LLFMF-3 : At the end of the day, we are all humans ...

What is LLFMF ?

I have written about this particular aspect of my Father even before. But it just got refreshed when an officer who worked with my father talked about his experiences recently.

This officer was very famous for the kind of punishments that he used to hand out to people.And obviously, his techique works beautifully in any Armed force. Jawans would be under constant fear and tht would enable strict discipline. So once, it so happened that this officer got posted under my Father. Something terrible happened one day and he walks into my Father's cabin and says 'Sir, This guy has done this thing and Iam suspending him from service with immediate effect'.
My father's reply : 'Hey, how are you doing, long time since you came this side. Sit down , lots of things to talk'. And he rings a small bell beneath his desk (Trivia: All Indian babu offices have a bell beneath the desk to call the peon !). The peon walks in and Father says 'Saab ke liye ekk glass tandha paani lao' .( Bring a glass of cold water for Saab)

'Suspending any person or handing out severe punishments is very easy. But making him realise the mistake that he has done is the tougher job. You have to realise that your action is actually triggering a chain of events. That guy might actually just complete the suspension & get back to work,never really bothering to realise his mistake.He might too become an officer someday and then underestimate the seriousness of such issues.
Call him up, talk to him, understand the circumstances under which such a thing happened, Analyze it and then decide about the punishment. '

Still not convinced, the officer says 'Sir, we should not think so much about people who are ranked so low. They understand only the language of suspensions & dismissals'

'At the end of the day, we are all humans. He is a Jawan only because he was born into a poorer family in rural India and didn't have much means for higher education. You are an officer today because of the education that you recieved,nothing else. Given the oppurtunities, he too might have actually excelled and sat above you in hierarchy. Understand that we all are just servants of the people , only the abstraction differs a little bit. He too has a family to support and aspirations and goals like everyone of us. At the end of the day, remember, we are still just humans '

Needless to say, the officer gets the point and remembers it for the rest of his career to share with others.