678. A Transfer to Kolkatta

"Sir! I have only two years to retire from service. You are transferring me to Kolkatta now!" said Ramakrishnan, dismay

"Yes, Mr. Ramakrishnan. Our Kolkatta branch needs the services of a senior person like you" said Managing Director Dayalan. 

"My daughter is studying in the college. My son is in the school final year. I won't be able to take my family to Kolkatta."

"Why don't you enjoy two years of 'bachelor life' in your old age? We will be providing you accommodation free of cost, in the guest room inside the office premises. You will also get an extra allowance. So, the additional expenditure you will be incurring by living in Kolkatta will be compensated."

"Every one will be faced withe question what to do after retirement. But, even several years before my retirement, I had decided what I was going to do after retirement!" Ramakrishnan told his friend Raghavan.  

"What did you decide you were going to do?" asked Raghavan.

"I decided that I would become a spiritual speaker.  

"I know that you have a deep interest in religion and spirituality. I also know that even from your younger age, you have been acquiring knowledge on this field, by reading books on religion and spirituality. But, can you become a spiritual speaker, by using the knowledge you have gained from books?"

"I can't. To become a spiritual speaker, one should undergo intensive training under a scholar in the field. During the period I was employed, I could not find the time to undergo such training. While the whole day was spent in the office, after coming home in the evening, I had domestic affairs to attend to. When I was pondering over how I was going to find the time to acquire the training, I was offered such an opportunity by my company!"

"What was that opportunity?"

"Two years before my retirement, my company transferred me to Kolkatta. Initially, I thought the transfer was a problem, since I could not take my family with me to Kolkatta at that time, due to constraints imposed by my children's education. But, subsequently, I found a way to use the transfer as an opportunity" said Ramakrishnan.

"How?" asked Raghavan.

"I came to know that a renowned spiritual speaker, who was residing in Chennai for long, had moved to Kolkatta and taken up residence there. I found out his address and met him. He agreed to give me training in giving spiritual discourses. He said that I could go to his house, whenever I had time and learn things from him. If I had been transferred to a place near Chennai, I would have come home to Chennai during the weekends, for being with my family. Kolkatta being very far from Chennai, I couldn't come to Chennai often. I made use of the weekends for getting trained by him. Now, after my retirement, I have come back to Chennai. With the training acquired by me, I am ready to give spiritual discourses immediately and start my journey as a spiritual speaker" said Ramakrishnan, feeling excited. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 68
The Method of Executing An Action

Verse 676 (in Tamil):
vinaiyAn vinaiyAkkik kOdal nanaigavuL
yAnaiyAl yAnai Yaththu aRRu.

Meaning:

Making use of one undertaking as the means of accomplishing another is like using one elephant to catch another.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kolkaththAvukkup pO' by the same author.) 

Verse 679 (Soon)
Verse 677

677. A New Member in the Team

"We will be the first one in India to manufacture this product" said Project Manager Aravind, with pride.

Managing Director Kumar smiled gently. 

"It is our Managing Director who has taken a bold decision to manufacture this product, for the first time in our country. He has appointed Aravind as the Project Manager. But, this man talks as if he is the one who has planned and initiated this project!" Accounts Manager Shanmugam whispered into the ears of Administration Manager Sakthivel, sitting next to him in the meeting.

"Well. Our Managing Director has appointed Aravind as the Project Manager, only because he has executed a few projects successfully. It is only natural that he feels proud" said Sakthivel. 

"At present, there are eight members in this Project Implementation Group. I have included one more member in this group. He will join our company tomorrow. He will work together with Aravind. He will participate in the future meetings of this committee" said Kumar.

Kumar's announcement caught every one by surprise. Aravind's face expression indicated that he was not only surprised, but also shocked.

"The project has been completed successfully. The trial production has come out satisfactorily. The next step is to start commercial production. My greetings and heartfelt congratulations to all the members of the Project Implementation Committee, who had worked hard with dedication and co-ordination" said Kumar.

All the members acknowledged his appreciation with joy.

Aravind entered Kumar's cabin, after tapping the door and getting his permission.

"Come in, Aravind. I should specially appreciate you, for your role in the successful completion of the project. When every one was present, I didn't want to mention your name and personally appreciate you" said Kumar.

"Thank you, sir" said Aravind. After a pause, he said, "I have a grievance, though!"

"I know what it is. After making you the Project Manager, I asked you to work along with another person. You couldn't have been happy about it!"

