Letter to Bipin Uncle

Till date I don't know why I don’t like SMSing or pinging on communicator.Why it is so hard for me to type, although its not true that I don’t like talking you can ask people near me all just waiting for a chance to kill me for my brilliant funda ...u get one without u ask for same...u can get any time for free:).

May be I didn’t kept up with the latest communication technology. But I love mobile phones though. But last day I questioned this choice as well. I like letters, u can write down thing u can never say.I remember I was the first one in my collage batch to buy a mobile phone which got stolen later ,but I remember the letter which I wrote to my parents ,from Bangalore. It was 3-4 page letters and I described all, I wrote down my feeling, and mentioned about everything, I later felt good and it was joy for my Father and mother as well, he showed it to everyone in family first letter to my father from his son.

Let me tell u about Bipin Uncle.

In relation he is from my Mom's village..Nani ghar 'Belaow', I don’t know whether I spelled it correctly. We have many amazing names in Bihar/Jharkhand. I remember a name of place as DARU another as Singapore Road(u can find if u travel from Patna to Bokaro by road).Coming back to Belaow ,its a small village near Bihar Sariff(a town in Bihar).I remember our house ,early memories are of a rather old house ,kind of Mud house and later build on bricks. Just beside our house there was another one,Bipin Uncle’s house. In childhood, Mom told me that when that land was digged up for putting pillars for his house, a pot full of silver coins was found, I was fascinated with that. I always thought how lucky were they.

Another thing about our village was there was no electricity, reason, it was a remote place…no..because one of Bipin’s Uncle brother died while fixing some issue in local amplifier, villagers cut the power from the main source after which it was never turned on. They considered it bad luck I believe.

My father had earned his engg degree from Bhagalpur engg collage(one of the 5 engg collages in Bihar),Some time I wonder on the data that Karnataka with almost the same number of students in the state but has more than 150 engg/medical collage against 10-15(need a multiplication factor to get that numbers) in Bihar. Papa works for CCL(Govt service) as mechanical engg. He joined as a junior engg in Kedla(place in current SE jharkand) around 1981.In village it was a big name as my father worked as a engg in city. Although Kedla was not a city,not more than few houses and he lived in guesthouse. Probably with this illusion of big city with loads of opportunity , Bipin Uncle convinced Papa to keep him and get some work. Soon uncle was living with Papa, later Mom joined as we got separate house I am not sure relatively what time I came into picture.(whether it was before Uncle arrived or after that).

He lived with us , I think he was one of the family member I grew up with, I remember all telling how much he used to care about us, me ,my brother Monu and sister Dolly.

He used to cook some time, take care of us and off course was looking for his own future as Papa had convinced one of his friend Sunil uncle, a contractor or small builder in Kedla to give him some. He worked long time with him and later started living separately before my father was transferred to another project in some other place called Jharkhand, ya Jharkhand, that time it was in Bihar and there was no partition as two states, Bihar and Jharkhand, I feel some time proud the fact that the new state was named after our small colony,not sure although what’s the real purpose of naming it after this colony.

Bipin Uncle kept visiting our house, and it used to be a fun time whenever he visited us. He would bring chocolate, or else we would go cinema, a rather rare thing those days.One day I heard that he got married and I was very happy, we all wanted to meet him. We went to meet his family and we all were very happy, and he was very excited.

Meanwhile his work as a contractor was recognized and he slowly become a known name in area where he lived and bagged some heavy deal and made good profits as well. One thing I always heard about him from my parents that he had put lot of hard work in everything. Coming out of a remote village, away from family living with other people, I remember as in initial days he even used to cook food and other stuff in my house, I don’t think papa asked for that but even he wanted to contribute to family where he was staying as even my father want not earning much I remember it was not more than 900 rupee per month in which he has to send around 500 to grandfather for maintenance and study for his brothers. Bipin uncle started as novice in contractor world but with his hard work and dedication had earned some respect around.

Once he started to earn little more he took his responsibility of setting up his brother in city. I remember him starting up some grocery shop and giving the ownership to his brothers. Then came news. He was betrayed by his business partners, Sunil uncle, some kind of fraud which left him scattered and with less money. I never heard as his brother was very co-operative. He even got started getting some threat from local criminals and demand for money.

I believe it was hard time for him, I am not sure how he recovered from this situation, and as per my flashback he started again, this time in more clean way and not much relying on his partners. Those days I was coaching in Ranchi for my engg and often visit him as his new home was near to railway station.He had built a big house, he had three children, and we would sometime discuss their future and study.

