The Father figure in work place works in India. The Karta culture as they say is deeply embedded in the Indian mind. The following true story is worth sharing. The scene: Campus Recruitment for TCS @ Central University, Hyderabad Circa: 2000 Students were being interviewed by multiple panels under my supervision as Head of HR at TCS Hyderabad. In the break, one young HR panelist tells me of a girl MCA candidate, who was technically very sound, but likely to be rejected for some attitude problem. I asked how did they surmise that, to which he replied, Sir, she has left her fathers name blank on the application form and when asked why, she says that you are interviewing me for the job and not my father! I met this girl: very unglamorous, dowdily dressed and with a serious countenance. After a while I gathered that she had lost her father and only brother about six months ago in a bus accident. And it so happened that she lost her mother only a week ago due to a cardiac arrest. She was totally dejected with life, but still wanted to survive and face the world on her own. To cut the long story short, we took her, and during the interim period between selection and actually joining the company, I spoke to her Principal and appointed myself as her local mentor, of course with her consent. So far I was donning the hat of Head HR and just offering my help to support her financially with some special stipend from TCS and also give her some advice on her studies when needed. In course of time we developed an unseen bond of affection and one day I took her home, for her to meet my wife and three daughters. She was delighted and I was pleasantly surprised how my children accepted her. She passed out and later joined TCS training at Trivandrum. Meanwhile I had moved over to Mumbai on a corporate role as Global Head, HR Sourcing, and had an occasion to visit Trivandrum. When she learnt that I was around, she wanted to meet me. That was 18th of November, and I somehow remembered that it was her birthday. I never told her that and invited her to have dinner with me and one of my colleague another VP. I picked her up from her hostel and before we went to the restaurant, took her to Parthas, a clothes store, and asked her to choose a dress that I wanted to pick up for my daughter. She picked up a pista green shalwar kameez. Later when I went to drop her off, I gave her the packet and wished her happy birthday. She fumbled for a moment and with misty eyes said, Thank you Papa, you made my day! For the first time she called me Papa! PS: She kept in touch with me and my family. When my youngest daughter Pratichee became a Viva pop-star, she proudly flaunted all magazine and page 3 cuttings in her room claiming her sisters celeb status. She got married to a TCS colleague. Due to some prior engagement I couldnt attend the wedding, but my eldest daughter Mona did . She has since moved over to US and settled down there. I have no contact with her now, but we all do fondly remember her.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 14:23:24 +0000