511. The Chief Minister's Route

"This is the route from your home to the Secretariat. This is the route to the party office. If you give your approval, we will clear these routes" said the Security Officer.

"Clearing the routes means?" asked Tamilmani, who had been sworn in as the Chief Minister only that morning.

"We will regulate the activities on the roads."

"Regulating the activities means?"

"We will clear the shops on the pavements" said the Security Officer, hesitatingly.

"Ok. Show me on this map the spots where the pavement shops are located" said Tamilmani.

The Security Officer pointed to some spots on the map.

"Can I travel through some other route - through roads that don't have pavement shops?"

"Yes, sir. You can. But the length of the route will be three kilometers longer" said the Security Officer.

Tamilmani was silent for a few minutes, reflecting on the choices before him.

The Chief Minister's Personal Secretary, who was listening to the conversation, told the Chief Minister, "Sir! There is a proposal for constructing a commercial complex and moving the pavement shops to the shops allotted to them in the complex."

"Yes, I am aware of it. That scheme was conceived by me when I was the Minister for Urban Development, five years back. But the new government, that came to power after us, dumped the scheme, since the ruling party felt shy of implementing a scheme conceived by the previous government, run by a rival political party!" said Tamilmani,

"We can implement it now, sir."

"Yes, we are going to. But it will take a couple of years for the scheme to be completed. If we evict the shop-owners from the pavements now, how will they earn their livelihood, till the new complex comes up? No, I don't want their livelihood to be affected" said Tamilmani to his Personal Secretary. 

He then turned to the Security Officer and told him, "Please finalize the alternative route shown by you. But, even in that route, not a single hawker should be evicted. There should be no hardship to anyone else, either."

"I will do accordingly, sir" said the Security Officer.

"Sir! You have made a public statement that since the finances of the government are under strain, every government department should focus on cutting costs and reducing the expenditure" said the Personal Secretary, hesitatingly.

"Since I will be traveling through a route longer by three kilometers, the fuel expenses for my car, and for the security vehicles that lead and follow my car will be considerably higher. Thus, I will be going against my exhortation to the government departments. Isn't this your point?" asked Tamilmani, with a smile.

"Yes, sir. The media and the opposition parties will make this an issue."

"Whether they make it an issue or not, the fact is that this arrangement will lead to increased expenditure!" said Tamilmani. He then asked the Security Officer, "How many vehicles will be there in my convoy?"

"Nine,"

"Is nine a lucky number? Reduce the number of vehicles to six. This will even lead to a decrease in the fuel expenses" said Tamilmani.

"It can be done, sir. But..." The Security Officer hesitated.

"I understand your concern. I appreciate the importance of security. But, think of it this way. If we have twelve vehicles in the convoy instead of nine, won't it enhance the security? But we have settled for the protection given by nine vehicles, haven't we? Let us tweak the arrangement a little more and accept the protection given by six vehicles" said Chief Minister Tamilmani.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 52
Assessing Before Acting

Verse 511 (in Tamil):

nanmaiyum thImaiyum nAdi nalam purindha
thanmaiyAn ALappdum.

Meaning:
One should examine the benefits and the harm resulting from an act and should execute the act in such away that it yields only benefits. 

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'mudhalvar sellum vazhi' by the same author.)

Verse 512
Verse 510

510. The New General Manager

Thangappan, who, since the time he had joined the firm, been working, for long, in the branches of the firm located in the Northern part of India, was promoted as the General Manager of the Southern Zonal Office of the firm at Chennai, on the retirement of Nambi, the incumbent General Manager.

When Thangappan joined the office at Chennai, Nambi, who had a few days for retirement, introduced the office staff to Thangappan.

"This is Ramesh, my Personal Secretary. He has been working in this firm for the past ten years. He has been serving as my right hand. He is capable of doing the jobs I do, as efficiently as I could, if not better than I could. More importantly, he is highly trustworthy. I am sure that he would be of assistance to you, as much as he was to me" said Nambi, introducing Ramesh to Thangappan. 

