The Middle (class)

Was written on 29th Jan 2010

The word itself is a reminder of the class system in India. And it defines a group of a people who really don’t exist. There can always be someone richer or poorer than you and that way you could always remain in the middle. Or by the same logic or denial you can decide to never be a part of that class by being rich or poor.  The only way I can define the middle class is by saying that it is the bunch of guys who pay taxes, believe in advertisement, educate their family and try to earn by working!! Again by this logic I must have greatly reduced the population of the middle class, as I am sure most will fail in at least one of the criteria!!

Now to talk of this select few. Where are they? Do they have a union? Do they have a club? Not so because they do not have the time to form them as they are busy paying taxes, watching advertisements, studying or working. 

Let’s see what is happening to them.

Taxes: The middle class man( lets call him MCM) pays taxes. Then he drives to work in a congested road which the government had planned to widen using his money but never did, suffers back pain due to potholes and pays huge bills in a hospital… he could do by paying less money at the government hospital (which is run with his money) but to be seen in these hospitals mean he has to accept his financial status and the whole aim of the MCM is to not seem to belong in his category, so that does not work

Subsidies and Financial bail outs are not for him. If an MCM gets swindled then he will only be laughed at. if he can't afford he will be asked why he didn't work out.  In fact the MCM’s only aim in life is to take care he doesn’t get swindled,  pay hospital bills and education fees and that he make it to  the end without being laughed at.

Advertisement: Entertainment for the MCM is advertisement; since any of his form of entertainment will not be empty of it.  This continuous bombardment defines his existence. As much as he would like to believe that he makes intelligent decisions with his money; He eventually buys what is sold to him and not the other way around.  He continually buys products which are new and upgraded only to discover they are inferior to his earlier product and more gimmicky if any thing. Soaps have real fruit ingredients and fruit juices have chemicals. What he buys today is advertised as given free the next month in an unbelievable “buy 1 get 1 free” scheme.  And he is supposed to be getting all excited and running to buy it. The warranties don’t come with guarantees, there is all ways the fine print, “we have not sold you this”, “that man lied we have sacked him.” Etc.

There is the consumer court but to go there on a daily basis would get a little tiring wouldn’t it?

Education:  The MCM spends the first part of his life getting grades, then the second part of his life he makes his kids get grades while he begins to understand what he had learnt, only to learn that it is too little too late and that had he known the things he knows today just 10yrs ago, he could have benefited a lot more. This continuous hind sight is a constant malady of the MCM and a gift of his instinct numbing education.

Work: The MCM works. He believes in deliverables and honours his word, this is also the criterion by which most people, who we commonly refer to the middle class, will fail to fit in. The MCM suffers these wannabe MCMs, who consider just going to work as work. The MCM has to deal with the auto driver who does not feel like going in a particular direction, or the bank clerk who needs his tea break before looking at the MCM, or the maid who could not come to work as she had a headache, the washing machine repair guy who keeps him waiting at home and forgets to come..the list is endless.  

The MCM is not represented in the government, WHO does not do a study of his nutritional needs, simply because he is hard to find. You never see him or hear him. The only guys who know him are the advertising guys, and they seem to have got him where they want him