They should not have chosen army and judiciary as their career

Two news stories in today's paper Lt. General gets three years RI in ration scam and SC seeks status report ob complaint against former Chief Justice of India amply throw light on the state of affairs in our country.



Other day we red two generals from the Army and a few Admirals are involved in Ararsh Housing Society scam. I am distraught like any other right minded person. Has the infection of corruption already rampant among politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen now insidiously spread itself among the judiciary and the armed forces?

Everywhere we turn today there are signs of ethical deterioration. In business, bright young people have made immoral millions by using insider-trading information. In government, hardly a day goes by without some public official being involved in an ethical dilemma. In education, there are cheating scandals among students, teachers and those who run these institutions.. Obviously, all these people, many of them supposedly outstanding citizens, believed that they had to cheat to win. They, along with many others, believe that nice guys finish last.


Both the judges and the generals forgot that Purpose is the Objective or Intention, something towards which you are always striving. It is not the same as a ‘goal’. A goal is tangible. It is something definite that you can accomplish. A purpose is ongoing. It gives meaning and definition to our lives. A goal can be to make money, but for a general or a judge, would they feel comfortable with that as the purpose in life? If yes, then they should have chosen to be tradesmen or businessmen in the first place. However, even for tradesmen, money would perhaps not be the purpose of life, although money may be a major goal. But for the judiciary, armed services, academia, researchers or many other professions like journalism, money can never be a major goal.




We have fortunately many silver linings around these few dark clouds. I think of the former Chairman of EXIM Bank of India, who after retirement moved from his company Napean Sea Apartment to a two bedroom apartment at Goregaon. He lived there content and peaceful. Another Managing Director of SBI retired and moved from Malabar Hill to Andheri and was not ashamed at the move. There is the Lt. General who retired as GOC in C and went back to a modest home in Santacruz, a suburb of Mumbai, from a sprawling bungalow in an army cantonment. All these and many more had a “purpose”. They looked for self actualisation in what they had chosen to do as a career. They took the remuneration that went with the career, without trying to compete with successful businessmen and industrialists. They had done a good job; enjoyed doing it; and moved off centre stage with pride, dignity and a sense of self worth!

In an age of eroding values, we need to salute them. These values will endure even when those who despise them have died.