572. Speaking Ill of the Dead!

Sachidanandam passed away. 

He was a high level executive in a big company.

Many people came to pay their homage to him. 

Most of them stood near his body for a couple of minutes, spoke a few words of condolence to his relatives standing or sitting near his body and left.

A few employees from his company were standing on the corridor, near the entrance of his house.

Some of them were talking among themselves, in whispering tones.

"I had been working under him for twenty years. Never once did he listen to my problems. If I began to say something, he would immediately put me off, saying, 'Do what I asked you to. Don't talk to me about your problems.' Even if a person was on the verge of dying, he would tell him mercilessly, "Complete the assignment I gave you and then you can die!' I have not come across another person as hard-hearted as he is."

"I worked as a typist under him. He complained to the top management that I was slow in my work and got me transferred to a branch at another town. I begged him pleading, 'Sir, please get me posted to some other department in this office.' He didn't relent. He told me mercilessly, 'Only if you suffer, you will improve yourself.' Some of his colleagues pointed out to him that since I was a housewife, transferring me to another place would cause hardship to me and my family. He told them, 'Well, women seek equality. Why should I show consideration to her, based on her gender?' Because of the transfer, I had to be away from my family and live alone in a new place. Both my children were below five years. I couldn't afford to quit my job either. I suffered for six months, before the head office reviewed my case on compassionate grounds and brought me back here. I have often wondered how a person could be so merciless!"

"I was his personal assistant. I have personally witnessed him punishing employees. How many employees had their increment cut, for a small lapse in their functioning! How many people were shunted out to different places on punishment transfer! Being his personal assistant, I was the one who typed out the orders. I felt bad about typing such letters, carrying cruel punishments, but he had no compassion! I have seen many employees coming to him and begging him to annul or mitigate the punishments. Some would beg him, pleading, "Sir! Please condone my mistake once and give me another chance. If you cut my increment, it will be recorded in my file and affect my career.' But he won't show even a little mercy. God seems to have made his heart in stone!"

Several people shared their bitter experiences in the above lines.

A person, sitting near them and listening to their outpourings, told the person sitting beside him, in a low voice, "What is this? A man has died. Even his body has not been removed. It is okay, if people don't say anything good about him. Should they speak ill of him, with his body still lying here?"

"I had been to his office a few times. I have seen him acting without any compassion towards his subordinate employees. When he was alive, these people had been tolerating him, since they had had no other option. Hearing about his death, they have come to pay homage to him, out of courtesy and humanitarian feelings. But, how can we expect them to have respect for him?" said the other person.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 58

Compassion

Verse 572 (in Tamil):

kaNNOttaththu uLLadhu ulagiyal ahdhilar
uNmai nilaikkup poRai.

Meaning:

It is compassion that keeps the world functioning;

those who lack it are a burden on the earth.

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

Verse 573 (Soon)
Verse 571

571. Mercy Petitions

When Krishna Prasad, the Home Secretary went to see Ram Dayal, the President of the country, the President was reading a book.

After Krishna Prasad entered his room, Ram Dayal put down the book he was reading, asked Krishna Prasad to sit and got ready to listen to him.

It was an established routine that once in a month, the Home Secretary would brief the President about the law and order situation in the country.

The Home Secretary referred to the report in his hand and outlined the highlights of the report to the President and handed over the report to him.

Noticing that Krishna Prasad wanted to ask him something but hesitated to ask him, Ram Dayal prompted him, by saying, "Tell me, Mr. Krishna Prasad."

"Sir! The number of mercy petitions from convicted prisoners seeking reduction or annulment of their sentence or premature release from prison has been increasing" said Krishna Prasad.

"Yes. I have also noticed such a trend."

"I feel that we are being too magnanimous in considering such petitions."

"I understand what you are trying to convey. I have sanctioned the pleas of several petitioners, despite your recommendation to reject their pleas. This is what you are concerned about, aren't you?" asked Krishna Prasad, smiling.

"Sir, I am not suggesting that you accept all of my recommendations - by my recommendations, I mean the recommendations made by the officials of my department, after elaborately going through the details of each case and assessing the merits of the plea. But, if we show mercy to people who have committed crimes, will it not embolden potential offenders, by making them think that even if they were to be convicted, they could appeal for mercy and get their sentences reduced or annulled? After all, one of the objectives of awarding punishment to a wrongdoer is that the fear of punishment would act as a deterrent for those who intend to commit a crime. Won't you agree that we shouldn't do anything that will have the effect of weakening this objective?" asked Krishna Prasad.

"Your point is well taken. That is why we scrutinize the petitions, evaluate the merit of the pleas and take a decision. Perhaps, my perspective is more sympathetic than yours. Let us say, a person is given a prison sentence of ten years. After spending five years in prison, he submits a petition, seeking his release on sympathetic grounds. You may take the view that five years' imprisonment is not adequate for the crime committed by him. I may think that since he has suffered an imprisonment for five years, he could be released, It is not necessary that after getting released, he would commit a crime again. Will he not be aware that if he is caught, the punishment will be even more severe? Having experienced the pain of imprisonment for five years, will he risk being subjected to the pain again? Considering this aspect and taking into account the family circumstances of the petitioner, I show mercy in some cases."

The Home Secretary was silent.

"Mr. Krishna Prasad! Despite many wrongdoings occurring in the world, the world is functioning, by adhering, albeit imperfectly, to some system of discipline,. What do you think is the reason for this?" asked Ram Dayal.

"In my opinion, it is the law enforcement that ensures at least some discipline in the world. In the absence of law enforcement, there will only be chaos."

