Wednesday, March 28, 2012

எங்கே போச்சு ?


காலையில்  வாங்க பேசலாம் நிகழ்ச்சியில் பாரதியும், ராஜாவும் பழைய நினைவுகளை நன்றாக கிளரிவிட்டார்கள்அந்தக் காலத்தில் இருந்த எந்தெந்த  மனிதர்கள், பழக்க வழக்கங்கள் எல்லாம் தொலைந்து போயிருக்குன்னு.

அனேகமாக எல்லோருக்கும், குறிப்பாக தமிழகத்தில் பிறந்து வளர்ந்த எல்லாப் பசங்களுக்கும் இதில் ஏதேனும் கொஞ்சமானும் அனுபவித்திருப்பார்கள்

அப்படி இல்லன்னா உடனே தயவு செய்து இங்கிருந்து விலகவும். நீங்கள் இன்னும் பிள்ளைப் பிராயமே தாண்டவில்லை. அதற்குள் எதுக்கு ப்ளாக் எல்லாம்? 

மாடும், பால்காரரும்
சாணை பிடிப்பவர்கள் 
ரோட்டில் உருளும் கோவிந்தா
தயிர் சட்டிகள்
அம்மி, ஆட்டுக்கல் 
ஈயம் பூசுபவர்கள்
சாட்டையால் அடித்துக் கொள்பவர்கள்
பூம் பூம் மாடு
குரங்காட்டிகள்
கிளி ஜோசியக்காரர்கள்
ஸ்லேட்டு, பல்ப்பம்
ரோட்டில் பம்பரம், கில்லி, கிரிக்கெட் விளையாடும் சிறுவர்கள்

ஆகர் விழாத பம்பரம், ஜாட்டி
தாவணிகள் (வெட்கத்துடன்


ரேடியோவில் திரைகானம், விவித பாரதி
மொக்கு மாவு 
பெருத்த ஓசை எழுப்பும் மாவு மிசின்கள் 
கறிகாய் கடைகளில் பேசும் பேரம்
பட்சணக் கடைகளில் கேட்காமலே கிடைக்கும் தூள் பக்கோடா
கொஞ்சம் கருகப்பிலை , கொத்து மல்லி 
அரையணா பட்டணம் பொடி
பத்து பைசாக்கு ராஜகுமாரி வரைக்கும் பஸ் டிக்கட் 
ஸ்கூல் வாசல் மாங்கா பத்தை , இலந்தப் பழம் வகையறா 
முதல் ரோ சினிமா , கமர்கட், குச்சி ஐஸ் 
வாத்தியாரிடம் உள்ளங்கையில்  பிரம்படி, அடி படாட்டாலும் வலிக்கற மாதிரியே நடித்தது  -  (இப்பல்லாம் வாத்திய தூக்கி உள்ளே வச்சுருவாங்கள்ளே) 
ரேடியோ கமெண்டரி 
அரை டிராயர் யூனிபார்ம் 
ஓட்டைக் காலணா 
காப்பிக் கொட்டை  மிசின் 
தீபாவளி, பொங்கல் வாழ்த்து அட்டைகள் 
சைக்கிளின் எண்ணை விளக்கு
திங்கள் காலை அவசர அயர்னிங் 
சைக்கிள் டபுள்ஸ் - போலிஸ் தொப்பியைக் கண்டதும் குதிப்பது 
மாசக் கடைசியில் அம்மாகிட்டே எட்டணா ( "அப்பா கிட்ட சொல்லாதே"

எல்லாத்தையும் ஒரு வாட்டி படிச்சுப் பாத்தா , சாலமன் பாப்பையா குரல் கேக்கல ?  " நல்லத்தாம்பா இருந்தது

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

மனதை வருடிய வரிகள்


கொஞ்ச நாள் முன்னே தூக்கம் வராத ஒரு பின்னிரவில் பழைய பாடல்கள் கேட்டேன். என்ன அருமை

திரும்பிப் பார்த்ததில் இந்த மாதிரி மனதை வருடிய  சில வரிகள் :

