I am in Delhi reached 35 and penniless !

Tarun Nongthombam *

Nobody likes to be in the above situation but many of us working in private sector outside Manipur lands in this mess knowingly or unknowingly. Working in private sector brings many challenges besides the job related ones. The most important one is to achieve financial security. If you keenly observe your office, many of your colleagues are either lowly or moderately paid and only few take big pay cheque home. These few are the ones who would claim that private jobs are rewarding; remaining would be cursing theirs.

Unless you are working in public companies where promotion is guaranteed with age, topped with job security then you need to think seriously where your financial status is heading. Many times growth in private sector is painstakingly slow except if you are those geniuses who spent whole life writing visual basic program codes.

Am I increasing my wealth with years? If not, what has gone wrong? It is very important to ask these questions ourselves and take corrective measures when required. The first step to financial security is to start saving early however small the amount you save. Don't fall into the trap, "I will start saving when I reach that big salary". Remember that dozens others are after that big salary position and it will not come to you fast and quick. You could be losing many saving years while waiting for the coveted job or salary.

During the initial working years, life is easy going with few thousands we all earn. We can buy our branded clothes, look yo, visit multiplexes once in a while but the fact is, this doesn't last long. With age, the grip of responsibilities gets more tightened; we all start feeling the pinch and life seem to have gone ahead of us!

What I observed in career path of many non-manipuri friends is that when they reach middle level say 5 to 8 years they seem to get a booster engine. The booster engine can be in the form of their family backing up and sending them off for skill up-gradation or further studies overseas, their community workgroup pulling them up to higher levels or their own personal risk they take because of the favorable local conditions and family security they have being near to their loved ones. This time is critical as many plan to get married, start a family and you have to increase your salary as your needs and requirements manifolds. If you don't have a booster engine, be prepared for a long haul!

We all being the first generation of working in private sector have a peculiar problem of our parents and relatives of not understanding our job and saving requirements. My Manipuri friend beautifully expressed this attitude and he said. "Bhai...What we all do and that makes our relatives happy is buy a big fish home and say tada, mama laklo, nga cha-ra-se ... then laugh… ha ha ha!". This is how we have lived and we need to change this, be little selfish and start saving for our rainy days.

Unable to achieve early financial independence has social implications as many delay marriage. This is visible in our community but very pronounced in certain community like migrant Kashmiri pundits. Young man refusing to marry or marrying very late and girls unable to find a proper match, start marrying outside their community.

Interestingly, people back home have now become smarter and that includes my own good old uncle. He said "Iboungo....What is the use of staying outside for so long? You don't even own a flat and have no bank balance. Give up and come back home". I gave him a sarcastic smile and said "Ei-gi-su purnima lak-khi-ni!"