"I agree with what you say. Using laws to control people is only one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is love or compassion. Love is what we show towards people close to us or known to us. Also, many people in the world have compassion towards other people. That is why we are moved by the grief experienced by other people. It is compassion that drives people to help orphan children, whose faces they have not seen and other categories of people suffering various misfortunes. I believe that the head of a state should have more compassion than an average human being."

"I understand, sir" said Krishna Prasad.

"I think you are not fully convinced of my views. Do you believe in God?" asked Ram Dayal.

"Yes. I believe that God is compassionate, but..."

"God is not compassionate, Mr. Krishna Prasad!" interjected Ram Dayal.

"What do you mean, sir?" asked Krishna Prasad, surprised by Ram Dayal's words.

Ram Dayal showed him the book he was reading.

"The title of this book is 'Daya Satakam.' It is written by Vedanta Desiaka, a Vaishnavite Guru. This book has 108 hymns on Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati. That is why  it is named 'Satakam' meaning 'hundred.' As you know, 'Daya' means compassion. Desika says that Lord Venkateswara has a wife named Daya. When the Lord seeks to punish people who commit sins, Daya intervenes and saves the sinners from punishment, because of the compassion she has for all!"

"Interesting!"

"Fortunately, I have an innate trait of compassion. Otherwise, I would have had to marry a woman having the trait of compassion. Don't tell my wife what I told you just now. If you do, my wife will show no mercy on me!" said Ram Dayal, laughing.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 58

Compassion

Verse 571 (in Tamil):

kaNNOttam enum kazhi perum kArigai
uNmaiyAn uNdu ivvulagu.

Meaning:

There exists this stupendous beauty called compassion;

and therefore, the world exists.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'karuNai manukkaL' by the same author.)

Verse 572
Verse 570

132. Turning A New Leaf

The face of the person, who was sitting next to me in the metro train, appeared familiar.

Even as I was searching my memory, trying to recollect the identity of the person, he asked me, "You are Mr. Arunachalam, aren't you?"

"Yes. But, I am sorry I am unable to place you, though your face looks familiar" I said, sounding apologetic.

"My name is Ganesan. I was your classmate in the school" he said, hesitatingly.

I immediately recognized him. I also realized the reason for his hesitation.

"Hey, Ganesan! How are you?" I asked, excitedly.

"I am fine" said Ganesan. I could sense a feeling of reservation in his tone.

Though my destination was a couple of stations away, I got down at the station, where Ganesan got down. After all, I didn't have anything important to do!

We went to a restaurant and took our seats.

Ganesan and I studied in the same class. We were close friends.

When we were studying in eighth standard, that incident happened.

The whisper that went around the class, carrying the message that Ganesan had stolen the pen of Raghu, another classmate of us, created a sensation in our midst. 

Ganesan was taken to the Headmaster's room.

After that, I never saw Ganesan. People said that he had joined some other school.

Since my father strictly advised me not to have any truck with boys with a proclivity for stealing, I gave up the idea of getting Ganesan's home address, going there and meeting him.

The regret of losing touch with a good friend like Ganesan lived with me for a long time. I could not believe that he stole a pen.

When we were sitting in the restaurant, Ganesan didn't speak much. He appeared to have been suffering from the embarrassment of the incident that had occurred in the school.

"Hey, Ganesan, You will always be my friend. When people said that you stole a pen, I didn't believe it. Even now, I believe that you were innocent. You can be free with me" I said.

"Thank you for your faith in me. But, I did steal Raghu's pen."

I looked at Ganesan, surprised by his words. But, he became enthusiastic. My expression of faith in him should have given him a great relief and encouragement.

"I was worried that I would have fallen in your esteem and that you would have begun to hate me. But, you have so much faith in me! So, I feel that if I tell you the truth, you will appreciate it. As you know, our family was one of small means. Those days, the pen was an expensive object. A new pen would last at least for a couple of years. Nowadays, either we throw out or lose three or four ballpoint pens in a week. In retrospect, it looks both funny and amazing that a fountain pen was a luxury! Losing a pen was like losing a valuable asset. But that was the reality.

"One day, I lost my pen. I was reluctant to tell my father about it. Buying a new pen would have been a strain on the tight finances of my father. I saw that Raghu had a pen which had some resemblance to mine. But it might have been more expensive. As you know, Raghu came from a rich family, He had the practice of changing his pens quite often. I stole his pen, when he was away for a while. I thought he won't think much about losing a pen. But he had seen that I was having his pen and complained to the class teacher.

"The class teacher reported the matter to the Headmaster. The Headmaster summoned my father to the school and interrogated me in his presence. After I had admitted my guilt, he spoke to my father in an insulting way. My father didn't ask me anything when we both were returning home from the school and even after we had reached home. 

"I told my father that I would join some other school. I joined a school which was at a distance of two miles from my house. I had to walk to the school every day. I thought that it would be some sort of a punishment for me and I thought that that suffering, though minor, would give me some satisfaction and relief from the feeling of guilt."

I noticed that the corners of Ganesan's eyes had become moist, as he was recalling and narrating his experience.

"Forget about it! It was an impulsive act done by you in your boyhood" I said, trying to soothe his feelings.

"Committing a wrong in my young age, without thinking about the immorality of my action or about its consequences and making my father suffer a huge embarrassment in the presence of my Headmaster impacted my morale in a big way. I resolved that I would live my life, strictly, following the moral code, without committing even a small misdeed. And, I have been living my life as per my revolve."

"Oh, that is very good" I said, by way of appreciating him.

"I am working in a company as the Purchase Manager. The interesting thing is that originally I was working in the Administration department. The company found out that the man holding the post of Purchase Manage had been taking commissions from the suppliers and sacked him. They wanted to post a man of integrity as the Purchase Manager and they chose me for that position!"

The sense of pride felt by Ganesan was reflected in his tone -  the pride of changing his path after committing a wrong and traveling in that path without swerving a little.

