IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 62- PONSI SCHEMES Brig PS Gothra (Retd)

 “Why do faujies fall prey to the Ponzi Schemes?" Asked the doctor traveling with me while going through a newspaper. I knew he had seen the article regarding a retired colonel swindled by a fake broker.

I thought hard to find a suitable answer so that the doctor doesn’t feel that we are all chu***as. I said, “others also get trapped, but because of our truthfulness we declare that we have been duped while the others just hide.”

The doctor just smiled. And that was more hurting. Regarding the truthfulness I remembered that year after year our newly inducted officers in the counter terrorist duties were trapped by the uneducated, unpolished villager called ‘source’ in believing that he has the information of some injured terrorist. The officer starts salivating and day dreaming of decorations. He is fleeced of cash for a month or so by that source, till the time it dawns on the officer that he is being made a Charlie. But the beauty of all this is that the officer never shares his bitter experience with others. As a result, the source extracts money from other officers using the same modus operandi.

“I am sure you people must have done brainstorming to avoid such a thing from happening in future,” said the doctor.

“That is a good idea. An odd WhatsApp message is seen which warns you to avoid the trap but no brain storming among the veteran community, I think, ” I said. I thought that years of our exile from society makes us feel that we are better and worthy members of the society only to find ourselves lagging way back in the race for property and wealth. Somehow we want to cover up for the lost time and get lured by promises of quick, high and effortless returns. Some people call it greed.

“Sir, I was working in an ECHS empaneled hospital. There the management felt that the veterans are very gullible patients. All you gotta do is give them some izzat and they sign on the dotted line.  The Ponzi schemes also must be fanning their ego.”

“Maybe, you are right,” I said and told myself that we joined the Army at a very young age. Till the age of 13 the child cannot gauge the complexities of the society. From thirteen to the age when we enter fauj, we are fully occupied looking at the girls. Although the training is rigorous with high mental stress yet we are oblivious to corrupt undercurrents of the society. We get into a comfort zone as there is someone to look back at. There is constant spoon feeding which closes all windows of spontaneity, out of box thinking , thinking on the go and thinking on the feet. The examples are bicycle cadres, driving cadres, pre courses, pre staff courses. Rehearsals before even a mess party, practices before sand model discussions or exercises. Even the senior officers want discussion points and ppts before participating in any event.

We refuse to learn about finances. In fact, it used to be a taboo to talk matters 'money' among officers. Generally, one used to hear, ‘You just put your money in DSOP and forget about it.’ In the name of financial education some PLI or LIC lectures were organised which made you day dream of windfall gains twenty years hence. But ending up in a pittance with the devaluation of money.  Overall, we get into a comfort zone. Some of our own veterans conspire with the swindlers to fool our own whose confidence in brother officers is exploited. I don’t know whether it is fair to quote the sexist Subedar Bhagat Singh (Retd), who forty years ago, used to squarely blamed the ladies. He said that some officers are damn smart when they join, but they are dope when they retire, pata nahin mem saab log unki akal par kya pathar daal deti hain(don’t know how the wives make them halfwit).

Maybe because of our psychology we think in black or white only. Whereas the society operates in a wide spectrum of grey. But all this while we think we are smart.

“You retired from a fairly high rank, you should take the lead to educate your fellow veterans,” Suggested the doctor.

“Yes, I will try,” I said. I didn’t want to tell him that three years after my retirement my portfolio of equity is in red. I am still trying to grasp the mechanics of the share market. But yes, I have not got into a trap of the ponzi schemes not because I am smart. It is because my looks and body language must be exuding to the predator, ‘is garib ke pass kya hoga.’  

But he has a point. I should suggest to my regimental Commanding Officers that they encourage their jawans and officers to spend part of their leave (at least five days in a year) navigating the real battleground: the court, tehsil offices, income tax offices, and the RTO. They need to see the "grey" areas in which society really operates. Maybe if they invest a small amount in mutual funds, they’ll experience the ups and downs of the market and realize there’s no such thing as easy money.

That’s the education we need—a few practical lessons in the "warzone" of civilian life. Because once you’re out of the uniform, no one’s going to salute you with easy returns.

Note- A friend suggested that the veterans are falling prey through their phones so ideally, they should stop using mobile phones. I don’t think that is a solution because ‘ab to ECHS aur SPARSH bhi phone pe chalta hai.’ Please give your practical suggestions in the comments.