The most difficult job in town!

I am sure many professionals have gone through that period in their life when they contemplate that their job must rank among the very top in the list of most demanding jobs. This is often followed by a self-congratulatory pat on the back in having the skills necessary to succeed in their respective fields. But honestly, which is the most difficult job? Many may think of top executives in MNCs or entrepreneurs because they require diverse skills, leadership quality, strong analytical mind and the ability to withstand mental pressure. Others might think of doctors or engineers. But, surprisingly, as the Cambridge Professor Ha-Joon Chang once said, in a democracy the toughest job is actually being an informed citizen!

An informed citizen must understand economics, because policies have real life consequences. A good citizen must know whether free trade is unambiguously good for the country as some experts would have us believe, or do we need tailored industrial policy? Is the government's decision to enter a free trade agreement ultimately beneficial for the country, or is there a rationale for having tariff protection for local industries? Economics is far too important to be left only to the specialist.  A good citizen in a democracy also understands the need for protecting minority rights and thus raises his/her voice when it is violated either in the form of religious persecution or based on tribal identity. An informed citizen cannot be fooled by vitriolic nationalism or toxic political rhetoric, which unfortunately pervades our political environment. A good citizen is a tolerant individual, who can respect others' views even though they may completely disagree with them. Such citizens will not require laws but will have sufficient moral values not to engage in illegal activities for pecuniary gains.

So we see that an informed citizen needs to be almost a philosopher; after all democracy is as good as its constituent elements, i.e. the general public. Now just look at us, both you and me, we are easy to inflame and manipulate, today passionately shouting about Gaza tomorrow mute about the atrocities being committed against minority Hindus and tribal people in our own backyard. Bemoaning about the lack of rules and regulations, while ourselves engaging in jaywalking, overtaking, speeding, breaking every conceivable traffic rule whenever it suits us. Dear reader, how many of us use the simple foot overbridge while crossing the road, or do we not have the inner urge to take the adventurous shortcut of using the road while dodging incoming traffic? Before we expect our government to emulate the developed world, we the ordinary citizens need to understand civic duty and what it means to be a good citizen!

The writer is a recent graduate from Cambridge.