"My father is living with me. He is proud of me. This is enough for me. In a way, the wrong I had committed turned out to be a blessing in disguise to me. It facilitated my turning a new leaf and changing my life for the better."

"You are really great! You have converted a slip into a leap and gone ahead in life" I said, congratulating him heartily.

"I have been talking about me, all along. What are you doing?" asked Ganesan.

"I worked for a bank. I have taken voluntary retirement. I am now sitting at home, relaxing" I said.

"Good for you" said Ganesan.

In contrast to Ganesan, I grew up without committing any wrong in my young age. But, when I was working as an executive in a bank, I committed a fraud, driven by greed and a foolish belief that my fraud wouldn't be discovered. But the fraud was discovered and I lost my job. I was also sentenced to prison for three years. I had come out of prison recently and been searching for a job. 

But I didn't want to share these details with my friend.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 132 (In Tamil)

parindhOmbik kAkka ozhukkam therindhOmbith

thErinum ahdhE thuNai.

Meaning:

Let propriety of conduct be laboriously preserved and guarded; Though one may know, practice and excel in many virtues, propriety will be the the one that will stand by one.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thiruttum purattum' by the same author)

Verse 133 (Soon)
Verse 131

570. The Uneducated!

"From the time this government took office, it  has been changing many things topsy turvy" said Ponniah.

"Changes are good. Change signifies progress" said Chinnaiah

"Is it so? Let us say I have a job, which is well-paying and comfortable. If I leave this job and take up another job which is more taxing, but less paying, will you consider my change of job progress?"

"The example you have given is not appropriate to describe the actions of this government. This government has brought about changes, only on the basis of the advice given by experts and the recommendations based on committees formed by the government to study an issue."

"Having advisors to suggest action plans doesn't make the actions of the government right. Hitler might have had his own advisors too! People who run a tyrannical government in a democratic setup will create such systems, to give an appearance that they are acting on the advice of experts and after making a thorough study of issues. Most of the members of the committees formed by this government are ruling party men. The rest are people who have been blindly supporting the atrocious actions of this government."

"What if that was the case? Have not the changes brought in by the government resulted in progress?"

"Progress? Facts and figures show that these changes have only resulted in taking us backwards, on the path of progress. But, the government and the media controlled by it have been describing these setbacks as progress!"

"It is true that there are some problems. But the experts have said that these problems would be resolved over a period of time and advised people to patiently bear the inconveniences, for some time."

"For how long? For hundred years? Don't you realize that this is an attempt to hoodwink the people?"

"The government constitutes committees comprising educated people and people experienced in the field and takes measures on the basis of the recommendations made by the committees. What could be wrong with this approach?"

"Now, we are back to square one in our discussion. First of all, most of the members of the committees you are referring to are politicians. Some of them might have university degrees. That doesn't make them educated or knowledgeable! If we listen to their talks and look at their actions, we can't consider them educated. Even those members, who are experts or knowledgeable, blindly support the untenable actions of this government. They refuse to look at the problems faced by ordinary people. So, this category of people should also be considered uneducated!"

"So, you are suggesting that this is a tyrannical government and when it it is doing things on the aid and advice of uneducated people, the functioning of the government becomes even more tyrannical" said Chinniah, in a mocking tone. 

"Perfect. I couldn't have expressed my point more succinctly!" countered Ponniah, smiling..

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 57

Refraining From Doing Terrifying Things

Verse 570 (in Tamil):

kallArp piNikkum kadungOl adhuvalladhu
illai nilaikkup poRai.

Meaning:

A tyrannical ruler will have uneducated people to aid him. Nothing is more burdensome to the earth than this.

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

Verse 571
Verse 569

569. The Price of Complacence

"The president of MNK party has been sending feelers to us about his intention to switch over to our side. He is keen on meeting you" said Vikas, the president of LNP, the ruling party.

"All along, he had joined hands with our opponents and acted against us. Now that he has broken away from the opposition alliance due to some squabble, he wants to jump to our side for his own survival. I am not inclined to humour him, by giving him an audience" said Surender, the Prime Minister. 

"Switching sides and shifting stands even on important issues are common practices in politics" said Vikas.

"There are still two years for the elections. We have nothing to gain by associating with MNK party at this stage. Let us just ignore him for the time being. Let him live in desperation for some time."

"The opposition leader has been trying to build a strong alliance against us, by mobilizing several political parties. Should we also not strengthen our side?"

"We are in power. The opposition parties are weak. They are trying to group together so that they could win at least a few seats in the elections. Why should we emulate the strategies of people who are weak?" said Surender, putting an end to the discussion. 

 "There are only two months for the election. How is the situation?" Surender asked Vyas.

"The opinion polls say that there will be a tough fight between us and the opposition alliance. As per the report of our government's secret service, our prospects of winning the elections are not bright. I am afraid that the media, which has always been trying to please us, because of the fear it has for us, has been doctoring the opinion poll results and projecting a narrow win for us" said Vikas, with concern.

"Even if there will be a tough fight, we can win. We are in power and we have the government machinery at our disposal. However, to be on the safer side, let us strengthen our alliance. You said that MNK Party had been sending feelers to us. Invite their leader for a meeting with me. If we can bring them to our side, the scales will tilt in our favour."

"Since we had been ignoring them for a long time, they became alienated from us. They are very hostile to us now. I heard reports that taking advantage of the situation, the opposition leader had been trying to pacify MNK and take it back into the opposition alliance. If they offer the party a couple of seats more than what it had contested last time, it will go with them."

"Oh!" said Surender, feeling disappointed.

"Moreover, VMM party that has been in our alliance for a long time is on the vergeof crossing over to the opposition alliance. For the past few days, the party president has not been picking up my calls. I have not been able to get an audience with him either" added Vikas.

