Well this is my first blog, as all the first time
bloggers say “when I was thinking what to name my blog and what to write, I
came up with this idea”…they usually start like this but I’m not doing
that here, I’m here to share a mixed bag of thoughts which sprout in me every
other day starting from Politics (my so called favorite area), Cricket ( I
won’t mention it as sports because I’m an Indian), a bit of philosophy and day
to day events which might have occurred in lives of other people around us (I don’t gossip) which would
help us one way or the other in our path of travel towards ‘wisdom’. I will
name this blog as “Silence Agreed”. I’ll name this, my cynosure of everything
that defines me, as “Silence Agreed”.
Having all said and done let me tell you a story of
“Corporate vs. Karparation” .This story is all about a man(Mr.A) who had high
dreams of achieving big in life (as all heroes in all stories).Mr.A finished
his degree from a well reputed college, he wasn’t planning to roam the streets
with files in search of a job because he was placed in some PQR private limited
which paid him heavily. He was very happy because this man was waiting for this
day to enter the world of corporates, to learn professionalism because to him
he had only dreamt of such things. Almost all the well-wishers he knew advised
him not to show his personal anger or insist his personal views in a work place
and asked him not to forget the most important word “professionalism”. So, this
guy knew what to do and landed in Chennai where he had rented a room with his friends
for staying.
Mr.A from the start had
no problems, being a quick learner, he adapted well to the work environment and
had a happy first month. After receiving his first month salary he did the same
thing, what would you and I dream of, frankly speaking most of us would dream of.
He bought a bike which everyone called it as a “beast” for its majestic look. He
took his majestic beast to R.T.O for registration but as usual he saw the same
helter-skelter in the office as described in most of the Indian cinemas ,he
encountered red-tapism and ofcourse giving money under the tables. He asked the
person working as a peon, can’t I get my vehicle registered without giving this
money. The man replied “Do you really want your vehicle registration done
right? Then pay me Rs.307(taxes included sir.!!) and consider your work done”,
and then he added “do you know how much you have to pay as fine or rather let
me put it this way , do you know how much you have to pay the police at every
signal??”.Mr.A argued that he had every paper correctly and his paper work can’t
be really questioned and then went inside the room of the issuing authority for getting
his vehicle registered but eventually he came back with an empty number plate.
The peon laughed and said,” you are in “Chennai Karparation” you can’t expect
anything without treating us with hot currencies notes”. Mr.A had no other choice
other than to give him the money he wanted and get his work done.
That night he thanked
God that he wasn’t working in any government organization which treats people
with a “non-professionalistic” attitude. He encountered what ‘karparation’
is but he was yet to see the full corporate
world.
One year passed since
this incident happened and one sultry morning in Chennai his manager called
him to his cabin and said “Mr.A, you wanted to go abroad for your Master’s
right…??”…Mr.A replied “yes sir, I am going to Michigan State university…it
would be a matter of couple of weeks before I leave“. ”Sooner or later I would
come to you to get my relieving letter”. The company has a norm that they would
give a person’s work experience certificate on the day he receives his
relieving letter. ”Sure Mr.A, I would be happy to sign it”.
When Mr.A came out he
saw the staff coordinator collecting money for the staff day function. Company
doesn’t fund these functions and staff members have to raise the funds
required. Fortunately or unfortunately Mr.A hasn’t attended one such
function in the past one year and he won’t be attending this year too because
he would leave the company by then. The coordinator
asked him to give Rs500 for the function , which Mr.A wasn’t ready to give
because he wasn’t going to be there for the function .Apparently it’s the
manager who arranges the function and Mr.A was blackmailed by the coordinator that
if he doesn’t give the money there might a delay in getting his experience
certificate and relieving letter. For Mr.A money doesn’t seem to big issue it’s
hardly a big amount, but the way he is being persuaded to “donate” the money
remains a concern for him. He went and explained his manger and didn’t get any
positive reply so he returned to give the money to the coordinator.
A couple of weeks later
Mr.A got his experience certificate and relieving letter. It was just a week
before he left India he realised what had happened, he was totally bewildered to know that in both Corporate and ‘karparation’ he had to
pay the money unwantedly ,against his will. That day he knew what
professionalism these companies really teach you .It was not company or the
environment which makes you a true professional it should come from within. In
both the cases he had been either blackmailed or threatened to give the money
others wanted. He also came to know that if a person is really interested in
something then he/she would come forward voluntarily or if that person wasn’t
interested he/she wouldn’t come at all, in either case there is no need of
force. People have to learn that by mere forcing we can’t get going for long. When
are we going to force open the rooster coop we are in ??? (due courtesy to Arvind
Adiga.).Do we even realise that we are trapped in one such coop..???
So the conclusion to
this story is that it doesn’t matter if you are a corporate or a peon in
‘karparation’ it hardly makes no difference if you are going to live forcing
others, blackmailing them. What is the use of a PhD in Rocket Science if you
still behave the same way as 10th std. guy?? The difference in terms
of number for this comparison (Corporate vs. karparation) was zero, hardly any
difference. As we grow higher let us know how to behave and how to respect
others.
P.S- Rs 807/- wasn't a huge amount at all but Mr.A still tries to find that one valid reason for giving
that money. Many of us would have lost many 807’s in our lives let us all start
thinking the real meaning behind the use (sorry, misuse) of power on us.
