Your Name Is On The Tree

The village school teacher had come to the bank to withdraw some money from his personal account. I had recently taken charge of that branch. After his work was done, he came to the Manager's room (a room was made into a manager's cabin in the village building housing the bank branch) to discuss about a "Gramsabha" (village meeting) to be held for identifying some beneficiaries for the loan schemes sponsored by the government. Among the few educated people in the nearby villages (this was some thirty years ago), he was respected by the villagers and helpful in conducting such meetings in an orderly manner. Gramsabha can be a tricky affair due to various political affiliations and local politics. Persons commanding the respect of all villagers can be very handy in managing such meetings. This teacher was one of such personalities.

A farmer was waiting outside the room to meet me. He had apparently walked some distance in the hot sun in the summer month. As the talk with the teacher would take sometime, I called him to the room to attend to him. He reluctantly came in as the teacher was sitting in front of me. He was carrying four tender coconuts in his hands and placed them near the door. He stood before us and did not sit on the chair despite being asked to do so. I told him that I would not talk to him unless he was seated. He sat on the chair only after the teacher also urged him to sit. He wanted to grow some Tomato in his land and wanted a crop loan. I told him that I would visit his village the next morning and see his land and attend to his request. He thanked me and the teacher and left the room. As he was leaving, I reminded him to take the tender coconuts he had kept near the door which he had forgotten while going out.

The teacher started laughing and told me that I was punishing the poor fellow. i did not understand what was the import of his statement. "He has carried the tender coconuts in the hot son this far to give it to you. You are asking him to take it back all the way in the hot sun again. Do not trouble him by asking him to take them back. Please accept them. This is the way villagers show respect to people like you", he said. I took out a ten rupee note from my purse, handed it to him and asked him to have tea in the roadside tea shop. He looked at the teacher and after he nodded his head, took the note hesitantly and went away, leaving the coconuts at the door.

*****

There are regular visits of many officials to villages for various reasons. Villagers who grow fruits and vegetables in their lands believe in sharing some of it with visiting officials. Seasonality decides the availability of such fruits and vegetables. As the officials attend to their work, someone in the village takes the lead and collects such items. The bag is kept in the visitor's vehicle by the time the work is done and the visitor is ready to leave the village. This is a courtesy extended by the villagers and is accepted as well. It is neither demanded nor refused when offered. That is the way life goes on in the villages. At least, that was how it was in those days. 

*****

The bus was overcrowded when it pulled to a stop at the roadside shelter of the village, on the hot Saturday afternoon. I somehow got inside the bus and was wondering how the journey would be for the next hundred kilo meters. The bus conductor always has a seat near the back entrance of the bus. Conductors are unable to sit there when the bus is full and they keep moving inside the bus selling tickets and collecting money. But he always has the right of sitting there and can ask anyone sitting there to get up and vacate the seat. The conductor had got down at the stop and he asked the person sitting in his seat to vacate the same and asked me to sit there. This was a big relief and I accepted it without a question. 

A villager entered the bus behind me carrying a big bag and asked me to make place below the seat to keep the bag. I told him to keep it elsewhere as sitting on the seat with the bag below the seat was inconvenient on the long journey. The conductor intervened politely and told me to make way for the bag. As the seat itself was given to me by his courtesy, I complied without murmur now. The journey continued on the hot day, but sitting near the window reduced the discomfort to some extent. But the bag below the seat had left very little space for the feet to move. The bus finally reached the city bus stand. I was the last to get down. As I got down from from the bus, the conductor asked me to wait and said he would get an autorikshaw for me. I told him not to worry. He insisted on hailing an auto, got one and asked a villager to put the bag that was kept below my feet in the bus in my auto. I looked at him in surprise.

"Sir, this bag is given by Manjunath to be sent with you. He has kept some fruits for you in the bag. I have been told to handle this. Please take this as otherwise Manjunath will scold me", he said. I thanked him and proceeded home with the bag in the auto.

The bag contained an assorted variety of mango fruits. They were indeed very tasty. Manjunath had probably chosen the best of fruits available in his garden. The "Malgova" variety fruits were especially tasty and the best we ever had.

