Mohan Kothekar
Writer and Blogger
A
proverb says marriages are settled in heaven and celebrated on earth; the same
homogeneity is applicable for few personalities. Let us take an instance, if your forthwith
boss is lunatic and insane, then you have two options, accept the officer wholeheartedly
or leave the job. Tendering the
resignation is practically flinty, so the best way is choosing the first option
and curses the boss inwardly till he is in your horoscope. In everybody’s life we come across with such
personalities knowingly or unknowingly.
One
fine morning, Mr Prakash joined our department; since he was not having
independent room, he was temporarily accommodated in my cabin. When the interim arrangement has transmuted
to permanent that is only known to the Almighty God; I have no other option than
to adjust and endure with him. Ours is an
educational institute, where from degree to doctorate level courses are offered
along with research and fieldwork; we remain in conjunction with students all
the time. Teaching and practical classes
were a common feature in the life of a teacher; we remain engaged one after
another session.
Since,
the student’s strength was proportionately higher and since varied activities
were routinely undertaken, each academic staff member was bestowed with
additional duties. Mr Prakash was given extra
charge of student’s welfare activities that he has willingly accepted without
any hesitation; the activities related to the students were cumbersome, dangerous,
harmful and troublesome and thus no-one relish to perform those duties. Being in-charge of student welfare
activities, he is always engrossed and encircled with students and their
unending and perpetual problems. My
cabin, in which, generally no one dared to enter into unless called for, had
become a hot spot of the student’s activities.
Forthwith, I have given him crystal clear instructions not to allow a single
student to enter into the cabin prior to my permission; also he was strictly
warned and counseled to desist himself from implicating and involving in
personal matters of the students. The
general perception was that in my absence the gang used to occupy my cabin,
however, my smallest presentiment compels them to vacate it along with their mentor. After a few months, slowly and steadily I
myself get adjusted with the changing scenario; some of the student’s personal
problems were unique that aroused curiosity in me; sometimes he used to seek my
advice while resolving the complicated and complex issues.
It
was brought to my notice that Mr Prakash has not engaged the class; there was
hullabaloo in the corridor. So, I have
engaged his period. After inquiry I came
to know from the horse’s mouth that two students were having some personality
clashes so Mr Prakash was busy in resolving the issue. I get cogently furious and told him that
henceforth he should look after his classes; the lame excuses will not be
tolerated. He was not serious about
official duties; his dubitation approach towards it was tragic;
notwithstanding, his nature was extraordinarily fine. I get resentful and angry due to his casual
and neglectful attitude; he was hard nut to break.
He
was a great shirker; due to laziness, he never used to do routine activities, his
main avocation was to read the newspaper daily that too for at least two hours. I asked him, ‘why you are not reading
newspaper at home?’ His response was
unique; ‘see, I am reading the newspaper for the welfare of the student
community and hence I am reading it in the institute.’ I questioned, ‘how it is useful to the
students?’ His riposte was unexpected, ‘the students are the pillar of the
nation and they must get updated with the latest developments.’ I retorted, ‘let them read, why you are
reading?’ I get fumbled due of his
instant reply, ‘you know I have given the responsibility of the student’s
welfare and that I am doing whole heartedly.
Reading the newspaper is the part and parcel of my duty. Students have no time; hence, I interact with
them and give updated information.’ I
squeezed, ‘but, you have little inclination to conduct the classes.’ He laughed and said, ‘technical education is
not important, the social, economical and political knowledge is directly
related with their two times a meal!’
His
nature seems to be weirdly and freaky but always having a smiling face; his
behavior sometimes socialist and seldom communist but never harmful and
detrimental. He was popular in our
institute especially in academic staff circle due to his conspicuous nature. May what happen, in crucial academic staff
meetings he alone will defend students like an experience and senior advocate
even if student commit the mistakes after mistakes. He was having a soft corner for the student
community. Once, the Dean demanded reply
from him about his unique association with the student community his answer was
simple; proudly he said ‘Sir, with due regards, I am the in-charge of student
welfare and my duty is to look after the welfare of the students of our institute.’ The whole session becomes speechless and
soundless.
