Enter the Entitlement Olympics

 
The real problem with India is not the lack of resources – wealth has little to do with happiness. The real problem is the overwhelming sense of entitlement that permeates every social discourse related to national resources, and it is not merely by chance, but rather by design.

Feudalism was never allowed to disappear after its death; its skeleton was used as a framework for governance. Why a vast percentage of Indians aspire to be part of the government is a question better not answered to avoid sounding trivial.

The point of discussion should instead be the justifications for the entitlements. It is generally implicit that better pay leads to better productivity. A horribly wrong argument, actually. Consider the salary of a government primary school teacher in my native village as an example. Teachers in private schools in the same locality earn ten times less. Outcome? Even daily wage laborers these days are sending their kids to private schools, even though it means economic hardship for them.

Since it is apparent that work and entitlement have little correlation, the motivation to form groups to demand more is quite high. Our elections are actually entitlement Olympics. Even failing in elections does not leave out a group – road blocking, rioting, going on a strike, and media outraging options are always available.