The Outcry Of A Cattle Class Denizen

There was a big hue and cry when Mr. Shashi Tharoor used the term Cattle Class for the economy class in aircrafts.  However we should be grateful to him for bringing out the inhuman way in which passengers are packed like sardines in a merciless quest to maximize earnings.  There seems to be a competition amongst airlines who try to outdo each other in shaving centimetres off the seats in x and y directions: Mercifully dimension z remains unaffected.

Recently I had an occasion to travel in the economy class on an Air Berlin flight.  Most passengers were Europeans, tall and well built.  I could imagine their plight as the seats were not too comfortable even for me, a person of average Indian build.  As boarding progressed, a large obese man came in, looked at his seat and said aloud in mock despair, “Oh my God, the seats are so small!”  Everybody joined him in a hearty laugh.

This aircraft appeared to have shrunk the tiny spaces near toilet and pantry blocks too.  These are the spaces where passengers spend some time standing during long haul flights.  I am sure that majority of the passengers must have felt highly claustrophobic.

What adds to the woe of a typical passenger is the insistence of the passenger in front of him on going into a recline at the first available opportunity after the take off.  This has a domino effect until and unless a considerate passenger decides against succumbing to the temptation on account of a consideration to the fellow passenger behind him.  Then again, as most peoples’ knees are pressing against the back of the seat in front, a restless passenger who turns and twists in his seat passes on the convulsions to the one behind him as also one in front of him.  This too may lead to a chain reaction.  Just as we hear of road rage, there are reports of CC (Cattle Class) rage in the economy cabins.

What comes as a surprise is that most airlines complain of losses despite these stringent millimetre cutting measures.  Air Berlin is no different.  They are talking of shrinking their fleet and cost cutting measures.  Though, one suspects that what they mean is shrinking of economy class seats and micrometre cutting measures.

The situation is so bad that in my opinion we, the denizens of economy class, must take the issue to the International Human Rights Commission.  Agree?

PS: Blessed are those magnanimous passengers who resist the temptation to recline their seat back and also sit still in their chairs out of sheer compassion for fellow sufferers.

Advantages of corruption

Recent deliberations at a conclave have brought out some enlightening facts about corruption as an economic activity and the damages that doing away with corruption may bring about.  I have much pleasure in placing the same before you:

• Though the fact can never be established for obvious want of data, corruption is the biggest industry in the country, that is, one with the highest turnover.
• There are ancillary industries that will be nearly wiped out if there were no corruption.  These include:
• Police
• Legal profession
• Judiciary
• It will severely damage the film industry where most themes have two central characters, one corrupt and the other who ultimately wins over him.
• Hospitality industry at the top end and luxury products at the top end too will suffer a severe setback because of an erosion in demand.
• FATF (Financial Action Task Force) will have to be dismantled and all software providers for generating Cash Transactions Report (CRR) and Suspicious Transactions Report (STR) will go out of business.
• People may lose all interest in politics and have to be conscripted for legislative positions.  If this happens the science of psephology will be lost to the world.  Lack of rallies will render thousands jobless.
• Discussions on the FB during election season, if at all there is one, will become absolutely dull and drab.
• Lack of corruption will mean everyone working according to rules.  Today this is considered a form of striking work!
• Swiss banks may face closure.
• As everyone turns holy, the phrase "holier than thou" will go out of circulation.
• There will be no need for a party like AAP.
• No one will ever know what is a Lokpal or what it is supposed to do!

This list is only illustrative and not exhaustive.

In the light of the aforesaid an appeal is made to AAP and its followers to do a rethink on their stand against corruption.

Issued in public interest.

Forced to Carry the Burden of Government's Economic Sins!

Recently I ventured into a Tanishq store to explore if I could afford a miniature piece of jewelry to be given as a wedding gift.  There wasn't much on offer that could fit my budget.  It was partly on account of skyrocketing prices of gold and partly on account of steep making charges that account for almost one fourth of the total cost! Why not gift a small gold coin then?  I made inquiries with the salesman and learnt a couple of things.  First is that even gold coins have a making charge though it is much less than jewelry.  It may be okay as they use a single rate for buying and selling.  Hence making charges must at least cover a margin for trading too.  The second fact was that they had no coins to sell!!  A few that they did have were fitted with a hook to make them a pendant - a jewelry!

This was a rather shocking discovery.  The salesman explained that there were directives from the Government NOT to sell gold coins.  There is a news in today's NavBharat Times that says that Post Offices will NOT sell gold coins.  This makes the salesman's explanation sound credible.  This also means that gold coins were selling fast and the government did not want them to.  It is significant that there is no ban on wasteful and expensive gold jewelry and its sale doesn't bother the government.

If gold coins were selling in large quantities, it could not be just for gifting.  People are using it as a store of value.  This a function that money is supposed to fulfill but the the fiat money is failing miserably to do so.  Inflation is high and the government is using pressure tactic to keep interest rates artificially low.  On top of these meager interest rates, the interest income is subjected to high income tax! This means that if you keep your savings in the form of fiat money or even bank deposits, its value is getting continually and seriously eroded.  And the blame for all of this squarely rests with the government.  It is their economic policies that have lead to this bleak situation.  Ordinary citizens facing such predicament cannot be faulted for trying to store their hard-earned savings in gold which is far more inflation resistant and risk-free.

This being the case, denying the option of investing in gold to a common citizen is unfair and unjust. The government is persisting with its bungling, inefficiencies and populism happy in the knowledge that the costs can be forced down the throat of a hapless middle class.  Will the judiciary take notice of this please and can they remedy the situation?  We don't know who else to look to for a remedy.