His
popularity among the student fraternity was simply unstoppable. He received the over-whelming support from
them. He remained awfully busy during
social gathering, games and sports, cultural events, student’s strike and conflicts,
seminar and conferences, extra-mural tours, birth and death anniversary of
leaders so on and so forth. During those
days his headquarter happened to be a student’s hostel. His presence boosted the spirits of the rank
and file. He achieved the objectives in
letter and spirit and thus the programs were always successful. However, the narrative was same that his
involvement in day to day office matter was insignificant. It was also noticed that the students used to
take undue advantage of his simplicity for which he has to shell few bucks from
his pocket.
Another
facet of his conduct was to annoy and provoke a person during simple chit
chatting, debate, discussion and deliberation; he used to do it deliberately
and purposely. Daily, during tea time,
he will intentionally open a controversial subject of national or international
importance and argue, quarrel and resist with the mob like a lonely tiger. Innumerable time I asked him, ‘why you are
fighting? What you get out of it? Why you create controversy, unnecessarily?’ His answer was straight and simple, ‘see, I
never fight with anybody, my aim is to get acquainted with the subject from all
sides. Everybody contributes in a
deliberate as and when I purposefully pinch his conscience, so that I will add
to the knowledge of the students in a better way.’ I continued, ‘but, it spoils your image and reputation. Your image has become negative in the
society, sometime anti-national, and all speaks badly about you.’ He responded, ‘I never bother about my
reputation, unless I tease them how they will apply their brain to defeat
me?’ I have no other alternative than to
salute him.
The
Dean of the institute urgently instructed me to do a compilation work of the
research activities of the institute for which it took nearly one and half
month of my valuable time. While submission
of the report inadvertently Mr Prakash was in the cabin. After going through the report, the Dean
complimented me and said in laughing tone that this work was initially allotted
to Mr Prakash, but he politely declined with the request that I am the right
person from the institute who will give proper justice to the work. I said, ‘sir, he is all the time reading the
newspaper and chit chatting with the student community and fighting with the
staff and not doing any duties neither of my department nor our institute. He is fit for nothing. You are not allotting any work to him.’ The Dean laughed loudly and said, ‘You know,
as and when I allot him a particular job, he takes two days time and come back
with the solution that who is the suitable person from the institute to do the said
job. You know, I am not unaware of the
situation, but, he is controlling the complicated section of the institute that
is, the student mob; he is engrossed in student politics and provides the
authority the problems and its answer in advance. Are you or anybody from the academic circle
is ready to take his additional charge?
If the answer is yes, then I will see that he will be busy all the time.’ Needless to say, the discussion abruptly ends
without further argument. In a nutshell,
all staff members were heavily burdened except my friend, you may call him foe.
As
usual and accustomed, he was engrossed in reading the newspaper in the library
calm and quietly. I went to the library
to search the references; all of a sudden the conflict erupted between girls
and boys the reason best known to them; from literally verbal argument and
discord it culminated in a physical exchange of blows. Immediately, the staff members present in the
library intervened in the brawl and separated both the parties; at once, other
staff members also joined to resolve the issue.
Some of the staff members received the scratches, others bear the blows. What was surprising was that Mr Prakash was
still reading the newspaper as if nothing had happened. He remained aloof from the mob during the
fight; when angrily the reason was sought, all get aghast and stunned from his
answer. He replied, ‘you people are
lacking in knowledge with respect to science of mob mentality. Let them fight; let them break their heads,
once the strife is over, later on the students will come to us for justice;
that is the right time to intervene. Even
cops never reached the spot during the conflict.’
All
the time, he was dependent on the department staff even for a trifle matter. He has no confidence regarding official
procedures. If I allot any office work,
he will sit in front of me and request me to dictate. My contention was to make him independent;
however, I failed in my duties in spite of persistent efforts. He was basically intelligent, but not
diligent. He was awfully interested in share trading
and thus his subject of interest was economics and finance rather than his
own. I have not seen him reading the
text books or reference books related to his subject. During leisure time he tried to beguile me to
join the share trading business, but he couldn’t get success in this endeavor,
since he was unable to reply my straight forward question, ‘show me your profit
first?’ Some of the staff members
purchased a substantial number of shares of the emerging companies; most of
these companies were shut down due to one or the other reason.