மணக்கும் வரை  பூக்கடை மணம் மாறினால் அது சாக்கடை
தவறுக்குத் துணிந்த மனிதன் அழுவதில்லையே 
வந்து பிறந்து விட்டேன் ஆனால் வாழத் தெரியவில்லை 
நல்லதோர் வீணை செய்து அதை நலங்கெட புழுதியில் றிவதுண்டோ 
இது குழந்தை பாடும் தாலாட்டு 
கண்ணுக்குள் முள்ளை வைத்து யார் தைத்தது 
ஆட்டு வித்தால் யாரொருவர் ஆடாதாரோ கண்ணா 
விசையுறு பந்தினைப் போல் உள்ளம் வேண்டிய படி செல்லும் உடல் கேட்டேன்
விடுகதையா  இந்த வாழ்க்கை 
எனக்கேதும் ஆனதுன்னா உனக்கு வேறு பிள்ளையுண்டு, உனக்கேதும் ஆனதுன்னா எனக்கு வேறு தாய் இல்லை 
நெஞ்சுக்குள் முள்ளை வைத்து யார் தைத்தது
இன்றைக்கு ஏன் இந்த ஆனந்தமோ 
 தென்னையப் பெத்தா இளநீரு, பிள்ளையப் பெத்தா கண்ணீரு 
காகித ஓடம் கடலலை மேலே 

இன்றைய பாடல்களும் இன்னும் பல வருஷங்களுக்குப் பின்னால் இப்படித்தான் இருக்குமோ - சந்தேகம்தான்

Starts


Early this morning, while I was on my usual stroll down the electronic path and travelling world-wide through web, I was pleasantly greeted by my one time team-mate, who worked in my team some 7 years back. Responding from somewhere in US, he has been following my thoughts and writings closely and had some few good words for me. Coming as it did at 4:30 AM, it certainly pepped me up! It's not only the good words, but also the remembrance, nice
thoughts, sharing of his ambitions, how he treats me as a mentor.. . . . . . I truly felt I had served some purpose in shaping the life of this young man.

Most importantly, the timing was important. It was by around 4:30 and what better way to start the day.

I read somewhere recently "You have to wake up every morning and trust this world all over again".

Where all these good starts help one, I was just ruminating:

In Cricket, they used to stay a good start is important.
When you join an organization, the first couple of weeks are important to understand the work, to make first impressions, to get first friends…
In College, when a new subject is taken up, first few chapters are important. It could have far-reaching effects. If impressed, you may go on to get a Doctorate  and could change your life.
The first few weeks of a business, where you learn the ropes, hands on exchanges with business partners, customers, peers, suppliers….
The first week at your new apartment, where you learn about the new neighbours, some of whom could stay with the rest of your lives as friends.
The first days of marriage, where one tries to understand the other . Perhaps, this has limited scope and meaning in the current age!
The first few hours afer a critical surgery, when the patient is convalescing.
The first steps of a kid, on its legs for the first time.
The first few days of the machinery - anxious users, sellers and manufacturers!
First few moments of a rocket launch.
So, the first few minutes/hours of the day, could perhaps make your day.
Be cheerful, at your creative best and filled with positive thoughts. Let us have a start that fits the day instead of a day with 'fits and starts'
Is this why, elders said "Well Begun is half done"!!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Commuting hazards of working women


Some years back a working woman in Bangalore was kidnapped, raped & killed when she was being picked by the officially arranged cab, early in the morning. All hell were let loose, the press went to town castigating the corporates for not caring enough for their women employees. In most of the offices, senior management met hastily and either spruced up the existing antiquated security measures available only on paper or introduced new ones. As is with all headlines, people's short memory kept fading slowly into oblivion as other spicy news items started filling in . But, the real danger for the working women who either leaves late for or from office still very much remain.

In today's Times of India, there was a report that  Gurgaon has advised women not to work beyond 8 P.M and has warned employers to obtain prior permission from Labour Dept  for any violations:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/Dont-work-after-8pm-Gurgaon-tells-women/articleshow/12254740.cms

In Chennai, with most of the IT offices moved into ECR, it is expected of the organization to make the travel to and from office convenient for the staff to deliver the optimum output. While the normal pickup and drops are always happening regularly, it is those very juniors or seniors in the organization, who has to depend on intermittent services. Within this as most of the seniors have their own conveyance it is the relatively junior cadre, which gets affected due to delayed work, late evening calls or meetings. There are unreasonable conditions on the 'after regular services'. Either the services start by 8:30 PM or people get dropped at common spots which are far away from their residence or the last women to be dropped are alone at the mercy of the cab driver. In fact, the Delhi Police had also suggested that "For staffers permitted to work after 8pm, the employer would have to offer transportation for them to go home, he said.…  He directed employers to maintain a log book to record details of vehicles used to transport women employees, their time of departure, name of driver, etc."