I was wondering why he is in so much of hurry, it his passion or something else. He had built his home a big and had given many rooms on rent; I think he would be getting min 15K as rent only.At last he had again built his carrier with hard work and dedication. I remember how much happiness I used to see in his eyes whenever we would meet, I am always like a kid to him. Its long time I see him lately once I started my engg and job in Mysore.

Last week I was speaking to Mom and heard that Papa had gone to his house to meet him. Suddenly everything flashed before me, Bipin uncle. She told he is ill with Diabetes, initially I though ok, it’s not a Big one, Sugar is not a major issue these days, then Mom told one thing I never knew.

It was real bad and it was in their family, there was some king of hereditary problem, even his elder brother or Father could not resist it and left all. My mom felt sorry for this but I was in shock, I could not believe that in these times, cant we do anything, I am still optimistic that it’s just another case of sugar and nothing serious.Then I enquired about if he has got this checked at leading hospitals and if there are people to take care of him, unfortunately as I said his own brother were not very close. I asked if there was a monetary help required, but I think he had planned for this and there was none.

I took his number and tried calling him; I am currently in UK on a project related trip. I called his number immediately, and aunty picked the call but said he has gone to bed. It was not even 10.This made me more worried, is he really ill. I believe it’s not any serious at least at this time as of now as per Mom, he is fine, but I don’t know why I was so restless.

Next day I called him again, and he picked the call after some 3-4 try (signal was really bad in his area that day)

Me: Namatey uncle, sonu bol raha hu

Uncle: O Sonu,kush raho, kaha se bol rahe ho?

Me: Uncle abhi England me hu, company ka kuch kaam tha.

Uncle: Aur kaisa hai,,sab thik tak hai na,tabiyat .waha mausam kaisa hai

Me: Ha uncle sab thik hai,yaha abhi thoda thanda start ho gaya hai.Papa abhi aaye the shayad milne unse hi number mila, bahut din se baat karne ka soch rahe the.Aap ka tabiyat kaisa hai

Uncle: Achcha hi hai, to kaam achcha chal raa hai na.

Me: Ha uncle 2-3 mahino me wapas aa jaunga ,milne ka maan karta hai ..bahut din se milna nai

Hua hai..wapas aane pe milta hu…and unty and bachcha log sab sahi hai na

Uncle : Ha sab thik hai..aane ke baad milna

Hello hello…shayad connection kat gaya.

I don’t know, but I missed something big in the conversation…I could not feel good after the call and I could not call him back as well. I don’t know whether he could see the little drops in my eyes…I don’t know what exactly to tell him..What exactly to express..How to tell all those which I had thought of….I am sure I cannot do this not on call this thing didn’t helped me. I think I need to write a letter, u can’t tell everything on call.

Not me at least. Hope to visit him soon.

Just a thought::

This corporate world...the world trying to do best with the average brain. But how they can do such a big task of serving world, so called being outsourced.U know I what I think ,man is a social animal...ya ya I know it’s not mine...What I mean to say ultimately ,to do so much with so many social animals (with less intelligence) around…
Obviously if u ask this to any so called experience person they will say ...with well defied process.....process for all the resources (that’s what we are .. aren’t we..does it feel like being used or exploited like natural resource which is neither renewable nor non-renuable)
OK coming to the point we have made process or rules to control less intelligence social animal...with a very obvious disadvantage that they even control the thoughts for few left smart, intelligent people. And thus we still stand as a lakh average brain resources with no chance of increasing the intelligence because applying brain is not as per policy.
I always think one thing...whenever we have a new joinee or new doctor...he will normally do the work for his senior , junior doctors operating for senior ,checking patients and they called this as they are learning.. ultimately patient gets a treatment from less experience doctor who is actually trying to gain experience... and even that junior doctor think once this learing is done he will do all more important work himself once he becomes a master ...but u know what happens the time he becomes experience we have a bunch of whole new batch of juniors to gain experience and this doctor who has become senior by this time give the job to his junior...and cycle goes on so actually the patient never gets the best treatment...