*****

Manjunath was a young progressive farmer who also worked as a Lecturer in the nearby town college. He came to the bank in the next few days for some work. "What did you do Manjunath?", I asked. "Sir, I had to arrange with the bus conductor this way or else you would have refused to take the bag", he said. I thanked him for the sweet fruits. "I will be in this village at the most for one more year. But your Malgova mangos have captivated my taste buds. Please give me some fruits from your garden every year, wherever I am. I will pay for it for sure", I said.

"Sir, this is a special tree in my grove. I do not sell the fruits of this tree. It is reserved for my family and friends like you. From now on, Your name is on the tree. The fruits belong to you. They will always be yours. That will be my pleasure", he said.

*****

I have never been able to go that village again and see that tree. But sweeter than the mangos were the words of that farmer. Those words bring sweetness whenever they are remembered. There is no seasonality for that. It was one of the pleasures derived while serving in rural areas.

Raison d'être

Why does a mango tree exist? Does it exist for the purpose of giving shade? There are thousands of other trees that provide shade. Is it for producing leaves? There are several thousand other trees that can also give leaves. Is it for photosynthesis and releasing oxygen to the air? This is also done by many other trees around us. What distinguishes a mango tree from several other trees around us? It is the sweet mango fruits that this wonderful tree gives us once in a year. Giving shade, producing leaves which may be used for decoration on religious, social and cultural festivities are not the basic purpose of existence of a mango tree. The ultimate fruits it bears and gives to others defines the basic purpose for which the mango tree exists. Without these fruits, its existence is meaningless. A gardener may not even retain a mango tree which has grown fully and giving a lot of leaves and shade, but not fruits. He would rather cut it out and plant another mango tree that may give fruits in due course.

*****

Raison d'etre is the French word that is normally used to define the fundamental purpose of existence of someone or something. (Its Sanskrit equivalent is उद्देश्य, which is so in many Indian languages). It is defined in the dictionary as "the most important reason or purpose for someone or something's existence." Any other use or uses of the person or thing without fulfilling this basic reason or purpose is meaningless. By-product or a secondary or incidental product is something that is often derived as unforeseen or unintended. The action or process of manufacture is not for getting the by-products, but the desire to get what was originally intended to.

While evaluating a person or organisation, this is to be carefully considered. Someone wants to hire a driver. What should be the basic consideration for deciding on hiring? It is naturally the capacity to discharge the duties of a driver. If he is also a good actor, it is fine. But if he is an average driver and a very good actor, does he fit the bill? If the choice is between a very good driver but an average actor and an average driver but very good actor, the former is naturally be selected. But it is often observed that both at individual level as well at levels of many organisations, extraneous considerations are often kept in view while deciding hiring and putting people on various jobs.

Dr Laurence J Peter studied many hierarchies and came out with his famous principle known widely in management circles as "Peter's Principle". Dr Peter not only deals with raison d'etre while hiring but also while reviewing performance periodically. He stipulates that hiring and placing people in organisations should be done by always keeping core competency in focus. If an employee is able to discharge his duties effectively at a given level, he deserves to be promoted because he is competent. If he is not competent at a given level, he is naturally unfit for next promotion. It is the responsibility of the superior (reporting manager in today's language) to decide whether an employee is competent or not, in discharging his duties. No need to emphasise that the competency is to be determined on the basis of core competency. If the employee is competent, he deserves to be promoted. If he is found incompetent, he does not deserve promotion. It is as simple as that.

What happens if the reporting manager is unable to decide whether the subordinate is competent or not? Dr Peter suggests that such a reporting manager has reached his level of incompetence and time has come for his reporting manager to change him!

One of the greatest tragedies of modren management systems is people are promoted as long as they are competent, but promotion stops as soon as they reach their level of incompetency. Thus they continue as employees at their incompetent level since organisations do not send them one level down, the level at which were actually competent. Organisations are thus deprived of their competency but continue to hold them at incompetent levels! Thus incompetency rules.

***** 

The recent tremors in the Banking Industry has shaken the managements, employees, depositors, regulators and political masters as well. Knee jerk reactions and decisions have become order of the day. Some of the decisions are absurd to say the least. Cutting off the nose to get rid of cold appears to be the remedy. Many curbs are being placed on lending in various forms. The effect of these decisions will be known a year or two down the line. The basic purpose of existence of banks is to raise resources (deposits) and deploy them, mostly as loans & advances, and part as investments. Wholesale curbs on some forms of lending hits at the raison d'etre of these institutions. There is no doubt that the times are indeed difficult; but that has to be negotiated with calmness and firmness. Seeing a fraud everywhere and creating more panic does not help remedy the situation. The problems of the industry lie elsewhere. They are indeed to be addressed firmly. Running behind non-core areas as a reason for the present mess is suddenly coming to sharp focus. Shade and leaves is fine. What about the fruits which is the basic purpose?

