Monday Musings: Demanding plugging the leaks can be suicidal
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By Amitabh Srivastava, Edited by Adam Rizvi, The India Observer (TIO): What happened in India last week was ironic, though by no means unique.
Those who demanded that leaks in the education and examination system be plugged were vilified. Some were metaphorically wrapped in white sheets and admitted to hospitals, while others found police cases filed against them.
Meanwhile, those responsible for the leaks—leaks that allegedly drove several hardworking young students to despair and even suicide—were celebrated as saviors of the nation and its future.
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To rub salt into the wounds, they were happily adding to their numbers in the Indian Parliament.
What lessons does this hold for humanity?
Experience teaches us many lessons, yet we often refuse to learn them—deliberately, knowingly, and with our eyes wide open.
Why does this happen?
I’m not sure, but I can make a few guesses.
First, we believe we are smarter than everyone else.
Second, we assume those who got caught were simply fools.
Third, we convince ourselves they were born under unlucky stars, while ours shine more brightly.
Until it is too late.
Only then do we repent, complain, and vow to learn from our mistakes.
All these thoughts came crashing over me like a giant wave last week and almost drowned me on a deeply personal level.
For some time, I had been hearing whispers about money laundering by certain insiders, but I refused to believe the sources. I assumed they were biased, driven by personal rivalries or office politics.
Then one day, I heard the exact figures repeated to me—right to my face.
The numbers seemed exaggerated beyond imagination. But month after month, the alleged siphoning continued until the breach became so enormous that it threatened to swallow our entire universe.
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That was when I decided to devote my body, mind, and soul to plugging the leak.
The retaliation was swift and overwhelming.
It left me exhausted, drained, and gasping for breath.
And this was not the first time.
Years earlier, in another organization, I believed my credentials and professional training gave me the freedom to speak honestly. The company was planning to establish distilleries in a state renowned for its spiritual heritage, while I found myself advocating prohibition.
It was never intended as an act of professional suicide.
At the lowest rung of the corporate hierarchy, we seldom know where our salaries ultimately come from. Because many of those around me were deeply religious—and still are—it never occurred to me that even the Indian Tobacco Company (ITC), while associated with tobacco, had diversified into healthcare and other sectors, including opportunities linked to medical tourism.
Such contradictions are not exceptions.
The real exceptions are those who continue to trust only what is written in their official briefs, believing that the printed word always reflects the whole truth.
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