Much like Indian team who for the last 15 years recruiting new player for make the best future team and never playing for present.
TE doing a job of TA and they called this their time to learn or get experience... The problem is as initially a TE is hard working he/she is amazing but then he becomes a TA then a manger and then he grow old lazy, he gets the power to do things,he gets higher role big responsibly but……….now he is in no mood to take it he has become too selfish ,too smart to do hard work.
This corporate world is run by fools..no no I am not talking about management(even that is there anyways) I am taking about kids under 3-4 years of experience , they actually don’t know what exactly they are doing for what they are working and the time they know they become lazy , lose their commitment ,enthu and yes but by this time they gets a better salary better role more experience and ya they gets married so they have even bigger to think for than the company and boring job. So we actually give the power in such hands...
Who is no mood to take it seriously. BY the time we learn how to do things really good/efficiently, we lose interest and then we have new people/new batch experimenting, trying to learn and to reach the same state ultimately.
This is human race/human nature, it works this way and no one is doing anything wrong...then how things work..Yes its works because we grow in numbers and to take the real job we always have next batch of new comers/new joinee ..who will work day and night as the earlier generation has done....

And to those 70% or below average mind, they work and they are controlled by elusion and rules. ...they actually not care about why and what we are doing...everyone is so frustrated that they just want to finish the work and go home and relax...and all the policy makers know this psychology.
So we make process to automate them to bind them for a purpose ...now they don’t need to think..they just need to follow it. U come in office...u have one thing in mind to complete 9.25 hrs and not to make any mistake if we are not doing anything great...so know we all are so much afraid of failure than we are happy for success.
then u swipe in u start u dart..u open few excel u put some mail..Then u swipe out..We all are so much in grip of the process..its all around ..there is process to apply leave..there is a process to walk(don’t walk on grass..even if its jungle grass)..there is a process to dress…there is a process to write mail...there is process for almost everything....
And we are following process to such an extent that we actually forget why these process were made, what was the actual reason behind having this process or policy.
If we don’t provide a bill receipt..we won’t get money..does that mean I never went anywhere..or I went off my feet. Is it if I can’t prove it.. I never did it.. Its common sense I could not have come back from Pune to Bangalore without train or bus..what If i forget my tickets...isn’t common sense and should reimburse at least the minimum fare possible to the person travelled on project purpose from Pune to Bangalore...no sir...this is policy we cant do it...even I know u travelled ..I can’t reimburse u.
So summary...policy didn’t allow the person sitting at the claim desk to apply his common sense.
Did u just saw where we are heading...yes...we are heading towards a dumb society bunch of more than lakh of infosion following process/policies everyday without our mind and corroding slowly. But even this is necessary ..do u think the person sitting at such desks will always be a person with well judged common sense...probably not...
So who to blame...no one.
I have learnt human grow/behave and are managed only like this ...except few who make their own rules..own process ..own way..more intelligent.
God Budda..searched for the whole life for GOD/THRUTH...he tried to learn something about GOD..wanted to find a new way but when he died people started worship him as god...so back to square one.
So whenever someone try to make a better way may be, say not out of Patni computers to form a new organization for better values/better rules-policies/process …ultimately after some time we again have followers, those who follow blindly ..then then it becomes heavier and heavier, to become nothing more than bundles of policies/process...a lakhs of Infosions.
Just heard today that finance team was not approving the formation of project code because the amount/fund approved from client was 42000 pounds instead of 42000.69 pounds and hence delayed the actual work..only because they didn’t apply common sense...they were bound by policy...what u think...did the department just lost the purpose or whole reason why this policy was made,what u should have done?I guarantee nothing...because we all are bound by policy we can’t do what we want what is correct..we will do what is as per policy.
But even the policies are governed by one thing..no no its not values…. its business, didn’t u just saw the mighty company changed almost all the policies because of recession. But will they revert once recession is gone...BIG NO.
Actually what I think big companies like Infosys are taking advantage and have gained much because of this recession. They have implemented policies they could not have anytime if we didn’t have this recession. You can call this 'khachara saaf karna''.CRR4 were thrown out..now..common man..they should have thrown out long back those were eating on the others labor ,actually there are more than just 5% of CRR4 in this company .
What u think on % wise?

I still wonder on the statement made this April..since infy profit had dropped from 32 to 28 % , there was no salary hikes..my god..infy had a big loss infy lost 4 % of profits..so infy earned onlyyyyyyy 25 billion(e.g) instead of 28 last quarter, what a great loss.I think the actual profit was only 22-23 million..then from where the rest of 2% came..common man,its ur salary increment which was never given.

But then the question is why is it like this ...they say this is as per some damm policy and anything as we say is against policy...and u saw policies/process are nothing but controls on the resources to have better business to make them work the way they want and not to allow us to apply minds and to be a part of this resource pool to be outsourced anywhere anytime for anyone ....

Just a thought