Wish to Solve Your Problems? Look at the Flag!

The directors of an Indo-German engineering firm decided to go in for a transformation. They replaced the managing director—a Seventy-something seasoned chartered accountant—with a 50-something engineer who, as the head of another engineering company, had used the products of the Indo-German concern. The new incumbent introduced modern processes, began work on fresh products, tinkered with the workforce, and set different work standards. The directors watched the developments for a few months and pointed out a gap—the company needed to change its logo to communicate the transformation to the world.

The onus to suggest a suitable replacement of the logo fell on me. I was asked to come up with an appealing design that must remain visible on myriad surfaces of contrasting shapes and sizes and convey a strong message about the change in the company. The firm, already a market leader renowned for its ethical values and robust products, had a good number of repeat customers. I had to ensure that the new logo, while reflecting a new image, must not be construed as a signal of departure from major existing strengths and lead to a loss of clientele. It took professional agencies and me some months to come out with options that fulfilled the requirement. The directors debated over the options and finally chose a design that continues to be in use for the last seven years.

When I mentioned the exercise to the company's agent in France, he remarked, "We don't go into so many intricacies. We just select a good, attractive design, and that's it!" That may be true for his company, but it's common knowledge that the logos of world leaders such as Amazon, Baskin Robbins, Fedex, Toyota, Vaio, etc., are much more than "good, attractive designs;" each of them conveys a story.

And so does the flag of India. It is not a simple 'tricolour' or a 'tiranga', terms often used to describe it. True, the flag has three prominent colour bands, but with a 'dharma chakra' at heart, its design is more complex than, say, those of the Hungarian or the Italian flags. It carries a statement of the ideals every model citizen of India must follow spiritually, mentally, and physically. Display of the flag must neither be confused with allegiance to a particular individual or sect, nor should it be misunderstood as an indolent expression of patriotism. Sincere adaptation of the flag can solve many problems and make living a joyful and fulfilling experience. If we wish to solve our problems, we must look at the flag for guidance—it has rich potential to serve as a true saviour. 

            Let us consider some day-to-day problems and put the above statement to test. How about road rage, fake news, shortage of money, verbal and physical violence, and unfulfilment of promises or delay in meeting them?

Road Rage

Subhash Waghmare, a pillion rider, was beaten to death on Lavasa Road in Pune on May 8, 2022, by three persons after an altercation about overtaking of motorcycles (ABP News).

Jagbir, a Haryana Roadways bus driver was killed in a road rage incident, leading to the suicide of his distraught son in Sonipat (India Today, September 08, 2022).

The union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari informed the parliament that 215 thousand cases of road rage and rash driving were recorded in India in 2021 (Deccan Herald, March 24, 2022).

Displaced anger, stress, intoxication, impatience, hatred, inflated ego—all major road rage inducing factors emanate from our frame of mind. The second, the third and the seventh spokes of the 'dharma chakra' in the flag show us a way to avoid road rage. The second spoke stresses upon maintaining good mental health, the third emphasises upon peace and harmony within ourselves and all around, and the seventh spoke demands forgiveness towards all creatures. Road rage becomes unthinkable for a true practitioner of these values.       

Fake News

On September 25, 2022, an Indian news channel, in an exclusive break, informed about a coup in China. Many experts shared their learned views about the development on media. Actually, no such event had actually happened, the confusion was created by fake news!

As per a BBC report, fake news in the first half of 2020 mislead many Covid-19 patients into undergoing unscientific treatment and dying or suffering for long durations. Mutton and poultry products were wrongly believed as the catalysts of the disease, and shops selling such products were forced shut in many areas. Unfounded news about Tablighi Jamaat spreading Covid-19 disrupted communal harmony across India. False reports on the Citizenship Amendment Act upset people and deadly religious riots flared up.

As per the National Crime Records Bureau, 2020 witnessed a three-fold increase in fake news over the previous year in India. A large proportion of this news related to religious and political issues, spreading suspicion and hatred.

