At them I bnow

in a life spanning over sixty five years if I exclude first four years as having been lost in obscured memory, I single out some figures who have engraved in me by their uniqu charisma and personality. I must say that most of them have taught me some lessons or other some of which I might have ignored, forgotten and some had its impact on my life knowingly or unknowingly. Out of them all, two persons other than my parents and teachers have etched special place in my heart commanding my reverence wich will glow till my last breathe.

Here I embark upon to travel in my memory lane to express my experiences out of my associations with these two great personalities whom I look with gratitude. I rank these two personalities par excellence at top of all the managers I have come across in my life.

(1)

One of them is Mr. Prakash Nath Aindley my first boss in my professional career spanning over thirty nine years and the other is my senior colleague Ramesh kumar. Mr Aindley worked as my boss for ten years till I left him and the company. Ramesh kumar was my colleague, then my supervising officer and subsequently as a consultant to the organization when I was heading the project.

Mr Aindley was an electrical engineer and joined Hindustan steel Durgapur as Graduate Apprentice in 1958. He joined Bokaro Steel and headed its power distribution section from its commissioning stage when I joined as a Graduate Engineer. From then onward I watched him as a boss, as a manager, as a leader, as an administrator, as a human being, as an elder brother and as a father figure for ten long years. Today after a separation of thirty three years and when he has left his mortal remains while on the job, tears roll on my cheek at such advanced age and my whole frame inside and out bow at his dear lovable personality which in my professional life in an industry I has never seen. With prayer for the departed soul and with earnest desire to serve under this mentor and boss in every life I get, I am venturing to pen a few lines. While writing the scenes with clarity without haziness vividly dance before my mind eye because of their lasting impressions on an young mind. Under his iron exterior appearance to the new comers lay his soft heart just like a tender coconut under a hard shell.

He was hardly thirty five and was a grade four level officer when he was given the charge to establish the department .He established the department initially with four to five engineers and fifty workers which subsequently increased to forty officers and 180 work force attending and operating the department scattered all over the gigantic Bokaro steel plant to ensure uninterrupted power supply taking power from fragile external and internal sources. The Russian technology ate some places stipulated no interruption of power for a moment.. Today I look in disbelief with Indian fragile power system and inexperienced engineers and unskilled work force how could it be possible?

It is only Mr Aindley’s managerial magic and his skill in building of team to face the challenge.

He not only developed every body’s technical skill but the bondage of brotherhood with sense of dedication, honesty and sincerity with zeal to put up hard work. He illustrated them by example. His twelve hours a day work in the office backed up the follow up from house was an example to watch. That to all with smile without grumbling from him or from his family then consisting of his wife two small school going daughters .He used to remain present most of the time for any critical jobs or skillful jobs while encouraging ,patting and guiding them. We used to stay in plant when any strike notice was served in the department along with him. It was a joy to stay with him without fatigue and no break down remained unattended. Of course I take his meal coupons for my extra mutton plates as he usually brought chapattis and fruits from his house for himself. His success seems to have backing from Madam Aindley who perhaps never forced him to give priority to his family in place of the plant. Perhaps for the family D N W was the Deity.

Of life.

He never formed opinion on a man’s first appearance or on isolated incidents. Once seeing a over smartly dressed graduate engineer he asked me as to who was the gentle man wearing hare Krishna hare Ram kurta with hiippy cut hair style. But later as the engineer was posted under him I found him moved by the engineer’s caliber he kept the engineer in high esteem .In fact he maintained a diary for each executives and employees under him recording their performances for the whole year and based on this he used to write annual appraisal based on the total annual performances. It was revealed by his confidential assistant at a later date.

Unlike his peers coming to offices by four wheelers he used to come by scooter. Even he carried many of us as pillion when situation arises. This instead of giving a feeling on his miserliness impressed us the young engineers of his higher human values.

He never utilized his monthly entertainment power delegated by the company. Expenditure on tea and snacks over all his meeting were contributed by him as an example of treating them all as one family. Once I remember under my leadership one modification was under taken and successfully completed by departmental employees over a week long struggle. To appease the work force I requested him for some snacks for them during his evening visit. Instead of using his power from his money purse he brought out a note and gave it to bring snacks for the employees. I vividly remember the color of purse, time and place , this incident which touched my heart though is almost forty years old. A remarkable incident touching one’s heart remains engraved in memory.

