Real Life Heroes Stamped as Villains

After our strike for 3 days, our image has been tarnished by the media to the maximum extent possible. Whether strike is legal or illegal, whether it should be used as a means for achieving our goals are debatable issues and we have our own justifications for resorting to such a move. But just for resorting to strike for a just demand of pay revision which is pending for more than 2 years, we have been described as Deshdrohi’s and villains and what not?

I remember the pride when I had after I joined the Organization. I am working in a Fortune 500 Company, No.1 public sector and in a sector which fuels the economy. Though my take home salary was somewhere around Rs. 20,000/- during entry level, I expected it to grow substantially in few years. But after 5 years when I compared my take home pay, I was really shocked to find that I haven’t still crossed a take home of Rs. 20,000/- even after 5 years. Only with the meager adhoc which we get, our take home pay has now crossed the Rs. 20,000/- border.

I couldn’t reveal my salary to my college batch mates since most of them have a take home pay of more than 50K per month by working in an air conditioned environment and traveling abroad frequently for onsite projects and enjoying tax free incomes in IT field.

In my fervor to serve only for our nation and being deadly against the brain drain which happens in our country, I simply refused to accept the lucrative jobs which I got in IT sector, only to now realize that I’m a Deshdrohi for being so. With all due honors for our Army people, I would like to say that this country cannot flourish only with army people. Yes. Security is a most important aspect, but only with defense can a country flourish? A country requires people like us to keep even our defense moving in right direction. If we don’t supply fuel to Defense, can defense perform to its fullest extent? They are also dependent on common man for their needs. So economy is interlinked and interdependent. There is no point in comparing the services of one department with other. Each one is precious and important in its own way and cannot be compared with each other.

Comparison requires some common base. We can only be compared with other Oil companies may it be public or private. We can also be compared with other oil companies which are MNCs. If media can sensibly compare our salaries with private sector and MNC Oil Companies, they will be astonished to find that we are being heavily under paid.

And even with this salary we have been cheerfully fueling the nation. Even at turbulent times we were with the country. We have been with the country during Kargil war, Tsunami and even when crude oil prices were soaring high to unimaginable levels. We have never turned our back even when crude oil price was soaring high at 147$ when all the private sector companies have vanished from the sight. One of our fellow companies was not having enough liquidity to even pay salaries to their employees, but still we worked with dedication. We have supply points even at Leh and Ladakh where our officers are working at sub zero temperatures to fuel our defense. There are many upcountry locations which doesn’t have proper work environment but we still work with all our might.

What was that we were expecting from our Government? Just a decent pay comparable with market to retain the best talents we have so that we can turn the wheels of economy further for the glory of all. Was it a crime to ask so? I don’t think so. And who are these bureaucrats to decide as to whether we deserve it or not. Who is deciding these bureaucrats salary? Is it a technocrat? No! Then why a technocrat salary should be decided by a bureaucrat who doesn’t know any ifs and buts of the business. We are paid salary from the money we make and don’t we deserve to take a share of what we have earned for the company after all? IT IS NOT TAX PAYERS MONEY. And, we are the ones who pay more taxes to the Government in the form of customs, excise, sales tax etc., etc., and also in the form of income tax. We never evade any tax. We pay tax even on one rupee we earn by shedding our sweat.

SO THE MEDIA & GOVERNMENT HAS NOW TAUGHT US A LESSON. THE LESSON IS, IF YOU ARE HONEST, SINCERE, DEDICATED AND INNOCENT TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU HAVE NEVER EVEN BOTHERED TO SHOW OFF TO PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE THE ONES WHO ARE DRIVING THE ECONOMY, THEN THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL GET BACK – A TITLE – “DESHDROHI”. A REAL LIFE HERO MADE VILLIAN ATLAST.

R.KAVITHA
AM(P)