Fake news may help its perpetrators for some time, but it inflicts immense damage to the psyche and the well-being of innocent people. The sixteenth spoke of the 'dharma chakra' in the flag warns us against believing rumours, insisting that only truth deserves to be followed. The twenty-fourth spoke promotes acquisition of wisdom and its proper utilisation. And, the fifth spoke recommends us citizens to practise high morality in our professional and personal conduct. Will a person with high moral standards stoop to the level of generating and spreading false and harmful information? No! And, will people following truth with proper application of wisdom fall in the trap of the rumour mongers? Again, no!      

Shortage of Money

Manikuttan, his wife, aunt, and two children were found dead in their home in Thiruvananthapuram on July 2, 2022. Manikuttan was hanging by a rope and the remaining four persons had been poisoned. Inability to pay debts is stated to be the reason behind the mass suicide (Tribune).

K Surya Prakash, his wife Akshaya and two children—aged 7 and 11—were found dead in a hotel in Nizamabad on August 21, 2022. Surya Prakash was found hanging from the ceiling while the remaining three family members had died due to poisoning in a suicide pact due to money-related issues (Telangana Today).  

As per the National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB), of the 153,052 cases of death by suicide reported in India in 2020, 11.3% were of self employed people, 10.2% of the unemployed, 9.7% were of salaried employees and professionals, and 7% of farmers. Shortage of money or poverty and bankruptcy was one of the factors that had driven these people to kill their children, spouses, parents, and themselves. It would be safe to assume that the financial problems of these segments were created either by the individuals or by their employers, customers, stake holders, and friends and influencers.   

But why do people face shortage of money? Are all our expenses devoted to bare sustenance or do we splurge money to flash lifestyles that we cannot afford? Buying of houses, automobiles, gadgets, jewellery, and clothes; embarking on foreign jaunts; eating at expensive restaurants—just to keep up with the Joneses—can be a sure recipe for shortage of funds. The first spoke of the 'dharma chakra' suggests following a simple lifestyle. The eighteenth spoke goes a step further, and recommends optimum utilisation of money. It does not require a genius to deduce that living within one's means and not wasting money prevents financial troubles.

Verbal and Physical Violence

Nikhil Dohre, a class ten student in Auraiya, committed a spelling error. The infuriated teacher, Ashwini Singh, beat Dohre who succumbed to the injuries on September 7, 2022 (India Today).

            Irritated over the delay in dinner preparation, Anuj Kumar in NOIDA hit his wife Khushbu on the head with a tawa, leading to her death on September 26, 2022 (Times of India).

            BBC, on the basis of a NCRB report, informs that incidents of crimes against women were the highest in the six years from 2016 to 2021.

            There is a biological explanation for violence. It's natural for a mother to become aggressive when someone endangers her child. People trying to protect their belongings from thieves may use force. A soldier defending the nation is provided with arms for a purpose. However, one must exercise wisdom to differentiate between good and evil, and maintain good mental and spiritual health as prescribed by the second spoke of the 'dharma chakra.' Love towards all creatures, cordial relationship among all citizens, and brotherhood in the country—as suggested by eighth, the ninth and the tenth spokes—make the issue clearer. A follower of these principles will surely not indulge in verbal and physical violence.

Unfulfilment of Promises and Delay in Meeting Them

Rao Inderjit Singh, minister for statistics and programme implementation, informed the Rajya Sabha on August 7, 2022, that 721 out of the 1568 infrastructure projects being monitored by the government were running behind schedule. These included railways, power, atomic energy, coal, and petroleum projects worth trillions of rupees (The Times of India).

Many students vying to get into Delhi University colleges have been forced to join Karnataka colleges as their wait for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) results continues. With Bengaluru colleges completing admissions and commencing classes, students are left with no choice but to join them, even though there is no clarity on fee reimbursement. The long delay in the CUET results has put students in a dilemma (Times of India, September 04, 2022).