"Why did you do it, sir?" asked Aravind, but hastened to add. "I have no complaints about Sundar. He is very knowledgeable and well experienced. Working with him was a pleasant and useful experience. His contribution to the project is substantial. But, in my opinion, you could have completed this project, by having either of us manage it. Pardon me, if I am wrong."

"Just now, you mentioned that Sundar's contribution to the project was substantial. Both of you have contributed a lot to the project. Can you say that if only one of you had managed the project, the project would have been implemented so successfully?" asked Kumar. 

"You may have a point there, sir. But, I have a question. You didn't tell us anything about Sundar's background. You also enjoined us that we shouldn't ask Sundar anything about his background. Why, sir? Now that the project has been completed, can you tell me what his background is? How did he come to possess so much knowledge about the product we are manufacturing in this project?

"Aravind. I have often heard you mentioning proudly that we are the first in the country to manufacture this product. I have never disputed your claim, but your claim is not entirely true. Before us, some other people had tried to manufacture this project."

"Yes, sir. Many people have tried, but no one has succeeded" said Aravind. 

"When people take up a task to perform, they have the intention to complete the task. We also started with such an intention. But, only after successfully completing the task, we are able to claim that we have done it. Though many people had taken up this project in the past, about five years back, one person made strenuous efforts and came close to the stage of implementing it. But, due to some problems encountered by him towards the end, he could not complete the project. I thought I could make use of the experience of that person" said Kumar.

"You mean..."

"Your guess is correct. Sundar was that person. Since you have experience in implementing a few projects, you have mastered the skills of implementing a project. Since Sundar made efforts to implement this project, I thought his experience would complement your skills and brought him in our team" said Kumar.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 68
The Method of Executing An Action

Verse 677 (in Tamil):
seyvinai seyvAn seyan muRai avvinai
uL aRivAn uLLam koLal..

Meaning:  

One who sets out to do a task should learn the method of doing it and seek the counsel of one who is experienced in doing the task.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kuzhuvil oru pudhiya uRuppinar' by the same author.) 

Verse 678
Verse 676

676. "Before we start"

"You have chosen this small place in another state to set up the factory, for the reason that the raw material source is near this place. It is more than a month since we both arrived at this godforsaken place. You have been going out, now and then. Sometimes, you bring some people here and discuss with them for a long time. But, till now, you have not even got a building plan for the factory prepared. I don't understand what you have been doing" Chandran told his friend Ganesan. 

"Before setting up a factory, there is a lot of preparatory work to be done" said Ganesan. 

"Why did you bring me with you, then? You could have asked me to come here, after doing the preparatory work!"

Ganesan threw a reproachful look at his friend and said, "My dear friend! I want you to be my partner, in this project. A partner should be on the scene, from the very beginning!"

"But, I have not yet consented to be a partner. I know nothing about this business. I am willing to invest money, based on your faith in the project. But I have to get the money to invest from my father. I can't answer the questions he will be posing to me. I asked you to talk to my father about the project and convince him. But, you didn't do so. Instead, you have brought me here. Of course, you have been spending money for my travel and stay. But, I am sitting idle, which is tiresome" said Chandran. 

"Don't worry. Hereafter, you will also have work to do. Till now, I was engaged in technical aspects of the project. Since I didn't know to what extent you will understand the technical aspects of the project, I didn't involve you" clarified Ganesan. 

"You would have studied the technical aspects of the project, before deciding to set up the factory!"

"Yes, of course. I did a detailed study, consulted experts, prepared a project report, got it vetted by the bank and got a loan sanctioned for the project too. I have selected the site for the factory and initiated steps for procuring the land."

"So, what are the factors you have been studying now?"

"Before we start implementing the project, we should decide things like how we are going to implement the project, what part can be done by us directly and what part can be got done through contractors, whether there will be any resistance from the local people for the factory coming up here, strategies for carrying out various tasks ranging from digging a well, to laying electric cables over a distance, identifying different ways of doing things, the benefits and the problems each way of doing would throw up etc" explained Ganesan.  

"Are these things not considered even before preparing the project report? Should we do this exercise once again, before we start the work?"

"If this project were being implemented by a large organization, it would have made a thorough study of all these factors. But, this is a small firm having you and I as partners. We didn't prepare the project report, by engaging experienced consultants, which would have involved huge expenditure. So, it is better to have a thorough check of all the factors, before we set out to buy the land and construct the factory building. Have we not witnessed some projects launched by big companies running into problems during implementation?" 

