We, the people
By J. L. Gupta

IN the days gone by, to labour was "the primal curse". To serve was the burden of the slaves. Service was, virtually, a synonym for servitude. Not any more. Now, the things are different. Today, we live in an industrialised world. Everything is moving at a rapid pace. Life has become highly competitive. The values have changed. In this world with its new system of values, it is universally recognised that sloth is slavish. Labour alone provides the royal route to luxury.

The present day world is a workshop. Work is the best form of worship. The man is the worshipper. He is the workman. In this changed world, effort alone can lead to excellence. Exertion alone can ensure exhilaration. The industry needs industry. Toil is the key to talent. Perseverance is the price for all pleasures. Without labour, the daily bread shall not be a blessing. The human body shall not be hale and hearty. The sleep shall not be sound. Thus, every man must work. Not only the labourer, but everyone must learn to labour. That is the only way to move on the road to progress. To go up the ladder. No labour, no life. No love. No luxury. Everyone, whatever is his station in life, must try and learn to be laborious. Labour and not lassitude should be the national motto. That alone holds the key to all the happiness, peace and prosperity that we are looking for.

And who should know it better than we, the people of India? Ours is a large country. Numerically, we are the second biggest nation of the world. As at present, we are next to China only. And unless a miracle happens, we seems destined to overtake it before long. In fact, very soon. But, only in numbers. Not economically. Not even in efficiency. No doubt, we have land, mountains and rivers. We have men, mines and minerals. We have all the natural resources. Yet, we continue to be one of the poorest nations of the world. Our people, at least a majority of them, are still illiterate. Our facilities for health are inadequate. Not to talk of shelter, we have not even been able to provide potable water to a large majority of our people. There is virtually no electricity to light the shanty accommodation that happens to be the abode of a vast section of our society. Hunger and poverty stalk this rich land, which has given the Vedas and the Upanishads to the world. Our economy is not in good shape. That too, after more than 50 years of Indepen-dence, after completion of eight Five Year Plans.

And despite our rich cultural heritage, the abundance of manpower and the vast natural resources, we are under debt. In fact, a heavy debt. The amount is increasing every year. Resultantly, we face a danger. As a people, we believe that it is the pious obligation of a son to pay back the debts of his father. This seems to have lulled us into a false sense of security. Therefore, we continue to borrow. From everywhere and everyone. We forget that our children shall have to pay for our sins. They will be forced to suffer for our unwarranted extravagance. Unless we adopt immediate remedial measures, the future generations shall have to live with the backbreaking burden of repaying the money that we are squandering. What a legacy to leave behind! Surely, we cannot be proud of it.

But, why is it so? What is wrong with this nation of more than 950 million people? Why do we face such a bleak and uncertain future?

Because, most of us do not work. As a nation, we have not developed a work culture. We have devised a great labour-saving device — tomorrow. We postpone everything till tomorrow which has already been put off until today. We create illusions and find excuses. Sometimes, we allege and even pretend to believe that every employer, the government or the private one, is dishonest and unfair. The employees are exploited. They are not given their due. We believe that our labour is cheap and yet exploited. And we use this illusion as the excuse for refusing to work. To go on strike. As a result, it is not surprising that we are the world’s ten best nobodies. Is there a good reason for our complaints? Or are we merely looking for excuses?

Look at the plethora of legislation that we have enacted to take care of the "poor workmen". Protection against unfair action is a constitutional guarantee. We have (1) the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947; (2) the Minimum Wages Act, 1948; (3) the Punjab Industrial Housing Act, 1956; and (4) the Shops and Commercial Estts. Act, 1958. There are many more. In fact, even numerically, the legislative enactments appear to have kept a good pace with the growth of human beings in the country. These legislative measures take care of almost everything. These are calculated to improve the lot of the labour. Still, there are complaints. Any number. All the time. And more than anywhere else. Are these justified?

Which country in the world permits its people the kind of protection that we provide? Which society allows its people to destroy the means of production by unduly long, unjustified and unwarranted strikes as we do? Where in the whole world is an employee (especially the civil servant) so pampered as in India? Which country has ever allowed the laboratory technicians in a hospital to abandon their work for days on end, without worrying for the life and health of the critically ill and seriously sick? Which society permits the teachers not only in schools and colleges, but even in the universities to remain away from the classrooms, or to observe silence when they are with the students? Which country in the world has as many holidays in a year as we have?

We need to ask ourselves:Do we, as a people, perform our duty as contemplated under our Constitution?Do we give our best to the nation?Do we give the employer his money’s worth?Factually, our inputs exceed the output. Our wages are more than the work that we do. Despite the so-called cheap labour, our costs of production are high. The quality of products is poor. There is no co-relation between the wages that an employer pays and the work that the employee does. The government has set up a variety of projects from time to time. From schools to the state electricity boards, even steel mills, there are innumerable corporations. All these have come to be described as the public sector undertakings. How and to what extent have these helped the public?What have they undertaken? Whom have these projects really served? How many of these are really cost-effective? Which public undertakings have made any profits worth the name? Hardly any. In fact, millions of the tax-payer’s hard-earned money has gone down the drain. No wonder, the plans for cheap disinvestment are now under way. We waste when we invest. We waste even more when we disinvest. Why?

