[Assam] Lack of Work Culture - Sentinel Op ed

Sun Aug 12 18:05:53 PDT 2007

Philosophizing for WEEKEND reading (after a totally challenge-free week ) by an" Elite Class" created /not -broken -up in the last 60 years. Can't blame the Philosopher. Can't blame the pulp-owner- either.  Not enough Ads to fill the pulp.

Is  that what Kalam wanted /Prafulla Mahanta wanted "Make India(Assam) a developed State by 2020(2015)- to bring in a culture  of :
" Any work at all----even to dig a hole into the ground and then ceremoniously proceed to fill that up!"

mm

Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2007 15:21:55 -0500From: kjit.deka at gmail.comTo: assam at assamnet.orgSubject: Re: [Assam] Lack of Work Culture - Sentinel Op ed
I really stand aghast on account of the fact that how a tripe as JB's piece was allowed for publication by the Editorial Board of The Sentinel !!!

KJD 
On 8/12/07, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote: 

Ram:

Had it not been for your drawing attention to it, I never would have read it.

BTW, you missed highlighting the main idea :

        These retarding syndromes of unpunctuality, absenteeism and a general tendency of
        lethargy are solely responsible for the backwardness of our State.

So, what do you think of the article?

c-da

At 12:49 PM -0600 8/12/07, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
Even though, this topic has made the usual rounds (including Assamnet), Dr. JB's Op Ed makes interesting reading.

Highlights mine. Maybe, we ought not read such op eds - that may solve the problem :) :)

--Ram

Dr Jyotsna BhattacharjeeAbsenteeism and unpunctuality are perhaps not peculiar to Assam, and for that matter in other States as well. The only difference is perhaps in magnitude, as is clearly evident here. In other States, these two retarding syndromes are not so striking, but sadly here they have become an inalienable part of our work ethos. Consequently, our state has been stigmatized as the land of lahe-lahe. Nothing seems to move fast here. Outsiders ridicule the Assamese people as a bunch of lazybones and nothing seems to shake them. By nature, the Assamese people are easy going and gregarious, and apparently do not inculcate any ambitions to outshine others.Assam, no wonder, is called a backward State. A nation cannot progress if its citizens are indolent. While other States have raced ahead with remarkable speed, Assam has remained miles behind them. A State's welfare depends on the people, and if the people are slow, unambitious and drowsy, naturally there can be no hope for such a state. The people here want jobs but do not want to work. They do not want to take risks or struggle. Till some years back, there was no Assamese businessman worth the name; the whole business was in the hands of outsiders. Only in recent years, we have seen Assamese boys and girls joining the business line and they are doing very well. But sadly we have not been able to shrug off our characteristic aversion to exertion. Because of that we have become the butt of ridicule and humiliation. We feel ashamed whenever we notice the progress made by other States. Ironically, even in our own country, people were not aware of our State or its people. It is only since a decade back that Assam has caught the attention of the people due to all the wrong reasons of insurgency and violence. Unless we can shrug off our lethargy, the future of our State is certainly doomed. People clamour for jobs and are ready to pay a large amount of 'demand money' for it. After securing the job, the applicant sits back to enjoy his life of leisure - looking for ways and means to earn some easy money from hapless people, besides earning the salary at the end of the month. The office becomes the place for relaxation and gossip. These people do not care as to how much their indolence is affecting the public. You may take a round of these offices for some urgent piece of information, but you do not get it. Letters do not bring any response - and then you try to meet a person dealing with your file but he may not be there, and nobody knows whether he is present or absent. In such a messy situation, you may wonder if these people have added invisibility to their other accomplishments. Even if you manage to meet the persons concerned, do not think that your work will be done. Either he will ask you to come another day, or your file may not be found at all. But bring out your purse and the missing file instantly reappears, as if by magic. These employees are concerned about nothing else but money. They start agitation at the drop of a hat. They demand better wages, better facilities and better prospects. But they forget that rights and duties go together. One is meaningless without the other. If it is their right to get better wages and better facilities, then it is their duty to work with sincerity and dedication. But we people, though extremely conscious of our rights, are often forgetful of our duties. 
Even if they are present in their respective offices, work proceeds at a snail's pace. Nobody seems to be interested in the job. Cobwebs can be seen everywhere and it appears that the floors do not see a broom for months together. Dusty files clutter the tables and the floor. They almost appear to reach the roof. It is not known if they are ever opened . What a depressing sight!Absenteeism is not peculiar only to government departments; it has spread to private establishments as well. An owner of a firm, dealing with refrigerators, air-conditioners and other electrical gadgets, ruefully says that he cannot give proper service to the customers, as some of his employees are frequently absent without any intimation to the office. He is sure that these people are doing temporary jobs with attractive remunerations, while remaining absent in their regular jobs. Yet they take regular wages at the end of the month. He dare not reprimand them or take recourse to pay-cuts, as they would start agitation against the 'injustice' of the management towards the workers. Due to the sloppy work mode of these diverse departments, the taxpayers suffer. You do not get proper service from any of these establishments, whether government, semi-government or private, to telecom, electricity, municipal corporation or any other, though it happens by your right. Yet if you pay them some money, the work would be instantly done, though they should do it without demanding money. That is our work culture.Unpunctuality is another malady, which has thrown a spanner in the work output. We have taken unpunctuality as an inevitable feature of our life. We know that people in any office will not arrive at 10 am and so we have to adjust our time to theirs without a murmur of protest. And why should we? All of us are unpunctual. In any meeting or seminar we arrive an hour late, knowing fully well that none would turn up in the scheduled time. Usually employees reach their various places of work an hour late and depart an hour early. It is an established unwritten norm - and is accepted universally in our country.
These retarding syndromes of unpunctuality, absenteeism and a general tendency of lethargy are solely responsible for the backwardness of our State. Whenever a new employee joins, he may be energetic and sincere, but gradually after seeing the work culture of his senior colleagues, he too falls prey to the same syndromes. This ''no work culture'' has not only affected the economy of the State, it has also harassed the common people. They waste time, money and energy by making rounds in some departments, run from pillar to post to get some work done, but to no avail. There may be myriad causes of the casual attitude of the employees towards their respective jobs. Sickness of a family member, domestic problems, inadequate wages, personal maladjustment, lack of interest in the job and many more. Lack of motivation may be one of the most fundamental causes of this insipid attitude of the employees towards their duty. It is essential for the management to motivate the work force for better results. A healthy relationship between management and workers is very much necessary for motivating the employees. And of course, the high officers themselves should lead by example by adhering to punctuality and regular attendance. (The writer is a former Head of the Department of Philosophy, Cotton College, Guwahati)
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