Oh My God!" said Surender, feeling shocked. "MVM has been a steadfast and long-standing ally of our party. If that party crosses over to the other side, it will send wrong signals to the electorate and create a perception that we have become weak. We should prevent this from happening."

"Sir! The president of MVV has a long-standing grievance that you have not been giving him the respect and attention due to him. I suggested to you many times to invite him and have a talk with him. He himself tried to meet you a few times. But you didn't give him an appointment. So, he is also aggrieved. I am afraid that the opposition leader had already won over him too to his side.

"In that case, we may not be able to win the election" said Surender, realizing the reality of the situation for the first time.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 57

Refraining From Doing Terrifying Things

Verse 569 (in Tamil):

seru vandha pOzhdhil siRai seyyA vEndhan
veru vandhu veydhu kedum.

Meaning:

A king who has not built his defences, will in times of war, be seized with fear and quickly perish.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kUttaNik kaNakkugaL' by the same author.)

Verse 570
Verse 568

568. Dhayalan's Anger

Managing Director Dhayalan summoned the senior executives of his company to his cabin.

"For the last two years, our profit has been coming down. Mr. Shanmugasundaram told me about this only yesterday. I don't know what he was doing for the past two years..." said Dayalan.

Shanmugasundaram, the Accounts Manager began to defend himself by saying, "Sir! I have already..."

Dhayalan stopped him saying, "Don't interrupt me. You can't escape from your responsibility, by telling me that you have already brought this to my notice. Mr. Selvam! As the Sales Manager, what are you going to say?"

"Sir! I have been pleading with you not to accept the orders that are not profitable to us. But, you asked us to supply our goods to your friend's firm at a concessional price. We have not even received the payments from them in full, for the goods supplied by us" said Selvam, somewhat reluctantly.

"Mr. Selvam! This is my company. I will supply my product to anyone and at any price. You can't question such decisions" said Dhayalan, angrily.

"No, sir. I mentioned this, because you asked for reasons for the fall in our company's profitability" said Selvam, in an apologetic tone.

"This is my message to all of you. This is my company. I will do things as per my wish. There is no need for me to consult any of you. But, I will definitely question you. You can't evade your responsibilities. Now, you may leave!" said Dhayalan, ending the discussion.

After coming out of Dhayalan's cabin, Shanmugasundaram took the other two executives aside and told them in a whispering tone, "As the Accounts Manager, I want to share share one thing with you. For the last two years, the profit of the company was coming down. This year, there will be a loss. This is my assessment, based on the revenue and expenses. Our MD will not consult us on any decision. If we suggest something, he will shout at us, but won't consider our suggestions. But he will throw the responsibility for failures on us. If things go on like this, our company cannot survive for long. I doubt whether tis company will be in operation even next year. So, it is better that we look for some other jobs and leave this company as early as possible."

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 57

Refraining From Doing Terrifying Things

Verse 568 (in Tamil):

inaththARRi eNNAdha vEndhan sinaththARRich
chIRin siRugum thiru.

Meaning:

If a ruler does not function by taking the counsel of his ministers and other officials and considering their suggestions and tends to explode with rage, his wealth will diminish.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'dhaNdanai pOdhAdhu' by the same author.)

Verse 569
Verse 567

1133. The Shy Lover

"Manickam!" called Doraiswamy.

"Yes, daddy" said a feeble voice from inside the house. Presently, Doraiswamy's son Manickam came to the living room from inside the house.

"Your uncle and aunt have come to our house. You have been sitting inside, without coming out and greeting them!" Doraiswamy chided his son, in an affectionate tone.

Manickam looked at his uncle and aunt, sitting on the sofa in the living room and paid obeisance to them, by folding his palms, and then asked them, "How are you, uncle and how are you, auntie?"

"We are fine, Manickam. You, being a man, are feeling shy like a woman! Even your voice is so feeble, as if struggling to come out of your vocal chord!" said his uncle, smiling.

"That is his nature" said Manickam's mother Meenakshi, coming to her son's defence. "He is very shy. He feels inhibited to speak to anyone other than us, his parents. He feels shy even to come and stand before other people."

"You have been working as a machine operator in a good company. You are at the ripe age of getting married. You can't be shy!" said his uncle.

"His shyness will vanish, once the wife comes into his life" quipped his aunt. She then turned to Meenakshi and asked her, "Are you in the look out for a bride for him?"

"We are keen to fix an alliance for him soon. But he keeps asking us to wait for some more time" said Meenakshi

"Dear damsel, with eyes of a doe,
This is a letter expressing my desire
But what I have penned here is
A poem of supreme love.

After reading the first few lines of the poem, Kannamma laughed and said, "What is this, man! You have simply reproduced the lyrics of a film song! Can't you write something original?"

"I have used the lines of a film song only at the beginning. After these lines, I have written several lines of my own. Won't you read them?" asked Manickam, grudgingly.

"I have read your poem in full, even when I was at home - not once, but ten times! I pretended to begin to read the poem just now and commented on the first four lines, just to tease you" said Kannamma, smiling.

"You have read the poem in full!" asked Manickam, his face muscles curling, reflecting his shyness and nervousness. "How do you find it?"

"I said I read it ten times. From this, can't you understand how much I liked it!"

She then held his hands with affection and asked him, "We met only yesterday. Why did you write this letter, as if we have been separated and living at two different places?"

"Well, one can't express everything he can put in a letter, while talking in person, can he?"

"Yes, it is true. Now, I understand" said Kannamma.

She unfolded the letter again and began to read. "You have written 'on your lips resembling rose petals...'"

