Dangerous predicament

sln · Apr 3, 2009

I crossed 19.and got my first appointment ,immediately after my degree as analytical assistant in a government testing laboratory in coimbatore.This was on a salary of Rs.140/month considered princely in 1957.Being the eldest of nine siblings I could not study further and had to take up the job.

I set myself a goal to excel in my profession and simultaneously prepare for the civil service exams.Within a period of an year,I earned a reputation for speed,accuracy and reliability in analytical standardsSimultaneously I passed all the departmental exams and was confirmed in my post by the state service commission.
My boss was one Mr.Daniel,an excellent chemist,a strict disciplinarian and a hard taskmaster.One fateful Monday,as we were approaching the lunch hour he called me to his room.In front of him was a bottle wrapped in cloth cover and sealed by the magistrate of Ambur-Vaniabadi belt.My boss explained to me that the bottle contained effluent water from a tannery.This effluent was polluting the adjoining farm and in the resulting argument the manager of the tannery was stabbed.He was in a critical condition in a hospital in Vellore.The analytical report of the sample was to be an important evidence in the case.Inspite of many seniors in the lab,my boss explained that he was entrusting the sample to me as had belief in the accuracy of my analytical standards.I was thrilled but at the same time apprehensive in view the nature of the case.By the time I came back to my table with the sealed bottle it was well past lunch time.
I removed the seal and the cloth cover and kept them aside.I opened the bottle and smelt the water-it was nauseating.I brought and kept one empty bottle for filtering and transferring the polluted water.I pointed out the bottle to the attender and asked him to wash it and keep it ready.So saying I rushed to the canteen to have my lunch.While having lunch, I prided myself for gaining the trust and confidence of my boss and decided that whatever I do, I should excel and make a mark.

When I returned to my table,my heart stopped beating.The attender had cleaned and washed both the bottles ie the one containing the sample and the empty bottle.I felt giddy and kept my head on the analytical table.My colleagues as well closest friends Moorthy and srikant rushed to me and enquired as to what had upset me.After initial hesitation, I confessed to them about what had happened.They were awestruck and speechless for some time.After regaining composure,they compared my boss to an angry tiger and cautioned me to be prepared to be mauled.After hush hush discussion they suggested that I should report results based on the results of hundreds of samples from this area analysed over years.The suggestion was tempting as well as reassuring.However,I rushed to the library to sit by myself,ponder over the crisis and look at all the options to get out of the mess,I had got into all by myself.After introspection,I came to the conclusion that giving fictitious report was not the way I should start my career.I made up mind to tell the whole truth to my boss and tender my resignation.For a moment I thought of the difficulties my parents would face when my monthly money order stopped.
I was on my way back to the lab and saw my two friends standing guard at the main door to prevent me from discussing the issue particularly with the seniors who were not comfortable with my ascension.I avoided them and went through the rear door to my boss’s room.My boss guessed that something was amiss.He put on a stern expression and asked me as to what was bothering me.Unable to face him I closed my eyes and confessed to him every thing that had happened very quickly as if I had memorized.My boss gave me such a tongue lashing that I remember it word by word even after 50 years.Those days bosses took liberty of a tight slap on the back or pinch the ears when angry.I moved towards my boss volunteering to subject myself to this MA-BAAP relationship,saying at the same time that I wanted to resign.He cooled down and asked how much money I was sending every month and what would happen if I did not send the remittance.My silence to this question was eloquent and my eyes betrayed my anxiety.He calmly told me that while my irresponsibility was condemnable,he appreciated my extraordinary courage to confess the truth.He ordered for coffee for me and watched me gulping it with trembling fingers.Still there was one unanswered question and I summoned enough courage to ask him-“what shall we do for the analysis report sir?”In reply he called his steno and dictated a letter to the magistrate stating that the sealed bottle was received and the analysis would be taken up immediately-However as the sample sent was not adequate, we would require one more one litre bottle of the sample to be sent.”This was a master stroke combining experience with imagination.

Did I do the right thing in telling the truth to my boss, putting my job in a trapeze?If on the other hand I had concocted the results and the truth came out in the court on cross examination by a brow beating lawyer, what would have happened to me?Would I have told the truth If I had been married and had dependant children?While I don’t carry guilt any more what are the circumstances under which one tells the truth or otherwise is a nagging question faced by every one at some stage or other.I was in a dangerous predicament and I came out unscathed by being honest.That is what matters to me most in my twilight years.

Cheeniya · Apr 3, 2009

Dear LN
That was an amazing incident and thanks for sharing it with us. I am sure that the younger members of IL would immensely benefit from this incident in your life.

