Price of Peer Pressure

Some days ago my sister called me to say that she had a bad news for me; she said that she had quit her job and was sitting idle at home. Hers was a temporary job, and she was paid a daily wage, as is the custom with many of the medium sized and small nursing homes, who do not want to get into commitment with their nurses, and this is the third nursing home that my sister was working at. Since there are so many young girls looking for a job, the homes take it as advantage, to reduce their wages as low as possible. So apparently there was a stir among the nurses of this particular nursing home, and they demanded from the administration a higher wage for their duties. When the administration refused to give heed to their appeal, all the nurses resigned en masse.

There was peer-pressure, and it is hard to fight against peer-pressure in such a situation, since all of them help each other during their respective duties and exchange duty hours according to their conveniences. But at the other end of the spectrum is the loss of job. My sister would not demand a higher wage, she is not that courageous, but one or two of the courageous nurses might have coerced the others too to resign, and my sister was helpless, and was forced to tender resignation. Her friends are not going to help her get a better job, with better working hours, and a better wage. That may be none of their business, but ultimately who suffers. Peer-pressure is such a thing, where one is placed like a cat on the wall, standing between devil and deep sea.

Given the situation at home, my sister was badly in need of a job to make both ends meet, and sitting idly at home is not something she would like. There was a tone of sadness even as she narrated to me that she was waiting for a call from some other nursing home where she had applied. It is not easy to sit in the house doing nothing very substantial. One may even feel bored and wasting away, and that was what was happening to my sister, and all that I could encourage was to call up the very nursing home where she had resigned the job and check if they cared to take her back. She was not keen on doing that, because in that case she might lose her credibility and face. However she said she was ready to accept the offer if they called her back.

Going with a group has its advantages, especially if there are persons in the group who really care for me, and would support me come what may; but it also has its gray areas. It is a very delicate issue and there are chances for one to be wrong whatever he/she does. But it would be wrong to go with the group all the times, because one or two members of the group may divert the interests of the group and make use of it for their own benefit. The ultimate question that one must ask is this : does my flowing with the group going to help me now or later? If the answer is in the negative, then probably I should reconsider my following the dictates of the group. My conscience may be the better judge some times, and I should listen to it as and when I feel that way.

It is hard to stand by one’s conviction and resist the pressures of a group, especially if the group pressure could force one to give up personal convictions. But this is not impossible; what one may require is great amount of guts and courage to stand by personal convictions. It might have been alright if my sister had stood against the pressure of the group to resign, and resumed her job as usual. She might have to bear the dire consequences, but that could win the appreciation of the administration for her, not so much because she stayed back to work for them, but also because she had the courage to stand against group pressure. Sometimes it is worthwhile to stand by one’s convictions and resist the temptation of flowing with the group.

Cashing on Celebrations

When a friend of mine, who happens to be part of the administration of a prestigeous city college, which celebrates 150th year of its foundation, said that it costs them rupees twenty five lakhs, to setup a stage for the five day concluding celebrations of the jubilee, which would be attended by both the Prime Minister and Home Minister of the country. It is a matter of great pride for the college administration, and more so for the past students! I was just trying to imagine what twenty five lakhs rupees would amount to, and I can hardly imagine so much of money could be spent for a passing phenomenon as jubilee celebrations.

I had read a few days ago in a newspaper that the past students of the school and college had decided to raise about ten crore rupees (one billion rupees), to meet the expenses of the concluding celebrations of the jubilee. I dare not raise the issue if all these expenses are really required to celebrate the jubilee, and would it not be more proper to undertake a social or cultural project to commemorate the occasion! It is true the college and school administration are not going to spend so much money, but the past students are there to do their part to collect the money!

I wonder if we should blindly go in to spend money so lavishly, just because we are not going to spend from our pockets, and others are there to sponsor the expenses. I was told that one of the leading dailies and publishing house has undertaken the expenses of the stage (twenty five lakhs rupees), and the sponsor would have the honor to present mementoes to the Prime Minister, and the chief minister and other dignitories during the function. I find it hard to believe, leave alone accept this kind of planning and execution!

I am surely not against any meaningful celebration of the 150 years of commitment to value education to the nation; it is indeed time to reminsce and be grateful to God and nation for the glorious moments that have rolled by. In the light of the 250 odd families who have lost all their possessions at the Basanti Colony at Ultadanga Road railway station, I was thinking the twenty five lakhs rupees could have given them enough to restart their lives with dignity and honor; each of the families could have availed ten thousand rupees, which would have been enough for them to have a plastic or tin sheet over their heads and around them. The people would have been ever grateful to anyone who would reach out to them in such dire need!

It is true I am thinking out of the hat, and who would have thought that such a mishap would take place when no one ever expected; and when things have been already arranged, is it possible to cancel the celebrations, especially of the visit of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, and hand over the money to the people in need? I would have been happy if the institution had at least kept aside a portion of the money they were to spend on the celebrations for a specific developmental work, that would benefit the less fortunate ones. This was an occasion for the college and school administration to be different from the rest, and show the world how celebrations could be made more meaningful by sharing the joy with others, especially those would find it hard to smile!