I was at home this weekend.
Reason?
Well I am at liberty to not to disclose that...he he.
No. Nothing particular. But yes, the prospect of spending a long weekend at home was enough to cause this visit. One leave and you get a four days long break and those nostalgic fragrances of mom's kitchen throughout the mini vacation!
Tempted already...? Apply a leave :-)
Uh oh! Wait a sec...What is the title of this post? Those fragrances led me away from the subject.
So it is about this guy I met on the way back to Chandigarh on the 26th. A south Indian working at some Bharat Forge, in a division specializing in Crankshaft manufacture for medium to heavy diesel engines, was on a quality improvement and troubleshooting tour at Swaraj Mazda.
Come on! Don't tell me you don't know what a Crankshaft is?
What...? Okay. Agreed.
How will you know as you have not been exposed to such stuff. Also agreed that there are many things that you may know but I don't. No doubts about that..But at least have a look at the Crankshaft.
Are we comfortable now? Lets continue...
As a passenger, I avoid making friends so I was just being formal and precise (someone will smile at me being precise!) towards about his inquiries but you can sense when you connect to someone and tend to involuntarily open up.
I can't recall much of the discussion but it began from the manufacture of crankshaft and its inherent difficulties. Terms like expansion coefficient, tolerance, heat-deformation were discussed and I was pretty much able to follow him.
It was not his technical prowess that impressed me but the thought process with which this person was pursuing the visit.
It was noble.
I came to know that he was here to analyze the causes of failures (apparently this cold wave had caused much more failures than anticipated), suggest improved diagnostic techniques, collaborate etc
But his mission was not to earn a praise or look up to an appraisal or to flaunt his technical might at the others back at Pune....or at me. He was concerned about the association of the two companies. For he viewed that association as the bread and butter of many thousands of workers. All from the lowest grade laborer onwards. He was aware of the crisis that may occur if he fails to resolve the issue with Swaraj Mazda as a lost customer may mean lay offs in a particular division if viewed at a bit higher scale.
"All businesses shall grow. No company shall shut down'".
While quoting above, his concern was whole class of individuals that are associated with a particular industry.
He seemed to be at no more than a senior engineer's rank. But the vision and thoughts that he possessed were even more enlightening than that of many CEO's around. If at a higher management position, such a person will aim for not only profits and processes but also for the spirit of belonging to a nation and bringing forth changes that really matter to everyone alike.
But our engineer had his own doubts as well. All those common to every organization where some people are fearing loss of control and others are too closed to think beyond multiplying number of machines rather than improving processes to improve productivity. He was unable to see why we are not having common rail and turbo charged engines in the traditional vehicles that still ran on age old, unreliable and failure-prone technologies.
As in Gandhiji's Talisman that used to be inscribed at the opening page of my every N.C.E.R.T textbook:
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he [she] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [her] to a control over his [her] own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?
Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
That is the Indian that should be. And then India would Be. For the world to witness its glory.
Goodnight!