Construction works of 480 thousand homes worth Rs.448 billion are stuck or delayed in seven major cities of India (Hindu Business Line, June 12, 2022). 

We are very familiar with the topic. There is hardly a day when we don't face inconvenience due to failed promises. We may also be the creators of many delays and impossible commitments. Most delays occur due to insincerely projected deadlines, impracticable tasks, conflicting interests, lackadaisical approaches, and misplaced priorities. Can we learn something from the flag to mend our ways? Of course, we can! The fourth spoke of the 'dharma chakra' calls for sacrifice of personal comforts for the nation and society. The twelfth and the thirteenth spokes stand for welfare activities in and development of the nation. The fourteenth spoke recommends industrial progress of the nation, while the twenty-first spoke stresses upon co-operation. The twenty-second spoke signifies honest discharge of duty. I have already mentioned about truth while discussing fake news earlier. With no falsehood in promises, honest discharge of duty, focus on the welfare, progress and development of the nation, disregard of personal agenda and full involvement of all related agencies, can't the situation be improved miraculously? If many other nations can work with greater efficiency, we can definitely learn and improve.

The 'dharma chakra' has twenty-four spokes, but I have mentioned only some for the sake of brevity. In case you are not familiar with the significance of each spoke, a good book can be of help. We can give the flag a place in our hearts and lead a happy life with much improved conditions all over, or exploit it for cheap gimmicks and temporary gains—the choice entirely lies with us.

The Will of the Dead

 

The call came in the morning. The distraught younger sister informed him that her mother-in-law passed away an hour ago.

To be exact, she was not his sister. She was a cousin, a daughter of the brother of his mother.

"A cousin, she is still a younger sister," he was firm in his belief. "And, a death is a death. The age, the gender, or the relationships of the deceased don't matter. All mothers deserve to be treated with respect in life and death," he surmised.

Reeling under the agony of her loss, he consoled the cousin, "Don't worry, I shall be there in a moment!"

He rushed towards her bungalow with alacrity.

An imposing portrait of the departed lady was placed in the lawn. Next to it sat a silver bowl of dew-fresh white rose petals. He stopped for a while, folded his hands in obeisance, closed his eyes, and dropped some petals before the picture. Silently removing his slippers in the porch, he joined a queue for the last view of the body in the hall.

The professionalism of the arrangement impressed him. There was no vulgar display of sorrow, no animated discussion about the last rites, no awkward handling of the grief. A mild scent of purifying smoke and some faint strains of devotional music added dignity to the solemn occasion.

"Money, power and competence turn everything so magnificent!" the thought struck him.

An old servant tapped his elbow, "Madam wishes to see you!"

'Madam,' that is, his cousin.

The servant stopped at a door and gestured him to go in.

The cousin was alone in the room. Her face lit up on seeing him. "Will you please sign as a witness on this?" she thrust a bunch of stamp papers in his hand.

"Who am I to interfere with her happiness?" He mechanically signed on the dotted line.

"I knew, I could always rely on you!" the sister exclaimed.

"But why did she put her thumb impression on the will? She was well educated,"  words slipped out of his mouth.

"Neither his father nor his mother were ready to make a will. They were so adamant!" referring to her husband's parents, she replied. "You would have some idea about their wealth. It wouldn't have taken even a minute after her death for the army of claimants to demand a share in the property. What a mess it would have been then! We had kept a will ready, and obtained her thumb impression after the death, In any case, she would have bequeathed all this to us only." She concluded in a matter-of-fact manner.

He nodded his head in agreement. He was thinking, "Money, power and competence turn everything so magnificent!"

Gita for Managers II – Acceptance of Death, Risk-taking, and Impact of Failure

 

Three months ago a relative lost her mother. It was a double blow—hardly three years ago she had bid the final adieu to her father. A loving and caring child, she had been interacting with the parents everyday till they passed away one after the other. Their departure has left a big void in her life. She continues to breakdown at the very mention of their names and dutifully posts their pictures on her social media accounts every other day. It matters little that both her parents were above eighty years in age, or that she has a bustling family of about thirty people, right from an eighty-plus mother-in-law to some five-year-old grand children.

