I deserve it. Brands give me a certain status .They give me a sense of reassurance and to the fact that u don’t have to think about the quality. And mind U I have earned that.
But is it all so simple and clear?
Consider this …There is no sense of guilt when it comes to downloading pirated software or music but when it comes to buying books on the street then it is about ethics. Rather buy from authorized ones than buying on the street.
To think of it…it’s a mix of badge value and a certain hypocrisy which is there in every one of us. As long as the brands have badge value, it doesn’t matter where they are coming from. Whether it’s the Levis slim fit from a Seconds store or a n Amartya Sen classic from a street vendor, both have badge value and they both tell you a lot about the owner of the same. We set standards for ourselves and strive hard to measure to them. However, its difficult to match the same.
So why the double standard?
There are 2 dimensions to this. One is about taking the moral high ground while the other is a bit complex.
The other flows from a certain philosophy which in ingrained in today’s generation. A generation that has reaped the benefits of the new globalised economy and who on their individual talent/kills have managed to make the most of it. However, at one level, this has also brought in a sense of arrogance and self-righteousness in them. Instead of considering themselves fortunate (In a country where just 25 % of the population can afford to be a PG, Where University fees are 1/10th of their global counter-parts, ) these guys are involved in government bashing complaining the poor infrastructure and the corrupted bureaucracy .Not even once will there be any discussion about elevating poverty, or the right of these people of access to health education etc. These guys are obsessed with the latest technology/fashion and betterment of their lives .Narrow minded self interests (Making Shanghai out of Mumbai) not even considering the fact that 50 %of the city’s population stays in slums and you ‘l need to address their rehabilitations. What is important to them is the showcasing of India to the globall world. Hence the need for Expessways. Big dams like Narmada/Tehri that enable electricity and irrigation. But nobody has the answer as to Who’s development?. What about the displacement of lakhs of ppl along the dams, their rehabilitation. oes neone care? Not even for to bear in mind that general apathy towards other people and a feeling of
The same attitude is reflected in the way people have started reacting to political parties and their agendas. Modi is considered to be the hero when it comes to development and his no nonsense style of working is drawing applauds from his severest opponents. Others have started projecting him the future PM of the country. Forgeting the fact that the same person was indicted by the SC and who is unapologetic about the mass pogrom that was unleashed on the minority community in 2002.
No wonder. This general apathy of the middle class towards others and an attitude that serves their narrow interest
When vendors selling utility items come at your doorstep. They are greeted with Trespassers will be prosecuted. Simultaneously, there is a demand to clear footpaths get rid of these vendors who sell street food and other utility items.
There are a nuisance and intrusion to your daily (private) life. Not even thinking fro a moment that they are providing usl service at our doorstep, one that we need to appreciate rather than crib.
Parallely, likes of Reliance and Tata’s entering thereis a the Retail Revolution primarily providing the same services however in a more organized and better environment.
The entry of these firms will guarantee economies of scale and hence lower prices. Thus ultimately bringing down the cost per item...
Well the larger problem is how do you ensure in a country like ours
Is Consumer as the king the right philosophy ?
Why is this important is because as a source of employment it plays a very imp role. In a country with abysmally low literacy levels, a large % of population is dependent on physical skills whether agricultural labourers or blue collar workers in factories
Consider a few stats…” 26 % of the population is below the poverty line. Manufacturing sector contributes to just 20% of GDP , this workforce is primarily composed of unorganized labor which has very few skill sets. When it comes to health , education and human development we rank below sub-saharan economies>
On the other hand services sector demands certain basic skill sets and only the educated can derive benefit out of it whether is retail malls or BPO's.
Then the moot question again comes to in a country where there is such a huge disparity between the rich and the poor and where 40 %of the population has access to meals only once, what can be done?
The conventional way to go about that is letting the government decide...It is not my problem...I pay the taxes every year and if they are not contributing towards betterment of other people a and are filling their own coffers it is only that much I can do..
So the question them remains that if people are going to buy only branded clothes, what happens to the numerous thelas and vendors who supply fruits and vegetables at your doorstep. Those who have very little or no education but rely on such work like buying in wholesale market and selling to consumers…
What will happen to them post the Reliance fresh and Subhikshas of the world.
The solution is quite simple. No rocket-science, no government intervention, no complicated and convoluted policies but a simple and straightforward way.
But often such solutions are either overlooked or people find it so simplistic, they become
Also it’s more than a solution, it is a philosophy.. a way of life. Also need to understand that ther are ways to life.
However I fell even at the individual level there’s a lot that can be done. The simplest way to-do that is to ensure that the money goes to the bottom of the pyramid. In an economy which is still a developing one and is not a perfect economy as well ethics come in secondary and primary to all this is how can you create employment...
So whether it is buying books at the traffic signal or buying pirated music on the roads. You should go ahead and buy those...because if as a society u cannot guarantee employment to others nor can u provide them opportunity. We as (informed) consumers
Should intervene.
Hence the choice that we make can change all this. We are a 400 million class who are the primary beneficiaries of the 90’s globalization era. We have benefited enormously
Whether it is better products and services or access to education and new employment opportunities. But what keeps us occupied today is world of branded products and the status, imagery associated with that. Also today it is about personal growth and advancement at the cost of other things. Everything is seen through the lense of consumption and hence assigned all that comes with Money. Hedonism rules and there no guilt attached with it.
Considering all these, the task becomes even more daunting.
