Inflation and relation

I had been thinking of writing about this since long. But I always got an excuse to of not writing it. But today I have promised myself to post it. So I need to atleast keep the promise to myself.

Almost 2 months ago I visited Mumbai. Papa works there in Mumbai. So I keep on visiting quite often, but this happened to be a special trip. Dad and me gel well together. We are more like buddies! But then there always this generation gap. We try hard to accept each other's views and mostly suceed too. But some times I need to succumb to his points. On a lighter side, he calls it his veto power in the family. But I am happy to have a father like him. And deep inside it feels glad to have some one to use his veto power because he is the one who knows the world better and he would not harm his family under what ever circumstances.

Coming back to the trip almost two months ago. It was a bright sunday and we were free to do nothing. There was a mall nearby in Goregaon, Mumbai. Its called Oberoi mall. I hadn't seen it then. So we planned to go there and have lunch in the food court. We took our bullet and reached the mall. It was enormous and huge from inside. We reached the food court on the top floor and saw the series of shops offerring from dosas to pastas and cholapuri to pani puri. Not to forget the kailaas parbat and the naturals for the desserts. It seemed similar to the typical 'khau-gully' (eat-street) of a town but a sophosticated khau-gully with sophosticated menu cards and pretending-to-be-hygenic staff with overpriced food. We ordered nothing but the ice-creams from naturals. Well, though we went for lunch but didn't feel to order anything. We took our cups of ice creams and sat on a table nearby. We had a full length look of the food court. And the ice cream was awesome. On the table, while having the small morsol of his ice-cream, pa said 'I some how do not feel comfortable in such malls, I don't know why. I feel a bit awkward here.' That triggered a once-in-a-decade conversation between us. I believed, I knew the reason of him being not comfortable.

Papa lived in Gonda before coming to Ahmedabad. He was born in the town of Devalia in Saurashtra Region of Gujarat. And then his dad took him there to Gonda, in UP. He had done his schooling from there and his graduation from Lucknow. My grand father had a very brutal accident when my father was just in his teens. That accident lead to the bed-rest for 9-10 months and that bed-rest devastated the economical condition of the family. My grand mother had enormous courage and she did not keep any stone unturned to meet the two ends. The family had a very tough time. Then my father came here and started working. My chacha too came here and gradually whole family came to Ahmedabad and things got better. So I thought that might be the reson. I, believing that I knew the reason, explained it to him . And I turned to be totally worng. He said that he is not comfortable because he sees a lot of wastage of resources happening there. Electricity, food and space are being wasted. In India, for that matter there is a derth of resources and these people are wasting it here. Six panipuris costing 20 rupees! What do I pay for - the original cost of panipuri plus the cost of AC + lightings + decorations + rent of the mall + the label of being hygenic! Why should we pay for it! And that too when it is available at quite a cheaper rate in near vicinity.

Probably, after understanding the backgound of my dad, you too might think in the similar lines of my thoughts. But then giving a second thought and understanding what my economics' professor teaches, this sounds very true. A person like me, would have easily given out that money for the panipuri or that cholepuri. I would have not thought about the availablilty in the near vicinity at a very cheaper rate. Its not that he cannot afford, but he has seen the value of money going down. In good old days, salaries were in hundreds and cars were in thousands. Milk was available in single digit per litre and ghee in less than 20 Rs per KG. And I have not.

The point here is that the buying should be objective. Buy only if required. Pay premium only for the utiility - may be place utility or time utility. Higher price doesnot mean higher quality. And quality is just a perception of mind. - Gandhijee said it - There are enough resources here to satusfy man's need, but not his greed. My dad explained the same thing and my economics prof preached the same thing. He went a step forward. He says, a country with large chunk of population below poverty line and still Common wealth games is being hosted, where cricket is a religion and buying is non objective, cannot become a developed nation easily.

Well, I understood what they said. Did you?