Because our priorities are not clearly defined. Let me illustrate. When I had joined the school as a child, the teacher and the taught used to work hard. The teachers used to lead an austere existence. They used to give lessons in morality. They could not ever think of going on strike. In any case, not for money. They used to lead by personal example. They were the role models. They were the true nation builders. As students, we looked up to them. As ideals to follow. As examples to emulate. The school was truly a temple of learning. Today, thanks to the process of changing values, the institutions for imparting education have become totally commercialised. Primarily producing job seekers. More than the nation builders. No wonder, by a process of judicial interpretation, these are now sought to be labelled as ‘industry’.

What is the result? Where do we stand today — in the year 1999 of the Christian era? There is a total devaluation of values. Work is no longer worship. It is a burden. It is only a source of worry. The labour does not labour. It is often on strike. The workmen do not work. On one pretext or the other. For demanding higher wages. For doing lesser work. For claiming more holidays. Any excuse is good enough. They have no time for the job assigned to them. Except when it means extra money for them. And the employer has to pay for it. In fact, this has become the general rule. Otherwise, the industry does not produce. The old values are conspicuous by their absence. Whatever be the field of activity, there is no dedication. No discipline. No punctuality. No spirit of sacrifice. Gold is the goal. Making material gain is the main mission. Money is the ‘mantra’. To achieve anything. To reach anywhere. Today, this nation of more than nine hundred and fifty million people is money-mad.

In this environment of dwindling values, we need to have a fresh look at our objectives. We must work out our priorities. We must realise that gold cannot cure all the ills. It cannot buy peace and happiness. It cannot give sleep and solace. These depend on a clear conscience and a clean heart. We must realise that a wink of sleep is better than a wad of currency notes. Sound sleep is better than tons of sterling silver. One whose needs are less than his income is richer than the man whose expenses exceed his earnings. We need to realise that austerity is a virtue.

With this basic tenet in mind, every employer should lead by personal example. We must remember that the moral fiber always percolates from the top to the bottom. Nothing is more infectious than an example. It is better to practice than to preach. Men trust their eyes more than their ears. The best sermon is with your life. Not with the lips. Lure by living than by talking. The best way to do good is to be good. The flock follows. If the leader walks straight, the followers shall take the right path. If the boss is punctual, none shall be late. If the head of the organisation is honest, none should be found wanting. When the General leads the Army, no soldier turns his back. Let us make this our ‘Mantra’. A national mission.

What is the position of an average Indian today? He is poor. He is not even educated. Mostly illiterate. At 20, the average Indian knows nothing. By 40 he has done nothing. At 60, he has nothing. If each one of us were to take an aptitude test, the majority is likely to be declared as best suited for retirement. Even when opportunity knocks at our door, we only complain of noise. Our faith in God has made us incorrigible fatalists. We are always waiting for something to turn up. Out of the blue. Automatically. Without any effort.

If we wish to succeed, we must start with ourselves. We must turn up our sleeves and get started. And let us remember that the men, who work, may start at the bottom. They are bound to come up. And they invariably do. But those who do not work shall certainly stay at the bottom. In India, not doing has been our undoing. We talk of Labour and Capital. We do no labour. How can we have any capital? If one is itching for success, one has got to scratch for it. We must make a beginning. Here and now. Today itself.

We must also remember that nature follows an inviolable rule. The entire universe is governed by a stern discipline. Thus, everything moves with a clockwork precision. The slightest deviation can be simply destructive. Discipline corrects the baseness of worldly pleasures. It inculcates virtuous principles. It is the secret key to self-improvement. And if everyone follows a self-imposed rule of discipline, the whole society shall improve. We must discipline ourselves before we demand it from others.

And then, we must also remember that encouragement is even more important than discipline. It is like the bright and warm sun after a cold shower on a winter morning. It makes the day. It brightens the spirits. Heightens the efficiency. It improves the output. And all that with just a few words. At no extra expense. No cost. With just a pat. Why not try?

Why do we have so many and such varied places for worship in India?Because we do not work. Consequently, we need these places where we may be able to pray for the country. A person who murders his parents cannot seek mercy on the ground that he is an orphan. A person, who does not work, can have no legitimate right to claim wages. Even before God. Only work, justifies the wages. When we seek a job, we use our gift of the gab. Having got it, we go for the grab. If we want the best of everything we must give our best. Those who do, always succeed. These are the people who have put our satellites in the outer space. Because of them, we are the members of the select nuclear club. In saluting these hardworking sons of the soil, we ensure a brighter future for the people of this country. To labour is the key to success. This rule should be our guiding star on the ocean of life.