Columnist
|
|
|
| | DEAD-END: This Eid gift! | | | “Uncle: Eid Mubarak! Eid Mubarak!”
“Dear: Eid Mubarak! Sud Mubarak!”
“And my Eidi...”
“Sure dear.”
“But mind you sir, 7% more.”
“What?”
“Uncle, don’t please feign ignorance. 7% more now is your DA; so 7% more, look sir not more, my Eidi too…right?”
“But I…”
“Uncle, buts not allowed. The State cabinet on 25 October (O Der Arfa!) accorded approval to the release of 7% more DA (dearness allowance) in favour of State government employees, pensioners, and family pensioners in cash with effect from July 2012. The total DA is up from 65 to 72%. The enhancement will apply also to work charged/whole time contingent paid employees working in regular time scale. So my Eidi too please up by 7%: Right?”
“OK dear.”
“Thank you Uncle! You are great!”
“But yes to the market…for several items, ready up.”
“Ready, Uncle; but keep more money ready.”
“What?”
“Uncle, I am just returning from the market. Der Arfa and the 7% increase announced; Arfa and the market is 10 to 15% up; Eid itself and after God knows what it will be? So keep more money ready please.”
“Dear, market does go up on all festivals.”
“But Uncle previous Eids it didn’t go up that much.”
“Why on this Eid then?”
“O one shopkeeper told me that.”
“What?”
“Listen Uncle what he said, interesting: ‘The government is interested only in its employees. Gives them allowances over allowances; residential accommodation too; plots of State land too; housing loans too; and many, many other benefits. Who takes our care? We have to care for ourselves. You see this is the open Struggle for Existence and Survival of the Fittest. We will prove we are the fittest and we will prevail. We will suck their blood as a bee sucks nectar. Whatever comes to these government employees is ultimately ours. And we know how to sap it.’”
“Dear it has been happening. When I was your age, my father took me along, and we would every Eid get 6 seer meat for Rs 30: he easily afforded. I find it hard to get 6 kilo for my family. My income: it is about fifty times my father’s.”
“So Uncle, all these traders are very cruel…beasts?”
“Not that dear. Every trader has to face the same by other traders. He earns a lot…still can’t make both ends meet…none is exempt. This all is all round inflation. Prices are soaring, skyrocketing, everyday, for everybody.”
“Then the government should control prices…what will these allowances do?”
“Not an easy task that. No government perhaps can do it. Yes it will have to go on giving allowances.”
“And Uncle the allowances will go on vaporising into the skies!”
288 vasant enclave, new delhi |
|
|
|
|
Comment on this Story |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|