Some of us are alarmed at this extended mourning. Grieving at the loss of a life is natural; allowing the sadness to overpower us is not. Corona has exposed us to an unpleasant fact—we all must face the reality of death. Most of us have already lost a dear friend, relative, or acquaintance to the epidemic. We don't know, who is the next in line.

If death means the end, don't we deal with it in a healthy manner throughout our professional lives? For example, don't we try and stick to all accepted deadlines? Whether it was the release of the next edition of the quarterly corporate magazine, broadcast of the national news bulletin, settlement of customer complaints, execution of orders, or the completion of projects—I was particular about always adhering to the deadlines. The same must be true with you. We all have little time to gloat over the success of the just completed task, and get absorbed in the next activity almost immediately. Should we not handle death also in a similar manner?

As mentioned in a previous article, I am neither a preacher nor wish to influence your religious views. However, it would be pertinent to quote Lord Krishna here (Gita Shloka 2.13):

देहिनोsस्मिन् यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा। तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति।।      

(As the soul attains childhood, youth, and old age in a particular body, it also acquires different bodies. Wise people don't get deluded by the journey of the soul from one body to another.)

The philosophy is also reflected in the epitaph of Acharya Rajneesh, which reads: "Never Born, Never Died. Only Visited this Planet Earth between Dec 11 1931 – Jan 19 1990."    

The best way to remember the departed was demonstrated by Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal in the memory of his wife; by Dashrath Manjhi, who carved a path in a hill and shortened the travelling distance from 55 km to 15 km after his wife died due to a fall in the mountain; or by the cricketer Imran Khan who founded the charitable Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre when his mother succumbed to the disease. The examples can be numerous, I have mentioned just the ones with which most of us are familiar. Passive mourning can continue endlessly, but what can be a better tribute than doing something useful for the society?

Passivity is a double-edged sword. It is a favourite weapon of those averse to taking risks. A very learned and shrewd prime minister of India used to remain silent at controversial junctures. This tactic became famous and popularised the phrase, "when in doubt, pout!" Another prime minister, the most educated India has had thus far, adopted passiveness to such a high degree in the latter half of his term that 'policy paralysis' became the catchphrase description for his style of governance. No wonder, his party was unceremoniously ousted in the next general elections. Once treated with great respect the world over, the leader stands nowhere near the position that he deserved once upon a time.

Inaction and silence can result in heavy loss of reputation and position—whether in politics, business, or in personal life. Concerned about the fear of Arjuna in taking up arms, Krishna said (Gita, Shloka 2.34):           

अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि कथयिष्यन्ति तेsव्ययाम्। संभावितस्य चाकीर्तिर्मरणादतिरिच्यते।।

(If you shirk responsibility, everybody will talk bad about you, and your name will get blemished for ever. Dishonour is worse than death for the noble.)

But the point is, many a times the fear of failure is so real, the risks are so great, and defeat is so certain that remaining passive appears to be the only option. But, is it really so? Krishna provides guidance in the matter (Gita Shloka 2.37):  

हतो वा प्राप्स्यसि सवर्गं जित्वा वा भोक्ष्यसे महीम्। तस्मादुत्तिष्ठ कौन्तेय युद्धाय कृतनिश्चयः।।

(Arise, the son of Kunti! If you die, you will have heavenly comforts. If you win, you will enjoy everything the earth has to offer.)

Big words? No! Look at the defeat of the Indian women's hockey team at the Tokyo Olympics, 2020. The team failed to win any medal at the event, but its players were described as 'bravehearts,' 'courageous,' 'spirited,' etc., by the media. Why? Because they played valiantly and almost snatched the bronze medal, undeterred by the fact that the previous best performance of the team was 41 years ago in the 1980 Moscow Games, where they finished fourth among six teams.