"In case we find that there are some insurmountable problems in implementing the project, what should we do?"

"In such a scenario, we have to treat the money spent till now as a loss and abandon the project!" said Ganesan, laughing.

"Oh! That was the reason..."

"...I didn't speak to your father about the investment. I wanted you to bring in your capital, only after I got confirmation that the project could be implemented successfully. If the project were to be abandoned, I would bear the loss of the money spent till now" said Ganesh and added, "Fortunately, my study indicates that such a scenario is not likely to develop."

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 68
The Method of Executing An Action

Verse 676 (in Tamil):
mudivum idaiyURum muRRi Angu eydhum
padu payanum pArththuch cheyal.

Meaning:  

An act is to be performed after considering the means to be adopted, the obstacles to be encountered, and the gain expected on completion of the act.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thozhilaith thuvangip pAr' by the same author.) 

Verse 677
Verse 675

675. A Turning Point

"Have you lost your mind? You say you are going to start a political party!" exclaimed Sumathy, in a tone of astonishment. 

"The country needs political parties too. All these years, I have been carrying  on business activities. I have earned a fairly good amount of money. We have been leading a comfortable life. My business establishments are running well and generating income for us, even without the need for any active involvement by me. I don't even visit the offices of my business establishments frequently. I want to do something for this society. If I start a political party, formulate good policies and action plans for the welfare of our country and its people and propagate them, will it not be good for the country?" asked her husband Gowrishankar.

"You are already sounding like a politician giving a speech in a public meeting! Politics has evolved into a profession for gaining power and using that power to accumulate wealth. What good can you do, by jumping into the fray?"

"What you say is generally true. Politics has been increasingly associated with power and money. I am planning to launch a political party only to change this scenario and make use of politics to deliver good things to people."

"I don't know. Use your judgement and decide" said Sumathi.

"It has been about eight months since you announced your decision to start a political party. During this period, you invited various kinds of people to our house and had elaborate discussions with them. You have been spending a lot of money - I don't know for what purpose. Now, you say you are going to launch a television channel. Have you changed your plan?"

Gowrishankar smiled, without giving her an answer.

"It is good that you have dropped your idea of starting a political party. Launching a television channel could be a good decision. You know how to run a business, after all" said Sumathy.

Gowrishankar remained silent. 

"Have you changed your mind again? You have gone back to your idea of launching a political party!" asked Sumathy

"Did I ever say that I had given up the idea of starting a political party?" countered Gowrishakar.

"For the past several months, you were having discussions with various people. I thought that after those discussions you have decided against launching a political party. You also told me that you had applied for starting a television channel!"

"Yes. Now, I have got the approval from the government for my television channel. I am launching my channel on 1st of May. The same day, I am launching my political party from Trichy. The launch event will be telecast live in my television channel. That will bring publicity for the launch of my political party. My TV channel will also become popular, by telecasting the launch of my party."

"I don't understand your plan at all!"

"Before taking up a task, we need to make preparations to ensure that the task is performed in an effective way. First of all, we should consider the resources for doing a task. In this case, money is the major resource needed. For the past eight months, I have been building up a fund for launching the political party, by setting aside a fixed sum of money every month from the profits of my businesses .

"Secondly, the means of doing the task and the tools we are going to employ have to be got ready. This being an information era, I thought having a television channel of my own for telecasting news and information about my party would be valuable. We can not only propagate our policies and plans, but also reply to criticism by other parties through our channel. That is why I applied for permission to launch a television channel and got it too. 

"In addition to the electronic media, the social media have also gained importance. In fact, social media platforms are essential for us to quickly reach a large number of people and communicate our ideas to them. I have engaged a number of people who have the skills and experience to launch youtube channels for posting videos in support of my party. 

"Thirdly, my launching the party on 1st May, celebrated as workers' day, will give a chance to some leaders to berate me, by saying that being a businessman, I am anti-labour. I plan to telecast a news story in my television channel explaining what excellent benefits the employees working in my companies have been getting. That way, I can turn a propaganda launched against me in my favour. It will also create a positive image about my political party. Only on these considerations, I am launching my party on 1st May. "

"But, why are you launching your party from Trichy. You hail from Madurai. You could have chosen Madurai, to launch your party!" asked Sumathy. 