"Don't read it aloud. I feel shy" said Manickam and closed her lips with his fingers.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 114
Shedding Shyness

Verse 1133 (in Tamil):
nANodu nallANmai paNdu udaiyEn inRu udaiyEn
kAmuRRAr ERum madal.

Meaning:

I once possessed shyness and chivalry. But now, like people smitten by love, I have resorted to writing love letters.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'nAn ezhudhuvadhu ennavenRAl' by the same author.)

Verse 1134 (Soon)
Verse 1132

567. Weapon With A Blunted Edge

"Chandraprakash is a senior leader of our party. He has been working for our party for many years, without expecting any position in the party or in the government, when we were in power. He was the right hand man of your father. Your father gave a lot of weightage to his opinions. Your father had openly said several times that the major credit for many of his political victories belonged to Chandraprakash. It was wrong on your part to have issued a statement condemning Chandraprakash!" Sharma, a senior leader of the Democratic People's Party told Raghav, the General Secretary of the party.

Raghav was elected the General Secretary of the party, after the demise of his father, who had held the post

Sharma commanded a special respect in the party, because of his advanced age and rich experience. He would address every one in the party, including the all powerful General Secretary of the party by their first name and talk to them openly, without any inhibition or restraint.

"He openly criticized me in public, by saying in the TV interview that I was not leading the party in the right way" retorted Raghav. 

"That was not what he said. When the interviewer asked him whether the leadership of the party was responsible for the defeat of the party in the bye-elections held recently, he replied that there were several reasons for the defeat. That reply was by way of defending you!"

"When I had been saying that the ruling party won the bye-elections by misusing official machinery, he should have cited the same reason. He should have refuted the interviewer's suggestion and said that the leadership of the party couldn't be blamed for the bye-election defeats. What did he mean by saying that there were several reasons for the defeat?" said Raghav, angrily.

"Raghav! We should win the next election. For that, we have to strengthen our party. Chandraprakash is an expert in devising election strategies. When your father was the General Secretary, Chandraprakash occupied a position next to him in the party hierarchy. After your father's demise, he took the stand that you should lead the party and mobilized support for you among the top leaders of our party. You definitely need his help and support. If you insult him by issuing statements questioning his contribution and loyalty to the party, he will choose to keep away from the party. It will be a big loss to the party."

"You want me to apologize to him!"

"No need to apologize. He is a magnanimous person. He won't expect such things. It is enough if you treat him with the respect and the dignity due to him as a senior leader of our party. I will tell him that you regretted issuing the statement condemning him" said Sharma.

"There is no need for you to do so. I will ensure that such things don't happen in future" said Raghav.

Even after that, there were several instances of Raghav insulting and demeaning senior leaders

The opinion polls predicted that the People's Democratic Party led by Raghav would win the election. 

Raghav engaged the services of an election strategist. Since parties that had used his services in the past had won the elections, it was expected that his strategy would help the People's Democratic Party win the elections in a big way.

But, contrary to the general expectation, People's Democratic Party lost the elections. The ruling party succeeded in snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and retained power.

"What reasons does your election strategist attribute to our party's defeat?" Sharma asked Raghav.

"He is not my strategist. He is a strategist for the party" hit back Raghav. "We engaged his services, only after getting the approval of the Executive Committee of our party. We lost by a margin of two percent. This is not a big defeat."

"In the horse race, it is enough if the winning horse puts its nose ahead of that of the one competing with it. The same principle is applicable in politics too. A defeat is a defeat. The size of the margin doesn't count. Two factors have contributed to our defeat in the elections."

"What are they?"

"The first factor is your making petty allegations against people who had been sincerely working for our party and expelling them from the party. The second factor is your sidelining senior leaders like Chandraprakash, by using harsh words against them. These two factors have blunted the edges of our weapons. If a king enters the war with weapons whose edges have been blunted, even a weak opponent will defeat him. This is what happened to our party" said Sharma.  

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 57

Refraining From Doing Terrifying Things

Verse 567 (in Tamil):

kadumozhiyum kai igandha dhandamum vEndhan
adu muraN thEykkum aram.

Meaning:

Harsh words and excessive punishments form the saw

that files away the king’s military might.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kUr mazhungiya Ayudham' by the same author.)

Verse 568
Verse 566

131. Intimacy

Padmanabhan was the youngest among the candidates who appeared for the interview, for the high level position of the Executive Secretary to the Managing Director of the company. And, he was the one selected for the post.

The General Manager, who conducted the interview told Padmanabhan, "Now, you have to meet our Managing Director. If the MD endorses my selection, your appointment will be confirmed."

Narmada, the Managing Director, appeared to be younger to him by five or six years. 

She asked him a few superficial questions about his education and experience, looked at the General Manager, who was also present in the interview and nodded her head.

The General Manager said "Congratulations," and shook hands with Padmanabhan. Narmada smiled gently.

During the first few months of his working, Narmada didn't seem to pay much attention to him. Though the office routine required that all the actions of the MD should be routed through her Executive Secretary, it appeared to Padmanabhan that she was maintaining a conscious distance from him.

However, after a few months, Padmanabhan noticed a few changes in the MD's attitude and approach towards him. She began to take notice of and appreciate Padmanabhan's efficient functioning.

While at the beginning, Narmala was treating Padmanabhan as a lower level assistant, over a period of time, she began to gradually entrust him with more responsibilities and authority. She delegated to him the power to take decisions on several matters. 

She often told the General Manager and other senior executives, who approached her for advice or permission, "Please discuss this with Mr. Padmanabhan."

Narmada invited Padmanabhan to her cabin several times a day, discussed important matters with him and even sought his opinion and advice. She also took him along with her for most of the meetings and appointments she attended.

Padmanabhan felt proud that he had earned the confidence and goodwill of the Managing Director, through his integrity, hard work, dedication  and efficient functioning. 