Ramesh greeted Thangappan. Thangappan reciprocated his greeting, even as he was wondering whether Nambi's praising him so high over his face won't make him feel conceited..

"You have been working only in the North. The atmosphere there would have been different. The market, the customers, the office environment, work culture will all be vastly different here from what they are in the North" said Nambi.

"I hail from the South, having been born in Tamilnadu" said Thangappan, with a smile. 

"I am not suggesting that you are unfamiliar with this territory. I meant that it would take some time for you to get adjusted to the atmosphere here. Till that time, the assistance of people like Ramesh will be useful to you" said Nambi, by way of clarifying his remarks. 

"I understand" said Thangappan. But, a thought that he should not rely too much on Ramesh was registered in his mind, even at that moment.

"Come in, Ramesh" Nambi greeted Ramesh, who visited his house. "How is the firm going?"

"Sir! It was to talk about the state of affairs at our firm that I came to meet you" said Ramesh. "After Mr. Thangappan had taken over as the General Manager, we are facing a lot of problems. There are issues relating to internal management as well as managing the customers. A couple of our long-standing customers are likely to leave us!"

"Why? Thangappan is an experienced person. Though he is new to this office, he should be able to function effectively, by taking the help of able and trustworthy people like you What is the problem?"

"The General Manager, in general, doesn't accept my suggestions. Many times, he doesn't even discuss issues with me. Of course, that is his privilege. But, you know about Vinayakam, working in our office..."

Yes. Vinayakam, the 'all-knowing' Accounts Assistant. He is a good-for-nothing fellow. He has no knowledge about our business or about office procedures, but he will keep interfering in all matters, offering unsolicited advice. As you are aware, I have reprimanded him a couple of times. What about him?"

"He is the main advisor to the General Manager, these days. The General Manager consults him on most of the issues. Most of his decisions, taken on the advice of Vinayakam, have gone wrong, resulting in more and more problems to our firm. But the General Manager has not realized this."

"A person holding a responsible position in an organization should study the people working under him, assess every one's capabilities and shortcomings and should decide whom he should listen to and whom he shouldn't. If he fails to do this, and acts on the advice of someone, blindly trusting his judgement, it will cause harm to him and to the organization. What is it we can do? It is for Mr. Thangappan to think clearly, choose his advisors wisely and function efficiently" said Nambi, with a deep sigh.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 51
Assess Before Accepting

Verse 510 (in Tamil):

thErAn theLivum theLindhAn kaN aiyuRavum
thIrA idumbai tharum

Meaning:

Selecting a person without assessing him, and doubting a person after selecting him will both ensure enduring distress.

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

Verse 511
Verse 509

509. To Buy or Sell?

"Sir! We bought the shares of 'Alpha Delta' before three years. We bought the shares at 65 rupees per share. The price has fallen to 52 rupees now. They say the price will fall still further. Every one says that it is better to sell the shares now" said Vivek, the Personal Secretary of industrialist Ramanathan.

"Who is 'every one?'" asked Ramanathan.

"The financial experts who give investment advice on television channels."

"Ok. I will think and decide."

After a week, Vivek told Ramanathan, "Sir! Last week, I told you about selling the shares of 'Alpha Delta.' Now, the price has fallen further. Today, it has opened at 48 rupees in the exchange."

"It is good that you reminded me of this. Buy 1000 more shares, when the price comes to 45 rupees" said Ramanathan.

"Sir! It will be risky. They say the price will go further down."

"Who? The investment advisors who appear in the TV channels?"

"Our Finance Manager is also of the same opinion."

Ramanathan chuckled and said, "If it is a matter relating to our firm's finances, I will go by the advice of our Finance Manager. For my personal investments, I have another advisor. As far as stock market investments are concerned, I can only go by his advice."

"Yes, sir. You have told me about him. But, when his opinion is divergent from that of most of the other experts, will it be wise to go by his advice?" 

"Vivek! I understand your concerns. Your question whether my advisor's opinion can be relied upon, when it differs from that of other experts is quite reasonable. But, you know about me. Before I select anyone, I will make a thorough assessment about that person. I have selected you also only that way! 

