Friday, May 30, 2014

Stop child abuse….make your employees aware..

(Image: from northstar.ws)
Pankaj Pande & Sweta Pande are working with IT firm & staying in plush locality in Pune. This couple has been arrested on charges of child labour and allegedly torturing a 12-year-old boy. Police also confirmed that the boy's body bore brutal marks of physical abuse.  The minor boy was brought from native placed to take care of couple’s child. However this boy was forced to perform the home chores.  


As mentioned in the report, Dr Anuradha Sahasrabudhe, Director of Childline Pune, said, "It is a known fact that children are employed as domestic help. They stay with the family, have to be available for work 24x7, and are at the mercy of their owners completely.

Now put your child in the place of this 12-Year –old boy and what will be your reaction? Pankaj Pande and Sweta Pande must be qualified and educated. They may also be aware what is wrong and what is right. This couple is not the first example, there are lot of examples where poor children are brought as a domestic help, they are tortured and abused over petty issues. And what was the cost couple was paying, food & hardly Rs. 2,000/-!

This is illegal and inhuman. I think law will take care of this couple and there will be huge impact on the child. Such children are forced to move out of the system and such couples make them criminals when they are grown…

I am curious to know what action this IT firm will take against the monsters.            

I think, if your employees are ethical and respect humanity, then only the organization can be ethical. Your code of business conduct should also include such issues.

Somebody may argue that it is the personal matter of employees, but as an organization, will you allow your employees to trade drugs, involve in murders and theft? Will you allow your employees to take bribe? I think you will not…. It is not the personal matter of employees. This is not only the reputation issue but also the commitment of the organization to follow the law of the land & do the business in an ethical way.     

There are responsible organizations which carry regular audit of suppliers and vendors to ensure that their partners are also carry the business in fair manner and they are not involved in illegal activities like Child Labour, Bonded Labour.  But when this comes to the employees, actions are taken after the incidents.

I think, companies can play the active role to stop such malpractices. This should follow with sensitization and awareness on what is right and what is wrong.  Making employees aware on the issues and if they still indulge such malpractices enforcing consequence management policy will also help your organization to set the example.

What do you say?

(Views expressed in this article are personal.) 

Saturday, May 17, 2014

The Auction

In my village, there was a rich farmer. He was rich in almost every way, but was very upset.  His estate was worth millions. He owned houses, land, farm house and cattle. But though on the outside he had it all, he was very unhappy on the inside. His wife was growing old, and the couple was childless. He had always wanted a little boy to carry on the family legacy. Miraculously, his wife became pregnant in her later years, and she gave birth to a little boy.

The boy was severely handicapped, but the man loved him with his whole heart. When the boy was five, his mother died. The father drew closer to his special son. At age 13, the boy's birth defects cost him his life and the father died soon after from a broken heart. He was clever man however there was not will found. He had a loyal friend who was also the lawyer. Relatives tried different tactics to grab the property. The case went to the court. Court ordered that the estate to be auctioned and trust to be formed as there was no closed relative who would be eligible to get all the property.

The estate was auctioned before hundreds of bidders from different areas of district. The first item offered was a painting of the boy. No one bid. They waited like vultures for the riches. Finally, the poor housemaid, who helped raise the boy and loved him, offered 50 bucks for the painting and easily took the bid. To everyone's shock, the auctioneer ripped a hand written will from the back of the picture. This is what it said: "To the person who thinks enough of my son to buy this painting, to this person I give my entire estate." The auction was over. The greedy crowd & relatives walked away in shock and dismay. However relatives again went to the court. Handwriting expert validated that the handwriting was of the farmer. Finally court granted the will was legal.  The Poor maid became rich.  


How many of us have sought after what we thought were true riches only to find out later that our Father was prepared to give us His entire estate if we had only sought after His Son alone? 

Friday, May 09, 2014

Bus Conductor who makes people happy….

देणाऱ्याने देत जावे.........  


I used to travel daily to the college by state transport bus. It was Ojhar (where the factory of Mig fighter planes is located) to Nashik.  Bus was always crowded, and most of the time the travel was by standing. It was starting March and we were preparing for the examinations. One day, I took the bus and fortunately I got the seat to relax while travelling. After few minutes when bus started on Highway,  there was a huge crowd of vehicles on the road stuck up in the traffic jam.  Whole route was jam.  There was no guarantee that we would reach at college on time, however there was no point to go back. I decided to face what is there as the whole situation was not in our control. Vehicles were moving with slow pace. 

Sunday, May 04, 2014

एक और अनेक microbiologists कि मौत....

It was first day of the graduation class in 1990. There were almost 70 students in the class. It was introductory class for the subject.  Everybody was excited and wanted to know the tips for being successful in the life. I was expecting that professor would say like, “Welcome to my class, you have chosen the important subject to learn in life and you will build the career on this if you work hard.” I  and even other students also expected that they would listen something positive about the subject. However professor started negatively, I still remember his words. “ After completion of your graduation, you will face the dark reality of life, there will be huge darkness and you will have to struggle a lot.”

By studying this subject, if your life is in dark, who will chose to graduate in the subject? Next day 50% students opted for Chemistry, Zoology and Botany instead of Microbiology. I remember few students even going for Geography!  We were only 25 students who completed the subject after three years.  The course was restructured by the university and we also got the opportunity to work on small research project. My projects was adjudged as per the best project and I received the award by Microbiologist Association. 

However these three years were with full of struggle and torture by professors. Students started to dislike the subject and at the end very few went for post-graduation. Almost all the student chose different professions. I don’t remember anybody who made their career in pure Microbiology.

I understand his point of view and toughness required to handle the immature students. But is this the only way to handle?  By spreading the negativity about the subject, even he was not confident on the subject  which he was teaching.

“You will never be successful, you will have to work as porters at Railway station after your graduation.” Once the same professor scolded us. Our Professors’ such behavior had made us rebellious. 

If I speak about myself, I decided to do something differently. I think the self motivation & positive thinking brought me at this level.   

Today almost all students are successful in their respective careers and even few are entrepreneurs.

We are not at loss at all, but country has lost many young Microbiologist and researchers :-).

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