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INDISCIPLINE VOLUNTEER SUPPORTED BY MANAGEMENT WHILE DEDICATED SENIOR BLAMED FOR PROTECTING LIVES OF VOLUNTEERS
Since we all volunteers have signed blindly (our faults totally – Ms. Anil & I never knew since we don’t know how to read Marathi) the declaration form that we will be responsible for any casualties and not the Trust, it was my duty to protect the lives of the junior volunteers against any harm, natural or unwanted.
A new volunteer named Amol arrives from Buldhana and right from the beginning showed disrespect towards seniors – the Group Leader Shambhaji and me – the senior most in the batch. When I admonished him and another new volunteer Atul from Amravati, they showed as if they didn’t cared much. His act of disrespect continued the next day when he showed his disrespect towards food twice. Shambhaji and Sanjay (MSW from Satara) were preparing chicken and the moment Amol saw, he reacted with a disgusting ‘cheee’. I hate individuals who show disrespect towards food. So I made sure that he should know that nothing in this world is truly vegetarian because in everything that we eat, breathe or else drink... living micro-organisms are present. I enlightened him the water we drink of the well is filled with big-big frogs, snakes, crabs, fishes and plenty of insects and that every vegetarian is a living beings.
The next day, only five volunteers were left – Trupti, Vijaya, Sanjay, Amol, Shambhaji along with me at Paankhalaya Base Camp. Shambhaji had to go to Dharni to fetch Gauri’s (the sick girl) belongings from another base camp... so it was my duty to lead the team. The dark clouds early morning were dangerous as cloud burst and lightning strikes are very common in Vidarbha. So I told the four volunteers – Trupti, Sanjay, Vijaya and Amol that we all will go to Khaparkheda instead of dividing the batch. Other villages – Gambhiri and Nagorthana were far off and one had to walk through open fields (dangerous when lightning strikes) and also in two villages the atmosphere is a bit hostile in nature. We were walking towards the village, Amol and Trupti trailed behind and even after repeated requests were showing – ‘I don’t care a damn attitude and arrogance’ and walking leisurely as if they were strolling in Botannical Gardens.
When I reached the village, I gave a nice hearing to both of them for being so indiscipline and I messaged Chandrakant Jagdale (Chandu) to please shift Amol from the batch ASAP. Because of Amol, Trupti who had been working zealously all these days showed a relaxing attitude in his company. When Trupti came to know that I had messaged Chandu, she requested me to forgive Amol for the last time... I told her point blank – ‘When a person shows disrespect on and on, I wouldn’t like such person to work in the batch. And I even told her, the moment we reach the Base, I will call Chandu.’ I called and Chandu was already at the Base Camp waiting for us.
Instead of taking the right action, Chandu blamed me for taking everybody together... I couldn’t believe that in front of everybody he said this and further blamed Suresh, the group leader from previous batch. After doing everything good with a selfless devotion for the movement, such a treatment surely made me sad and angry. Suresh, a medical student from Pune had done a great work with just four volunteers to serve the four villages given to him with insufficient supply of medicines. His team had built such lovely rapport with villagers that it was sad to see them shedding tears when he was parting from them. And I was astonished that Chandu blamed us for doing our jobs well...
Amol came to me and said he is sorry and said – ‘Sir you stay here and I will go to another Base Camp... but I had given him enough chance to act, and since I was not respected by Chandu for doing everything in my capacity to help with medicines, donations and volunteers... it was time for me to leave. Chandu said only once that this is not done... while all the other volunteers kept requesting me to stay... I told them – ‘Where I am not respected and treated in such a manner, my self esteem doesn’t allow me to work for such an organization.’ So at 1400 hours on 1st September I told Chandu I am leaving... and came back home, a sad but a relieved man for not supporting the mismanagement of the Trust!
I am truly shocked that instead of supporting the RIGHT, the management has supported the WRONG and blamed the RIGHT that it was WRONG to be RIGHT!
(... to be continued...)
Without honest, caring and organized people at the top, any organization will fail. Workers must have the support of the leaders, or all will fall apart.
ReplyDelete"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
ReplyDeleteWhen the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit."
~ Unknown
Acchaka ('Thank you' in Korku dialect) Catherine and you have rightly said...
ReplyDeleteUnknown acchaka for the inspiring poem... really appreciate your kind support and yes, i may quit only when death invites me in its arms... not otherwise!
cuidate :)