Gross Mayhem

“For it is the grass that suffers the most when elephants fight”

No matter who ends up winning when the ongoing game of thrones concludes in Pakistan, the transition seems to come at an excruciatingly hefty price for the commoners. Experiencing a brief episode of what’s about to come quite recently, the future paints a terrifying picture.

Talking about the economic woes, nothing good is expected to come our way at least in the short-term. To fight the unprecedented inflation, it seems we are left with the only choice to increase the sources of income. Whoever comes to power, we are going to remain the ordinary taxpayers losing one salary annually to the income tax deductions while spending the rest on 18% GST (as of today). For it is the grass that suffers the most when elephants fight.

However, events in the recent past have deteriorated the situation to an extent that the routine activities are seeing a disruption. During the past 1 year, I have experienced 4 instances when the organization had to circulate a company-wide message for employees to leave the premises ASAP to reach home. 3 out of those 4 times, I had just reached the office hoping to start my day. Leaving without the slightest notion how the journey back home is going to be.

It gets uglier with each passing day. Country-wide internet shutdown for 4 days along with violent clashes on the streets turned the circus bloody. Imagine a 10-minute drive requiring 50 to reach home from work as you see state property set ablaze right in front of you. Another important aspect of the discussion is the present state of common beings. Latest stats indicate a 38% increase in inflation and a salary raise of this sort is like the "pie in the sky" in any organization.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Brain drain appears to have reached its peak as the stats indicate ~1 million skilled professionals moving abroad in the past year alone. However, it would need a sacrificial attitude collectively to bring betterment for the common folk. Working freelance leading to beefed up foreign exchange reserves is a stepping stone. It is the training we need to conduct at a junior level to equip the younger lot with marketable skills, adding them to the workforce in a bid to improve the quality of life.

Continuing on similar lines, women also have a key role to play. Like it or not, the inflationary pressure points out the need for their inclusion in the economy. A person earning alone would need a decade or so to build something for the family. However, that time can be cut to half if your spouse is working alongside you, but that is only possible if sharing house chores does not take a dig at your masculinity. Organizations also have a crucial role to play here. Facilitating women to work long-term with the inclusion of an onsite daycare facility along with easing transportation seems to be the need of the hour.

Summing it up, we are a bunch of people that have always preferred individualism over collectivism. The polycrisis we are faced with today presents an equally bigger opportunity. While working towards improving our own quality of life, we might end up doing significantly well for the motherland.??