
‘Humpty Dumpty’ sat on a wall, and of course he had to fall. In such circumstances the king’s men always try but are never able to put him together again; not in the same form at least.
Some say unwieldy ‘Humpty Dumpty’ was a potato, some link it to a large cannon of the same name in the town of ‘Colchester’ in England, that fell down the fort ramps, and broke, such that it could never be put back, in time to be able to fend off the advancing troops. Today we talk of large unwieldy corporations & their employees
There are many businesses that become large, sitting balanced on border stones; between land of virtues on one side and of lesser scruples on the other. As is often said, grass on the yonder is always fonder, there are many who are tempted to cross the fence, or say fall into the devil’s side.
Few examples being, ‘Lehman Brothers’-‘E&Y’; ‘Satyam Computers’ -‘PWC’ ; ‘Enron-Aurther Andersen’ ; ‘Facebook’ -‘Zukerberg’s’ appearance before the ‘Congress’; lately we see Whatsapp struggling to answer security issues. In India we saw ‘Nestle’ fighting for a can of worms(literally). A quick google about ‘ Companies associated with the ‘Holocaust’ ’, surprising throws up a bunch of world renowned brands, which are alleged to have profited from it.
But who is to judge Humpty Dumpty’s fall? Sometimes gravity does the job with no one to blame. An error here, an oversight there. But most times, it’s the integrity of the promoters to blame. The road to riches is full of shortcuts, with luscious damsels (or things more gender neutral) trying to woo ‘Humpty Dumpty’. Of course the promoters do have their own compulsions, or at best excuses, especially where integrity is not questionable, but then equity investors are no less than luscious damsels, aren’t they?
What transpires through honest, loyal, long serving employees, when they come to know of the questionable ethics of their employers, who they were in awe of ? Fortune Magazine named Enron “America’s Most Innovative Company” 6 years in a row prior to the scandal. Reason enough for loyal employees to be misled about the pedigree of their employer?
Is it easy for an executive to walk out of an organisation, solely based on the events which unravel, himself never in the wrong!
If accusations are proven or established, will the employees continue to hold the same respect and longing for the workplace which was their home since long? How does it feel to be complicit for an cause which they unknowingly worked for?
If accusations are not proven, and life carries on as usual will they regain the passion for their jobs?
‘Karna’ is an intriguing character in the Indian mythological epic ‘Mahabharata”, who makes for fascinating reading in this context. Born of ‘Kunti’, the ‘Pandva’s’ princess, who abandons him as an infant, he aligns himself with the unjust Kaurava Prince ‘Duryodhana’ his benefactor. ‘Karna’ although himself a man of integrity, an archer & warrior par excellence who could not be vanquished by anyone in the battlefield, also known as ‘Daanveer’ i.e. epitome of benevolence, compromises by siding with the evil, in the war between the Pandavas & and Kauravas, because of his loyalty toward ‘Duryodhana’.
His character is portrayed as that of a hero, who fell into wrong company, yet he is the most lovable characters in the epic (at least in the villan camp). A fervent plea by ‘Lord Krishna’, asking him to switch loyalties towards the righteous, has him refusing to budge due to his sense of duty towards someone who was his benefactor’, finally ends up going down fighting in the holy war of ‘Kurukshetra’. A war in which Lord Krishna revealed the ‘Gita’ (The ‘Gita’ comprehensively lays down the guiding principles for human behavior. A scripture vast enough for a lifetime study)
In todays world; caught in a battle between good and evil, more so when the shades of grey outnumber the stars in the sky, what would be your stand, if you found yourself surrounded by an employer with questionable values? Will you be a Karna, demonstrating your loyalty, or go down fighting the evil, or will you tirelessly sit deposing before the ‘Congress’.
