Inflation and the elders
K S S Pillai
The other day my grandson showed me half a dozen foolscap spiral-bound notebooks of 160 pages, each costing ₹100. I was shocked and about to comment but refrained in time. If his father had no problem dishing out an amount equal to more than my aggregate monthly salary as a university teacher in 1968, why should I bother? I also recalled his frequent visits to restaurants with the entire family and the hefty bills paid, along with generous tips.
It is a wastage of time telling the new generation about the cost of things in the past. They always take it with a pinch of salt. They would also point out prices are bound to go up with time.
There are some oldies in my neighbourhood. As they have all gone through the same phase, they enjoy recalling the past. They get a kick remembering ‘golden era’. Most of them repeat the stories several times, but the others do not mind. Some of them are hard of hearing but know how to hoodwink the unwary. They remove their hearing aids clandestinely when such habitual repeaters start talking. I have a sneaking doubt that the speakers are aware of it but go on regardless. The only precaution they take is to see that the non-believers are beyond the earshot.
That evening I told one such friend about the notebooks and recounted how my father made them at home when we were school students. He would buy ruled and plain sheets of paper, thick coloured sheets for cover, and a roll of twine from the only stationery shop in the town. He would enjoy sitting with them and stitching the required number of books. Afterwards, he would take them to the carpenter, who would cut the three sides to the usual size.
Students of primary schools needed very few books as the slate was used extensively. Even examinations were conducted using slates, one advantage being the instant result.
I have heard several stories of inflation caused by war. While one used to get a bagful of vegetables for a small amount before World War I, it is said he carried a bagful of currency notes to buy the same quantity of vegetables.
The wages have also kept pace with the cost of living. In my home state, the daily wages of a casual labourer is around ₹1000, forcing many farmers to keep their land fallow.
Scriptures of different religions advise us to live in the present, not worrying about the past or the future. The past is dead and gone. It’s okay if you have learnt something from the mistakes you made; otherwise, you are cursed to repeat them.
The future is yet to come. As we don’t know what it has in store for us, it is of no use worrying about it. If we live in the present righteously, the future is bound to be bright. That is what the wise do.
A piece of advice given usually to the elderly is not to refer to ‘the good old days often. All know the prices of commodities and services were a fraction of what they are today. They also know how much one used to earn those days. It is also a fact that the price one pays today would seem negligible at some time in the distant future.
As always, there are the haves and have-nots in society. Those belonging to the former category do not mind paying large amounts for goods and services. Those who feel the pinch are in the latter category.
Politicians know how to take advantage of the situation during election time. They offer several freebies if voted to power. Who would not like free electricity, water, and such things? The school-going children are offered everything from free bicycles to laptops.
Let the prices go up at least during the election time, they pray.
(The author is a retired professor of English. A regular contributor to ‘Kashmir Vision’, his articles and short stories have appeared in several national and international publications)