In reality, are these being done? Let us have a look at the common practices and their perils:

 After office hours services normally are late to begin with and spaced wide apart. For example services start at 7:30 and the next scheduled only by at 9 or 9:30

Cab facilities in some organizations are available only after 9:30 or 10 or 10:30.

Security gaurds do not accompany the female employees in cabs, as required by the security norms.

The security norms earlier spelt out says that while dropping female employee home, the security & the cab should leave only after the employee is safely received into the house. This is seldom complied with.

In some organizations, the authorities have done a good job in messaging the cab number and driver details on the day before, in case of early pick up the next day.

While this is good only if it is allowed to continue, it runs into trouble when the female employee receives a call from a different cell phone number, with the driver claiming that the other cell is not working.
Often a different cab other than the one messaged comes to pick. Invariably, the employee walks into the waiting car without checking the details.

There were cases of driver taking a different route than the normal ones, keeping the lone female occupant in tenterhooks. Will all these happen if a security accompany the cab?

There are also unique cases wherein the female employees are deputed to a client's place and they work either late into the night or start the work early in the morning. Normally IT companies have different clients across Geo, but the staff is normally jittery when they work in projects of US or Australia abased clients, which could involve untimely and odd working hours.

In many cases, It is ironical that the clients when explained are not at all willing to subject the female employees to such hardships and risk but it is the local managers who often bend backwards ostensibly to please them.

Our women, be it your wife or daughter or sister have forayed into the modern world and decided to compete and work on par with others. But then, we also need to take enough precautions and prevention methodologies to make sure the safety of these folks. So, what are the precautions that are to be taken from all concerned?  Here are some actions required:

From the Organization:
  • Wherever warrants a 24x7 Help Desk should coördinate the transport and security of all employees expected to work beyond the normal timings of 9 AM to 6 PM
  • The Admin dept must message the cab and driver details sufficiently early to the employees
  • Any change in the details already provided must be communicated to the employees
  • An armed security guard must be provided in all the cabs deputed for this purpose.
  • Head of Admin or an identified team must conduct surprise checks to ensure compliance of prescribed norms.
  • Seek periodical feedback  and arrange for a monthly one-to-one sessions on security compliance.
From the employees:
  • Make sure that you receive all details of the cab and driver sufficiently early. If not remind Admin.
  • Do not use the cab unless the same is confirmed by the Admin team.
  • If the Cab number &/or the driver details are different from the earlier details, refuse to use the cab and contact Help Desk immediately.
  • Do not use the cab, until the Admin confirms by a message about the change.
  • Do not use the cab, if a security is not provided and insist on a written confirmation from the Organization about the absence of security (occasionally). On reaching the office, send an Email to all concerned including the Chief of Security.
  • Do not talk loud your personal matters over mobile phone when you are in the car.
  • Do not involve in unnecessary chat with the cab driver or security.
  • Do not allow the cab to stop intermittently at any unscheduled stops.
  • Have a number stored as "In Case of Emergency " (can be done be an .ICE in your mobile)
  • If required, send silently a message to 'ICE', seeking help.
  • Advise your parents or relatives at home to act on such messages immediately.
  • Carry a 'pepper spray ' always while travelling alone.
  • Also, get to know about your colleagues likely to travel along with you in the cab.
  • Any violation of security norms either by the cab driver or security put it on record through an eMail to the authorities concerned.
 From the parents/relatives of the employees:
  • Have the cab number and driver details handy during the period of your relatives travel
  • Do not allow the person to use the cab, if you feel the security norms are not adhered to
  • Insist on your wards sending an SMS after reaching/leaving  the office & keep following until required. 
The above steps if taken in sincerity should put a lot of safety in the minds of the female employees when they commute alone in a cab to office. It is to be remembered that the organization requests the employees many a time to either stay back late or come early to attend to clients' needs from whom they earn an enormous amount in Dollars as service charges and if only a part of that amount is factored in for security, the employees could work in peace. Also, the days are not far, when anyone could seek information from any organization, under the Right To Information Act, about the security arrangements made for their employees. So, It is time for employers and employees to peacefully coexist and earn for themselves instead of getting into needless legal tangles and personal trauma.