The tendency to believe

Sometimes, I feel we are really stupid people. Our heritage and culture system has taught a lot about respecting the elders, and giving due reverence. But as the days progress in this myriad of classes and field visits and case studies and all that's so very MBAish, there comes a realisation that most of the people who have succeeded are the ones who challenge the norm. We as duds accept what the elders have to say. The very thought of questioning what they say has never occurred to us. Perhaps that's why we never questioned the source of the data on the internet; perhaps that's why we never questioned what the eldest CEO sucker of any company suggested to do in a case study. Maybe that's why we even blindly listen to the professors as to what they say, without having an opinion of our own. And maybe, just maybe that's also the reason why we are so very confident of what the MNC's and other big companies are doing to our country. Maybe even more confident than the MNC's themselves!

There was this realisation that dawned upon me while shopping in Carrefour (the world's second largest chain of retail outlets after Wal-Mart), that while I was back home, every morning there used to be 2 bags of milk laid at my doorstep, freeing me from the trouble of buying milk; that at precisely 9 a.m. everyday a hawker selling vegetables used to pass through my house with fresh vegetables; that the local Kirana guy used to stock a few pieces of that special brand just because I used to buy from him; that the laundry guy used to come every alternate day on his skinny Kinetic Luna with BIG bundles of ironed clothes, and charging only Rs.1.5 per garment including the cost of the home delivery… and all of them, used to do this same mundane task, everyday with sustained delivery standards throughout the year. 24/7, 365 days a year.

And the lives of all these people are getting challenged because the MNCs suddenly realise that organised retail adds up to only 3% of the whole retail pie chart. And thus, they start setting up back end services, start having talks with Indian companies and everyone is all gaga over the influx of hypermarkets and all that stuff. The 'stuff' that's eventually going to get me a job once I get out of this value addition phase! And what upsets me even more is the fact that I'm going to be one of the catalysts in the process of the demise of these minions; these everyday people who have delivered value with such precision, on a regular basis for a long…long time. So much so that it has become like a well-oiled system, the absence of which puts you off entirely. Just recollect a day when the doodhwala didn't arrive, or the laundry guy didn't come making you to wear the previous day's shirt again or something. It puts you off to such a great extent.

And on the other side, when MNCs put up hypermarkets you go to those glittering places in your car along with the family for shopping! Earlier, the doodhwala used to come to your doorstep to deliver milk at HIS cost. And now, YOU are going to the doodhwala (hypermarkets for those who didn't get the metaphor) at his doorstep to buy milk at YOUR cost (obviously you must have used your car for the transport to the hyper mart you idiot!)

Now tell me who's a dud? The doodhwala, or you??