He himself used to be present till a measure break down is rectified and plant was normalized and for all other breakdowns are followed up from his house on hour to hour basis. It did not matter whether it is night or holidays. Sincerity and hard work ,once he stayed, on the work spot virtually 24 hours for three days to restore normalcy relieving junior officers from time to time till the normalcy was restored. Unless asked or required on the spot during repair he never gave any technical suggestion and forced any order. He allowed technician the engineer work. That was his reposing faith and confidence on his subordinate’s technical capability.

Honesty, sincerity, hard work , love for all and behind strain action against wrong doing were worth noting. His issuance of a warning letter for not locking the room and reaction from our colleagues was an example. He issued an warning letter to all executives, they together met him to tell him locking and opening is not our job. But as he goes every day late he locks his room after switching off light without fail. That exemplary work melted our tone. With our assurance to not to repeat such conscience hurting indiscipline. He tore the letter as the letter was only a threatening and was not sent to damaging files.

I remember many incidents when I acted to over smart him to cover of my wrong doings, but now I realize he only excused me innocently after being sure that his true message has gone to my head and my colleagues’ heart.

Family love

Like any employee when admitted in hospital and if the employee family is absent he carries food on his own scooter from his house.

His wife visits the employee in hospital and on invitation she accompanies her husband to any family celebration of employee and take active part irrespective of the status of the employee. I remember after my marriage, his wife’s care and love for my wife later to my two daughters with reverence. His family support in his success is laudable.

Once I refused to travel 4 km in a wintry Sunday evening to collect data, when I was in B shift on the plea of transport as I had only a cycle. He sent my senior officer who came and he accompanied me walking four Km to collect the data ,when he reached there on his scooter and though he did not express , he understood the reason by touching me as I had no wintry cloth besides the problem of conveyance. He then never fired me on this account. But I got the message of importance of the instruction from a boss

A Unique celebration

There are around sixty departments which came in to being when Bokaro steel plant was commissioned. But only our department under the leadership of Mr Aindley celebrated the successful completion of five years without any financial burden to the company and without hampering the departmental functions.

The brotherhood and cooperative attitude among all its employees were displayed and any loop hole existing hidden or open got plugged up with renewed relationship. Brotherhoods in work place were exemplified.

We had Russian expert to guide us at initial stage of operation. The regard the experts developed by them for Mr aindley are worth recording with applause. As a result of his association Russian experts with their family became a part of our department family forgetting their nationality.

I was deputed for some time as technical officer to chief designer Mr Aindley’s boss. During that period my seniority was overlooked, as juniors from the department were sent for external training. It gave me heart burning. This was later repented by me when for my promotion Mr Aindley fought tooth and nail and used all his personal influence apart from official for getting a post and promoting me.

Sameresh Singh was a MLA of Bokaro with rough behaviors , he came for some undue favor for an employee. Mr Aindley was a middle level officer with no personal people with him in his department. The way he handled him is an example to remember. With silence and courtesy remaining calm and composed he listened to him without reply turning deaf ears to his undue demands. When Samresh Singh was burnt out he left. But he did not give any undue favor and also did not take any visible action in favor or against. A lesson such vagaries are part of managerial life.

Once I punished three of my electricians as gr1 officer by sending them out of work place due to their indiscipline, going for tea just after reaching the work spot without taking works assignment from me. They had MLA and union leaders backing they went and met him .I was only told when they apply for leave you grant it .It solved the problem without any burning or letting down my ego as boss or my way of maintaining discipline.

I was playing table tennis, kabaddi, hockey chess with standard to represent the company but it hampered work of the department. I had a feeling he never perhaps like it. Hence I was managing with a fewer number of absences from the department and used to give him external pressure for leave. But once he invited me to his house to play with his father who visited him and I had dinners all those days and spoke high of my sportsman caliber. This changed my inner feeling on him and his relation with game and hidden pride for his departmental colleague before others.

He had an entertainment power. He never used it , the departmental meetings tea was served from his own salaried money. I now take the credit that I broke his style by forcing him to spend it on our 4 year celebration with encouraging support of all departmental brothers. The scene I still remember as elder brother conceding to younger brothers.

