30. When the Virtuous Is Provoked...

After serving for thirty five years in a government department, Kuppuswamy retired from his job. 

In the office Kuppuswamy worked, there was a practice of organizing a grand send-off at the time of an employee's retirement. 

The organizers would collect money from the other employees for meeting the expenses for the function and for buying a valuable gift to the retiring employee. They would ask the retiring person to choose a gift within a price range, buy and present it to him or her.

The gifts presented in the past included air-conditioners, LED TVs, Laptop Computers, Mobile Phones etc.

Since most of the employees working there were earning extra income by way of bribes for providing services to the public, they didn't grudge contributing liberally towards the expenses for the send-off function.

But Kuppuswamy was cast in a different mould. 'Moron', 'saint', 'idealist', 'person living in a fool's paradise' were some of the sobriquets his colleagues, superiors and subordinates in the office used about him. He was widely perceived as a person who would neither make use of the opportunities for earning money coming his way nor allow others to do so.

Kuppuswamy's integrity and incorruptibility were the factors that earned him this kind of criticism. Working in an office where taking bribe was a way of life, but firmly refusing to seek or accept bribes, Kuppuswamy was like an island in the middle of a vast ocean.

Till the day he retired, Kuppuswamy strictly followed the policy of doing his duty as per the rules and regulations with no deviations or compromises.

However, Kuppuswamy never quarreled with anyone. If he was pressurized by his superiors or colleagues to do something that was not in conformity with the rules, he would politely but firmly decline to do so.

He would never try to explain his stand by claiming that he was a straightforward man and that he won't do anything in violation of the rules.

Perhaps, he realized that if he gave any scope for others to argue with him, he might end up losing the argument and accepting the other person's stand. Because of this, he was also called a 'hard rock.'

One of his superiors once lamented, "If the man attempts to explain why he wouldn't do a particular thing, it may be possible to argue with him, persuade him or trap him in his own arguments. But he never goes beyond saying, 'Sorry. I won't do it.' What can I do with such a person?"

Kuppuswamy's send-off party was conducted in a lacklustre manner. Breaking with the practice of ordering expensive dishes from a high profile restaurant, snacks and tea were brought from a nearby tea shop. Quite a few employees including some senior executives skipped the function citing some excuse. 

A few of his colleagues made ceremonial speeches mentioning Kuppuswamy's long service in that office, but made no reference to his contributions or qualities. One of them, however, was a little outspoken. He lamented that if only Kuppuswamy had been more 'accommodative,' he would have been more valuable to himself and to others. 

A wall clock of mediocre quality was presented to him as a gift.

Kuppuswamy's speech was short. He just thanked everyone for their affection and co-operation.

Usually, a retired employee in the office where Kuppuswamy worked would get his retirement benefits including pension sanctioned in about two months after retirement. But in the case of Kuppuswamy, his pension was not sanctioned even after six months.

When Kuppuswamy checked with the head office, they told him that they had not received the papers from the office where he had worked.

Kuppuswamy went to the office where he had worked and met the clerk who was looking after pension papers. 

The clerk replied nonchalantly, "We have sent the papers long time back!" 

"Don't lie to me!" said Kuppuswamy, angrily.

Offended by Kuppuswamy's acerbic tone, the clerk told him, "Go and ask the executive in-charge."

"Where is the executive? Ask him to come out of his cabin!" shouted Kuppuswamy. His voice was heard throughout the office. The employees who had known Kuppuswamy as an unperturbed and soft-spoken person were surprised by his indignant tone. 

The executive, hearing Kuppuswamy's voice, came out of his cabin.

"What is going on here?" he asked, in an authoritative voice.

"Good Morning, Mr. Dharmalingam! Your clerk lies to me that he has sent my pension papers to the head office. Will you please check and ascertain the position?"

Kuppuswamy was polite but his tone was loud and assertive. His former colleagues looked at him in amazement, wondering how Kuppuswamy was capable of being so indignant.

The clerk, taking offence at Kuppuswamy's remark, replied angrily, "How dare you say I lied, you scumbug!"

Kuppuswamy turned to Dharmalingam and told him, "Sir, please ask your clerk to be respectable while speaking to others. I am not seeking any favour from him."

"But your remark that he was lying to you was offensive, wasn't it?" asked Dharmalingam.

"I have checked up with the head office and confirmed that the papers have not been received by them. But your clerk tells me, even without checking the records that he has sent the papers long time back. Am I not justified in saying that he is lying? Let him check the records and tell me when the papers were sent. Then I will apologize to him!" 

"Please come tomorrow. We will check up and give you the details" said Dharmalingam, in an attempt to pacify Krishnaswamy.

"Why should I come tomorrow?" Kuppuswamy's voice became louder again. "As per the norms, the papers should be sent within a month. But nothing has been done even after six months. I won't leave this place unless you give me the date and reference number of your letter forwarding my papers."

"Why don't you check up now and give him the details?" Dharmalingam asked the clerk.

"I have to search. It will take time. I can't do it now" said the clerk, adamantly.

Dharmalingam looked at Kuppuswamy again. Realizing that he won't relent, he told the clerk in a low voice, "Please search and take out his file. The public who have come here for their work are also witnessing this scene." 

The clerk grudgingly went to the filing cabinet, took out a file after a brief search and browsed through it.

He then told Dharmalingam in a toned down voice, "Sir, the papers are here. I will forward them tomorrow." 

Hearing this, Kuppuswamy said in an angry voice, "So, you lied to me that the papers have been sent already! Why have you kept this pending for six months? Did you want to extract some bribe from me the way you extract money from the public?"

Dharmalingam moved closer to Kuppuswamy and spoke to him in a low voice. "I am sorry for what has happened. I will see to it that the papers are forwarded tomorrow. Please leave now!"

"Why not today?" said Kuppuswamy. Then, relenting a little, he said, "Okay. I hope you keep your word and send the papers tomorrow. If the papers are not received by the head office within the next two days, I will file a complaint with the Vigilance department."

After Kuppuswamy left the office, Dharmalingam told the clerk, "Process his papers and forward them to the head office today. Don't wait till tomorrow!"

Thirukkural
Section 1: The Path of Virtue

Chapter 3
The Greatness of the Ascetics

Verse 29 (In Tamil)
guNamennum kunRERi ninRAr veguLi
kaNamEnum kAththalarithu.

Meaning:

We cannot withstand, even for a moment, the rage of a person who has scaled the peak of morality.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'sAdhu miraNdAl' by the same author)

Verse 30 

Verse 28