Narmada and Padmanabhan had been to the guest house of a client, for an important discussion with him. When they reached the guest house, the client told them that he had to go out for about half an hour on an important matter and asked them to wait in his room till he came back.

After the client had left, Padmanabhan told Narmada "I will wait in the lobby. After the client comes back, I will join the meeting" and got up to leave.

Narmada stopped him saying, "Please sit down, Mr. Padmanabhan. I need to discuss a few things with you, till the time the client comes back."

Narmada told him, "Mr. Padmanabhan! I have been observing your functioning for the past seven or eight months, since you joined my company. To say I am very much impressed will be an understatement. You are simply amazing!. When I was advised to have an Executive Secretary, I only expected that I would get some relief from my routine work. But, you have taken a lot of initiatives and freed me from the burden of most of my tasks, virtually making me idle. I am very happy about your contribution."

"Thank you, madam!" said Padmanabhan. Beyond that, he didn't know what to say.

"I think I can share with you a few personal things about me. I am the only daughter of my father. I lost my mother, when I was a child. After completing my degree course, I joined the company, intending to assist my father. I learnt about the functioning of the company in a general way. But within two years of my joining the company, my father passed away. After that, I have been managing this company to the extent of my capabilities" said Narmada.

"Madam! I am not saying this to flatter you, but the impression about you in the market is that you are very brilliant and that you have been managing the company exceptionally well. Of course, I have been seeing this myself, for the past eight months!"

"Thank you. I am only practicing what I have learnt from my father. But, whatever I have been able to do is nothing compared to the proficiency you have attained within eight months of joining this company, to the extent of doing a major part of my work. ..Okay. Let me come to the matter I wanted to talk to you about. I am not interested in getting married. I thought that I would remain unmarried till the end..."

Narmada paused, thinking how to proceed further. 

She then continued, "I will come to the point directly. I have developed a liking for you. I know that you are married. But this is not about love. I want to be intimate with you."

"Madam!" exclaimed Padmanabhan, stunned by Narmada's words.

"This won't be a serious relationship. It will be just fun. We can be intimate in places like this, when we are alone, outside the office. No one need to know about this. Your wife won't know about this. And, this won't affect our official relationship in any way. What do you say?"

Padmanabhan got up from his seat and said, "I will go out and wait in the lobby." 

"Think about it. If the news about our intimacy were to come out, I will be affected more than you. So, it is my responsibility to ensure that no one gets any inkling about this."

Even as Narmada was saying this, Padmanabhan left the room.

That night, when Padmanabhan was at home, his mobile phone rang. His wife Sarada was in the next room, talking to their five year old son Vignesh.

"Yes, madam" said Padmanabhan.

"You have sent your resignation letter by email. If you didn't like what I had said, it is fine. Why should you resign? I didn't pressurize you!" said Narmada.

"Madam! The shadow of today's conversation will always be falling on me. In such a scenario, I won't be able to function well. Please accept my resignation and relieve me."

When he ended the conversation, Sarada had come near him.

"You have resigned your job! You didn't tell me!" she asked him, perplexed.

"I thought I would tell you after dinner. What if you refused to give me dinner, for the reason I didn't have a job?" said Padmanabhan, smiling.

"This is not a matter to be joked about. It was a good job. Why did you quit?"

"I couldn't get along with my boss."

"You said something about a shadow."

"If my boss was always standing behind me like a shadow and watching me, how could I work? That was what I was telling her."

"I know what your problem is!"

"What is it?"

"You have been unable to accept a woman as your boss."

"When I have accepted a woman as my boss at home, why can't I accept a woman as my boss in the office?"

"You joke about everything!" said Saratha and laughed.

When Padmanabhan joined her in her laughter, he was momentarily free from the worry of finding another job.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 131 (In Tamil)

ozhukkam vizhuppam tharalAn ozhukkam
uyirinum Ombap padum.

Meaning:

Propriety confers prominence; hence, propriety is

cherished more than life.

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

Verse 132
Verse 130

566. The Wall

"Sir! Some people from the village have come to see you" said Jiva, personal assistant of industrialist Chelliah.

"What is the need for them to see me? They have already met the General Manager and talked to him" said Chelliah, showing his annoyance.

"They say they are not satisfied with the discussion they had with the GM. They are bent upon meeting you. They are squatting outside the factory gate and protesting."

'Lazy buggers! As our leader so aptly said, the number of people in our country eking out their living by organizing protests and agitations is going up every day. Okay. Tell them that their leader alone can come and meet me. If the food he has eaten will get digested, only after stomaching strong words from me, so be it!" said Chelliah. 

Five villagers, including a woman, entered Chelliah's cabin, along with a visibly worried and panicked Jiva. 

"I said that only one person should meet me. Why are you coming as a group?" Chelliah yelled at them, even while casting a glowering look at Jiva.

"The entire village has been affected. It will not be appropriate if only one person meets you. In fact, every one in the village wants to meet you and convey their feelings to you. We restrained them and limited our delegation to five people" said one of the villagers.

"What do you people want?" asked Chelliah, his anger still not subsiding.

"You dug a canal from the river for supplying water for your factory. We have been protesting against it already. Now, you have raised a wall blocking the path to the river from our village. How are we to access the river?"

"Why do you have to go to the river? You have a pond in the middle of your village."

 "We have been using the river for our irrigation as well as for our personal needs like drinking, bathing, washing the clothes etc. Because of the wall constructed by you, we have to walk five miles to reach the river, using a circuitous route. You have set up your factory on the outskirts of our village and blocked our access to the river. Is this not unjust?"