Mr
Prakash asked me an intelligent question, ‘male buffaloes are unnecessarily
slaughtered, so, why not to use buffalo power for electricity production? It will solve nation’s problem; we have ample
number of male buffalo.’ During those
days, electricity shut down was quite a common phenomenon; no electricity was
available for four hours a day. He
further elaborated that, ‘if we give a ready-made profitable model to farmers
then they will be benefited from it.’
The proposal was quite interesting and so we discussed the project at a length
and decided to work on the project till its completion. The detailed exercise was carried out for a
month or so and one fine morning when I opened the subject for further
discussion, I get astonished and jiggered from his eccentric, wacky and kinky response. He said, ‘why not to go for a cat breeding program?’ I asked him, ‘what about the electricity
production project on which we are not only discussing from last month, but, we
are on the verge of submission of the project for financial, administrative and
technical sanction?’ He said,
‘forget!’ Again I asked, ‘are you not
serious about electricity project?’ His
answer was not only horrible and pathological, but screwy; he said calmly ‘I
asked about it just for a fun! At least you get the updated knowledge of the
subject!’ My condition was same as
Leonard Cohen described, ‘It’s time that we began to laugh and cry and cry and
laugh about it all again.’ I did not
talk with him for next two months. He
apologized and said, ‘one should not take it seriously, enjoy the life.’ ‘It was my mistake to accommodate you in my
cabin!’ said I.
The
other day he submitted an application for a casual leave. I asked him the reason behind the casual
leave. He was hesitating and reluctant
to discuss in the initial stages, but when I insisted his reply was
unexpected. He said, ‘the first year student
from our college has eloped and married with an outside boy.’ I asked, ‘what you are going to do? Have you opened matrimonial organization?’ He said, ‘look, the girl is from a poor
family and she is the lone child to her mother, she has no father; I am going
to meet her mother and request her to accept them as marriage couple. It is an inter-caste marriage.’ I said, ‘you are not meant for such type of
work. Your prime duty is to teach and not to involve yourself in such sundry
matters!’ He retorted, ‘had she been
your daughter then? Shall I remain mum
and silent?’ His leave was immediately granted.
My
perception and comprehension regarding him was that his approach towards life
was not like a normal person, but, altogether different with firm belief and
conviction. In spite of repeated requests
from colleague and family members he did not purchase a house but preferred to
stay in ranted one. The property rates
were exorbitant enhanced during his tenure; however, he did not budge from his tenets. Fools build houses and wise men to live in
them; he was an ardent follower of this age old saying. I have quoted another quote that a wise man
can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top; but,
it has not changed his mind. In the same
fashion, he has committed many blunders in his life for which he never repented. For instance, his conviction was God is
omnipresent, so there is no need to go for pilgrimage, on the contrary, his
wife was sober and god fearing and has an ardent desire to visit pilgrimage
sites and also to enjoy the week end. His spouse said once, ‘my husband has no
interest in any activity except share market.
He pretends to show he is busy, but, he has no work.’ His firm credence was that one should not
watch the TV telecast except news and share trading, the whole family suffered
due to his whims and caprice nature.
At home, his behavior and conduct
was somewhat autocratic and stubborn. His
son was extraordinarily intelligent and having an inclination for sports; Mr
Prakash did whatever possible for his son, however many a time due to his exaggeration
and over enthusiasm the son could not able to pursue his career in games and sports. His inurement was to read the latest
literature and follow it blindly. One day,
he purchased a lot of apples; his argument was that apple supports essential
nutrients required for sport so he purchased them; I said, ‘by force feeding an
apple the performance will not going to improve, rather, wholesome meal is
essential.’ The same principles he
applied for carrot, pomegranate, banana and other food stuff. Due to his eccentric and kinky nature the
whole family used to get disturbed.
Five years before superannuation,
one fine morning, he tenders application for pre-mature retirement. I asked him why he wants to resign. He said, ‘Life is only once, at present, I
have no responsibility and hence I want to retire. I would engage myself in the matter of my
interest.’ I failed to convince him
regarding the importance of regular pay, increment, family responsibilities,
pension benefits, etc. Even, the authority
could not able to convince him. However,
he has not revoked his decision and opted for retirement. The way he came into my cabin, he left it
without any remorse and penitence; to categorize him as a friend or a foe is
practically difficult to differentiate when I remember his smiling and innocent
face.
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