A lot of people always say that every man has his price. Their contention is that given a proper incentive, any man would cross the 'Lakshman Rekha' I just do not believe in this crap. You have vindicated my belief in basic honesty with the way you acted albeit several decades ago. Those questions at the end of your narration,however, appear quite inappropriate to me. No introspection is warranted when you had done a good deed in life. Only when we err, introspection is necessary.

I salute your integrity, honesty and commitment to cherished values.
Sri

Padmini · Apr 3, 2009

dear sir,
" honesty is the best policy'so nothing wrong in what you did. even if you lose the job GODwould have shown you another door. your boss was a man with heart, i think. he tackled the situation in a very brilliant manner. before that like a cinema hero ,you would be standing sandwitched between " kadamai"and "kasu"because your honesty, god had given you alovely wife mithila. so your good quality is repaid and you are also free from guilty feeling. so nice your narration was.
with love
pad.

varalotti · Apr 3, 2009

Dear Sir,
Your eloquent post made me think of the words of the great poet. You took the road less travelled by and that made all the difference.

Morals and ethics apart your post had all the ingredients of a good, rather very good short story. It had a beginning, middle and and an end. There was this knot (oh my god! what a knot it was) and it was resolved by your Boss' master stroke.

I remember another story like yours. But in that case a celebrity was involved. She took the other road and that almost ended her great career.

I don't want to drop the names. But if you are able to guess them, just keep it with yourself.

It was the late fifties. A play-back singer was singing a movie song for a leading music Director. Those days the play-back singers were not closeted in sound proof glass rooms. It was a large hall. When they started recording the song, the singer goofed up the words.
The music director was annoyed. I never expected this from a senior artist like you, he shouted. The lady could have apologized and could have sung the piece again. Nobody would have bothered. Instead she chose to safeguard her reputation.
"Sir, this violinist played the wrong tune. And that distracted me."
The violinist was thrown out of the recording theatre.
As the lady's luck would have it the thrown out violinist later became a great music director. In his very first song he brought in this lady's competitor to sing. And he carefully avoided giving chance to that singer. The play-back singer lost her career.
You chose the right way, Sir. I salute your honesty. And I also salute your inimitable writing style.
love,
sridhar

mithila kannan · Apr 4, 2009

Dear Cheeniya,
Thanks for the comments and sharing my belief in basic honesty.There is a reason for the inappropriate question.Years later when I was married and had two kids I went for a ration card along with my neighbour who was similarly placed as far as number of family members was concerned.He however added his father,mother,FIL,MIL and servant in the list.Result-I had to go through the ignominy of getting 450 grams of sugar against 1.750 kgs of sugar allotted to my neighbour month after month.Adding fuel to the fire was the sympathetic look of the common servant who brought the sugar for both of us.The system rewards liars and penalises those with conscience.Of course this has not changed my perception of what is right and what is wrong.
Regards
LAKSHIMINARAYANAN

sln · Apr 4, 2009

Dear Padmini,
I appreciate your comments.I agree with you that in case I had lost my job,a new road would have been opened before me by the unseen hand.Nambinore kaividapadamaattar.
Regards
LAKSHIMINARAYANAN

jaishree9 · Apr 4, 2009

LN sir
Honesty always pay back is my belief & benefitts of cheating always are not as sweet as appear. ( though Now a days I doubt in cases of our politicl figures ) .You did the right thing in telling correctly the matter & see the senio person has awonderful solution to get the solution.

dhivya rangarajan · Apr 4, 2009

LN sir,

There is a lot of buzz these days about business ethics and stuff. But you have gives a simple thumb rule here. If you can answer your conscience and live with your actions; if you can face yourself in the mirror, then you are clean.

Facing predicaments with simple morals and values is what I have learnt here, from you post, sir, and from Varalotti's OMG last week

Thank you for the free yet important lesson

mithila kannan · Apr 5, 2009

Dear Sridhar,
There was a time when there were no two opinions about honesty and the courage to own up mistakes .Not so any more.Today we come up with reasons and the compulsions that drive one to be dishonest.There is another lesson in this episode ie simple solutions to complex problems-look out for my next post with this title.
Regards
LAKSHIMINARAYANAN

PS-confusion-I forgot to log out and hence this reply under Mithila kannan.

sln · Apr 5, 2009

Dear Jaishree,
Thanks for the FB.I feel free now as I dont carry baggage.I n addition it is intersting that there are simple solutions to complex problems.Watch out for my post with this title.
Regards
LAKSHIMINARAYANAN