I remember I was so much motivated by his advice that I carried the tube light on my scooter with a technician as pillion rider and developed garden by carrying manures from other area with my technicians without grumbling.

My farewell 

I left the company and the department to join another company. The touching farewell he arranged now brings tears to my eyes. I feel if I get another opportunity to serve under him I shall give better than my best come what may ever .

His Success

By divine Traits of simplicity, faith

BY True Love

By Example , Hard works, honesty, dedication

By Family support

By divine Traits of simplicity, faith

 

(2)

The other gentle man is Ramesh Kumar who was just three years senior to me but in my eye he was thirty times knowledgeable, hard working, sincere so on and so forth to me. I wonder how such energy and such zeal the Almighty had showered on one individual and simultaneously kept himmained unheard and unsung. Only a few who were fortunate to come in contact woth them still look at him with awe.

 I venture to start with the painful incident i.e his death questioning the Almighty who is known for his rewards to good soul and for good deeds. Was his premature death a reward for him and his dear ones?

On that fateful day he was number one i.e. sight-in-charge of his company having ten vehicles at his disposal. He returned as usual, late from office around 8 pm. As earlier committed to his youngest school going son for getting a Personal Computer he took his son by scooter to Angul market four Km away from his residence instead of any car to fix the deal or to fetch the computer. A motor cycle hit him and both of them fell down with scooter. As principle while on his scooter he always used to wear helmet but that day he missed it. He was found unconscious and stayed in the same condition for three days before he left for his heavenly abroad leaving all his acquaintance in grief and tear even till date.

His first wife died in spite of his best effort leaving one daughter and a son when he was only thirty five years old. He married again to a widow who had a daughter as per his choice to give justice to womanhood. But unfortunately she lied after four years of conjugal life leaving a son whom Ramesh kumar nurtured and brought him up by self cooking daily after coming from job and before going to duty.

He never sits idle. Some work or other he will be doing always. Usually in night shifts when there is less load of work we used to doze off, he never did. He used to do hundreds modification by his own hand for the running the plant. Of course we had some tripping because of some lapse. But his Boss used to tell if you work you have to face so. In one word He was workaholic.

He was an electrical engineer par excellence and later because of his position he mastered the construction supervision technology of civil mechanical works also. At age of sixty he used to climb to drum level floor of the boiler every day on half constructed ladder with many barricades on the way. I must tell , it was only God gifted stamina and strength which inspired other young sight supervising engineers to emulate.

During his conversation with me towards last part of his life I could know he had not made any house neither he had married of his elder son and daughter who were not near him but were not settled. The youngest son was in eighth class when he left his mortal body practically on my lap. This family side setback never did deter his zeal and dedication to his official job. Now I look with disbelief and with a feeling of indebtedness on behalf of the society that he did little for his family while doing so much for the company and country. His wives from above and children on the earth may be blaming him for his injustice in distributing his time and labor between family and office. But it must be getting upset by the boons and blessings of benefitted thousands of the society.

Ramesh Kumar left Bokaro to join M/S Dastur for better prospect. He was recognized as jewel in the company. When I took charge of project with Dastur as project supervisor and the project was getting delayed I insisted for his posting at our sight. Dastur listened to it. When he came to our sight with a new lease of life and vibration the sight got transformed. His firing with words uttered at the general project sight to all not sparing his client engineers and exemplary dedication inspired one and all at sight. It was a matter I still wonder such language such harsh words how could people from all departments from contract labor to client engineer could tolerate. I am sure the words had solid backing of elder sisterly love. My hats off to such technology which has never been deliberated upon. I have watched and seen how much pain he was taking to create enthusiasm among all to learn and he was exemplary in learning and sharing freely his knowledge with young engineers whom he had fired seconds back. Perhaps this I name it as sisterly love and his commandment of respect from all.

He held all hands to teach them. Each one who came in contact with him cried when he was put on flame. While writing this tear are walling up in my eyes and heart is breaking with inconsolable grief. Am I responsible for his premature departure as only on my insistence he was posted at Angul sight.

In our previous organization i.e at Bokaro steel plant there was no contract or contract layout and it was hard to get financial assistance for any innovative or critical jobs but he by