The first day of May is celebrated as International Labour day in more than 80 countries. In India too, the trade unions celebrate the dignity of labour around the country. Most offices and industries are closed.

The question which one may ask – how could I celebrate the labour day ? All of us see exploitation of labour all around us. Let us start from the family and the home. Is our servant maid, driver and other household help treated with respect and dignity. Are we ensuring that we do not over work them beyond reasonable hours of work. Are we promoting child labour by engaging young girls or boys at home for taking care of our kids and then justifying it by stating we are taking care of poor children by ensuring they get food and shelter in our homes.

How can we make a difference ? In my view, if we focus on our homes , communities and work places and look at how we could contribute to ensure dignity and respect for labour – it would be a great step forward and a wonderful way of celebrating Labour day. Can I promise to myself that I will never employ a child in my house for doing household chores ? On the other hand, is it possible for me to contribute to educate the kids of our servants in their education and ensuring that they get beyond school and realize their true potential irrespective of their family backgrounds .

If we look at the communities or societies around us, can we ensure that our associations do not indulge in unfair labour practices or deploy men or women for unreasonable working hours. We can also ensure that all labour working at our homes or communities are paid fair wages, which is at least above the minimum wages prescribed for such labour.

At the work place, while most progressive organisations do provide fair working conditions and ensure fair wages, we still have a large section of third party employees and contract labour in our factories and offices. Can we ensure that we provide fair and safe working conditions for them too ? Can we ensure clean drinking water, toilets, canteen and crèches for working women in this sector ? Can we contribute to the education of the children of contract labour working in our offices and factories ?  

While the government has to ensure the safety and protection of labour along with the employers, it is individuals like us who can make a difference to a large section of the working population who we term as unorganised labour. There are no unions to protect their rights and no government to enforce legislation.

In my view, if each one of us commit to take care of all the people working in our homes, communities and offices to ensure dignity and respect of labour, we would pay tribute to the labour on “International labour day” in the best possible way.

Let us commit to make a difference from today.

S Ramesh Shankar

I have always wondered what is the best way to celebrate birthdays. First of all – why do we celebrate birthdays and secondly how should we ? If we ask ourselves as to why we celebrate, we may find it difficult to answer. I am not sure if we brought in joy to our parents, family and friends when we were born. If we assume we did, what have we done in life so far to repay them for that joy. If we reflect back, we may find it difficult to answer.

I decided to try. I have assumed that my parents were happy that I was born to them. Have I lived up to their expectations ? Honestly, I have never asked them. Today, my parents are no more and may be difficult to know the true and honest answer. However, if I do a self evaluation – let me see if I pass the test. I did manage to pass through school, college and professional education. Then luckily I got a job on my own credentials in a difficult era, where jobs were scarce. I have tried my best to be conscientious in my work and give my best to the organisations I have been associated in my life.

If I then move to my personal front. I got married and have two kids. I have helped them find their own way in life. They have studied on their own merit and today work in reputable organisations based on their own credibility. I have taken care of my spouse and she has been my source of strength throughout my life. I could give my spouse more than half of the credit for whatever little I have accomplished in my life so far.

If I move to the next level of community and society – what have I accomplished ? God has been kind to me and provided me with all that I need. I have no regrets in life and have hardly missed anything which God has not provided me in life so far. I am extremely grateful to God so far. However, have I given back to society as much as society has given to me so far in life. I am not sure. So, here is an area, where I think I can give much more than what I have benefited.

So, here lies the answer to my question – Why do we celebrate birthdays and how should we celebrate ? Each of us can analyse our performance at the family front, work front and society front and make a self analysis. Once it is clear to us that where we need to contribute more in one of the aspect of our life, we can focus on what we can do more in that sphere.

I am grateful to God, my family and friends for whatever I have been bestowed in life. May be it is time for me to give back more to society. So, I commit to find ways and means to give back more than I take from society from now on. It could be in the form of my blogs – where I share my failures, successes and learnings . It could be in the form of my sharing my knowledge ,experience or expertise to organisations or individuals who need it more than me. It could be any way by which I feel I am able to give back to society more.

Today, being my birthday I have tried to make a humble start. May God bless me to do more and give back more to society. The more I am able to give back to people I do not know and the people who deserve more, the more I may get nearer to fulfilling the joy of my parents who gave birth to me. This could be a reason to celebrate my birthday every year and giving back more to society may be my way of celebration.

S Ramesh Shankar

“Change begins with me and ends with me” – this is my maxim and my learning from life.

I can look at change from any angle and I find that nothing changes unless we want to change. Nothing happens unless we lead the change. Let’s look at the family. As a parent, if we want change in behaviour of our children, we have to lead by example. There is no way our kids are going to ritually follow what we tell them. They will happily follow what you show them in your actions.

Let us reflect on self. First let us look at ourselves and our habits. Can change happen because someone gives us advise to change our habit ? Never. Imagine I am addicted to smoking. I am aware of the ills of smoking and its impact on my health. I have been advised by my family, friends and my doctor to give up. Will I do it based on their advise ? I may try and give up temporarily but it does not last forever. However, the day I decide enough is enough, my smoking becomes past tense.

If we look at ourselves as a leader. Is it any different ? I have not seen so. I may be the CEO of a company. I may want everyone to change. But will change happen if I don’t. I don’t think so. Let me illustrate this with a real life example. About a decade and a half ago, I was leading the HR team in a factory. The leadership team of the factory decided that they wanted to prohibit employees smoking inside the factory. They wanted all employees who smoked to go outside the factory gate in case they wanted to smoke. I was happy about it and supported the decision whole heartedly since it was in the best interest of employees. However, I had a request. I said I would like to first talk to CEO if he would go out side the gate too since he was used to smoking in his room. In case, he did not agree, I said, let us not prohibit other employees to smoke inside the factory. I told the CEO that if you do not lead by example, we cannot compel employees not to smoke inside the factory premises. The CEO agreed and our decision was a success in implementation. If the CEO had not agreed and we went ahead in prohibiting other employees from smoking, we could have enforced the decision by exercise of executive power but would have failed because of the lack of moral power.

Even in the public space, we see leaders who do not practise before they preach do not have any personal credibility. On the other hand, leaders who lead by example, are an inspiration for others to follow. It is not only easy to implement a decision but it is easier to communicate and enforce it if we set the tone ourselves.

Gandhiji said – “Be the change, you want to see in others”.

Let us begin today.

S Ramesh Shankar