The Deadly Combination

A 21-year old boy landed two months ago in Kochi, Kerala, with 3 pairs of clothes and nothing else with him. He had arrived from far off Gujarat to find a job and make a living in Kerala. He was in Kochi without any acquaintance and not knowing a word of Malayalam, the local language. It was indeed difficult to manage in such environment. His needs were simple. Earning 40 rupees a day for food and another 250 rupees a day for paying rental to a lodge. He survived for a month by working in four establishments. Each job was different and required different skills and temperament. He worked in a bakery followed by a call centre, a shoe shop and as a waiter in a McDonald's outlet. He managed to spend a month by earning the required money and living hand to mouth.  

There is nothing special in the above story. There are thousands of such young boys and girls migrating far away from their towns or villages for securing some job and make a living. Then what was special about this young man? The family background of the person makes an interesting study. This is more so in an era when we regularly hear of young boys driving expensive luxury cars and killing people walking or sleeping on footpaths. And more than that, behaving indifferently about the victims and abusing the process of law to escape punishment and accountability.    

Dravya Dhalokia was pursuing his MBA in USA. He came to India on holidays. As per their family tradition, all children in the family have to undergo this type of self-living in their early days. While holidaying in India, his father sent him on such a mission to learn to live on his own. He was required to strictly follow three rules during his stay in Kerala. First one was that he was not to work in any one place for more than a week. Secondly, he was not permitted to use his father's or family's name and identity. The third and more stringent condition was not to use a mobile phone during his stay in Kerala. He was required to go to unfamiliar places, find a job and make a living. He managed to survive for one month by strictly following the three rules set by his father. He did have an emergency fund of seven thousand rupees in his pocket when he arrived. It was not to be used unless there was an extreme emergency. When he left Kerala after a month, the amount was intact in his pocket.

Dravya (The word "Dravya" itself means money!) Dhalokia's case is even more special considering his family background. His father Savji Dhalokia is the Chairman of Hari Krishna Diamond Exports Private Limited of Surat. It is a company that polishes and exports 5,00,000 carats of diamonds every year. The company has a turnover of 6,000 crore rupees a year and employs 6,000 people. It has business presence in over 70 countries. Savji Dhalokia made news in October 2014 by giving away 491 cars and 200 flats to his employees as Diwali gifts. Another 525 staff members were given gold and diamond jewelry as gifts on the occasion. The gifts were in recognition of the exemplary work done by the staff members and achieving the business targets allotted to them.  

The experimental mission for his son in Kerala was to make him understand the value of money.

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Youth is a period in life when a person is strong physically and the mental growth has not yet reached the ideal level. Thinking follows action and not the other way around. Act first and then think is the natural process. Many attractions of life drive actions in this phase of life. The ability to balance actions with reasoning and understanding the possible results has not yet arrived. Youth is, on its own, a recipe for disaster if the abundant energy and vigor is not channelized properly. 

Wealth is another dangerous ingredient for disaster. A person who does not understand the value of money tends to spend it rather easily and unmindful of the consequences. Easy come easy go, as they say. Anyone working hard for earning money and building wealth would think twice before spending the hard earned rupee. It may not be called miserly behavior, but it is the wisdom of spending only when required. Being generous when wealthy is indeed a good quality. But being generous is effective only when coupled with useful spending.  

Power is the third component for bringing in trouble. This is all the more true when the power is derived without authority. Many youngsters enjoy the power of money or social and political influence of their parents and family members. They know how to use the levers of power without knowing the efforts for acquiring them and the results of its uninhibited usage. The effects of such misuse and abuse of power is felt by the gullible and the weak in society. The damage caused in the lives of others is often irreparable. 

The word "Aviveka" in Sanskrit has two near equivalent words in English; Indirection and Indiscretion.  Indirection is lack of direction or goal in life. When the basic necessities of life is available freely and there is no need to work for them, indirection sets in life. Indiscretion is acting without prudence. Prudence is being wise in practical affairs and care in management of resources. Life without defined goals and actions without prudence is certain to bring lamentable results. This is the fourth element that can lead to tragedy and undesirable effects on ones life as well as on the life of others.

This sloka from "Hitopadesha" sums up the effects of a combination of all these in one's life:

योव्वनं धनसंपत्तिः प्रभुत्वं अविवेकता | 

एकैकमपि अनर्थाय किमुयत्र चतुष्टयम् ||

  

Youth, Wealth, Power and Aviveka (Indiscretion and Indirection), any one of these is enough to usher in the undesirable (and destroy a person). What if they are all put together? They form a deadly combination! 

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"Round the Clock Stories" is now five years old. This is the 250th blog post. It has reached readers in over 120 countries. I am immensely grateful to all the readers who have encouraged me by reading the posts and adding their valuable comments on them. I am beholden to friends and well-wishers who have provided support through e-mails and words of support in person. I am thankful to the young girl who advised me to pool all my articles in one place and helped me in finding a place for them in "Round The Clock stories". It has made me to read and think on different subjects and develop varied interests. 

The journey continues.......