"Our factory needs a lot of water for processing. We set up this factory at this place, only because we could get ample water from the river flowing here. While seeking government approval for our project, we have mentioned that we will be using the river water for our production and other needs. The government gave approval for our project, knowing fully well that we would be using the river water. We have the full backing of the government. Once we start production, we will let out the effluent water into the river. After that, you won't be able to use the river water. You have a pond in your village. If that water is not sufficient, you can dig wells. Don't come to me again. If you need funds for some temple festival or some such function, you may approach our Office Manager and he will give you a couple of thousand rupees as donation. Don't try to meet me again and waste my time" said Chelliah, nonchalantly.

"You have no consideration or empathy for other people. You have no humanitarian feelings. Having abrogated our rights, you speak to us so arrogantly, as if we have sought some favour from you. Your arrogance comes from your wealth and money power. Your wealth and power will be destroyed. We will be witnessing it soon" said the lone woman in the group, her face flesh with indignation.

"Jiva! Where have you gone? Call the security people and ask them to evict these people" shouted Chelliah.

The villagers launched an agitation demanding that the wall be demolished. They also filed a case in the court. The trial court and the High Court delivered a judgement favouring the company. 

The government was also on the side of the factory. "If people keep agitating about every issue, no industry can function and there will be no development in the country" remarked a minister.

In the election held after two years, another political party came to power. The new government issued an order that the wall blocking the path to the river from the village should be demolished. When the company approached the courts against the government order, the courts refused to stay the government order. Consequently, the wall was demolished.

Since Chelliah defaulted in the repayment of loans taken by him for his other businesses, the banks that had lent the money to his firms took steps to confiscate his properties.

Suspecting that Chelliah would try to flee the country, the government acted quickly and impounded his passport.

Like the fall of one card from a pack of cards stacked together triggering a cascading effect, all the enterprises of Chelliah began to fail in quick sequence. His bank account was frozen.

There were reports in the media that Chelliah would be arrested soon and that considering the severity of the charges against him, he won't be able to secure a bail at least for some time to come.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 57

Refraining From Doing Terrifying Things

Verse 566 (in Tamil):

kadum sollan kaNNilan Ayin nedum selvam
nIdinRi AngE kedum.

Meaning:

The wealth of a person who uses harsh words and who is devoid of compassion will become extinct.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thaduppuch chuvar' by the same author.)

Verse 567
Verse 565

565. Seeking A Help From the Brother

"Till now, you have not asked for any help from your elder brother. Why don't you ask him just this time? After all, you will be asking his help, only for the higher education of our son" said Sarala.

"I often wonder whether my brother was the same person who grew with me in the same house, played with me and moved close with me. He has changed so much. I don't feel comfortable even to visit him" said Kumaran.

"Siblings, after growing up, do not remain the same they were in childhood. However much your brother two might have moved away from you, I am sure that he has affection for you. Why don't you go to his house and try?" persisted Sarala.

"Affection? His affection for me, his mother, has evaporated after he became rich. Once he had started earning money, he transformed himself into a goblin entrusted with the task of defending his wealth. He has no consideration for me, his mother, who brought him up. He has taken for granted that I will stay with my younger son Kumaran and has never given a thought to ask me to stay in his house, even for a short period. Even when I had stayed in his house for a few days on a couple of occasions, he treated me like an unwanted guest. It was his wife who showed me some kindness, by taking care of my food and other needs. That is why I have stopped going to his house. Is he going to help you? I don't think he will" said Gandhimathi, Kumaran's mother, showing her frustration and anger.

"For what it is worth, I will go to his house and ask for his help. He had been affectionate towards me in the past. I hope some traces of that affection is still present in him."

"Ramesh has got admission in an engineering college. I have to pay a substantial sum at the time of admission, towards admission fees, tuition fees, caution deposit etc.. I need money for this. I have applied for a loan against my provident fund. But it will take a few weeks for the loan to be sanctioned and released. If you can lend me the money now, I will repay it once I get the PF loan. I will be able to manage the fees for the subsequent semesters, from my own resources" said Kumaran.

"Kumaran! People are under the illusion that businessmen have a huge quantity of currency notes stacked in their locker. The reality is different. I have been running my business, by taking a loan from the bank. Sometimes, when my wife asks for a couple of thousand rupees for domestic expenses, I won't have the cash with me. I issue cheques for my suppliers for the goods supplied by them even when there is not sufficient money in the account and send my Manager to the bank to beg the bank officials to pass the cheques, just as you have been hunting for money, after getting admission to your son in an engineering college" said Kumaran's brother Adhi.

Kumaran was at a loss to know how to respond to Adhi's observations.

At that time, a servant reluctantly came into the room and told Adhi, "Sir, People from that orphanage have come again."

"Even when they came here last time, I should have turned down their appeal firmly. I said that I would consider donating sometime in the future, just to avoid saying a firm 'no.' But, taking advantage of my considerate reply, they are pestering me again. Tell them that I am preparing to go on a tour and that I won't be able to see them" Adi told the servant in a stern voice.

He then turned to Kumaran and said, "I hope everybody is fine at home. Hope mother's health is good. Take good care of her. I have to leave to a place urgently."

Kumaran recalled his mother describing Adhi as a goblin guarding his treasure and stood up to leave.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 57

Refraining From Doing Terrifying Things

Verse 565 (in Tamil):

arunchevvi innA mugaththAn perum selvam

pEy kaNdu annadhu udaiththu.

Meaning:

The wealth of a person who is inaccessible and has a harsh countenance resembles a treasure protected by demons.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'aNNanidam kEtta udhavi' by the same author.)

Verse 566
Verse 564

1132. Eyes That Were Waiting

Palani first met Narmada in a cinema theatre.

She was occupying a seat one next to his seat. The seat between the two remained unoccupied, till the film ended.

Since she kept looking at people entering the hall, even several minutes after the movie had started, Pazhani concluded that her companion did not turn up. 

