Dear,..........,
Hello. I touched on history in last two blogs. Today I will go back to my narrative on my AIR days. I described all my seniors during the initial period there in AIR. I can not move ahead without describing two interesting characters. They were senior technicians and both of them were about ten years senior in age to me. Both of them were always trying to boss me. They were in junior post than mine and they could not bear to see me as their senior. But they were cross with each other too. They were always at daggers drawn against each other. Each one of them was trying to influence me to side with him and his way of thinking. And I was always trying to avoid both of them without letting them know that I was doing that. One of them tried to educate me with management of my finances. He lectured me about devaluation of money and absurdity of saving for future. He brainwashed me to such an extent that I fought with the Accounts staff. There is a mandatory requirement of putting a minimum percentage of salary in General Provident fund. My minimum amount worked to some Rs. 38/- per month.The Accounts person told me to deposit Rs. 50/- a round figure. I argued with him against paying a higher amount than mandated. Ultimately I remember that it was Rs. 40/- to which I agreed. At the end of every financial year we were issued with a statement detailing total investment and interest earned on the deposit. This continued for about three years. Then by chance my colleague who had joined six months later than me in the same post as mine, showed me his statement. I was surprised to see that his balance in the account was about four times than mine. I told him the "devaluation" story of the senior technician. He laughed at me and said that both of us were fools. Then without further discussion with my initial advisor, I increased my contribution to the fund. I was on a path to looking at better balance every year. In times of need I would withdraw a percentage of the deposit to help me during financial tough situations.
We had a peon in the section. He was a very interesting character. He was blind in one eye. He was named Gulam Bhat. He was a Tonga driver by profession initially. He owned a couple of horses and a Tonga carriage. He lived at Rainawari. I was told a story about the manner he got a peon's job in Radio Kashmir. It so happened that there was some minor work in the Radio Station. The Installation officer needed to have a casual labourer for two weeks. He would be paid two or three rupees a day. At the end of two weeks, he was paid the full amount as final settlement. He went home. Next day early in the morning he took his wife and three children with him in his tonga. He also carried his ration card with him. He reached the Chief Ministers residence. The Chief Minister would hold a public meeting once a week at his official residence. When his turn came, he walked to the Chief Minister seated in his chair. His wife and three children were following him. He handed over his ration card to the Chief Minister and walked away leaving his wife and children to stay with the Chief Minister. While walking away, he told that Chief Minister that in his government poor people like him have only one alternative and that is to commit suicide. Then he said that he would be drowning himself in the river. He asked the CM to take care of his family. The CM was taken aback. He called him but he continued walking away without evening looking back. The CM shouted to an officer and asked him to physically stop him and bring him back. Gulam Bhat was brought back. The CM asked him to explain his problem. In reply he told him that he had been working in Radio Kashmir and yesterday he was paid his dues and asked not to come to office from the next day. The secretary to the CM took all the details. The ration card was returned to Gulam Bhat and he was told to take his family back to home. He was assured that justice would be done to him.
The CM's secretary contacted the Director of Radio Kashmir. He was a Kashmiri Muslim too. His name was Mohd. Yusuf. (Incidentally he happened to be GMD's brother. - Remember GMD? If not see my 15th May Blog) The secretary asked him why Gulam Bhat had been terminated. The Director knew nothing. He checked with the administration. They did not know too. The Installation Officer had come from Delhi and he worked independent of the local system. The IO had finished the job work and was readying to leave for Delhi. The Director called the Chief Minister's office and conveyed the facts. The CM was informed. The CM (Bakshi Gulam Mohd) was a very strong autocratic type of a ruler. He told the Director that Gulam Bhat has to be given a job otherwise he (Gulam Bhat) would rock his (CM's) chair. Radio Kashmir had a vacancy of a peon and Gulam Bhat was appointed to that post same week. I checked this story with Gulam Bhat and he confirmed that it was so.
Gulam Bhat was put on shift duty. One late evening there was some transport problem in the office. Gulam Bhat was relieved earlier and asked to go home on his own. He is reported to have left without registering a protest. Next day he came to office riding a horse. He tied the horse to a tree in the office front lawn. The leash was loose enough for the horse to munch grass from the lawn. The director came to office and was surprised to see the horse in the front lawn. Gulam Bhat was summoned to present himself before the Director. He was asked "What is this? To this Gulam Bhat replied that he had not been provided transport on the previous evening. Then he said that people have cars and bikes to reach office. He said that he does not have a car nor a bike. He has a horse. Then he said that everyone parks his vehicle inside the premises and he has also done the same. Gulam Bhat was asked to go. He was promised that he would not be given evening shifts. Everyone in office would be scared of him. No body could guess what he would do next to put them on the wrong foot.
His two sons, Bashir Ahmed and Mehrajudin also were employed to Grade D jobs in AIR Srinagar. But their employment happened without any tricks by Gulam Bhat.
Bye today.
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