Crises of Confidence
Traveling into an economically challenged nation, is a learning experience if you listen beyond what you see and hear. As you walk into the airport arrival lounge what hits you is the normalcy of the context. Duty free shops as same as ever, people crowding these shops – but mostly foreigners, with shops offering multiple deals. But one you reach the money exchange counter and looks at the rate of exchange, it hits you. For you as a visitor, it is very economical, but one starts realising things are not too ok.
But then he said, “for some there is much money too sir! He said, last night I picked up three boys in the early 20s a with a girl around 14-15. The girl was being exchanged between these boys and they were paying the girl 35,000/- (equivalent to $120/-). 2 of them were using my taxi and I did not know what to do…”
Subsequent conversations with a group of young health care professionals revealed more of the context. Most of their friends have migrated or are in the process of migrating to greener pastures. Those who continue in the system, get salaries late and or have not got for a few months. System is so stretched that there is no way husband and wife can find a placement together and young families are separated because they are posted to far flung out places. But those whom I met said, ‘we will stay on, we need to make a difference for our nation.”
A reasonable meal was about $ 10/- and a room to stay about $20/-. Double of what I would have paid in my nation.
Traveling back the departure terminal was full. Crowded with young people and young families. The airport lounges were full of elderly parents who had come to send them off. Youth leaving the nation in large numbers.
Conversations brought out the angst among the young. Their anger and disappointment at the political leadership, the oligarchy who have used the system to build personal empires and then run off to the safe havens.
But then, the economic superpower that is, my nation, seems no different. Money value is not too bad.
But in a recent travel, the flight was full of young men from rural India migrating off as manual labourers. Their stories were no different. No jobs available, families in severe distress, they have no option but to look at avenues elsewhere.
Last evening conversation with 2 young couples revealed similar angst. One young health care professional from premier health care institution with every support system one could dream of said “friends are leaving in hoards to other nations”. Yet another in a flourishing city said, "we wonder is it worth staying on with all the stress of life here"!
40-45% of these South Asia nations less than 35 years of age. This age group seem to lost desire to build their nations, due to a crisis of confidence in their national leaders. If this is the context, in a couple of decades, all these nations, are bound to face catastrophic consequences.
How did we reach here? There is a common thread in all these nations. Arrogant political leaders, who govern the nation for immediate personal gratification, those who live for their lifetime, and are busy managing perceptions than understanding reality and addressing the same.
In contrast, we have the picture of Moses in the good book.
“Then and there God said to him, “This is the land I promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the words ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I’ve let you see it with your own eyes. There it is. But you’re not going to go in.”‘"Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyesight was sharp; he still walked with a spring in his step…. ""Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth."
Humble, living beyond his lifetime, building future for an upcoming generation and walking with a spring even at 120!. This is what we should desire and pray for too, leaders who embody such a character.
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