It is the nature of humans to reiterate the common favourite lines to be said on a particular occasion. It has to be, as we wish someone on a birthday, new year and anniversary etc. Those lines are used with somewhat changes, having the same fervour.
I have always heard many beautiful lines on such dates, in my case, also but one line being told at the time of retirement from service, has attracted me the most. The line always being told during wishing for happy retirement life is that – age is a number. Though this notion instils positivity yet we forget that facts reflect their shadow. The fact is that with every day, a number of changes in the present life and body, along with mental health occur. Such changes have effects. Otherwise, the retirement age should have been different or something else.
It is true regarding age, but we should remember that every number has a face value and has increasing or decreasing value relations with preceding and succeeding numbers. Likewise, the number in age has only increasing value in the preceding year in terms of experience, expectations, aspirations and responsibilities etc. The time, for self, decreases and attention towards a name or position, in most cases, gets priority over the future to be realities.
This phase of service life is getting professional advice in the present situation when the longevity of both female and male have increased because of congenial developments. The retiring persons are being imparted knowledge on savings, investments, expenditures and careful handling of lucrative offers in the digital world. These are important, because of limited sources of income and changing social and personal relations.
The most important requirement for the earlier active person after retirement is the engagement for the routine period earmarked for official engagement in service. There becomes a sudden vacuum.
They are considered exhausted.
Many suggestions for their engagement may be given but dignity, flexibility in duty hours and respect etc. should be taken care of. Most of the time, they are emotionally blackmailed and become prey to cheating people in the name of engagements. We forget that they are treasures of experience and are ready to share them. They may easily be ready to return to the society to which they feel indebted. A fully respectful system, for engaging them, is needed at the time.
They need care with the passage of time also. They should not be left unattended to feel neglected. Their healths deteriorate faster because of this. They become more dependent as the number in age increases. They become helpless and take shelter in old age homes, because of family problems or otherwise.
There is no controversy in considering that age is a number but this appears to be true in the case of such professions where separations are to be decided by self. In every profession, whatever engagement, separation has to happen and age has to reflect its effects.
Age is a number for counting. It has demands also. But positivity is there. Everyone should have it, as age has many things in store to return.
We should not forget that God is there and love is life. We should not forget that we are successors also, so we have ideas about age.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023 TO ALL MY FRIENDS
ASSESSMENT
We are assessed at every stage in life from very childhood in terms of colour, height, health, physique, features, education, profession, behaviours, status, and many other qualities. Assessment is a process for the betterment of the concerned one. But this may not always be acceptable and true when humans are involved. We may find that in many cases of assessments in offices where bosses are all in all and assessments are targeted.
Assessment is a good process but the procedure followed for that differs in various working places of importance. In schools, the performance of students in board exams is the criteria for the assessment of teachers. It is acceptable as the futures of students and country are mainly dependent on good quality education. Professional institutions are assessed by students, parents, guardians and employers etc in terms of quality of education, fame, acceptability and employability etc. But the same is not the truth in the case of official assessment. There are certain criteria fixed for such assessment. This system is doing more harm than good. There may be an assessment at various levels before the conclusion. But it solely depends on the views of bosses. The most acceptable thought that the boss is always right, prevails in every office. That is the main criteria and other norms that are secondary for this job, affecting the careers of employees. The mood of the boss and the loyalty of employees toward the boss and his or her family play important roles in such a system. Even the dog of the boss plays a role. If someone is a relative or has good family relations with the boss, he or she has the upper hand over others. It is also found that an employee who has been judged excellent by one boss becomes average under another boss. If we research this system of assessment being termed as CR (Confidential report) in the official culture we may find many examples of ill assessment. This is also an astonishing secret to know as to how the assessment changes at different levels for the same employee and an excellent grade given by the immediate boss appears to be meaningless. Thus assessment may not be real and unbiased every time.
Sometimes, we may find the influence of affinity to the same discipline in such assessment. It is true in many cases where performance is linked with incentives. This system may allow the undeserving candidates to rise to the highest post, affecting the entire working culture. In this system, we may listen highest degree of praises delivered, even a comparison of the boss with the life-giving Sun from the universe.
This existing system is a deterrent to the efficiency and promotion of real, technically sound, good and honest workers and also affects the growth and achievements of the company. Negativity in the official atmosphere pervades and detaches from work. This, in turn, changes the working culture of devoted, enthusiastic, energetic workers into a depressed, time-passing, boring workforce. We may find that good workers are leaving organizations for better pasture.
In this system, the ultimate sufferers are the country’s progress and the citizens as this system is not flawless. So this system needs continuous evaluation with the progress of technologies and education in society. We should hammer on the right place for remedy and that is in the selection of a right and capable boss. The seniority in the hierarchy may not only be a criterion but also should have good records of achieving the goals of the office. The assessment of the boss may be linked with the performance of subordinates and feedback, as is the case in the education system. We should not forget that selection of candidates is made through very arduous processes and a single boss having vested interests in self may not be allowed to question the selection process by mere whimsical assessment, instead, the boss should be updated on the importance of subordinates in changing world. We should emphasize the hierarchy of ideas and not the fear of the boss for the performance of the individual.
Such types of assessments may be witnessed in many fields of life. We may get both sufferers and gainers. But the best continuous assessment is being done by the almighty and that is the final. He is the supreme who gives incentives, based on our actions. One human may not assess another human with limited thinking capacity, but he, the creator and controller of the universe can. We should wait for his assessment.
Thieves
Legal definition of thief may be meaningful. Thieves may be categorized in places. Social norms for the categorization of thieves, in practice, may be different everywhere. Some may justify the situation-based actions of thieves. Some may identify thieves on preoccupied speculations and practices. But the legal definition of thief finally prevails.
