The other day my friend Herambha Shastri was in introspective mood. I felt he certainly came of age. It means now he is not a just an aged colleague but a matured one. He must have done a lot of thinking over (in his full-time thinking and part-time practice) what the role of a chartered accountant is.
When Herambha started to elaborate this issue, what is the role of a chartered accountant — a hero or a villain, or the most vulnerable character actor in the film? Is he a friend, philosopher and guide? Is he a partner in the nation-building? Is he being an auditor watchdog or a bloodhound or the HMV dog (His Master’s Voice)?
Herambha pulled the first string. “When you finally pass the Final C.A. examination you feel that you are a hero or heroine (look at the percentage of girls passing C.A.). But when you appear for the first time before an Assessing Officer — the ‘first fault-finding authority’ in the Income-tax Department, he makes you feel ‘zero’ with his bureaucratic arrogance and ignorance of basic tenets of justice. He is always on a different page. For reasons best known to him or to you, you are a villain of Income-tax Department. As time passes, you develop a thick skin to bear the brunt of comments of the income-tax authorities for the acts of omission and commission in terms of statutory compliances by your clients. You harbour a feeling of a vulnerable character actor in Hindi flick deserving no awards or cheers, neither in the theatre, nor outside the theatre. You are constantly nagged by the clients and the Department.
Next salvo by Herambha was about the role of C.A. as a friend, philosopher and guide. “Well, my dear friend, we are often referred to as a friend, philosopher and guide, particularly in the co-operative sector.” Any seminar on co-operative societies either begins or ends with a statement from the organiser or the faculty that “a chartered accountant is a friend, philosopher and guide” drawing thunderous applause from the audience, especially from C.A.s in the audience. It is a matter of serious research who coined this phrase ‘friend, philosopher and guide’. One can understand the terms friend and guide, but what about ‘the philosopher’. What philosophical need is there in the co-operative sector? God knows!
As soon as I begin to think over this, Herambha broached the next issue “Is C.A. a partner in nation-building?” We always proclaim that we are partners in nation-building. Are we really partners in nation-building? Supplementary question arises, are we sleeping or seasonal partners? Or are we minors admitted to the benefit of partnership? What are we?
While exploring this point, Herambha narrated a situation in a five-star hotel. Suppose a chartered accountant suddenly goes on long leave no one would bother or notice. But if the chief chef of the hotel were to go on long leave, it would create havoc in the kitchen. In short, Herambha concluded we chartered accountants produce nothing except compilations of facts and figures which supposedly present a true and fair view (a rare case indeed). Herambha gave very simple reasoning why we are partners in nation-building. We are so, because the Institute of C.A. of India is set up by an Act of Parliament.
Eventually Herambha came to the last issue. Is C.A., as an auditor, a watchdog or bloodhound or HMV dog? Herambha elaborated, “Look my dear friend, qualities of watchdog or bloodhound have evaporated over the years. C.A. is neither a watchdog nor a bloodhound; in most of cases he plays the role of an HMV dog. I mean, he just listens to the orders of his master.
It is said that we should not compromise our independence for any fear or favour while discharging our professional duties/responsibilities. This is all in theory. But in reality you can’t compromise your dependence for independence. On this point I could not argue with Herambha, because I started introspecting myself what role do I play as a chartered accountant?
