MIDDLE CLASS MIRAGE

Middle class is the biggest contributor to economy of any nation. In the recent times, India’s middle-class growth is predicted to accelerate. From 2027, India’s population is set to overtake China’s and the middle class will overtake that of the United States, Europe and China. Middle class bear the burden of socio-economic pillars of the country since "the sticky floor and sticky bottom" are filtered out as always. If you really have some experience of being a member of Indian middle class, you must be aware of the beauty in their struggle and hardships. There is always a driving force that keeps them going at all time. This driving force is often called "jugaad".  Let's recall some heard and unheard old memories of this middle class that are lost today due to changing lifestyle but still continue to be memorable.....

THE GRANNY OF THE FAMILY

Almost every Indian middle class family in 90s had a black and white television. The television was a functioning psychopath. She was older than our grandparents in her attitude. She believed in interdependence and needed a driving force to work. She always had to be beaten by a heavy book or overburdened by a heavy weight after her initial years of decent work. She flickered after every hour and mandatorily at the climax scene. God knows who told her about the climax scene?

THE EIFFEL TOWER OF EVERY HOUSE

You must be wondering what would an Eiffel tower in a middle class family do? Let me introduce you to the tower, it was the TV antenna. It had to be adjusted as per the wind and its speed. Some had existing antenna while some had jugaad from neighbour's antenna. It always needed physical input by two experts: one who climbed the terrace to change the direction and the other who stayed in the living room to keep a check at the "granny" described above.

THE ONE WHO WAS MURDERED TILL THE END

Every Indian household focuses on controlling their expenses. Surprisingly the biggest saviour for middle class family in 90s was the toothpaste. The toothpaste was used sincerely in the beginning but when all the means to extract the paste ended, it was murdered to squeeze out even the last bit of paste from it. In many houses it was cut into two pieces to abstract even the last atomic particle of the paste. It is still a mystery, how much did the family saved by this toothpaste ceremony?

 

GIANT UNIFORMS

Indian middles class families never believed in buying clothes of exact sizes. The size of uniform was always bigger than the child's height and age prescribed. Some got new dresses with larger size while some unlucky one's always got the clothes worn by their elder siblings. Even the size of shoes was bigger for many kids which was adjusted by DIY hacks. Overall, the folded uniforms and adjusted shoes if worn in exactly the same shape and size would appear like a goofy ghost.

THE FRIEND IN NEED

Whether the family had a car or not, the old scooter was a compulsory thing in those times. It was a friend in need. Younger ones got the opportunity to stand in front and see the world while the elder ones got the privilege to sit. Every time a new member was inducted into the family, the elder was promoted from front to back seat. This transition marked a sense of dominance of the old over new. The father of the family had to act like a superman guarding the family from all directions, driving safely and even holding the sleepy kid in front. No wonder Indian fathers are as fit as any superhero of current times.

GRIND STONES

Not many of us see grinding stones currently in our homes. The grinding machine of mothers in olden time were stone made. It was a part of kitchen's army, whether being used or unused. The manual work on grinders added magic to the food. It was difficult and heavy to use than today's mixer but the tinge it added to the home made Indian masala's were exceptional. 

THE LOVABLE SOCKS

The most lovely element was the socks. It was never discarded. When it lost its elasticity, it was not replaced but revived. A rubber band was tied to it to hold it tightly to prevent from falling down. There was an added dilemma to this, if you wore a tight one, it left a mark while a loose one was incapable to hold the weight of the socks thereby defeating the whole purpose of using it.

 

MUD PIGGY BANK

Piggy bank is the fancy name of desi "gullack". It was the "tijori" of the family and the last resort in all bad times. It housed all small, new, unique coins and notes. The collection was broken depending upon the needs of the time and scenario. No other bank had served better than those home made banking storage systems.

MANDATORY RULES

The families of 90s had some mandatory rules which were mostly created by mothers of the family. In summers using a bottle from fridge had to be mandatorily filled after every use then and there, even if the fridge was filled with bottles. 

In that era of 90s many of us were quite young to recall all the finest details while post 90s kid could not even see or feel it partially. There is no doubt that every peace of this article seems like a comedy movie but if you have really understood the essence of this article then you can feel the strength and smile behind all the ups and downs of the neglected middles class. According a report, children’s future and education are a key concern and priority in middle class family. They pursue very high aspirations for children with 43% wanting their kids to get a master’s degree and 29% a doctorate have been found. The class continues to create a balance in the society amidst the rich and the poor.

Indian society has its own beauty and every section and every class has their own uniqueness. What is common in all is the ability to never give up. This article is an effort to recall the social history never discussed about. I hope this small peace of humorous article brought a smile on your faces...

"har ghadi khud se hi ulajhna h muqaddar mera...

mai hi kashti hu mujhi me h samandar mera.."

NIDA FAZLI