Fading friendship

Lobby mates standing at a connecting bridge way under the bright sun light after having lunch on a mild cold winter afternoon. Most of the time discussing faults in the academic curriculum of IITs, Kejriwal politics and where and who will be hosting the next party. The best piece of nostalgic life I had with some folks I call friends. But, the group talk is rare these days and standing on one terrace is a distant dream. We could not even avail ourselves for an online group chat these days, sad but truth it is.

Next month plan karo Goa, nope Ladakh, no no Shimla jayenge and so on. We keep on planning, but execution is just not happening. By the time we come to a consensus, the deadline would already cross. None of us is to be held responsible for the failed plans, but our priorities. Something high on hierarchy will always come up at the last moment. None of us are married yet, I afraid if post marriage, we would be available online for a small chat.

Last tour: Darjeeling

When we had plenty of free time for each other, we were short of money and the carrier trajectory, CGPI, no of extracurricular were on high priority. And now we have money, but very little time for friends and above all our professionalism is so dominating. Another 4-5 years, we will be husbands, fathers and parenting will overtake. The phase where we should enjoy, travel, party is passing by with days, months and all we can do is plan and postpone. I imagine going to Ladakh, Goa, Shimla, Masoori, Chandigarh and many more places with my friends. Once again sitting, drinking, driving, diving and lastly standing with the group and talking about flaws in our corporate strategies, Modi politics, girlfriends, marriage plans and so on.

Life is short and responsibilities are everlasting, but one thing we would cherish in the life ahead will be quality time. The thrill of moments spent with friends is always special and ecstatic. But, with time I afraid, we are losing grip on each other, our friendship is fading gradually.

Mahesh Dangi

The blog is dedicated to Kameng B3 lobby. 

Living on credits

Month end is coming, some pending plans started rolling back. I have to buy this first, no yr that is more important, let's buy this first. Oh friends have been asking for the b'day party since 15 days, lets plan a small party. And then next day 'blink-blink' SMS came, bank's notification of salary. Facial expressions changing, irritation, frustration all started taking over. Why it is always less than the expected amount. And again change of plans, this I will buy later, that I can't afford right now and story goes on monthly.

This should be the story of every middle class salaried employee, if I am not abnormal in particular. I have been trying to manage my monthly expanses for last 6 months now, but nothing is altered so far. Every coming month I think of cutting faltu expenditure, but it looks like nothing is unnecessary. After one week of rich life, pockets looses their weight and three weeks of a long wait for the same blink blink SMS notification.

This can't go on and on like this, unplanned & yet important stuff can knock anybodies door anytime and can't be put on hold every time. If this would be the time in 90's, I would approach any reliable friend of mine to lend me some money. May be asking for money in need, sometimes it is okay, but monthly no way. I wouldn't ask and he won't give either. Fortunately 90's are gone and banks came to rescue with the credit cards.

With this my waiting period for the salary is no longer an issue, but life without problems is boring and credit cards brought one more problem with them. I started buying everything on credit, which I used to postponed earlier . consequently monthly expense have gone up and the salary, which used to last for a couple of weeks is lasting even less now.

Mahesh Dangi

And the list goes on.....

Last time I wrote something was almost 3 months back, life is keeping me busy. Seems like my professional life is taking over me gradually. Few days back I had my first shift duty 4*12, I saw people were going back to home and I was starting my eventful day at 4 pm. Day or night, its same for me, one part I am working another for some sleep. Reminded me of a story about a NRI in USA, whenever his parents call, he is either at work or asleep.

Many a times, I find myself thinking over 'how do I simplify my life further'. Life always make us learn and understand its fundamentals through very simple day to day life things. Another day I was making a list of the stuff I am going to need in my new rented apartment. I couldn't find more than 10-15 items that time, next day again I added ten more things to it and some more next day. 3-4 days later, the list I started with only ten items was going lengthy with the days passing. While looking at the list I found myself running out of budget with all that stuff on it. Again I started pulling out less priority stuff from it. We always go by priority, right now my professional career is utmost priority for me. But, we should always have a look at the flip side as well. Whatever choice I am making today, surely has some negative outcomes along with it. Of course, first you need to priorities your list to bring it back into budget limits. Not everything is essential, you can eliminate some of the stuff for the time, but at what cost. for this list, its nothing, but when it comes to life, the impacts are huge and irreversible.

We can't eliminate friends, family, health, hobbies and many such things from that list. One should always focus on carrier, but not by isolating oneself from the awesome people around us in this gigantic world. Eliminate only jargon's from the list, they are taking you nowhere, but making out of budget.

That day I said to myself 'It is wise to put yourself over this professionalism bullshit, since it is taking you nowhere, except that it is making you a little more busy and uncomfortable. It was valentine’s day and not too late to make some calls which I should be making regularly, but I didn't,  since I was so busy in pretending like I am. 

Mahesh Dangi

The shifted paradigm (no more PSU Ramraaz)

There was this time, when sarakari naukari was considered as a low pay scale, time pass job. For a long time, It was assumed that people usually go and pass their fixed hours in the office idling here and there without much of productivity and it actually happened in those days. Corruption was so, trending, side income was mandated to back up the low salary, they were paid at that time.

Govt employees were stereotyped as lazy, corrupt, unproductive and what not. Though, many of them were like that only and got into the govt departments after approaching every mama, mosa, phupa, they had in the govt organizations and surely bribe was the ultimatum. There was neither a defined recruitment process existed those days, nor does anybody monitored them. Consequently, all sorts of typical behaving people (Nikamme log) gathered in these departments and branded this very image of psu culture in the country.

And now in the current scenario, when I joined a psu, many of the older relatives of mine murmured 'tumhari to kafi side income rahegi'. However, I briefed them about the modern psu work culture. 'Unlce ji zamana badal gaya he ab', we are no longer in 90's, it is technologically advanced time now a days. Pen-paper based things are almost obsolete, no one can take a penny for signing any paper. We don't enjoy the perks of our power anymore, neither do we idle these days. We are competing with the private players now and  supposedly, need to possess a decent efficiency & productivity in order to make ourselves a strong opponent.

There is nothing like a typical sarkari naukari in recent times, not even in the clerical work. Already Kejrival and Modi tightened them and made their work traceable. Nevertheless, everything and everyone can't be changed at any given time, few exceptions always resist to the change. But, I am sure in the days to come, they will find it difficult to survive with the same old 90's strategy of being into a psu.

Even psu's are more technically equipped these days. Biometric attendance, e-tendering, e- procurement, e-care for employees, online recruitment, e- management of change and so on. 100's of things which were unimaginable in the 90's are all available to us today and monitored at each and every step closely. So, for all those who still imagines 90's psu Ramraaz, you will be disappointed to join them. And to all the private players, who still consider us easily vulnerable, we are coming and the pace is unprecedented, therefore you better gear up before its late or else you will become obsolete some day.

Mahesh Dangi