Ever wondered, while your lifestyle may have improved, your class remains same, poor or middle.
The privileged class, to make you feel better, will divide you further as lower middle, middle & higher middle class. To make you feel even better, a Bollywood star grown up outside Mumbai but with deep Bollywood connection will call himself middle class.
My grand father was known as Sheth, meaning business man, but he died middle class. My father joined army and is retired today with a house, pension and secured lifestyle. But he’s still middle class. I got decent education, earned salary of upward of Rs2L/Month before I quit rat race. But swear to god I am still a middle class. I may have a rich lifestyle, but I am still a middle class. And so are billions of people in India.
From each previous generation our lifestyle has improved. My grandfather rode a cycle for commute. My father Bajaj super and now a Maruti zen. I drive a 2.0 L engine Petrol car. But I can’t qualify as a rich guy or can’t even call myself on path to being rich.
So, why is this the case? Why do populations for generations remain in the same class, irrespective of better lifestyles? Answer is quite simply in the manifestos of the 2 major Indian political parties this 2019 election season.
Congress wants to yet again give freebies and add taxes to “manage” different classes. BJP wants to change the class of masses.
For far too long, leaders and political parties won elections purely in promise to deliver basic needs to 100 plus billion divided population. “Garibi Hatao” was the only constant.
From 2014 till 2019, majority population has received access to these basic amenities now. Like pakka house, gas cylinder, electricity and sanitation. To take away stress of taking care of poor ailing parents, which used to lead to children compromising their ideals and entering world of crime, has been reduced by rolling out Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Start up India, Mudra and other such schemes ensured easy availability of resources for those entrepreneurial citizens with limited assets.
GST, DeMo removed unfair advantages from the corrupt class. Better infrastructure, dependable internal security and policy making ensured better international reputation and easy FDI. Making business class comfortable with investing freely. In turn ensuring growing economy, restricted inflation and healthy competition.
Yet, congress by promising NYAY and compromised formulas on internal security has only played the same “Garibi Hatao” card. And that to, at the cost of making middle and business class anxious and insecure.
Middle class and poor class has remained same for generations, unless they opted to take risks and bend laws or break them with no disregard towards immediate society or nation.
This situation is still prevalent and can only change if there’s a clear vision for the country and a clear understanding of billion aspirations.
From developing to developed is truly a transformation of population from poor to middle and middle to rich class. Wealth creation vs monthly budget management is the difference between being rich and having a rich lifestyle. For far too long our lifestyle has improved but wealth creation was only possible for a small, not more than 10% of the population. And another 10% who vehemently broke laws or participated in anti national narrative, received opportunities to become rich.
BJP Sankalpa Patra, means a resolution, in my opinion for 2019, has captured this very essence and is a blue print for Indians to realize an opportunity of wealth creation as opposed to monthly budget management.
Simply earning more money doesn’t make one rich. Rich is being free of any stress towards devolving to a lower economical class. Rich is being able to live a rich lifestyle without having to resort to illegal activities or illegitimate risks. Rich is being able to take care of family without compromising in ideals. Rich is being able to work towards better lifestyle while cooperating in national development. Rich is being able to voice opinion without having to resort to PR mechanisms.
Simply put, rich is being able to live with dignity, comfort and an identity that you are.
And to create such opportunities, nation needs to be secured from external and internal rogue elements. Infrastructure needs to be scalable, modern and built with speed. And finally there needs to be an assurance of fair treatment towards all classes.
I think BJP resolution of 2019 has earned my vote and I am certain Narendra Modi’s work in last 5 years as PM and 12 plus years as CM has earned your support as well.
Let’s together build an India where billion aspirations get wheels and wings.
Jai Hind.