The public is clear, our girls have tried. The same public, which doesn't mind dumping even the greatest heroes when they fail to act! Whether it is the public, the share holders, the boss, or even your own child, there is only one sure way of earning their respect—doing something positive regardless of the situation.    

The Helpful Neighbours

 

"Our latest power bill is for twenty-two thousand rupees!" I cried in shock. The bill showed a power consumption of 3,000 kWH. I was asked to pay within seven days to avoid disconnection.

"TWENTTY TTWO THHOUSANDD?" My wife repeated, putting emphasis on every syllable.

"Yes!" I responded weakly.

"But how can they raise the bill for such a huge amount? Isn't our flat locked?" She exclaimed in disbelief. "Or, is someone illegally tapping power from our line?" The salvos were rapidly fired at me. 

Yes, I had switched off the mains and locked our flat before starting in November last year, but simply had no genie at my command to provide quick answers regarding the latest status there. Not only was I 2,200 kilometres away from home, travel restrictions due to Covid had forced us to extend our three-month trip to seven months with little hope for the resumption of flights in the next month. When a lot can happen over coffee, undoubtedly a lot more can happen in seven months—I thought.

I checked the April bill. And after that, the bills of March, February, and January. All had the same figure, 22079, against previous and current readings. But, the bill of May was different. It showed these readings as 22079 and 25079.

Illegal power tapping is neither uncommon nor impossible. It has been happening since time immemorial. Tapping of corporate power by the managing director's son, political power by the minister's wife, marketing vice president's power by the chief accountant, prime minister's power by the army chief ... the list is endless. Theft of electrical power is nothing in comparison.

The 'nothing' puzzled me. The probability of stealing exactly 3,000 units was as bleak as that of a monkey saying sorry to a boy after snatching a banana from him.

"Perhaps it is a case of incorrect meter reading," I mumbled.

"How can the meter be 'read' incorrectly? I mean, aren't they all electronically connected with little need for human intervention?" By then my son had joined the discussion.

"No, a man comes and notes down the readings every month," I explained.

"That is strange!"  

I can't really blame him. He has lived in Dubai far too long to remember how things run back home in India. And they run reasonably well till someone goofs up somewhere, as perhaps had happened in this case.

"Let me check with the other residents," I said. Yes, that was it! I must pass on this information to them. Perhaps everyone might have received inflated bills.

My immediate neighbour, Devi Prasad Nayak, responded almost instantly. No, he didn't provide a clue about the consumption of 3,000 units. Being a methodical insurance agent, he, instead, asked for a copy of the bill. Of course, how could any responsible person comment on the situation without ascertaining the facts?

I uploaded a copy of the bill in our common WhatsApp forum, and gave the good news to my wife that our immediate neighbour had decided to come to our rescue.

"See, he is a good man, after all! He had requested us to sit in his house when our door lock malfunctioned in 2017." She beamed.

"But you went to another neighbour while I went to fetch the locksmith," I refreshed her memory.

"He offered to buy milk for us at the beginning of the lockdown last year," she retorted. 

"But he never bought even a drop of it!" I added.

"Hmm, but has anyone else responded in the forum?" She asked.

"No, Nayak is the only one so far," I admitted.

Meanwhile, Nayak's inquisitiveness had risen further, "What was your previous bill amount? When did you pay it?"

There was no reason for me to feel offended. After all, he was trying to help me. So what if the consumption of 3,000 units in a month had nothing to do with the previous bills and payments!

I gave him the details.

"You will have to get the reading rechecked by the power corporation," he declared after a while.

"The corporation corrected the bill in a similar case when I showed a video clip of the meter in the past," I argued.

"Then approach the corporation on your return. Bribe some guy, and your work will be done!" Nayak provided the solution.

"But no passenger flights are operating between the two countries, and I don't know when I'll be able to return," I pleaded.

Losing interest in the conversation, Nayak had perhaps by then focused his energy on selling some insurance policy.

"What did Nayak say?" My wife asked.

