"There's glory for you!", said Humpty Dumpty
"I don't know what you mean by 'glory,' " Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for you!' ". "But 'glory' doesn't mean a 'nice knock-down argument,' "
Alice objected.
"When I use a word, " Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean-neither more
nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words
mean so many different things."
"The question is," said HumptyDumpty, "which is to be master-that's all. "
Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
During a Gupshup recently, a learned gentleman remarked about my signature line in the e-mail that I frequently use! The signature, a part of which reads,"When in Doubt........" appeared to be conveying too much of a meaning to someone. Related to this issue is another issue that concerns right to protest peacefully. The amazing conclusion, out of such a relation between two dissimilar issues, is actually pretty interesting. The deduction is a simple fact that if you look at certain important issues in isolation (whether my signatures or the protest), you will end with wrong conclusions! There is no point looking at or trying to treat the symptoms that such incidents, when viewed in isolation, tend to appear to many observers. Just to support my argument, I would simply add that when I add my signatures (as shown above), does any one know what 'doubt' I am referring to? Can anyone with some shallow knowledge (acquired through hearsay, TV viewing, magazines and books) really fathom the context in which this saying has been worded? Can anyone really understand the essence behind the quote without first understanding what goes on in the mind of a person who has a rifle in his hands and a potentially fatal threat in front? I would actually not waste my energy and your time in explaining the philosophy behind the quote..... it is meant for certain category of people and they need no explanations. For others, they must just chill it! But this pic below symbolically highlights the difference between the thinking of a Smart Alec who is a Corporate Manager and a Dumb Ass like me...... two thought processes can never converge!!
Same logic applies to an incident of the protest. Look at the protest per-se, you focus is bound to remain misplaced. Look at the whole issue holistically and you would know what went wrong and where!
Coming back to my signature line - I do not intend explaining it further but I would share an application of the same. Just read through the lines below and you would know how a magazine gets finished before you realise even though in the following case, someone else had certain doubt(s):-
Argument Counter/Fact Result
1. Someone (read me) had Classes were scheduled till दिशचिउन =
plans to leave early; so the 1330h; I left only after lunch! 1st one fired!
protest was so staged (allegation The investigator needs more training!
made in my absence); investigated!
2. I did not have guts to face the The bang said it all as I entered;
gentleman in front of others! What transpired thereafter needs
(allegation in my absence) no further elaboration! 2nd one gone!
3. Someone who could not appear Ha, ha, ha...... what was in mind while
in the final (external) exams, did making such claims! Impossible 3rd one gone!
manage to pass just on the basis today, impossible way back in late
of internal assessment; missed 1980s.... we have been through similar
some medal in the process! education system. ha, ha, ha!
4. Google and FB are working Were not working; we all knew it!
while certain sites have been blo- It is another story that 'proxy' servers 4th gone!
cked by blowing up 1.5 Lac penetrated such an expensive wall.
5. It was a MUTINY No comments! It is neither anarchy! 5th gone!
6. Students did not volunteer for No one ever came to discuss unlike
a certain committee many others; No one knew who was 6th one fired!
the person responsible for discussion
7. Our Softwares are so genuine Why does it ask for validation every
time we open a document; why lappies 7th one gone!
given w/o proper softwares!
8. There is no distinction between Why then certain people eat snacks
students and management! and attend calls during lectures, 8th gone
claiming it as a privilege?
9. Mandarin is the way ahead! Why time had been wasted in seeking
students' choice and the whole process 9th gone
delayed by two full trimesters? Why no
briefing done to advise us?
10. Blog shows EBS in poor light Charity begins at home! If my butt is
not at ease (because of a broken chair) 10th gone
or when my eyes are strained (projector
issues) how on earth would I write sweet
words! In any case, I am not the PRO.
11. Faculty was insulted Who? when? how? No one spoke a
word! How was insult carried out? 11th gone
12. WE did not know PGP Co-ord knew it for two months;
PGP Asstt knew it for two months and 12th gone
so did the mechanic (all proved)
13. Do you feel sorry for the No one except two! Exceptions would
act of boycott? always be there! We were 40+ that day 13th gone
14. Selecting the least voted It was our privilege! Competency must be
persons as CRs respected! 14th gone!