"Investment advice is an art. Apart from a thorough knowledge about Finance, the Economy and the market, giving such advice involves incisive analysis and some instinct or intuition too. Not every one can excel in this expertise. Most of the investment advisors give their advice based on the market conditions and price movements. Their advice may go wrong on many occasions. 

"But, my advisor is a professional. He gives his advice after making a deep study of  the performance of a company, the country's economy and the long term market movements. He will not be perturbed by short term price movements in the market. 

"I selected him as my advisor only after studying his approach and his track record. In the past also, his views about some shares have been at divergence with that of many other people. But on those occasions, he was proved right. 

"Once I have selected a person as my advisor, after making a thorough assessment of him, it is only proper that I act as per his advice. It is possible that his advice may turn out to be wrong this time. But, this is likely to happen with all kinds of experts. I am going to strictly follow his advice. So, once the price comes down to 45 rupees, buy 1000 shares more" said Ramanathan.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 51
Assess Before Accepting

Verse 509 (in Tamil):

thERaRka yAraiyum thErAdhu thErndha pin
thERuga thERum poruL

Meaning:

Don't choose anyone without assessment; once chosen,

trust the person to deliver on the assigned tasks.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'viRpadhA vAnguvadhA?' by the same author.)

Verse 510
Verse 508

508. In the Footsteps of His Father

"We feel sorry about your seeking retirement, sir" said Ponmozhi.

"Young lady! Generally, one is expected to retire at the age of sixty. I am seventy now. If I don't retire now, then when?" asked Adikesavan, smiling. 

"Someone is still sticking to his job, even after he has turned seventy five. If he leaves, we will be happy" said Nathan.

"Even if he decides to leave, our Proprietor won't allow him to go!" said Velu.

Adikesavan didn't say anything. 

"Sir" You know about the state of affairs of our firm. We are talking freely, because Mr. Santhakumar is on leave today. The proprietor is also not in the office now. Mr. Santhakumar is the Manager of this office. I remember a scene from an old Tamil film, in which, Nagesh, the comedian, would call the manager 'damager,' due to a slip of his tongue. That description will perfectly fit our Manager. He has been causing damage to our firm and also causing problems to us in various ways. Because of his wrong decisions and actions, our firm had to encounter various problems. But our Proprietor has been blindly following his advice, treating it as gospel. But the onus of sorting out the problems created by Mr. Santhakumar's arbitrary actions fall on us. I don't understand why our Proprietor has not been able to understand the situation" said Murthy. 

"Sir! You have been source of great support to us. You have been protecting us from the consequences of Mr. Santhakumar's arbitrary functioning. Our Proprietor gives weight to your words" said Ponmozhi.

"No. It is not true. Our Proprietor would politely listen to me, alright. But he would only act as per Mr. Santhakumar's words. He respects my age, not my words!" said Adhikesavan.

"Why is it so, sir? Why does our Proprietor give so much importance to Mr. Santhakumar. We all know that Mr. Santhakumar is not a person with knowledge about running a business. Nor did he have any experience before joining our firm!" said Nathan. 

"Yes. His entire experience has been in our firm. But he doesn't seem to have learned anything, working here!" said Velu.

"Please tell us, sir, why our Proprietor gives so much importance to Mr. Santhakumar. Mr. Santhakumar doesn't have even a fraction of your knowledge or experience" said Ponmozzhi. 

