Undeserved favour – does that help?
All of us do favours – especially to our loved ones. I am not referring to things like helping at home as a favour – its your duty! 🙂 I am talking about bigger things…
Lets say, your son or daughter is a very average student (just pass category), and you have a good deal of money and influence. Now, you need to get him/her join a college. If you go via the open category, there is no chance for getting a medical seat – the scores are not even near! So, would you use both your money and influence to get him/her the medical seat that they don’t deserve?
I guess, a lot of us would do it provided we have enough resources. Its clearly an undeserved favour. It helps on the short run – we can brag to everyone that our son/daughter got a medical seat, that too with our influence and connections… But what happens on the long run? Can the student even pass the MBBS examination? Even if they pass it, do they have a chance of specializing with a Masters degree? Some people with too much influence might even go to the extant of chasing the papers and buying the degree… What happens when such people become doctors? Do you think they will do justice to their profession?
These are all questions that we do not consider, we think its ‘chalta hai’ when such open bribing happens in the name of donations. But when we/ our loved one gets a horrible treatment due to the doctor’s negligence, we get all energized and angry.
There was one incident I read in the book by Verghese Kurien, ‘I too had a Dream’. Verghese Kurien goes to the United States on Government of India scholarship and returns back, where he is told that he needs to work at a research institute at Anand for Rs. 350/- a month salary. Since he already had a job offer elsewhere, he tries to reject it. But the Under Secretary, Education warns him that the Government will sue him for the Rs. 30,000 they spent on his foreign education.
So, he goes to his uncle and asks him if he can help him get relieved. His uncle was the Finance Minster of India, and could have easily done it if he had wanted to. But his uncle refused. Not only that, his salary was increased to Rs. 600/- a month by the Under Secretary after knowing that he was the nephew of the Finance Minister, and hence getting the approvals would not be difficult.
I quote response for that, from the book – ” ‘The finance ministry will never agree’ declared my uncle. My aunt asked him why it bothered him if I was going to get a better salary. ‘Its my job to see that he does not get it’. replied my uncle. Such were the principles and standards of the Government of India those days “.
Destination Infinity
PS: I understand that every one would agree to this in principle, but when it comes to action, would we follow our principles? Do let me know, in the comments section.
nice thing to know about such wonderful ministers we used to have..
thanks friend.
I guess, back then the newly independent India had excellent people on the helm. That was because most of them were from the freedom movement – they knew the pain of getting the freedom, so they were cautious enough to preserve it responsibly. Leaders at least, were expected to be selfless back then – and now, the people are expected to be selfless!!
Destination Infinity
Integrity, principles and a lot of associated words seem much better on paper than in the thick of life! Sadly! And those of us who find it so difficult to shrug it off, must live a life of great contention.
What you say is true. But, life is not exactly a bed of roses for people who deviate too much from integrity and principles either. This world does not only exploit innocence, it also exploits the misdeeds of others.
Destination Infinity
Most people would do it.. But the whole reason i came to UK was my parents and especially my grand-dad would not give the money AND use his influence for me.. which at that time i hated, I could have been in a high postion if only my grand-dad has said one word 🙂
but I am much better now .. no one can say what i have is underserved cause i have worked my arse for it 🙂
wish all this stops and deserving people get what they deserve..
Bikram’s
Glad to know that, Bikram. On the long run, such denied favours work out better because it allows people to earn their own stature, as you have done.
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great story
The whole book was good. Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction 🙂
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Awesome! But very few people exist like that these days….
and then they say kids are getting spoilt….what kind of standards are adults putting up for them 😐
That’s true. I think, adults become over confident that by controlling kids, somehow they will grow up properly in-spite of what the adults do. But kids learn everything from adults. That’s why its important for adults to set the right example.
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In india every one uses favours…thats the worst bit….you are not better off with favours instead you are worse off without them!
Sometimes, when you don’t get any favours, it sort of works to your advantage in the long run. But only sometimes…
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When it comes to the first part of your post, it becomes difficult to answer because in India today so many bright youngsters are being denied a good education because of a shortage of educational institutions (compared to the population). In such cases if there are paid seats I think it can change the life of the person if the parent can afford it. If the student is not deserving, then definitely parents should not do it. Mind you, I never did this for my kids, but I know people who did and it really helped their son. So I think it would depend on the individual case. However what I am against is a deserving person being denied a seat because someone else can pay for it. But then there are paid seats anyway and those who try to get in that way are not always deserving.
I think, sometimes we ought to think beyond the ‘seats’ – For example, if one does not get an engineering seat (which is highly unlikely btw), they could always do one of the Arts courses… And then if required, do masters or MBA after that… It is not end of life if you don’t get a seat – there are always alternatives. People are not ready to look at the alternatives (which might be more exciting btw) and want that particular engg or med seat at any cost. That is one of the reasons, why they are taken for a ride by the so called engg and med colleges.
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