The popular author John Grisham once quoted:
‘I’m alone and outgunned, scared and inexperienced, but I’m right’.
The above few lines summarize it all: it is difficult to
walk on the right path because people will leave you, they will try to
overpower you, they will create fear in your mind and your lack of experience
will tempt you to change the path. Never change the path because it is easy to
be corrupt but it is difficult to be righteous.
I was waiting at airport lounge for my next flight to my
next destination. I had to deliver a seminar about righteousness, and I was just
summarizing my notes. There was a gentleman sitting just in front of me whose build
conveyed that he is a model. I like to meet people and learn from them, and my
interest forced me to interact with him.
Our conversation started on our destination and I ended up
in surprise. He was not a model, he was Indian Army officer. His name is
Captain Rahul and he was proceeding on leave to Goa. As our conversation
further grew, we discussed on national security, politics and foreign relation.
Our conversation grew on honesty and then reached ‘righteousness’. I said it is impossible to walk on right path,
and to my surprise he said it is difficult but it is not impossible. I asked
how, and he narrated me his personal experience which was highly interesting.
When he was in unit then he was given a ‘sahayak’ which
means helper but termed as buddy. A job of the buddy is to assist the officer
when he is busy in office doing important things, he will manage his room, bring necessity items and
many more things. He is like a friend but not equal to a friend. He knows what
his ‘sahib’ wants and what he need.
So, Captain Rahul used to ask him to bring 1 litre of
milk from an outside vendor. The milk cost Rs. 44 per litre and he did not mind
paying that. Other than that he was authorised 500ml of milk in his ration
given by the government which was not sufficient in respect to his heavy diet. In the same way the Jawans are also authorised ration
in which milk is one of the items. One day, the buddy asked him, to speak to
ration NCO who was handling ration of Jawans to send 1 litre of milk. His idea was
why to buy milk from outside, if it can be taken from the authorised ration of
Jawans. The buddy also added that very few Jawan utilize their authorised milk
and rest go as waste.
After listening to everything, Captain Rahul had two
choices.
1. Talk to ration NCO and force him to send the milk which is
authorised for Jawans. This will be fine example of corruption but it will save
his Rs. 44 every day. The easy path.
2. Follow the right path, refuse to do so as that milk is not
his, but it is for jawans. Difficult path.
What decision he made? This was the question revolving in my
head. I asked him, ‘what decision you took?’.
He told his buddy, that it is wrong. Today, he will take
that 1 litre of milk every day and some of his subordinate will see him. Tomorrow,
his subordinate will do the same and day after tomorrow someone else will do. There a time will come when you guys will blame that ‘sahib’ is taking advantage
of his position and even did not leave ration of Jawans. How pity?
‘Wrong is Wrong and I will only follow right’.
This was a small incidence, but corruption starts from a
small thing which seems to be very minor. It will become habit tomorrow
and that Rs. 44 per day will become Rs. 44000 after a year and after ten year
it will become Rs. 44 lakhs.
I asked him who taught you this. He told me that when he was
in Indian Military Academy as Gentleman Cadet, the commandant of academy Lt.
Gen Manvender Singh, AVSM, VSM addressed the academy centrally. He said, 'to be
righteous is difficult, all the wrong things will tempt you but it will be your
inner strength and the training given here which will make you walk on the
right path'.
At Indian Military Academy, it is taught
I SHALL NOT CHEAT, STEAL OR LIE
OR
TOLERATE THOSE WHO DO SO
The first line in the above phrase is easy to follow, but
the last one is difficult to do so. Your wisdom will hold your hands and one
day you will follow the difficult path which is mentioned as ‘tolerate those
who do so’.
The Captain ended his narration on this note.
‘Once a Spartan will always remain a Spartan.’
His small incidence made me think that how many of us would
not gone for that shortcut which was offered and depicting by the other person
that it is right but it was not. Yes, it is difficult but not impossible.
Thanks, Captain Rahul for making me realize that it is not impossible, it is
just difficult.
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