A social media post on X (formerly Twitter) by a user, Venkatesh Alla, has sparked widespread conversation online regarding job safety in India. It talks about the tough situation faced by a well-paid, tax-paying Indian professional who lost his job and received no real support afterward. Alla did not reveal the employee’s full identity and called him Mr. Salim, a top student from NIT who was earning Rs 43.5 lakh per year in Bengaluru. According to Alla, Salim was laid off last month and given a standard three-month severance package. He had done well in his studies and had built a strong career in the tech industry.
Alla revealed that Salim had paid Rs 11.22 lakh in income tax just last year alone and over Rs 30 lakh in total over five years. Despite this, Alla said that Salim got “zero support. No safety net. No job security. No respect for his contribution.”
Alla sharply criticised the lack of a social safety infrastructure in India, especially for salaried middle-class professionals who pay taxes but receive little in terms of fallback options during crises.
Alla stated that Mr. Salim had paid Rs 11.22 lakh in income tax just last year alone and over Rs 30 lakh in total over five years. Despite this, the post claims, “he got zero support. No safety net. No job security. No respect for his contribution.”
He sharply criticised the lack of a social safety infrastructure in India, especially for salaried middle-class professionals who pay taxes but receive little in terms of fallback options during crises.
Just got a message from Mr. Salim a topper from his NIT, working in Bangalore with a ₹43.5 LPA package laid off last month. The company handed him just 3 months’ severance.
Last year alone, he paid ₹11.22 lakhs in income tax. In just 5 years, over ₹30 lakhs gone into the…
— Venkatesh Alla (@venkat_fin9) June 29, 2025
Surviving on savings
He also revealed that Mr. Salim is now using his severance and savings to pay for his children’s education which is Rs 1.95 lakh per child, per year. Thankfully, he does not have a home loan, the post notes.
“That’s where his reward is going,” the X user wrote, highlighting the irony of a taxpayer now struggling to stay afloat.
Further Allah mentioned that Mr. Salim has fallen into depression, saying he felt “abandoned from every direction.” The emotional toll of being laid off, combined with the lack of state support, has reportedly taken a significant mental health toll on him.
“This country needs to change”
In closing, the X user delivered a stinging indictment of the system, writing:
“This is what happens to genuine taxpayers in India. You pay. You comply. You contribute. And when you’re in crisis, you’re on your own.” Adding to that, the user noted, “this country desperately needs to change. Because right now, it’s failing the very people who carry it forward.”
Online reaction
While the identity of Mr. Salim remains protected, the post has resonated with many professionals online, who shared similar stories of job loss, burnout, and bureaucratic indifference. Several users echoed the sentiment that India’s middle class, despite being the backbone of the economy, often finds itself unsupported in moments of vulnerability.
As per reactions on X, the post has reignited conversations about income protection schemes, unemployment insurance and the mental health cost of a system that prioritises compliance over compassion.