Greedy contentment - An Indian Paradox

India is a land of amazing paradoxes. In a sense, these propagate from the main religion practised in these parts as well, viz., Hinduism. In Hindu beliefs, one does see the paradoxical roles and responsibilities assigned to various Gods and Demigods. For example, Yama, the God of Death is also the God of prosperity ; Bhairav, son of Shiva, believed to live in graveyards, depicted naked but is the patron God of happy family life ; Surya (or Sun) is the harbinger of life but death is a possibility during Sun's planetary cycle in one's life (Surya dasha) while his son Shani, feared for many a trouble during his cycle, protects your life. It is believed that one would seldom die during the Shani dasha period. Shiva himself lives a life of extreme austerity among ghosts, phantoms and dead bodies, his own body covered in ash but is the patron of performing and fine arts!!! Mangal (Mars), the warrior, representing aggression and short-temper, is also believed to bless people with a keen aesthetic sense and is also a mitigater of indebtedness. Many more such contrasts abound in our legends. This bring us to the main point of discussion. A colleague of mine recently pointed out that India as a nation has a great opportunity ahead of it to become an economic super-power in the next decade but will be undermined by the rising greed of its people. Did agree with him but also added that the people of India are governed simultaneously by two contrasting qualities - greed and contentment. Sounds incredible, isn't it? But lemme see if I can prove my point. Go to any auto-rickshaw or taxi stand where you see a bunch of drivers making small talk and killing time and ask them for a ride somewhere. They will quote an atrocious fare. Try negotiating and they won't budge and simply go back to their gossip (or siesta). Greedy but content!!?? In how many more professions you see this everyday in this country. Plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, many youth both rural and urban - content to be jobless and without gainful employment but unwilling to take up any job that pays. Their aspirations exceed beyond reason, desires are beyond what they deserve but yet content to eke out a living with bare minimal resources. Where does contentment come from and blossom among all this greed. Probably from our fatalistic core of our DNA that is spiced up with messages of spiritualism, "be happy with what you have" and ironically a misinterpreted "simple living high thinking" tenet!? Beats me..... Gordon Gekko, the protagonist in the movie Wall Street, says, "Greed, for a lack of a better word, is good". While it outraged many when this movie was first released in the mid-80s, greed does drive entrepreneurial spirit and helps keep the economies stimulated creating employment and livelihood for millions. Of course, when greed gets out of control it does many bad things. Many great Indian businesses with unique products and capabilities fail to think big and invest to expand because the owner is content to serve a small exclusive clientele and not expand operations beyond his area or town. May be the reason why we don't see more KC Das outlets across the country or Kayani Bakeries or Indori Chappan Chaat or Agre-waali pethas, or Jaipuri Chokhi dhaanis or Hyderabaadi "Paradise" biriyani outlets or Maddur vadaa joints. I once gave a rupee to a beggar who accosted me at a red signal in Delhi. He promptly threw it back at me with some choicest epithets greatly enhancing my already strong vocabulary of Hindi expletives. Contentment or greed? Recently, we asked a bunch of high school drop-outs and jobless young guys in a village if they would sign up for a six-month skill training that would make them skilled electricians, plumbers, machinists, painters, masons and get them a lifelong gainful employment. They asked how much we would pay them and added that they preferred to "keep looking" for a job than take up a non-paying training program!! Greedy contentment (or is it contented greed) may be an oxymoron but its a reality in India.