoes. Did you forget me totally?’ I asked him.
‘No, no. After I started discussing your views with a few people, especially people who were going to be candidates in the elections, there was big problem. I was so angry with you for putting me in a spot with your opinions.’
‘But….’
‘I know… not your fault, of course. But then they asked me to take a couple of intellectuals with me and go to different villages and study their model of economy and then make a recommendation as to which model we should adopt. So I had been travelling all over during the year and that is why I couldn’t contact you all these days.’
‘So, you have now come back after your travels…?’
‘Yes, and now I want you to come here as soon as possible, because I want to tell you what all things happened after you left last time and I want you to help me recommend the right strategy.’
So, I reached my friend’s place.
‘Naradaa, things have become so complicated over last year.’
‘Grandpa is now all sold on this crazy investments. He had been inviting investors from all nearby villages. To add to it, every other prospective candidate for our election have started inviting people from other villages to put their money in ventures here… And if any of us talk against this, people almost throw stones at us.’
‘So, what is wrong? Your village is getting lot of money and your economy is booming!’
‘But everything we need in our life are becoming costlier… Our money have much reduced value than last year!’
‘So what? You are getting all good things! And if you want to enjoy good things, you have to pay a little more, no? Moreover, the people have choices. They can choose items from any nearby village. Either you make items as good as those and convince the people they are good or let people buy from wherever they want.'
'So now you are also changing sides.’
'No. I am saying when there are good things available from elsewhere, why do you bother to make them? You sit and relax....'
'But if we do not make things, we have to buy them. How to buy when we do not have money?'
'Oh, that is not a big worry. I told you last time. Loans will be arranged. Credit cards will be arranged. Some better jobs for you guys will be arranged to manage the beautiful stores, so you will have no problem.'
'Does it mean that you do not mind this invasion into our economy? Do you not mind our wealth being taken away?'
'May be Naradaa is disillusioned. What wealth? Unless you make some good quality things and sell either in your village or to other villages, you are not generating any wealth. Then what are you losing? And until you start generating it, you sell them potatoes and get excellent potato chips. Why worry?'
very true!
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