15. Could one more chance When two months pass without an iota of
be given to the system? response, we lose count of chances already 15th gone
given!
16. It was a strategic mana- Gentlemen do not conduct themselves this
gement trick! way and even though I have a better term to 16th gone
explain the trait, I would rather not use it.
17. 'My EBS' in ur signatures So what? Is it a copyright protected term?
leads to the blog! We will not No one meddles with my right to express! 17th gone
let that continue! Lemme see who stops me!
18. Time for CPA was 0900h No, the timing given in the timetable was
and students walked in at 1015 hrs and not 0900h....phew! 18th gone
1000h.
19. Accusation for keeping If you knew it, why did not you over-rule
the group intact through the the faculty? 19th fired
1,2 and 3rd trimester
20. Certain privileges had The issue of commitment made to some
been allowed to certain HQ have no relevance in today's discussion 20th gone
people based on commi-
tments made to HQ
21. Fund flows from mother ha, ha, ha.... EBS is a revenue generator;
ship! we pay in time.... isn't it the other way round! 21st gone
22. Blame it on Rio! Summon How does it matter? Educate them and give
X, Y and Z (all absent); fire A them another chance! 22nd gone
(in absentia).
23. Certain people are inciting Voting done; motion defeated even when
others to do wrong things! (In Mr Certain was not present! 23rd fired
the absence of Mr Certain!)
24. School timings are between Is there a confusion between obligations
0830-1730h; how can students of staff being paid and the students (the
leave before 1730h? actual pay masters) who stay only as long 24th fired
as timetable dictates them to stay!
25. Markers were supposed to No, CRs have to run around, looking for
be carried by faculty! It was so the markers and dusters! 25th gone
two years back! You see, you do not even know the change
in the system that has happened by itself!
26. You could have managed Do we take over the administrative duties
the cable by cannibalisation! and forget about studying? Will your staff 26th gone
take instructions from us?
27. I came to know of the mutiny If it takes 3.5 hours for a news of an event
at 1530h. as serious as (misleadingly) 'Mutiny' to 27th gone
travel from 4th floor to 1st floor, nothing
else needs to be said!
28. A family does not wash its In my family, if I ever had a problem, my
dirty linen in public! father will sell his watch to make me feel 28th gone
comfortable and not sleep over my issues!
Which family are we talking about?
29. Why should we change If you do not change, we can not be sure
our attitude? Will you repeat about what will happen and what will not 29th fired
the act in future? happen!
30. I can not get involved in Well said; this explains the picture given on
everything that happens here! top (now being said).... in another organi-
sation,we are taught to accept 30th .....all gone
responsibility and be counted!
......... Oh hell, the stuff is over! You see, it does not take much to empty once there is a doubt (irrespective of the alignment and orientation of any such doubt).
As life resumed today and we resumed our studies, one thing keeps coming back to me! What was the aim/motive of that Gupshup! The focus appeared to be on one person (a vote was taken against him while he was away even though the vote failed, he was declared a man without guts (in absentia again), someone, I am told, did mention about some apology that was expected (ha, ha..... !), whose blog was debated upon, whose impersonal judgment was questioned, whose friends were targeted, so much so that his digital signatures were analysed! A fit case of harassment and contempt of the particular notification but lets leave that out for a while.
The Issue is where the hell was the focus? Why was problem not focused at and instead a person was targeted with such elaborate home work already done? The end result justifies these doubts! Like it happens in all such forums, after giving vent to the frustrations and perceptions, both sides did inch towards an amicable solution with future in mind. And suddenly, some one's sixth sense worked as one person suddenly decided to change tracks (serial No 29 above) and took the gupshup to a dead end! Some foot stamping, some pulling of colleagues later, we were back to basics. Such an unfortunate end to three hours long gupshup is the only reason for this blog to be written. There were rumours floating around in the campus today and I have simply listed the agenda points so that we know what exactly happened on that Monday morning!
Thankfully, life has started to limp back to the normalcy. In a professional life, that is bound to happen but where is the mutual respect and affection? Gone with the wind, I suppose! Today, I am reminded of an incident when had I not emptied my stuff, I would have been hanging as a photo on one of the walls of my home! So, when my instincts tell me to empty the holding, I bloody well do it!
दिशचिउन !