"It is not right to say such things about a person who is the Manager of our firm" said Adhilesavan. After a pause, he said, "This firm was established by the grandfather of our Proprietor. He was an enterprising person, with a business acumen. He made the firm grow well within a short period and established a strong business base for the firm. After his demise, his son - our Proprietor's father - took over the reigns. He took his friend Santhakumar giving him a responsible position in the firm. I joined this firm, sometime after Santhakumar had joined. Santhakumar had no knowledge about our business. He had no work experience before joining this firm. He had no inclination to learn things, either. But, since he was the Proprietor's friend, in the firm, his word was the law. Some of us spoke to the Proprietor about the problems created by Santhakumar's arbitrary decisions. But he paid no heed to our concerns. He didn't live long. The present Proprietor took over the business, after his father's demise. Believing that Santhakumar was his father's guide, he began to blindly accept Sathakumar's advice. Even after seeing how Santhakumar's wrong advice had created many problems to our firm, he continues to toe Santhakumar's line. I don't know how long and how much this firm is going to suffer because of our Proprietor's intransigent attitude towards Santhakumar.

"There is a saying that the puppy's bark landed the mother into trouble. Here, it is the reverse" said Velu. 

"It is surprising how the blunder committed by our Proprietor's father in giving a responsible position to Mr. Santhakumar, without assessing his capabilities, has affected his next generation too!" said Nathan.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 51
Assess Before Accepting

Verse 508 (in Tamil):

thErAn piRanaith theLindhAn vazhimuRai
thIrA idumbai tharum

Meaning:

Choosing a stranger without knowing his traits will result in harm that may affect even the next generation.

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

Verse 509
Verse 507

507. Opening A New Branch

"Sir, we should decide who is going to be the Manager for the branch we are opening in Madurai" said Sundaramurthy, Senior Manager.

"Whom do you suggest?" asked Arunan, the Regional Manager.

"I think either Ramesh or Sudhakar can be posted."

"You didn't consider Kumar!"

"Sir! Kumar doesn't have the required experience. Opening a new branch requires the person selected to lead the branch going to that place and doing a lot of preparatory work. Starting from finding a place to rent for the office through doing the interior work for the office to recruiting some local people to work in the office, there are a lot of things to be done. And after opening the branch, he has to develop the business. Only someone having the field experience will be able to do these tasks effectively. Kumar has been mostly working inside the office..."

"When will he get the exposure, then?" interjected Arunan. "Having worked in the office for long, he would be well versed in the company's policies and procedures. Is this not an advantage he has?"

After a moment's hesitation, Sundaramurthy said, "Sir! For that matter, Kumar is not well versed in the company's policies and procedures either. In general, he doesn't show much interest in learning things. I think he doesn't have the capability needed for opening a new branch and running it well."

"I think you have a dislike for Kumar, for some reason!" said Arunan.

'I think you have a liking for Kumar, for some reason. That is why you are refusing to look at his shortcomings' thought Sundaramurthy. 

"Sir! Given Kumar's profile, it will be difficult to get the approval from our head office for posting him as the manager of a new branch" said Sundaramurthy, by way of making a last ditch attempt to dissuade Arunan from selecting Kumar for the job.

"I will manage that" said Arunan.

As he had told Sundaramurthy, Arunan spoke to the Head Office and got its approval for posting Kumar as the manager of the new branch to be opened in Madurai.

Six months had passed since Kumar assumed charge as the Manager of the new branch at Madurai. As feared by Sundaramurthy, the business didn't pick up at the branch, due to Kumar's lack of competence and experience.

"It is a new branch. It will take time for it to grow. Let us wait for some more time" said Arunan.

Sundaramurthy wondered whether Arunan could not understand that Kumar's incompetence was the root cause of the problem or he was just refusing to accept the truth.

The Head Office, which had been receiving and reviewing the monthly reports about the performance of the new branch, was repeatedly writing letters to the Regional Manager, expressing its concern about the unsatisfactory performance of the branch. Arunan kept replying that things would improve in a couple of months.

Arunan received a phone call from the Head Office. 

"Mr. Arunan! Our Madurai branch is going to complete one year" said the General Manager who was on the line. 

"Yes, sir. We have been trying to improve the performance of the branch" said Arunan, his weak tone betraying his discomfort.

"As you know, any new branch of our company will start doing well within two or three months. Madurai is a big city. It is a place with a lot of potential for developing our business. It is a matter of concern that even after nearly a year, there has not been much of a progress."

