Chandan Raina

The Indian middle class is the most risk-averse sections of society. There are good historical reasons for this. A large part of the generation that is now above 30 or 35 grew up in scarcity, with limited money, limited opportunities and very little social security. India had a huge population competing for relatively few jobs, houses, educational opportunities and other basic resources. For many families, one serious financial setback could undo decades of progress. That environment created two very different responses. One group learned to exploit the system. The corrupt politician, contractor, middleman, bureaucrat and businessman figured out that in a system where resources were scarce and institutions were weak, power could be converted into money and money could be converted back into more power. They became comfortable operating in the grey areas of the system. The other group learned almost the opposite lesson. They became extremely protective of whatever they managed to build. Get a stable job, buy a house, educate the children, save money, pay taxes, follow the rules and, most importantly, stay away from trouble. Don't get into an unnecessary fight with the police. Don't antagonise the local politician. Don't get into a dispute with a contractor. Don't challenge the municipality unless absolutely necessary. Keep your head down and protect what you have. This psychology did not disappear even with financial success. A person may own a house worth several crores, pay lakhs in school fees, earn a good salary, run a successful business and have substantial savings, but still carry the same underlying fear. There is always a feeling that one wrong move, one confrontation with the wrong person or one unexpected legal or administrative problem could put years of hard work at risk. This fear has kept a large part of the middle class away from active public life and politics. They may have strong opinions about corruption, bad roads, illegal construction, poor municipal services or political incompetence, but usually prefer discussing these things among friends rather than getting involved directly. It is not necessarily because they don't care. In many cases, they simply feel that the cost of getting involved is too high. This creates a very comfortable environment for the more aggressive parts of the system. Contractors can build poor roads because they know public resistance will be limited. Builders can violate norms because enforcement is often negotiable. Local politicians can operate with considerable freedom because the people most capable of challenging them are also the people most concerned about protecting their own lives and assets.