Jobs

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The Biblical Job is a terrific personality...he has a whole "Book of Job" in the Holy Bible.

Satan stole his wife, kids, wealth, and health, and made him a Personification of Suffering. Yet he never cursed God but endured his fate as God's Sweet Will. And God finally restored to him everything he had lost...and more...

Some lesson there for us;... if only we don't crave for the sweet ending of the story.

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Jobs were scarce in our Nehruvian India during the 1950s when we passed our School Final Exams (itself a great achievement).

We then registered ourselves in the 'Govt Employment Exchange' and forgot all about it and did odd jobs like 'private tuition'. 

A decade or so later, call came from the Exchange and we landed a govt job. And then we got happily married, and proliferated.

But after getting a govt job, it became a 'job'...something we had to do unwillingly.

Here is a snatch of dialogue from "The Great Train Robbery" between the winsome Lesley-Ann Down and the win-all Sean Connery (both of them crooks):

"So, I have to sleep with that Fatso?"

"It's a job, ain't it?"

For instance, after getting that sweet job of the Typist in Taluk Office, we did it unwillingly and unpleasantly, but became "Job Typists" at home for extras, most pleasantly and willingly. 

IIT KGP had this famous "Banerjee Typing Center" inside its campus...it was an exception however. Everyone there was already a typist in IIT or aspired to become one soon...but everyone did their 'jobs' happily both in IIT and at the Pool most efficiently.

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The most wonderful job one could get was in the Railways during those days. Railways was a Welfare State. And once you got in (not easy for an outsider), your sons, nephews, nieces, and grandkids had their jobs assured in the "Great Indian Railways". And your wife got a sumptuous family pension and also a Compassionate Appointment after you reached Heaven's own welfare state.

In 1967, by when I got my govt job at IIT KGP, I was once traveling by the Janata Express to Gudur, my home town. At the stop Nellore before that junction, I happened to look up from my book when our Railway Conductor was passing by. And instantly I recognized him...he had a split-chin that was unique. And he had an Identity Card hanging from his neck which confirmed him as my classmate and good friend in Muthukur a decade ago. He used to sing beautifully songs from Devadas movie (Telugu). Also the hit from the movie: "బ్రతుకు తెరువు":

"అందమె ఆనందం ఆనందమె జీవిత మకరందం"

So I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled. He recognized me instantly, smiled wanly, and vanished pronto...I didn't know why :)

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Speaking of Indian Railways, I had this much cherished experience in the year XXXX, by when I had already spent 35 years at IIT KGP.

One day I got this mail from Pratyush @ Austin:

"Sir! I didn't want to trouble you but I have to. I need your help. I wanted my medals (1 gold and 2 silver) and 3 checks for (Rs 1000, 2000, and 5000) collected from our Academic Section. My father has recently been transferred from Mughalsarai to Kharagpur as the 'Chief Manger of the Railway Workshop'. He visited IIT the other day but had some difficulty. Could you please help him? Here is his cell number"

I was mystified and rang up the concerned father and asked him to narrate his story:

"Professor Sastry! I am so sorry! I wanted to visit IIT incognito the other day. I parked my personal car near the Canteen. And walked up to the Academic Section. There I was told to go the Students Section. There I was told to go to the Physics Office. The Didi there told me to go to the Academic Section. And then I returned promptly to my Railway Workshop"

"He he he! Tomorrow at 11 AM sharp, please come to IIT and park your staff car with its Railway Number Plate and its Uniformed Chauffeur in the Portico. I will be there waiting for you"

And then I walked to the Academic Section and spoke with my friend Tapan, the most efficient employee I ever saw in my life. He asked me to come tomorrow noon by when he would keep all the medals and checks ready.

Next morning when the Chief of Railway Workshop alighted from his staff car, there were already half a dozen security men standing and saluting him. I walked up with him to the Assistant Registrar (Academic)'s cubicle and he welcomed us...I knew him well. 

And then I told him the purpose of our visit. 

And he buzzed for Tapan who walked in loaded with all the goodies. And the AR took the Authorization Letter and signatures of the visitor and delivered all his goods.

And then the 'Imp of the Perverse' descended on me and I blurted out to the AR:

"He is the new Chief Manager of our Railway Workshop"

And our AR's face lit up like a thousand watt bulb and he pulled out from his drawer the Bio-Data of his son...

And I ran away...God Speed!

Here is the story of the 'Imp of the Perverse":

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2148/2148-0.txt

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