It appeared to Pazhani that when there were some interesting scenes in the film, she turned to his side and looked at him, as if she wanted to share her enjoyment with someone.

During the intermission, she turned to Pazhani and asked him, "Can you do me a favour?"

"Do you want me to get you coffee, tea or some snacks?" asked Pazhani.

She laughted out loudly and said, "No, no. My friend was to give me company, but she didn't turn up. After the film is over, can you please accompany me to the bus stop?"

Wondering why she wanted an escort during the evening time, Pazhani said, "Oh, definitely."

The bus stop was not far from the theatre.

"If a young woman walks alone on the road, some miscreants may create trouble. That is why I asked you to escort me" she said, while they were walking towards the bus stop.

"You appear to be a gentleman" she said, as if she was justifying her seeking his help.

 "It is unusual for a young man like you to come to the theatre alone, without the company of friends" she remarked, as they were walking.

"I asked some of my friends to come along. But they were not interested in watching a Gemini Ganesan* starrer. If it were a Sivaji or MGR film, they would have accepted my invitation, enthusiastically. Why, they would have taken the initiative to go to the movie and dragged me along!"

"So, you are the only fan of the 'King of Romance**' in your group!" she quipped, with a giggle.

"Did you come to this film for the heroine Savitri?" asked Pazhani.

"No. I am also a fan of the 'King of Romance'" she said, smiling at him.

Pazhani wondered whether she was trying to convey any subtle message to him. 

They reached the bus stop.

Driven by the anxiety that her bus could be arriving any time, Pazhani hastened to ask her, "What is your name? I presume you are a college student. In which college are you studying?"

"My name is Narmada. I am s student of B.Sc. (Botany) in Kamakshi College."

Even before she could finish her sentence, her bus had arrived. 

Narmada took leave of him saying, "Thank you. See you!" 

Quite unexpectedly, she extended her hand, gave him a handshake and boarded the bus.

'How will she see me again? She has not even asked me for my name!' thought Pazhani, cursing himself, for having not got her contact details, when he was walking with her from the theatre to the bus stop,

"I wonder whether there will be any other person in this world, matching your stupidity. You should have got her contact details and given her yours, before you reached the bus stop. Instead of doing this, you talked about the 'King of Romance' and missed the chance to affirm your romance" said Pazhani's friend Govind.

"I had just met her. I thought that after I escorted her to the bus stop, we would part as strangers. It was only after we started conversing that I had a feeling that she had a liking for me. By the time, I convinced myself of her interest in me and discovered that I was also interested in her, we had reached the bus stop. The bus arrived immediately and she left. Everything happened so fast."

"If she had a liking for you, she could have skipped the bus and taken the next bus, using the opportunity to converse with you."

"It was a five minute walk from the theatre to the bus stop. Neither of us could have thought and acted the way you expect us to have, within such a short time" said Pazhani, showing his irritation at Govind's  persistence with finding fault with him and the girl.

"But, such a short duration was enough for romance to develop between the two of you!" quipped Govind.

"The romance is real. For the past one month, I have been tormented by my inability to meet her again."

"Did you go to her college and enquire?"

"For one week, I stood outside the college gate at the time the classes ended and looked at the girls coming out. But, I didn't find her. I thought of making enquiries about her, with other students. But I didn't do so, lest it should create a bad impression about her. She herself may not like my doing so. This is not the Sangahm Era***, when one could express one's love openly. This is the year 1962. I should be wary of the ethos of the present times."

"In which college is she studying?"

"Kamakshi College."

Govind's face became brightened. 

"I think Lady Luck has not abandoned you. My fiancee is also studying in that college. She is studying B.Sc. (Chemistry), final year. As you know, our marriage was finalized only last week. Since our marriage had been arranged by our parents, I expressed a desire to talk to the girl, in private. The girl's parents have asked me to come to their house tomorrow. I will ask her to enquire about Narmada."

"I will write a letter to Narmada. Please ask your fiancee to deliver it to her."

"First of all, I am not sure whether my fiancee will be able to locate Narmada. Even if she finds her, delivering a love letter to a person she is not acquainted with may not be appropriate. As you have just mentioned, our society doesn't have a healthy attitude towards love between a boy and a girl. You will remember that in the film 'Kalyana Parisu,' there is a scene showing your favourite hero, the King of Romance, being expelled from the college, for giving a love letter to a girl student!"

"My letter will be very short. I will write it and give it to you now. You can read it and decide whether it is appropriate" said Pazhani.

He then took out a small sheet of paper, wrote a few lines and gave it to Govind.

Govind read out the letter loudly.

"Narmada! After taking you to the bus stop and getting you board the bus, I couldn't meet you again. I will wait for you at the same bus stop, this Sunday at 4 p.m. - Kaththirundha Kangal."

"Instead of writing your name at the end, you have written 'Kaththirundha Kangal!' said Govind.

"That was the title of the film we watched. So, she will understand who has written the letter. Incidentally, the title has the appropriate meaning 'eyes that were waiting for you!'

Pazhani and Narmada met again at the same bus stop, at 4 pm, the next Sunday.

* Gemini Ganesan, Sivaji (Ganesan) and MGR (M G Ramachandran) were popular stars of Tamil films in the 50's, 60's and 70's.

** Gemini Ganesan was called the King of Romance.

*** Sangam Era was an ancient period in which Tamil literature had flourished. Love was a prominent theme in the Sangam literature.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 114
Shedding Shyness

Verse 1132 (in Tamil):
nOnA udambum uyirum madal ERum
nANinai nIkki niRuththu.

Meaning:

Overcoming modesty, the suffering body and soul save themselves by riding on the horse called the letter.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kAtthirundha kaNgaLE' by the same author.)

Verse 1133
Verse 1131