 "I could have. But Trichy has a significance. Many political parties consider Trichy to be a sentimentally favourable place. Many a political leader has used the term 'Turning Point,' while organizing an event at Trichy. I will take advantage of that sentiment and launch my party as a 'Turning Point' in the state's politics" said Gowrishankar. 

"I have seen you make meticulous plans while starting a new business. But, it is amazing that you have followed a similar approach, for launching a political party also" said Sumathy, looking at her husband with admiration and pride.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 68
The Method of Executing An Action

Verse 675 (in Tamil):
poruL karuvi kAlam vinai idanodu aindhum
iruL thIra eNNich cheyal.

Meaning:  

Do an act after a due consideration of the following five factors, viz., resources, means, time, deed (the task) and place.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thiruppu munai' by the same author.) 

Verse 676
Verse 674

674. An Unfinished Job

When the request came to Kumaran Industries from one of its longstanding customers, Kumaran, the proprietor of Kumaran Industries, agreed to consider it.

Kumaran Industries was manufacturing a chemical product. It was manufactured in commercial grade.

Shanmugam had been buying the chemical from Kumaran Industries and using it as a raw material to manufacture another product. 

Shanmugam told Kumaran that he proposed to make another product using the chemical made by Kumaran Industries but that the material was needed in laboratory grade, slightly different from the chemical grade material Kumaran Industries was now making. 

Shanmugam requested Kumaran to manufacture and supply the laboratory grade material also in addition to the commercial grade material Kumaran Industries had already been making and supplying.

Manufacturing and supplying laboratory grade material to Shanmugam would generate additional revenue to Kumaran Industries. The new product could also be supplied to other potential users of the product. 

However, manufacturing laboratory grade material required procuring and installing additional equipment. License from the government was also to be obtained. 

Kumaran informed Shanmugam that he had initiated steps to set up a plant for making the laboratory grade material and that he would be able to begin supply within a few months. 

Shanmugam told Kumaran that for the time being, he was buying the material from some other firm and that once Kumaran Industries was ready to begin the supply, he would buy it from them.

Kumaran began to take steps for setting up the new plant.

There was a delay in getting the license from the government. The manager of Kumaran Industries told Kumaran that if he, as the proprietor, met the government officials, the process could be speeded up. 

Kumaran met the government official concerned and requested him to expedite the process of giving the license. But, he didn't get any positive reply from the official.

Kumaran realized that there was some problem at the higher levels of the government. He thought that he would be able to resolve the issue, by meeting some officials at the higher levels of the government and complying with their requirements. 

But, due to some hesitation to meet higher level government officials and procrastination, Kumaran kept postponing his intended visit to the government offices.

"You have been our customer for the past several years. But, you tell me all of a sudden that you won't buy from us any longer. It is shocking!" said Kumaran. 

"It is not a sudden decision from my side. I had told you six months before that in addition to the commercial grade material, I also needed the laboratory grade material. Though I needed the laboratory grade material even at that time, I told you that I would be buying it from another supplier but would switch over to you, once you started manufacturing the product. But, you have not been able to get even the license till now!" said Shanmugam.

"We have been making efforts, sir. There has been a delay from the government side" said Kumaran, apologetically.

"I made some discrete inquieries through my contacts in the government. They say that you have not shown any interest in getting the license. It appears to me that you have dropped the idea of setting up a plant for making the laboratory grade."

"No, sir! We are still working on it."

"Sorry, Mr. Kumaran. It would be advantageous to me to buy both grades of the material from one source. There is a person who manufactures bot the grades. He is Damodaran, who worked as a chemist in your firm. I have to consider what is good for my business. So, I have decided to buy both the grades from him. My best wishes."

Shanmugam ended the telephonic conversation.

Damodaran!

Kumaran felt a stream of hot vapours rising up inside his body. 

Damodaran, who was working as a chemist in his firm, tried to sell the formula of his firm to a rival firm. The proprietor of the rival firm called up Kumaran and exposed Damodaran's treachery. Kumaran dismissed Damodaran immediately.

Several people including the manager of his firm urged Kumaran to file a police complaint against Damodaran. But Kumaran thought that dismissal from the job was an adequate punishment for Damodaran.

Kumaran realized that his failure to act against the person who betrayed him and his failure to vigorously pursue the project to set up a new plant had together struck him hard.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 68
The Method of Executing An Action

Verse 674 (in Tamil):
vinai pagai enRu iraNdin echcham ninaiyum kAl
thI echcham pOlath theRum.

