Work, till retirement!

A group of children were playing at the foot of a small hill on the outskirts of the village. There was a small cave on the hill and the children were advised never to go near it.  While playing, the ball with which they were playing flew and fell near the entrance of the cave. One of the bold boys went near the cave to fetch the ball. He ventured to go near the mouth of the cave and stood there for sometime. Other kids too mustered courage and went near him. The group slowly went inside the cave. They did not find anything interesting there. While retreating, one of the boys saw a big egg lying in the corner of the cave. The children had never seen anything like that and decided to carry it to the village to find out what it actually was. The village headman saw it with other elders around, but nobody had seen such a big egg in their lifetime. It was kept on the stone slab in front of the big banyan tree. In a few minutes, it became the center of attraction in the village. A large crowd gathered around it and each one gave his own version about the egg.

One of the villagers suggested that they take it to the oldest man in the village and seek his opinion on it. The old man was now sick and bed ridden. The village headman carried the egg to his house as the old man could not come out on his own. The old man saw the egg and was excited. He said that he had heard about such a thing from his father, but he himself had never seen it. He suggested that the item be taken to the nearby village where his father stayed with his brother. His advice was duly carried out and the egg was taken there. No need to say that the entire village followed in a procession. When they went near the house and called out, the father came out to meet him. They were surprised when they saw the older man walk to them on his two feet clutching a stick for support. He was in much better health than his son. He examined the egg and said that his father had mentioned to him about such a thing when he was young. He said that it was not an egg, but possibly a corn. He was not very sure and advised the group to take it to his father who lived in another village, on the other side of the river. 

The headman and the group now proceeded to the village on the other side of the river. When they went to the house in which the grandfather lived, his great grand daughter told them that he had gone to the forest to bring firewood and forest fruits. The group waited for his arrival and found that he walked without any support and carried a big bundle of firewood on his head!  When the egg was shown to him, he was thrilled and danced holding the corn in his hands. He told the group that this was the type of corn his father grew in their farm and he grew up eating bread made from such corn in his childhood. He got the corn crushed and bread prepared out of it. A small piece was served to all the villagers.They found it extremely tasty and nice to eat. The grandfather told the gathering that due to bad practices in growing crops, the size of the corn has come down over generations and reached the present size. He also said that due to the loss of nutritious content in the corn, the food is never tastier now as it was when he was young. He mentioned that the strength humans derived from such corn is also not seen nowadays. The group which had seen the three generations of men that day did not require any more proof for what the old man opined!

*****  

     

I have a colleague Professor who is a bundle of energy even at age sixty-three. The energy with which he gets into a class at 9 in the morning can be seen when he comes out of another class late in the evening.  While we were having lunch last week, he mentioned that he was availing leave next day as there was a cataract operation scheduled at the eye hospital. I wished him a "happy operation and get back quickly".  He smiled and said that the operation was not for him but for his father!  Wow!  He said his father is now 96 years old and has developed cataract problem and is being operated next day. I asked another foolish question. "Is it the first cataract operation?". He again smiled and confirmed it. At the age of 96 years his father travels alone in the train from their village to Bangalore, a journey of about four hours. He does not travel in autos in the city and comfortably moves around in the city buses. He does not like to waste money by hiring autos. He can squat on the floor and sit for hours. This is indeed something to learn from when people much younger give up trying and often say that they have become too old for many things.

*****  

One of the leading Public Sector Banks recently celebrated its 108th "Foundation Day". A big function was arranged in the city to mark the occasion.  In the midst of various tastefully crafted cultural programs, an eminent educationalist was honored. The distinguished gentleman, Shri M N Raju, replied to the felicitations and his words deserved their weight in gold. Shri Raju started working at the age of 9 and never went to a school as a child. He worked as a helper to a carpenter and supported his family as a young boy. He later worked in a school for over 20 years and during this period availed only four days of leave. He later founded the first education institution on 15th August, 1974. MNR group today has 41 institutions in India and abroad in which more than 42,000 students study. The institutions impart skill-based education and has learning from "KG to PG".  Shri Raju works even today for the fraction of a salary paid to his professors in the institutions.

