Corporate vs. ‘KARPARATION’

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 10^th 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.