Meaning:  

An unfinished work and an enemy left unfinished both have the potential to flare up like an unextinguished fire.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thotta kuRai vitta kuRai' by the same author.) 

Verse 675
Verse 673

1150. Kuzhali's Calculation

"It has been two months since I have been seeing Kumaran. What are people of this town saying about it?" Kuzhali asked her friend Sindhu.

"Do you think people have no other business except to watch your activities and comment about them?" shot back Sindhu.

"Does it mean that nobody is talking about me and my lover?" asked Kuzhali, showing her disappointment. 

"I didn't hear any such talk" said Sindhu. "It appears that you are disappointed that people are not gossiping about you?"

Kuzhali didn't reply.

After a few days, Sindhu told Kuzhali, "That day, you asked me what people have been gossiping about you and your lover. Immediately after your asking me that question, I came across people gossiping about you!"

"Really?" asked Kuzhali, feeling excited.

"I thought you would be perturbed by people gossiping about you. But you seem to be exhilarated by the gossip!" remarked Sindhu, with surprise.

"Not at all!" said Kuzhali, feeling somewhat embarrassed. 

'I wanted people to talk about my love. I knew that it would make me happy. I had created a belief that if this desire came true, my other desire that my lover should marry me would also come true. But, if I share this belief of mine with my friend, she will make fun of me' Kuzhali told herself.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 115
Gossiping by Others

Verse 1150 (in Tamil):
thAm vENdin nalguvar kAdhalar yAm vENdum
kouvai edukkum ivvUr.

Meaning:

This town is gossiping about my lover, as per my desire. My lover will marry me as per my desire too.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'idhu nadandhAl, adhu nadakkum' by the same author.)

Verse 1151 (Soon)
Verse 1149

1149. Where Love Has Gone

"I am unable to bear the gossip in our town about you and I seeing each other" said Kantha.

"What are the things they are saying in their gossip?" asked Ilamaran. 

"It is natural for people to gossip about lovers. But, when I hear some people talking that we have married secretly, it pains me."

"Shall we make it true?" asked Ilamaran, with a giggle. 

"What kind of a talk is this? Did I not tell you even at the time you expressed your love for me that we should get married only with the consent of the parents of both of us?" asked Kantha, in an angry tone.

"Don't worry. Very soon, I will come to your house with my parents and seek the consent of your parents for our marriage" Ilamaran assured her. 

"I have to tell you something about Ilamaran" Swarnamukhi told Kantha, hesitatingly.

"Shoot" said Kantha, who was feeling apprehensive that Ilamaran had not met her for quite some time. 

"I am sorry to break this news to you. But Ilamaran has left this place."

"He will come back, won't he?" asked Kantha, clinging to a faint ray of hope. 

"The reason for his leaving this place is to marry the daughter of a rich man in another place and settle down there."

Kantha was unable to say anything. It appeared that something had choked her vocal chords.

"People of our town are berating him for betraying you and running away" said Swarnamuki, hoping that it would give some solace to Kantha.

"I never expected him to deceive me" said Santha, in a voice so feeble that even she couldn't hear it.

"It will be better if you don't come out of your house for a few days" advised Swarnamukhi.

"Why?" asked Kantha, in a tone of indignation. There was clarity and firmness in her voice.

"At present, people of this town are sympathetic towards you. But that sympathy will evaporate in no time. After that, they will start blaming you for trusting Ilamaran and moving with him closely. Listening to such talk will make you feel distressed."

Kantha laughed loudly.

"Why are you laughing?" asked Swarnamukhi, feeling concerned that Kantha might have developed traces of mental derangement, upset by the shock suffered by her, as a result of being deceived by Ilamaran. 

"The man who assured me and consoled me, when I was concerned about the gossip of people about our love, has abandoned me for marrying another girl. After he has gone, why should I bother about what people gossip about me?" asked Kantha, in a tone that reflected her anger and disgust.

It appeared to Swarnamukhi that it would take some time for Kantha's mind  to recover from the emotional upheaval and return to a state of normalcy.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 115
Shedding Shyness

Verse 1149 (in Tamil):
alar nANa olvadhO anjal Ombu enRAr
palar nANa nIththak kadai.

Meaning:

When the man, who counselled me not to fear, left me, shaming me before others, why should I feel shamed by people talking about his leaving me?

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'en uyirth thOzhi kEL oru sEdhi' by the same author.)

Verse 1150
Verse 1148