Arjun: Hey Bhagwan! Main toh ab pareshan ho gaya hoon! (I am fed-up!)
Shrikrishna: What happened? Now you have got ample time to file the tax returns. No tension of extension!
Arjun: True. But I am not talking of that.
Shrikrishna: Covid is also subsiding. Activities are reviving. Then what is your pareshani?
Arjun: These election candidates! Every day dozens of messages. I have asked my assistant to delete all such messages without even opening them.
Shrikrishna: Then what is the difficulty?
Arjun: Phone calls! The candidates phone, then their assistants keep on calling. Some of them have even appointed agencies to follow up with voters.
Shrikrishna: Oh!
Arjun: And candidates come personally and keep on requesting for references. It’s a big nuisance.
Shrikrishna: But you can’t avoid elections. By the way, when are the elections?
Arjun: The 3rd and 4th of December. So this month there will be continuous bombarding of messages. Some of them want me to go with them for canvassing.
Shrikrishna: Good. Your PR increases.
Arjun: Ah! Such PR is of no use. And I know many candidates who are absolutely useless. They have no professional standing, no recognition as knowledgeable members. Even their integrity is doubtful.
Shrikrishna: Then it is all the more necessary that you should be alert in voting.
Arjun: I don’t even feel like going for voting. But they don’t allow us to sit at home. They keep on ringing us.
Shrikrishna: But democracy is a big value. It is a boon to the citizens. You must honour it.
Arjun: Agreed. But these elections are dangerous. They are a mockery of democracy.
Shrikrishna: It is up to you to maintain its value.
Arjun: Two of my friends are contesting. But our community votes are getting divided.
Shrikrishna: Oh! Community matters?
Arjun: What do you mean? It matters the most. Rather, it alone matters.
Shrikrishna: So it means there is no difference between your Council elections and your country’s elections.
Arjun: Absolutely. Now the problem is that the younger generation is mostly in corporates. They have no connect with the profession. Many times they don’t even bother to take membership of the Institute.
Shrikrishna: Then what is the meaning of their degrees?
Arjun: Yes, it’s a fact of life. Now, it is a task to bring these people to vote. There is total indifference.
Shrikrishna: Isn’t there any Code of Conduct?
Arjun: Conduct ko maro goli! All ethics are crushed in the election process. The organisers of seminars even go to the extent of promoting only their preferred candidates. They even avoid inviting the other candidates to speak as a faculty.
Shrikrishna: So, all kinds of politics?
Arjun: Yes. In the good old days, canvassing was strictly prohibited. Knowledge, reputation, good work was the only canvassing. But now, the less said the better.
Shrikrishna: But then how are you discharging your duty as a member? Are you a silent spectator when ethics are killed? Like Bhishma and Drona in the Mahabharat – who remained silent when Draupadi was humiliated?
Arjun: What you say is right. But what can I do?
Shrikrishna: There is a lot that you can do. You may spread the message – motivating the maximum number of people to vote. And that, too, purely on merits. Try to tell people that in professional matters community, caste, creed should not matter.
Arjun: Every time I decide to do what you are saying… But in reality it does not happen. It consumes a lot of our time and energy and our work suffers. Everybody thinks ‘Yeh aisa hi hota rahega’ (It will continue as it is!)
Shrikrishna: There should be some collective action. Something like a movement. You discuss with a few like-minded friends and start this campaign. Act now. Otherwise, you have no right to complain.
Arjun: What you say is right. We must act. If we remain silent spectators, things will further deteriorate.
Shrikrishna: And remember, the candidates whom you elect are going to lead the profession. They should be such who command respect for their knowledge and integrity. They should be able to represent your profession. And most importantly, they are going to sit in judgement to decide the cases of misconduct. So, they should themselves be ethical.
Arjun: I wholeheartedly agree. If we fail in our duty, we are ourselves to blame. We cannot afford to be indifferent.
Shrikrishna: If you fail in your duty to vote properly, that in itself will be an unethical act on your part.
Arjun: Bhagwan, thanks for opening my eyes. I will do what you say.
Shrikrishna: Tathaastu
!! OM SHANTI !!
[This dialogue is intended to make the members aware about their duty in respect of the Council elections and to be more careful and serious about the same]
