The diminishing world of values
Saturday, 26 December 2009
Mahmudur Rahman
Amidst the cacophony, dust and claustrophobia of the sprawling Gulshan Avenue, the perceptive eye may catch the sight of one of the remaining residences with a pitcher and a tin mug just outside the entrance gate. It contains fresh, potable water for the weary and parched passers-by; it is one of the remaining vestiges of a world of values that is fast disappearing.
In the past there were several such homes that welcomed the traveller in such a fashion. Today, the difference in that one example is that the mug, previously left on top of the pitcher, now has a steel chain wrapped around the handle, to prevent it from being nicked.
Such are the ways of life. The mother cannot rest in the thought of sending her child to school but has to wait in all forms of weather outside the school itself. Gone are the days when the faithful mohalla rickshaw puller could be retained on a monthly basis to take the children to school and back and be on time. The lure of wealth, need and status has buried the values of self-righteousness for good. The characteristics of faith, dependability and courteousness have given way to stealth, dubiousness and surrender.
Values used to be taught at home but how can a parent dependent on graft to run the family inculcate values in the child? There used to be a time when those indulging in graft would be pointed at, singled out. Today they are looked up to and revel in their majority. Those that choose to take "the road less travelled by" are in the minority and often ridiculed as not 'being with it'.
Hence, the reflection of all this on the service levels whether they be in service sector-where the average rather than the actual holds sway in monthly bills; the quality of clothing rather than the individual that determines the service level one gets at the bank and the quantity of money spent decides the treatment from the telcos, if at all any service can be expected from them. And all the service comes from our own sons and daughters who, no doubt have found an innovative way to side-step such issues when they are confronted with them.
A politician who has chosen to remove himself from that world bemoans the fact that activist today require to be paid in cash or kind and is no longer driven by idealism, That in turn has probably brought about a reduction in the number of times the hapless wife would chide her spouse for indulging in what can only be described in Bangla as "nijer kheye boner mosh tarano".
There are no compulsions for people to follow traffic rules and even the bus driver's respect for the "private" car has fallen by the way. And educated or no, the rickshaw passenger and even those travelling in cars do not even think to chide the puller or driver for majestically going along the wrong way of a two-way road. Revolt has taken the place of respect towards experience and wisdom and quality of content is fast becoming a matter of the past.
Years ago the advice of this scribe to fresh joiners in a multinational was to take of their jacket and tie and get their hands "dirty". It is a philosophy that the scribe subscribes to even more so in this day and time. The quality of the product may be important but in this day of competition it's the service that is more likely to win the battle for the mind of the consumer. Better still win their hearts-for then they stay with the brand.
It could be that the set of values that one generation grew up with have become outdated and require change. Somehow, gut feel suggests this is one change that isn't exactly for the better. (The writer is a former head of corporate and regulatory affairs of British-American Tobacco Bangladesh and former CEO of Bangladesh Cricket Board. He can be reached at mahmudrahman@gmail.com)
Amidst the cacophony, dust and claustrophobia of the sprawling Gulshan Avenue, the perceptive eye may catch the sight of one of the remaining residences with a pitcher and a tin mug just outside the entrance gate. It contains fresh, potable water for the weary and parched passers-by; it is one of the remaining vestiges of a world of values that is fast disappearing.
In the past there were several such homes that welcomed the traveller in such a fashion. Today, the difference in that one example is that the mug, previously left on top of the pitcher, now has a steel chain wrapped around the handle, to prevent it from being nicked.
Such are the ways of life. The mother cannot rest in the thought of sending her child to school but has to wait in all forms of weather outside the school itself. Gone are the days when the faithful mohalla rickshaw puller could be retained on a monthly basis to take the children to school and back and be on time. The lure of wealth, need and status has buried the values of self-righteousness for good. The characteristics of faith, dependability and courteousness have given way to stealth, dubiousness and surrender.
Values used to be taught at home but how can a parent dependent on graft to run the family inculcate values in the child? There used to be a time when those indulging in graft would be pointed at, singled out. Today they are looked up to and revel in their majority. Those that choose to take "the road less travelled by" are in the minority and often ridiculed as not 'being with it'.
Hence, the reflection of all this on the service levels whether they be in service sector-where the average rather than the actual holds sway in monthly bills; the quality of clothing rather than the individual that determines the service level one gets at the bank and the quantity of money spent decides the treatment from the telcos, if at all any service can be expected from them. And all the service comes from our own sons and daughters who, no doubt have found an innovative way to side-step such issues when they are confronted with them.
A politician who has chosen to remove himself from that world bemoans the fact that activist today require to be paid in cash or kind and is no longer driven by idealism, That in turn has probably brought about a reduction in the number of times the hapless wife would chide her spouse for indulging in what can only be described in Bangla as "nijer kheye boner mosh tarano".
There are no compulsions for people to follow traffic rules and even the bus driver's respect for the "private" car has fallen by the way. And educated or no, the rickshaw passenger and even those travelling in cars do not even think to chide the puller or driver for majestically going along the wrong way of a two-way road. Revolt has taken the place of respect towards experience and wisdom and quality of content is fast becoming a matter of the past.
Years ago the advice of this scribe to fresh joiners in a multinational was to take of their jacket and tie and get their hands "dirty". It is a philosophy that the scribe subscribes to even more so in this day and time. The quality of the product may be important but in this day of competition it's the service that is more likely to win the battle for the mind of the consumer. Better still win their hearts-for then they stay with the brand.
It could be that the set of values that one generation grew up with have become outdated and require change. Somehow, gut feel suggests this is one change that isn't exactly for the better. (The writer is a former head of corporate and regulatory affairs of British-American Tobacco Bangladesh and former CEO of Bangladesh Cricket Board. He can be reached at mahmudrahman@gmail.com)