*****

Dr Laurence J Peter was also known for his wit and humour. One of his famous quotes is: "The noblest of all dogs is the hot-dog; it feds the hand that bites it!"

This is incidentally my 300th blog post. I am thankful to all readers and friends who have encouraged me over the last seven years, on roundtheclockstories.

Kuckoo and the Frog

Another mango season is here.  This is the season of "The king of fruits", as those fond of mangoes call it.  Many varieties of the fruit will flood the market in a few days. Advancement in transportation has made it possible for almost all varieties of the fruit to reach all corners of the country and the world.

Another election season is also here.  We are in the midst of one of the most fiercely contested elections of our generation.  The then familiar sound decibel levels of our younger days have made way for the modern cyber fights.  Internet, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc. have been used both imaginatively as well as brutally to further the prospects of the user's favorite candidates.  This is also one of the longest election process we have ever seen.  We were used to see a new government in place before the indelible mark put on the finger on the voting day moved out of our nails.  Those who voted in the very first phase of this election may not be able to see the mark on their fingers when their votes are counted and the new government takes its stance!

As the mango season and election have converged again, comparison with a similar situation four decades ago appears quite in order.  This is all the more apt in an environment where even the rare breed of civilized leaders are losing their cool and inventing lower and lower levels of words, phrases and jargons to castigate their rivals.

Forty years ago, mango and election season had similarly converged.  I had come home for the New Year festival Ugadi, from a distant place where I had started by work-life.  There was the usual noise of the loudspeakers outside the house, doing their job as part of the election campaign. In a corner of the house my younger sister was rehearsing a verse repeatedly for her forthcoming examination.  That election scene as well as the verse she was mugging up are relevant today.

The two candidates representing the major political parties in that election, belonged to the same dominant community in the region.  They both had many things in common, except age.  There was another interesting twist to the contest; the younger candidate was a disciple of the elder statesman and was an active canvasser for his success in the earlier elections.  Politics had now drawn them apart and the realities of life manifested sharply.  The elder stalwart did not retire to make way for the disciple since there was no retirement age for politicians.  The younger aspirant could not wait any longer and had to migrate to the other party to seek his fortunes.  The other party was looking for a promising candidate and he was the logical choice for them.  Thus the circumstances pitted the veteran guru against the young follower. Though the fight was close and strong, there was no bitterness between the two.  On the day of filing nominations, the junior went to the senior to seek his blessings.  The elder statesman blessed him and said that victory is his if either of them win.  "If I win it is my victory; if you win, it is my victory too!", he said smilingly. The campaign did not have any bitterness at the personal level.

A healthy campaign was followed by brisk voting.  The younger one emerged victorious.  The Guru had probably smelt the result. He was not present at the counting center when the results were declared.  The supporters of the winner had arranged for a public meeting to celebrate the victory of their leader.   But the winner urged his followers to cancel the celebrations. Instead of proceeding to the venue of the meeting, he went directly from the counting center to the house of the defeated guru and prostrated before him.  The guru congratulated him and urged his student to go ahead with the meeting as it was his duty to thank all those who worked for his victory. "There are no victors or vanquished after a democratic election", he declared and said the baton has passed on as per the wish of the people. The public meeting went on thereafter, but was a low key affair.

Now back to the verse my sister was busy mugging up.  It was about the Kuckoo and the Frog:

पक्वं चूतफलं भुक्त्वा गर्वं नायाति कोकिलः|  पीत्वा कर्दम पानीयं भेकः रट रटायते ||       

Pakvam chootaphalam bhuktvaa garvam naayati kokilaha, 

Peetvaa kardama paneeyam bhekaha ratarataayate!     

The Kuckoo bird feasts on the sweet juice of ripe mangoes and yet does not shout with pride or vanity. It only exudes with a sweet voice.  The frog drinks muddy and dirty water and yet continuously makes deafening croaking sound (called ribbit), as if it has achieved something great!

This election is not about Mangoes or Kuckoo birds.  It is only, unfortunately, reminding us of the frogs and their never ending ribbit.