"Nothing! He has gone silent. Exactly the way when we asked him to return the Rs.5,000 loaned to him seven years ago." I spoke with distaste.

"He used to climb into our balcony and steal the newspapers in our absence," she recalled.

"Though we have covered it with an iron grill and curtains now, I still sometimes notice him peeping into our balcony," I added.

Meanwhile, another neighbour, Jitendra Kochhar, jumped in the fray with a suggestion, "You can lodge a complaint on the power corporation website."

"Yes, but they would insist upon paying the bill by the due date. The inflated bill can be corrected only if a video clip of the meter is verified by the relevant official." I retorted.

The exchange with Kochhar continued for some time, first focusing on where I had gone, and then gradually shifting to the when's and the why's of it. Inflated billing took a backseat. Kochhar is in the business of education, and, I am sure, believes that strong fundamentals are necessary for progress in life with or without inflated bills. 

A day had passed without any progress.

"Madam, can you please check and confirm the meter reading?" Hesitatingly, I sent a direct  message to Mrs Braganza. Hesitatingly, because this 70 year old cancer survivor falls in the high risk group for Covid infection.

Hardly fifteen minutes would have passed when her reply came with a photograph of the meter. My suspicion was right! The meter displayed 22079. It was a simple case of incorrect noting of the second '2' as '5'. The bill could be corrected by showing a video clip of the meter to the power officials.

"Let me request the Kesaris. You taught their daughters free for several months. We took care of their fish on the two occasions they went to their ancestral home. We sometimes shared food." My wife was excited.

"I taught only the elder one. You taught the younger one, who never flushed the toilet after use and once peed on our sofa," I refreshed her memory.

"What else do you expect from a five year old?" She defended the girl.

"But Kesari has not responded to the communication so far." I interjected.

"Perhaps he is not comfortable writing on WhatsApp," now she was defending the girl's father.

"Okay!" I let her have her way. She recorded a message and sent it to Kesari.

Another day passed.

My wife kept checking her and my phones, but Kesari remained silent like a car with a stolen battery.              

"When you are serious, everything looks so tense!" My daughter-in-law observed during lunch.

"I am worried that if the power corporation is not able to depute a person to read the meter in the coming months, it may ask me to pay as per the current bill in future as well. That would force me to shell out Rs.22,000 every month without consuming a single unit of power," I croaked.

"Why don't you ask a neighbour to take a video and attach it to your complaint on the corporation's website?" She asked.

"I lodged the complaint yesterday, but the website has no provision for uploading a video file. Plus, I am yet to find a person willing to take a video clip of the meter," I was lost in thoughts.

"What about our front door neighbours, the Tandons?" She had enjoyed a good relationship with them seven years ago.

"I don't know them so well. And, though we share Diwali and Holi sweets every year, I ignored his demand for sharing our Wi-Fi password with them last year," I admitted with guilt.

"Hmm! What about 'Khad-Khad Bhaiya'?" She asked about a particular neighbour who is abnormally tall with an abnormally unpleasant voice. 

I suspected that she might have been pally with that neighbour's wife also seven years ago, but we fall in his mother's category who has not displayed any inclination to return our visits or appreciate our little gifts.

"He has not commented at all on the issue," I closed the topic.

"I will try and find a way out," she said.

I nodded, and started chewing my food.

"I will request Kesari again," my wife said.

She confided at night, "Mrs Kesari has said that they are not getting out of the house due to Covid. We appear to be up against a wall!"

"You know, Manav Pandey wrote yesterday that he would try to help, but he, too, didn't communicate today," I murmured.

I visited the power corporation site the next morning. Unbelievably, the bill had been revised to Rs.686, and the payment date had been extended by ten days. Not taking a chance, I paid the bill immediately.

My phone had a message from Manav Pandey, expressing regret for not being able to communicate the previous day and informing that he had got the bill revised after showing the video.

Who says helpful neighbours don't exist anymore? They do. They just don't brag about it.