When I see around us and think about theft,
my views summarise as – I am one of the thieves. It is true everywhere. The action of stealing may be classified as direct or indirect. The direct ones identify the person and penalise. Sometimes direct action may be because of helplessness or need-based. Occasionally inactive operational systems may be involved in such cases as instigation. Even then it is punishable. We may write or deliver at length on this type of theft. Words may be stronger, mightier, influential and encouraging but there should be remedies also. No one is born a thief.
When I say I am also a thief I agree to indirect actions. I have not utilised time and opportunities completely or wholeheartedly. If I analyse from childhood I find that I do not have rosy pictures in my memory. I have seen hoarding attitudes in humans, disproportionate to their honest, just, professional and official incomes. Most of them, though socially recognised for their lavish lifestyles, has never been noticed by the inspecting authorities or monitoring agencies. We may assume that everyone is sailing in the same boat. All such thieves are cousins. Who will bell the cat? Everyone knows the secrets of each other and loves power and not responsibilities.
Such indirect actions of theft are like varieties of worms harming wherever possible. They want to get more than their positions’ entitlements and pursue wrong practices because of greed. They are not honest to the chairs which they adore and spread corruption. These are affecting the growth of the nation, tax evasion and escalating the cost of various projects due to delays in their implementation and timely completion. The public money collected by direct and indirect taxation gets wasted. Ultimately everyone suffers. Due to corruption, the qualities of completed projects and products are not up to the prescribed standards. Most of the roads, dams, buildings and bridges etc. are damaged or collapsed untimely. All types of enquiries carried for fixing the reasons are as an eye wash to divert the rage of public and to protect all responsible fellows. In my view, responsibility is not fixed to the system only but all general public are also responsible. Where ever possible, they also enjoy contributing through their share by not matching with assigned duties. Most of them remain busy commenting on others’ work ignoring their duties.
The country remains busy most of the time in making arrangements for basic needs because of these corruptions. These activities stay upliftment of public and instigate direct stealing in general. Political parties after ascending to the thrones dictate their terms and conditions for development. Most of the time the initiated projects of development and other schemes by rival political parties, occupying the thrones earlier, appear to be futile and detrimental to the society and nation. Such projects are derailed for want of funds or modified to suit the policies of the current government. The ultimate sufferer is the public and public money. It is an unending problem.
We have provisions for legal punishment to direct thieves but we have reservations for other types of active personalities because they are the lawmakers and they have also the right to make decisions. They may twist words of law as magicians.
Ultimately, our requirements are cheated and we are deceived. We move two steps ahead and recede one step behind. Thus we are progressing in leaps and bounds. We should express thankfulness to them who are honestly doing their jobs within their limited resources. They are heroes of our time.
We are the intelligent fools that we know many things but we know nothing. We should know that not a single empire having rich history is surviving because of its reasons. It means nothing is permanent. We know neither a king nor a rich person has carried a penny with him on death even then we are mad for money. We know that we may not give assurance to generations to come for wealth or a good living even then we respect money as everything, forgetting relationships, duties and responsibilities. Money can buy many things but not honesty, God and peace. We should not be direct or indirect thieves. We should do good for the development and upliftment of society and nations. Everyone will be happy and comfortable.
All future generations will be grateful to their ancestors for their foresightedness and rituals for the meaning of life. We should encourage noble and imitative practices for the amelioration of social justice. We should be satisfied with minimum requirements to share fare deals with other creatures of nature.
NEVER THINK WHAT AFTER ME
It is misconception in older generation, as to what will be after me? What will be the future? How this new generation will handle the situation?
Such questions are commonly heard in offices and other places where experience and expertise come in due course of work’s execution and problems’ handling. The bosses express their views, opinion and vision like this and forget about their beginning.
There are no questions on age and experience but the discussion leading to discouragement in new comers at a working place may never be welcomed. Any working place should be treated as next home and behaviour of the boss should be like guardian as being father figure. The boss should know that post does provide forceful respect but real respect is earned from behaviour and attitude. Otherwise, relationships will be formal.
We should not forget that most of the workers are gathered from different places having different backgrounds. The boss should treat them as a family to extract the best from them. If boss has discipline wise, region wise, religion wise and caste wise, biased approach in dealing subordinates, the desired results may not be achieved. The working atmosphere will be venomous. All these expose the fear of boss of losing status and importance.
There is always difference in thinking and working styles in between two generations.
There may not be any excuse. The onus lies on the older generation to accommodate. Younger generation need attention and proper guidance.
If the boss does not treat the subordinates well, like sons and daughters, he or she doesn’t deserve to get respect after retirement from service. This type of grievance of non respect from subordinates is common by retired boss. It also depends upon the traditions formulated by preceeding bosses for each other. We should remember that you reap the same what you sow.
So questions of doubts on future should not be raised in sarcastic manner to humiliate new comers. New generation is always ambitious, agile and more mature. They have proved their efficiencies in studies and have capacity to excell, if get proper treatments. They have already faced tough competitions to hit the target.
There is always an exchange offer, give respect and take respect. New generation has changing attitudes- both services and bosses. They may not wait till retirement because this life will not be met second time. Because of stupid and arrogant bosses, most of the time, subordinates may leave services or take premature retirements and offices loose assets.
The situation worsens when the boss projects to be like God. This attitude is very heinous for the country and needs complete surgery to make a man in reality, a man by behaviour. Such bosses give rise to revolutionary movements against odds and they need more attentions.
The selection procedures of top bosses should be on strict norms in the interest of office and not because of seniority or some sorts of relations in higher-ups. This type of selected bosses raise questions to quench their complexes. The working atmosphere may be at stake. Boss may not be always right. Boss does not know everything because of chair.
santable 