“Live only in a village that has a money lender, a physician and a perennial river …” is the ancient wisdom of Sumati Sataka. Ever since money replaced barter economy, money lending at a fair rate has become the essence of modern life. Everyone needs to borrow to tide over a contingency or to invest in a venture.

The chief concern of an average urban middle-class housewife is her child’s admission to a prestigious private English medium school, or her inability to get cheap hired domestic help, preferably a child worker. Six years ago RK Laxman drew an insightful cartoon that depicts our society. Two boys – one healthy, standing erect in school uniform; the other weak, ill-clad and groaning under the weight of a load of books and lunch box with two ladies looking on. The mother of the uniformed child tells her companion, “It’s really cruel burdening the kids like this!