Day: October 10, 2014

By Ananya S Guha

The government has set up a monitoring cell to track attendance in offices in the country. This is laudable, because attendance or the abysmal lack of it is what ails our governance today. Heads of offices seem unable to control this malaise because the rest of the staff seem to be in cahoots with one another. All differences are then buried, and colleagues then show an astonishing display of solidarity. Coming late for work is of course another bane. The usual riposte that he or she should at least inform that he will be late, does not hold much water because why should one be an inveterate late comer? All these: punctuality, or the lack of it and coming late are related to the work ethic.. And what constitutes such a work ethic? It is commitment and transparency. The usual shrug: “ this is not my work “ is one of the commonest excuses. This is effete, anything can be anyone`s work, depending upon what the situation warrants. The overarching aspect is achieving goals and completing tasks.

How the monitoring of attendance will take place in the entire country is difficult to assess. But the challenge has been taken and a warning sounded. That is the positive. The casual attitude, with impunity that ` no one can touch me` is not only reprehensible, but something that should not be tolerated. But government rules also allow all kinds of leave to make this possible, one of the egregious things is ` sick ` leave when the whole world knows that one is not sick ( sic!). Then there is this thing : called restricted leave, which is anything but at all restrictive! How not to work, rather than to work is the ideology. However mere attendance will not suffice. There are the truant makers, who once on arriving kick up all kinds of ruses to go out and then return just in time for lunch! And that means a minimum of an hour. Then of course is the ever handy tea. Deadlines suffer and so do the bosses. And god forbid if the boss is also of the chameleon type, liking to play this game of musical chairs or hide and seek. Meetings, meetings and meetings are another ploy for work coming to a veritable standstill. The bosses in faraway New Delhi are notorious for this. Bureaucrats can and should be bureaucratic, but not others such as academics.

Why is punctuality so important? It is: for the simple reason that work gets attended to on time, and this sets an example to other colleagues. Setting an example, achieving goals are clear cut objectives, not the usual refrain : “ I will do it tomorrow“. This is one of the most frustrating things to handle at work. The other is as mentioned earlier: “ this is not my work “. But sometimes the usually languid worker is transformed with alacrity into a fire ball of energy when the work is related to processing his medical bill or LTC or for that matter leave. The reasons for this metabolism are not far to seek. Just when you think happily that the person has been transformed, then does the truth dawn on you ever so painfully.

This is the first time that we have seen that a government centrally located addressing such a vexed issue. This must be supported. Attending work punctually is not only a motion, it entails responsibility, commitment and love for one`s job. This is work ethic. Coercion will not help here, what is required is vigorous self examination and setting honest examples.When we indefinitely harp on regular attendance the concomitant is regular and productive work, not dashing off to canteens for continuous cups of tea, which in turn results in desultory habits.

The other is that it must be impressed that these steps are taken seriously and any breach will be taken serious cognizance- not the usual rigmarole of truncating a leave. The message must be loud and clear that the errant will be held responsible. Can this be done all over the country? It can if an effective and stringent monitoring mechanism is put to place. And of course the flagrantly errant.

The notion held since time immemorial that government jobs are ` secure ` has been the killer. They are so secure that they have led to insecurity. They are so secure that we relax comfortably. They are so secure that some think they are invincible. They are so secure, that often the sickening response is: “ I know so and so…“. So what? The ` so what?` positing should now be used with more vigour and, aggressively.The ones who think they are infallible are the ones who also think that they have the blessings of a few. It is high time that now while tackling such problems we pay two hoots to the supposedly powerful, in the so called higher echelons. Every system, every institution is suffering from such a syndrome, it is high time that the dismantling process begins. Then only will the edifice, or the cookie not crumble!

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/-better-late-than-never/

By Paonam Thoibi

`School is one place where a child develops into an adult he is made to grow up into`

Q 1. My 5 year old nephew is the only boy child in his family after three elder sisters. He has grown up to be a little sensitive boy. He has started his school this year but finds it a little difficult to adjust due to his over sensitivity and inclinations towards more girly stuffs. Like most boys, he likes car and bikes, but he really likes many `girl` things like Barbies which his sisters play fondly. His choice of color of his bag, pencil box all are influenced by his sisters`™ choices. I have heard that he is made fun of quite easily due to this by his friends in the class and his mother is really worried about this. I have tried to tell her that it is quite ok for a boy to like girls`™ stuff but cannot do more convincing than this. Please advise if making him want traditional boy stuffs will help to have my nephew avoid being bullied? Sunita Ksh

Ans: Dear Sunita, you worry is quite valid since it concerns your nephew being introduced to the harsh realities of life, head-on. Your telling your nephew`™s mom that it is ok for a boy to like girly stuff is reflective of how you are concerned in making the child to `be himself`™ and not succumb to norms set by traditional values and thinking. Therefore it is not much advisable to have him want boy things and suppress his choice of things and preferences. Most probably, his choice and play preferences will surface up. So his parents should let him make his own choices as they help him understand why certain consequences follow due to his different manners and choices. The parents should appreciate his good choice of things and encourage him to stand for his likes, passions and desires.

You also mentioned that you nephew is very sensitive which may be probably because of his spending time more with his sisters in the house. But being sensitive is one good attribute which should be encouraged rather than be scared of. Of course this can be also one reason for which he could be made fun of at school because most children who behave differently than the majority are susceptible to being picked on and made fun of. And there are a lot of children who have successfully braved through bullies and grew up to become far better than the rest of his classmates. The school is one place where a child develops into an adult he is made to grow up into. It is the first place where life`™s hurdles and difficulties are handled and resolved. The teachers play a vital role in this development.

Lastly, if he gets bullied because of his preferences and choices then it is not his problem, rather it is the other kids who have a big problem and the school should intervene immediately.

Q 2. Dear Madam, most of us are familiar with the difficult kind of neighbors. Ours is particularly difficult as we live so close by and their family indulges in petty fights and violent behaviors. Many a times, I have come across the man beating up the wife in front of his two small children who would burst into tears and cry. We could have intervened but again it is a temporary thing and I know it won`™t bring about any lasting change. Still, I am very much worried about their small kids and at times, I feel embarrassed to be a passive onlooker and not being able to do my bit in this regard. – Anonymous

Ans: This question is quite relevant in our time now where many people are becoming intolerant on the one hand and one`™s family affair negatively affects their neighbors who live so close by. It would have been better to know the gender of the writer since the different gender roles could have played differently in the best possible way to intervene in such tricky situations. One in authority and older in age, both male and female could have been at a better disposal in these equation. For someone middle aged or a youth, this needs to be handled more carefully and in such a way not to appear very interfering and more arrogant or inviting more harm towards themselves.

A man who would beat up his wife in front of his children is someone who is both arrogant and dangerous. There was little or no way you could have stopped him but you should have reacted with a shout or a yell to bring him to his better sense. The reason to do this is to show the man, his wife and their children that another person is standing up and expressing, `This is unacceptable. This is not right. This is not how men should behave.` Letting the children experience brutality and the helplessness of the other people around was equally not good. These children will grow up with their trauma and may find adjustment issues in life.

Calling the police, local women folk (Meira Paibis) or other elders can also be another way of intervention. The frequency of such torments can be accounted to see if that was a onetime event which would not repeat again or the man is a habitual abuser. The woman can also be given counseling to approach their relationship in an assertive and respectable manner and not yield to abuses in the future. She may be compelled to take difficult decisions and the neighbors can give necessary social support to her and the children to restore their sense of safety and security.

Readers are requested to send in their queries at mindmifp@gmail.com

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/mind-matters/