"Sir! I have a plan. I will be visiting the branch on the occasion of the first anniversary of the branch. I will stay in that place for two or three days, guide the Branch Manager properly and ensure that he shows good results very soon" said Arunan, tying to sound enthusiastic.

"There will be no need for that, Mr. Arunan. We have decided to close that branch. We have sent letters to you and the branch, conveying our decision. I called you only to inform you in person."

The General Manager had ended the conversation.

Arunan regretted how acting on his preference, without considering Sundaramurthy's advice, had resulted in a big blunder. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 51
Assess Before Accepting

Verse 507 (in Tamil):

kAdhanmai kandhA aRaivu aRiyAth thERudhal
pEdhaimai ellAm tharum

Meaning:

It is the height of folly to choose the ignorant, blinded by affection. 

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

Verse 508
Verse 506

506. Unbelievable!

Sambandham had lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his uncle, who never encouraged him to study much.

When Sambandham turned twenty-two, his uncle managed to get him a job at Sri Agencies, through an acquaintance.

On his first day st the firm, when Sridhar, the Proprietor told Sambandham about the nature of his work and the salary details, Sambandham told him politely, “Sir, whatever salary you give is fine. But, please allow me to stay in the office, till I find a suitable place for me to stay.

Sridhar was surprised. “Why don’t you continue to stay at your uncle’s house?”

With tears in his eyes, Sambandham replied, “Sir, I stayed there only because I had no other choice. Many times, I wanted to run away from there, but I didn’t know where to go or what to do. I just endured my stay there. I consider you God, for giving me this job. As long as there is life in my body, I will work for you like a faithful dog.”

Moved by his words, Sridhar agreed to his request. “Alright. Until you find a good place to stay, you can stay here. There is a room for old records, but the records occupy only a small part of the room. You can use that room.”

A few months later, Sambandham rented a room in a lodge and moved away, but he never forgot the promise he had made to his proprietor. He worked tirelessly and loyally for the company. In course of time, the other employees began to fear and respect him, for he had become the most trusted man of the boss. Though just an assistant, he was treated almost like the second-in-command at the office.

So, when the news was heard, it shocked everyone.

“How could Mr. Sambandham do such a thing?” whispered typist Meena.

“They say the police found lakhs and lakhs of rupees in his house. Even the boss couldn’t believe it!” said Ramkumar, another employee.

The accountant, Kumaraguru narrated the situation. “Sambandham always has handled petty cash—about ten thousand rupees at a time. Our proprietor had authorized him to spend that money for certain expenses—transport, buying gifts for customers and customer entertainment—and then submit bills and vouchers. I have, on certain occasions, suspected the bills to be fake or the amounts inflated. I even shared my suspicions with the proprietor a couple of times. But he dismissed my concers saying, ‘Sambandham has no family or relatives. Even if he makes money through false accounting, what is he going to do with it?’ So, the matter was dropped. But for years, he had been quietly stealing money bit by bit.”

“How did he finally get caught?” someone asked.

“One day, the proprietor found some anomalies while going through the vouchers submitted by Sambandham and grew suspicious. When he confronted Sambandham, Sambandham faltered and gave himself away.”

Later, at home, Sridhar confided to his wife, his voice heavy with pain and sorrow. “I trusted Sambandham so much. The realization that he had been cheating me all these years filled me with anger and sorrow. I filed a complaint with the police. When the police searched his house, they found money stashed everywhere—in boxes, bags, even pillow covers. More than twenty lakh rupees! From what I know of him, he was never careful with money. Even if he had lived frugally, he couldn’t have saved more than five or six lakhs in eight years.”

His wife sighed. “You gave him a job out of pity. You trusted him. He has no family, no ties—why this greed for money?”

Sridhar shook his head. “I don’t know. We assume people without families won’t crave wealth. But in reality, those with families at least have one fear—that if they get caught, they will have to face the shame in front of their loved ones. Men like Sambandham have no such fear. That may be the reason they commit crimes like this without the slightest hesitation."

