N Arhe
In the days leading up to the excitement of Christmas giving week, at a busy market in Dimapur, a middle-aged man, with little consideration for anyone else in line, pulled out a costly wallet and whisked several crisp 500-rupee notes and handed them to the fruit vendor in a great rush. The man released the money before the vendor could get his hands on it. Five hundred brand-new currencies took to the air. The vendor flung his hands to catch it. He could only grab one note; the rest landed on the fruits and a few on the ground. He hurriedly collected the money, tapped it on his forehead, then his chest, all the while murmuring what seemed to be a brief prayer for forgiveness. 'Make five boxes of one thousand rupees each, the Naga man commanded in chaste Hindi, impressing everyone around him and disappearing into the swarm of bustling shoppers.
'Aye,' he cried, this time from across the fruit stalls, and gave a strict order, 'Don't add bananas'. The vendor got straight to work. He pulled out neatly folded identical Patanjali carton boxes from underneath the fruit kiosk, laid them on the ground, and began weighing the various fruits. He was proficient, making it apparent that this was not his first time taking such orders. 'Hurry, hurry,' the man urged, as he reappeared out of nowhere, alerted the vendor, and then vanished once more. ‘Ek second Saab, ek second,’ the vendor responded, fastening the first box.
Earlier, at the vegetable market, I stood next to an elderly lady. A small boy watched her from behind, clutching the end of her shawl. She carefully selected three bitter gourds and showed the vendor that she was taking them to make ‘a new chutney’. The vendor agreed with a nod. Amused, I looked at the vendor for his reaction. 'What can I say? He replied with a smile. ‘She picks only the ripped and spoiled ones, anyway'.
A few shops down, I saw the same woman again, this time picking chillies. I offered to buy her some if she would like it. ‘Oh no', she sighed. 'No, no, no, I am not buying anything,' she replied, almost embarrassed. Then she raised her eyes, smiled, and made a facial gesture that we both understood. She prevents vegetables from rotting. It's a win-win situation, which explains the vendor’s lack of concern. What a brilliant idea, I thought to myself.
Each individual has a different approach to managing his or her finances. Some hold it with the utmost respect, while some treat it with disdain. Hard-working people with a strong moral compass are more inclined to be frugal with their money, while an easy, dishonest means of earning often results in a negative attitude toward money.
The last two years have been extremely difficult for many people around the world because of the pandemic, which has put an intense strain on many aspects of their lives. Things may be slowly getting better, but money is increasingly harder to come by, especially for the poorest households, who bore the brunt of the impact.
Many of us in Nagaland take it for granted that we live in a salaried economy. In contrast to other parts of the world, where people have lost their jobs, daily wages, and homes, our state has fortunately been spared from such distress. Even during the most severe lockdown, needy households could survive because of government subsidies and supplies.
This does not, however, negate the fact that there have been significant economic disparities amongst people in recent years. It's reasonable to assume that no one in the state lives in abject poverty. However, concerns must be raised about how the living conditions of certain groups of people have stagnated, while a few individuals have grown extremely wealthy in a relatively short period. If this unbalanced wealth and unequal distribution of resources continues, crime and resentment could rise as a result.
In a state with no substantial revenue from outside or large-scale private sector investments, seeking employment from the government is the only safe option for many of the employable population. The few privately owned businesses rely heavily on sales at the beginning of the month when salaries are paid. While it is encouraging to see young people establishing new businesses, many of them struggle to keep them running and, in some circumstances, are forced out of business because of a lack of returns. It is important to recognize that these young people have a difficult road in their quest to succeed as first-generation entrepreneurs. For those who can afford to do so, the mindset of 'buy local' mustbe translated into action by prioritising local businesses, whether by using their products, services, or dining at local eateries. In doing so, consumers will gain the most in the long run from increased competition. For its part, the government can do a better job of ensuring that funds and reforms aimed at reducing disparities are distributed fairly and do not end up favouring a few repeated beneficiaries.
As with the rest of the world, a new trend is gaining traction in the state: the craze for online shopping. Young boys whizzing across town on their bikes, laden down with backpacks, are no longer sights confined to big cities. In contrast to large cities, where other forms of substantial financial transactions take place daily, if this trend continues, it may completely wreck local markets and deplete the state's already limited resources. While some people may be unaware of the repercussions, when money is spent locally, it circulates within the community, which is how the local economies benefit from each other.
The value of money is fast declining as the country's economy deteriorates and wealth concentration rises among a few people. Many residents of the state are still employed in low-paying jobs that pay 5000 rupees per month. It’s clear that in a small market, when one person can spend 5000 rupees and not bother about what he’s buying, much less offer it as a gift, compared to another who cannot afford to even buy a kilogram of vegetables, there's a distinct class divide. Yet, a sensible woman with a novel idea who asks for free vegetables appears to be more civilised than a man who displays his wealth aggressively.
These issues rarely make it to public discourse. If it is not handled and dealt with efficiently and swiftly, society may quickly spiral out of control as economic and social imbalances widen.
