Whose Father’s What Goes?

All those who had fervently (and as we now know, foolishly) hoped for a better political discourse in the country when a people-propelled movement metamorphed into a political party are in a state of shock and despair. It is a clear case of ‘kya se kya ho gaya’. Politics without money or muscle power, responsive public representatives, no VVIP culture, swaraj, democracy and what not. Now it turns out that what we were actually hearing was not alternative politics but an alternate political party. How stupid of us, no? The drama that has unfolded in AAP over the past one month has all the essential ingredients of a potboiler. Conspiracy theories, betrayal, personal egos and ambitions, ruthless dictators, fawning sycophants, secretly taped conversations, suspect donations and a hint of sleaze too. The cheerleaders and the ultra-optimists are left with a bitter taste in their mouth. It is improbable that the aam aadmi would be enamoured by a similar movement in the future. When all turn out to be the same, why bother? Whose father’s what goes, really?

We all, I am sure, have had this feeling of despondency and resignation at one stage or the other in our lives. You see a broken water pipe on the roadside on way to your office, slowly spewing trickles of water. Should you call the municipal authorities? Even if you call, will somebody respond? How long before the plumber decides to pay a visit to the site and repair? Should you call or let somebody else do it? Then you call and a person replies that the problem would be fixed soon. While returning from office you make it a point to check whether the pipe has been repaired. No, water is still leaking, pouring out hundreds of litres by the hour. Your concern and efforts have not yielded any results. That is when you get this feeling-whose father’s what goes?

  

(This spot in 18^th cross, Malleshwaram is under repair for the past two years or more. A fit case for accidents, especially in the nights.)

 (A regular scene in the evenings on either side of Sampige road in Malleshwaram, for the past four years, at least.)

Today morning this thought came to me after a not-so-cordial meet with the head of a civil construction department. I was upset about the quality of construction of residential quarters of our staff. The building is about ten years old but had started to leak even before its first birthday. Things have only gone worse since then. Some government agency or the other keep spending thousands of rupees every year to seal the seepage, replace the rotten wardrobes and plug the cracks. After the disgruntled officer left my chamber mumbling his displeasure, I sat lamenting my indiscretion. What was the point in antagonizing an officer of a different department? The work was executed by his predecessors about a decade back in which he had no role to play. At least on paper, the quality of the building was checked, found ok and payments were made. The occupants of the quarters have never sat on a dharna against the poor quality of construction and I am anyway not staying in that campus. It may look selfish but if you keep stretching your involvement, there is no end to it.  

This brings us to the moot point. ‘Is it only ‘karmanye va adhikaraha te ma faleshu kadachana’? What constitutes one’s karma and who defines it? No social or civic responsibility, no call to the electricity department to switch off the street lights in the hot afternoon? Or is it also a part of karma? How far and wide does the boundary of karma extend? When a pang of guilt pricks, donate some money to charity and feel happy and proud about it? When the general state of affairs need redress, even when they do not concern us directly, should we be indifferent? And how long can genial interventions last if there are no perceptible end results?

Here is another example. Some time back, I came across a case of contract labourers being paid less than what is due, even lesser than the minimum wages by employment agencies. The agencies collect money higher than the minimum wages, including their service charges from the organizations and then shortchange the workers. (This is a phenomenon across the country. You can crosscheck with the security at your office gate!) There was a complaint by the affected. It is no rocket science to understand that minimum wages act is applicable everywhere. An inquiry was conducted and irregularity was pointed out. But not unexpectedly, nothing happened.  Either to the agency or to the workers. Status quo is maintained and life goes on. Then you curse yourself for taking undue interest in the matter, wasting your time and energy when you jolly well knew that the person who should take a call, is either incapable or willfully indifferent.

Just to get a clarification, and to highlight this sickening trend, I emailed to the Secretary, ministry of labour and employment, GoI, New Delhi. It is more than six months now and a reply is awaited. The next time I see a similar case, I would perhaps be less inclined to get into the details. Why take the pain when you know that the chances of a change are bleak? Whose father’s what goes?

Recently, a well-meaning senior officer had this piece of advice-“look at the problem from a distance”, he said. “Like how a mechanic sees a bike in his garage. Dispassionately. See what best you can do if it is in your domain and then move on”. Who can argue with that? Easier said than done because the officer himself is now disenchanted by the state of affairs in the organization where he is working. 

 Let me end the blog with a positive note. Some people - ordinary folks, not those who are paid to work for others - even while knowing well that things might not change much, doggedly carry on with their efforts with a single-minded determination. The best example I can quote here is of a group called ‘The Ugly Indian’ in Bengaluru, that has a simple motto - ‘Stop Talking, Start Doing’. Not an easy job when it is more comfortable to be ensconced in our comfort zones of office, family, friends, malls and vacations. May their tribe increase.