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 51
Assess Before Accepting

Verse 506 (in Tamil):

aRRAraith thERudhal Ombuga maRRavar
paRRilar nANAr pazhi

Meaning:

Don't choose persons who have no kith and kin. With nothing to bind them, they won’t dread disgrace.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'sambandhamA ippadi?' by the same author.)

Verse 507
Verse 505

121. Who Will Be the Successor?

Chief Minister Vetrivel’s announcement that he would not contest the next election and was retiring from active politics sent ripples of shock not just inside his party, but across the media and among the public.

Yet, the widespread expectation was clear: once Vetrivel retired, his younger brother Thirumurthi would succeed him as party leader and be projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate, in the next election.

“What now?” Kathir exclaimed. “Our leader has announced his retirement. There’s barely a year left for elections. What are we going to do?”

“What can we do?” Neelavannan replied calmly.

“The cadres look to you as the next leader. Under your leadership, victory is certain. You are the natural successor—the next Chief Minister.”

“Is it enough that you say so? Do we know what our leader thinks?”

“The leader will want only his brother to take charge.”

“Then how can I possibly take his place?”

“The rank and file of the party are with you. They will never accept Thirumoorthi. Even among the people, you are more popular. If we contest the polls under Thirumurthy’s leadership, we will face a humiliating defeat.”

“Our leader will weigh every factor before taking a decision. Until then, let us remain patient.”

“It is your patience that emboldens Thirumoorthi to project himself as his brother’s successor” Kathir shot back. “I will raise the matter in the executive committee meeting. I will propose that you must be chosen as the next leader. Three-fourths of the executive committee members will stand with you.”

“Don’t act in haste. Let’s focus on party work. If our leader and others in the party believe I am fit to lead the party, then the opportunity will come to me naturally” Neelavannan answered.

“Politics rewards only the bold,” Kathir warned. “Stay muted, and men like Thirumurthi will crush you ruthlessly.”

After Vetrivel’s announcement of his intention to step down, Thirumurthi began to behave as though power had already passed to him. Since he was the Chief Minister’s brother, no one dared to resist his overreach.

Though he held no official position in either the government or in the party, an impression was created that Thirumurthi was already in command of both the organs. The growing resentment this created among workers and the public did not trouble Thirumurthy in the least.

Six months before the election, Vetrivel issued another statement:

“As I have already announced, I will not contest the forthcoming election. Nor will I engage myself in active politics. It is my wish that our party faces the election under a new leadership. Therefore, on the fifteenth morning, I shall submit my resignation to the Governor. That afternoon, our legislators will meet to elect their new leader. By evening, he will assume office as the Chief Minister.”

The media wasted no time in dissecting the move:

“The party is destined to lose this election. This arrangement is nothing but a ploy of Vetrivel to let his brother wear the crown for six months.”

Kathir, Neelavannan’s staunch supporter, fumed:

“The fortress has fallen! The leader has paved the way for Thirumoorthi!”

But Neelavannan remained silent.

Hours before the legislative party meeting, an unprecedented announcement was made by Vetrivel: the entire session would be broadcast live.

“This has never happened before! Something is about to unfold,” people whispered. Across Tamil Nadu, families gathered in front of their television sets, waiting with breathless anticipation.

When the meeting began, Vetrivel rose to speak:

“This party was built by my predecessors, and by me, through hard work. If today, it stands like an unshakable fortress despite countless trials faced by it, it is because of the tireless sacrifices of its leaders and workers. In the future too, only those who have laboured selflessly for this party will have the right and the responsibility to guide the party forward.

In that spirit, I request all of you to elect my beloved brother Neelavannan—who has worked tirelessly for our cause for many years and earned the affection of every one of you—as your next leader. I trust you will honour my wish.”

Even before Vetrivel had ended his speech, thunderous applause filled the hall.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 13
Restraint

Verse 121 (In Tamil)

adakkam amararuL uykkum adangAmai
AriruLuyththu vidum.

Meaning:

Restraint will place (a man) among the Gods; Lack of it will drive (him) into the  darkness (of hell)

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

Verse 122
Verse 120