LIfe is like that - Social Responsibilities

I was a college student then spending my time between either studying or running errands for home and my parents buying groceries, vegetables and other odd items.

Of us four brothers, I was assigned this specific portfolio; may be because my parents had their own mechanism of identifying their children’s core competence. They reckoned that here is ‘a guy who is not shy of making the best buy’ by getting into daily hard bargains with the same vegetable vendors!! and striking a deal even for a few paises/anna (4 , 8 annas of those days fame ) here and there ; made a significant difference to our family's budgeting and finance management !!.

It was on one of those occasions when on my return home after the daily routine , that conversation between my parents and me which changed my native outlook to ‘social responsibilities ‘ a paradigm shift that hold me in good stead even after decades .

Well, I was rendering the account for the money advanced to me for buying of vegetables and groceries items when my mother found that the balance was short!! "By five Rupee ".On her gentle enquires, I mentioned to her" Amma round the corner I came across a beggar (who was blind) with two small children and asking for some help and feeling pity them, I helped the family with five rupees. May be it will help them to have a cup of tea at least THANKS TO ME!!! ...."

While this conversation was on ( and I still remember the gentle smile of acknowledgement from my ever pious mother ) that I heard those providential statement in his inimitable base voice from my father .

"Look YOUR CHARITY IS FINE, NICE TO LISTEN TOO, BUT AT WHOSE COST ". Your have no right to be charitable in life at someone's cost. Tomorrow when you start earning you may even donate your entire salary I will not ask you why , but today , what you have done may be noble at one level and your mother may be impressed too but in my books , it's a violation of life's principles " .

He closed the subject of discussion with the usual punch line;

"WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO TAKE THE OTHER PERSONS' CONSENT FOR GRANTED, MORE SO WHEN WE ARE OPERATING FROM A POSITION OF TRUST AND AS A CUSTODIAN - ESPECIALLY MONEY"

So saying he moved off to his den (the balcony) leaving my mother dumbstruck.

I stood there alone vacantly staring at the floor and learnt from the incident yet another gospel truth, this time on FAMILY SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES (FSR).

Well , reflecting on the daily news that certain organizations are making with their pious pouring from the prosperity of business , I somehow get an uncomfortable feeling and my thought goes back to what my dad had advised me " CHARITY , YES BUT WHOSE COST ?". The question that looms large is the value system and an ethical issue. Can donation /contribution to various charitable institutions under banner of "Corporate Social Responsibilities "become a balance sheet item?? Especially when it’s done to meet more the personal agenda of the people in the helm of corporate affairs and more so to keep their social status soaring sky high in the world of
"vain –vanity".

The answer is begging the question, may be this article can serve some food for thought and same time provoke some internal debate for deliberation and discussion.

The bottom line in my books of wisdom is that the principle of "FSR is no different from the logic of its lateral application on CSR".

But then.....Life is like that, like it or leaves it. We have to live with the system.

Mohan Prasad
mohanprasad04@yahoo.com