Dear Editor,
Chanakya’s advise is relevant for all the times. He advises not to be disappointed when nobody stands in support. He further says “I am thankful to those who left me. Because they taught me I can do it alone” That is the positive thinking. Positive thinking does not allow a man to fall down. Sometimes friends and relatives desert not because they want to teach and make others understand that one can survive without their support. The motive would be only to take pleasure in the fall of the persons and to make them understand that they cannot survive without their support. When support from known friends and relatives withers, the person who is deserted goes in search of new friends and new relatives. By hook or crook the person who stands alone will invariably try to do alone anything that he wants. A person is not alone if he has the habit of reading and writing. The habit of reading and writing does not disturb others. A good part of the time is taken away from the time likely to be used for unproductive purposes. People alien to the habit of reading and writing feel alone and go into depression if such people are deserted by the people who were once close to them. “Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person”, says he. Between the lines, it must be understood that reading is an essential part of human life. It is said, it is easy to forgive enemy but difficult to forgive friends. Chanakya says “Governance is possible only with assistance. A single wheel does not move”. Even a monarch could not rule without taking the assistance of his minister. In his governance it is the brain of the minister that plays more important role than monarch’s. Doing is easier than extracting work from others. But it is impossible for an individual to do the work of all others. Assistance from all others is absolutely necessary. It is here that the governance matters. Chanakya has left a beautiful message when he says “When the king becomes stronger and controls the nation, petty thieves, terrorists and traitors feel the heat and complain of intolerance in the society”. It is always good to be good to good elements and bad to bad elements. A strict officer, who maintains his loyalty to his department, has more haters than officers who are lenient to his subordinates. A strict officer rules his subordinates whereas a lenient officer is ruled by his subordinates. Chanakya is against being too honest. He rightly believes “straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first”. This is 100 per cent true particularly in government departments and government undertakings. More work is extracted from honest and sincere persons. Employees not used to work sincerely and honestly are allowed to go scot-free being unable to tame such persons. This may not be so in the case of private sectors where an employee can be thrown out at the drop of a hat for misconduct. But recalcitrant employees in government departments cannot be easily eased out. By the time the officer is obliged to build-up the file against a disobedient employee, the officer feels it better to extract work from obedient, sincere and honest workers than to ‘fight’ with a disobedient employee. Definitely honest people are screwed first. Chanakya asserts “The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all directions”. (Badness spreads faster than goodness). Chanakya advises to learn from the mistakes of others. Because one cannot live long enough to make them all oneself. It is no regret if a man’s life duration does not permit him to make all the mistakes. Chanakya very well asserts that no virtue is needed if one has a good disposition. A fame dispenses with the need of other ornamentation. “Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous”. Very much correct. When a dog barks, if the man tries to run away, it chases him and may even bite. But when the barking dog is at least shouted back, pretending that its barking is not at all feared at, one can somehow escape from there. Pretention is not a good culture. But at times it is necessary when the life is in peril.
K.V. Seetharamaiah