Filthily rich or exhibitionism ?

Rameshchandra Ningthoujam *

I am not an economist. So I must not delve into all those economic jargons. But as a laymen participant observer, I can talk on some economic factors that hampered the growth if not exacerbate (see table no. 1) the economy of my state – Manipur.

Which one? To pick up one amongst the factors – i.e. the huge amount of money that are sent by the parents from Manipur to China, Russia, Ukraine, Bangladesh, USA, UK and other parts of European countries for the sake of their children FOREN education every month. Oh yeah, I don't have any information about Manipuri parents sending their lovely daughters and sons to the African or the Latin American countries.

Well, I am not against the recent trend of young scholar/professionals seeking higher education in foreign countries. I have no issue in that. I am very much in favor of young people of Manipur seeking higher education anywhere in the globe. I do appreciate that. I was very impressed during my school days to learn that one of the villages in Thoubal district (sic Kakching) do compete amongst themselves who can send as many children to Delhi or other main Indian cities for their children education. But things have changed now. Parents began to send their kids abroad for higher studies. But, what bothers me is that many of the young scholars/professionals who are studying in the foreign countries are of self-funded not with the one what we generally called 'scholarship or fellowship'.

More shocking scene is that some of the parents are damn happy and take pride to tell their neighbors or among their friend circle that they send 'Five lakhs' a month to their daughter/son without really considering the damage she/he is doing to Manipur's economy. (Wow I really don't know whether a mere clerk or SOs or even engineers could fund their children FOREN education with his; say even 60-70K salaries per month).

Many a times, I have seen parents who came to some Banks with a huge amount of 'Indian Rupees' note to transact to the foreign countries, when I was visiting my Bank Probationary Officer friend at Thangal Bazar (sic SBI). I feel pity for one of my neighbors who sell their plot of land and send money for their children education at 'FOREN country'.

Anyway, it's pretty surprising and nobody won't believe that Manipur is a poor state or so called 'backward region' what New Delhi government use to term it or we the common people normally felt in day-to-day experiences, such as lack of potable water, rickety roads or 4 to 5 hours electricity a day, etc, if you see the transaction scene in the bank.

Well, on the hindsight of this huge economic investment by their respective parents, some scholars/professionals are left unemployable in India, particularly the medical students. Maybe because they can't clear the Medical Council of India (MCI) test that is the eligibility criteria to practice medicine in India, or the quality of the institution in which they studied is questionable. Who knows? Whatever the case may be, it is a great lost to our economy.

So, why don't we go for some alternate option i.e. the Scholarship/fellowship funding? Why can't we shed those exhibitionist or filthy rich show off culture for a while? This exhibitionist culture you are following only shows that you only have money and money and money and nothing else, such as social values, mores or precisely inability to think for better society, for common.

Well, for your kind information, there is no dearth of scholarship/funding. You rich people have Internet facility on your lap, in a blink. Why don't you do some google research? Or are you that rich to splurge the money or f**king lazy to do some google search?? Anyway, it is just my suggestion not a moral imposition. You may take it if you like it. Otherwise kick it out. But I, as a laymen citizen of India who loves his state (sic Manipur) will never indulge in any investment that does not bring any return because it's a huge lost to our economy. It is an unwise egoism to take pride in doing such thing.

Profile of Manipur: The profile of Manipur economy and its Fiscal overview in percentage.

Table 1: Growth of GSDP at constant prices

Sl. No.	States	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13
1	Arunachal Pradesh	12.06	8.73	9.86	1.25	10.84	4.77
2	Assam	4.82	5.72	9.00	7.89	6.47	6.88
3	Manipur	5.96	6.56	6.89	5.07	6.71	7.14
4	Meghalaya	4.51	12.94	6.55	8.72	6.31	8.90
5	Mizoram	10.98	13.34	12.38	7.25	10.09	N.A
6	Nagaland	7.31	6.34	6.90	5.09	5.09	5.25
7	Sikkim	7.61	16.39	73.61	8.17	8.17	N.A
8	Tripura	7.70	9.44	10.65	8.67	8.67	8.62
9	Himachal Pradesh	8.55	7.42	8.09	7.44	7.44	6.24
10	Jammu & Kashmir	6.40	6.46	4.51	6.22	6.22	7.01
11	Uttarakhand	18.12	12.65	18.13	5.28	5.28	6.87
-	All-India GDP (2004-05)	9.32	6.72	8.59	6.21	6.21	4.98

Source: Central Statistics Office (2004-05 Series) (27.02.2013)

No doubt, the GSDP of Manipur is comparatively showing a good sign (7.14%), better then the National GDP (4.98%), (even though I am somehow skeptical with this indicator). Oh yeah, we now face heavy traffic jams, some few girls/boys stick to their smart phones, zooming fancy bike and cars etc. Yes, Manipur's economy is in steady growth if we see all this rosy sides. Lovely. This may be because many of the professionals/scholars (including sponsored as well as self funded), after completion of their study serves in the domestic as well as foreign countries that helps the economy of the state by means of remittance. However, if these remittances are remitted again to those places where it comes from, or to other developed countries, then our GSDP is likely to be constant or even weaken.

Well, I understand that the funding/scholarship that I was talking does not just fall on your plate so easily. But, one may at least try to find out how to get it. If you get it, you are lucky enough or you get it because you deserve it. If you don't get it, you can always try next time or you can try other funding, other institute. But you don't need to sell your plot of land to fund your kid's FOREN education just for the sake of exhibitionism. Instead, you can buy even bigger plot of land with the saving from your daughter's/son's fellowship/funding because your children would get no less then 1500 to 2000 US $ a month. Yaifare Yaifarase!!

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* Rameshchandra Ningthoujam wrote this article for e-pao.net
The writer is a European Commission's Erasmus Mundus Fellow , and PhD candidate at International and Intercultural Studies, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain and can be contacted at rameshningthoujam(at)gmail(dot)com
This article was posted on May 17, 2014.

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