Shri Raju had a question for all the assembled audience in the function hall.  "What are you going to do after retirement?', he asked.  He also replied the question himself. "God has given us this wonderful tool called human body. It has enormous capacity. Use it to the fullest extent and pay back your mite to the society. Remember, there is nothing called retirement at 55, 60 or 65.  For a human being, there is only one retirement. That is the final retirement, from this world. So, it is "Work, till that retirement", he concluded. 

******

The above two instances reminded me of the story of the big corn and the three generations. This was the story I had read as apart of my schooling in the seventh standard. Everybody may not able to preserve the agility of the body or the mind like the two veterans mentioned above.  But that need not preclude one from trying on those lines.  Try, we must.  As long as possible.......

Why not Today?

Many of us want to follow the rules. To the letter. Even if the spirit is lost sometimes. A G Gardner's famous essay "All about a Dog" sums up this approach brilliantly. There are some rules which should never be broken. Otherwise it may compromise safety of life and limbs of persons. But there are many other rules which are not that sacrosanct. Breaking them would not amount to much violation and may even achieve the welfare of the majority.

I was directed to join the Bank at its Hubli branch fifty years ago. Chitradurga is half way to Hubli from Bangalore. My uncle and his family were living in Chitradurga in those days. I went to Chitradurga and stayed with them overnight and proceeded to Hubli on the next morning. The four hour journey after breakfast took me to Hubli just before lunch time. I checked into a hotel, had lunch and went in search of the branch. The idea was to find the place in the evening itself so that there won't be any delay while reporting on the next morning. I reached the branch when the business hours had just concluded and the employees were proceeding for lunch. I sat down on one of the chairs kept outside the counter in the banking hall.

A few minutes later, an elderly gentleman walked in and asked me what I was waiting for. I told him that I wanted to meet the Manager. He said he was the Branch Manager and asked me follow him into his cabin. He asked me whether I had lunch and when I answered in the affirmative he asked me to sit on one of the chairs in front of his table. I hesitantly sat down and handed over the letter of offer from the bank with instructions to report at Hubli branch. He enquired about my arrangements for stay in Hubli and whether I needed any assistance. He called for a file, verified my papers and said they were in order. I thanked him, got up and was about to take leave of him. "Where are you going?", he asked. "I am going back to my hotel. I will come in the morning and report for duty", I said. "What is so special about tomorrow?" was the next question. I did not know what to say. "You have come to join the Bank. Then, why not today?" he asked. "If permitted, I will join today itself" was the reply. "You have entered the Bank for the first time today. When you go out, go out as a proud employee of the bank.  Give your joining report and get to work without any loss of time", he ordered.

He called his next in command and instructed him to take my joining report and assign me some work. Branch Manager was himself ready but the others had their own reservations since it was already afternoon and more than half of the day was over. He understood their hesitation. "This boy has come all the way from Bangalore to work with you. He may serve the bank for thirty or forty years. What difference will half-a-day make? Why waste a day? Put him on the job. Make him work till the office closes today. Let him start learning from today. If you so desire, record that he has joined in the evening and pay him salary from tomorrow". The others complied without a murmur. I was put on rolls on the same day and paid salary from that day itself. I worked till close of office and went to Hotel thereafter.

All bank work was manual in those days and a good handwriting was an asset for bank employee then. Branch Manager had a very good handwriting and one could never find a mistake in any work he did in the bank. He had his own methods to check the working of different sections and correcting them whenever necessary. After observing my handwriting for a few days he called me once and advised me. "You have a very good handwriting. Keep it that way. It will take you far in life and career", was his advice. He was enquiring about my stay and food arrangements from time to time. He gave me some books on Banking and advised me to read them thoroughly. I worked with him for for about one year before my transfer to Bangalore. He retired shortly and remained my well wisher till he left for the next world.

His words "Why not today?" keep gently reminding me the importance of time and to have wider perspective in life than mere letter of the law or rules and look to compliance of their spirit as well.     

This is a GOLDen Girl

Most of the news items nowadays relate to Film Stars, Politicians or Sports persons.  Achievements of anyone with a humble background is lost in the maze of the Paparazzi and media blitz.

There is a very old story which everyone has heard.   Some credit it to Akbar and Birbal.  Some to Krishnadevaraya and Tenali Rama.  Some others to another King and his Minister.   It does not really matter.  There is no harm in recollecting the story before I actually dwell on today's subject.

A King and his Minister were touring in the villages of their state, in disguise to find out the state of affairs and how their subjects were perceiving the administration.   They stumbled upon a very old man carrying water in a pot from a distant well to saplings in freshly planted pits.   King and the Minister watched him for some time from a distance.  The old man  was weak and tired but continued to bring water from the well and water the saplings.   The King felt like teasing the old man.  He moved his horse closer to the old man and the Minister followed him.  Sitting on his horse, the King spoke to the old man.

"You have planted these saplings just now.   You are bringing water from the far away well to water them.  You are already very old.  Do you really believe that you will live to eat fruits from these trees?"

The old man looked up and smiled.  "I am old but not a fool.  I know very well that I will never be alive till these saplings grow and yield fruits.   Look at the big trees laden with fruits there.  My ancestors planted them and I enjoyed the fruits from those trees.  I have planted these saplings.  Someone in future, may be grandson or great grandson will enjoy those fruits.   My work is for posterity and not for me".

The king was pleased by the wise words of the old man.  He looked at the Minister.  The Minister always carried small bags of gold coins.  He understood the King's mind and extended a bag of gold coins.   The King handed over the bag of coins to the old man.   The old man took the bag, saw the contents and looked up at the King with a mischievous smile.

"I am a very lucky old man.  These saplings have yielded fruits as soon as I have planted them!  And that too not ordinary fruits, but golden fruits!!", he said.

The King was mightily pleased and again looked at the Minister.  One more gold coin bag was passed on to the old man through the King.

"Oh my Lord, look at my good fortune.   All these saplings will yield fruits only once a year.  But these saplings have yielded golden fruits twice already!", the old man said.

The King looked at the Minister again, even more pleased with the old man.  The minister handed over a third bag of coins which the King passed on to the old man.  Before the old man could speak again, the Minister said:  "This man is not just old; he is also very wise.  He is witty and will exhaust all our coin bags if we stay here for some more time.  He has been amply rewarded.  It is better we are on our way".

The King smiled, patted the old man on his back and moved ahead with the Minister behind him.

This was just one of the hundreds of stories I have heard and told over the years.   But its real import was brought home by a news item today.  Zeeba Bhuktiyar is the daughter of Basheer Ahamed, an agricultural labourer and marginal farmer from the small village of Gullanpet near Charmadi Ghat in Chickmagalur District, Karnataka.  She studied at a High School in the small town of Aldur and secured 88% marks in SSLC (10th Standard).  She went to Alva's college in Moodubidare for her Pre-University course and secured 70% marks.  Motivated by the hard work of her father in the agricultural fields, she took up Horticulture as her subject for further study.   She went to the Moodubidare Agricultural College for the Degree course.   The rest, as they say, is history.

Horticulture University, Bagalkot was established by a Special Ordinance of Government of Karnataka in November 2008.  The first batch of degree holders received the degrees on 26th December 2011 in the first ever Convocation of the University.  Zeeba had secured 89.60% in her degree examinations and passed with distinction.  28 Gold Medals were awarded at the convocation.  Zeeba got 15 Gold Medals and only the remaining 13 were left for the other students.  Her photograph with 15 Gold Medals around her neck is one of the finest photographs I have ever seen. 

The wise old man's saplings yielded repeated gold coin bags.   Zeeba has reaped a big bunch of Gold Medals as a reward for her and her family's hard work.