CAN YOU SAY SORRY ?

SOFT SKILLS, ETIQUETTE AND ALL THAT

At a social gathering we persuaded a friend to sing a Hindi film song-preferably a contemporary one. This lady was very conversant with old songs and quite at sea with the kind of songs that are in vogue these days. ‘They hardly have any meaning’ she would argue. However she succumbed to our pressure on one condition—her husband who was more in tune with the kind of lyrics being dished out these days—would ‘supply’ the words and she would sing. She said that she was fairly conversant with the tunes but not the words.

SOFT SKILLS, ETIQUETTE AND ALL THAT

The audience warmed up and the lady began to sing. At first we began enjoying the song. Soon a hushed silence fell on the party. The husband and wife looked at each other .Those of us who had an acquaintance with contemporary hindi film music looked bemused .Soon all of us burst out laughing when we realized that the husband was ‘ supplying’ lyrics to one song and his wife was singing the tune of a totally different song. It dawned on us that when lyrics are pedestrian any tune might fit in !

That apart, the singing lady profusely apologized for spoiling the party but we agreed that the gaffe had brought much needed laughter to the occasion.

To add to the fun I remarked that the gaffe reminded me of our External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna who read out the speech of his Portuguese counterpart at the UN. I said that my lady friend at least had the grace to apologise for what was really a playful occasion whereas our Minister did not think it fit to say ‘Sorry Indians’ for a gaffe of international proportions.

Now my contention is this-Indian tradition has always laid stress on what in the western culture is a relatively later development—the need to thank, apologise and request .

What can be more elevating than to treat every human being as having God within him or her? What else does the term Namaste mean but bowing to the divine within the other person? But curiously after having bestowed divinity in every human being we have proceeded to display crass behavior to others unless the other happens to be our ‘ superior’ in any sense of the term .Being a hierarchical society we tend to display our finest manners in the presence of those ‘higher’ than us in the hierarchy. Thus it is definitely possible that S.M.Krishna many have considered it below his dignity to say ‘sorry’ to the people of India—they are after all ‘mere citizens’ –he might have prostrated before his political masters in sheer remorse for the UN fiasco.

Here is a thought .Politicians who are known to have amassed wealth by the zillions and are notorious for their lust for power may well consider this outlandish suggestion.

Let us say that the family that now rules Tamilnadu is now feeling the heat of electoral disaster. They may consider my suggestion---stand in front of TV cameras , the entire family—and announce that they will jointly donate 90% of their individual wealth in the next 3 years or their death, whichever comes earlier, to a charitable foundation that will finance orphans, woman, old people and the sick in the state.

My guess is that once this is done there is no way Jayalalitha or anyone else can ever defeat this family at the hustings.

How do I know for certain that this will work?

Indians hold sacrifice as sacred . Ask Sonia Gandhi.

PLEASE read this article again .THANKS for having read it. SORRY for requesting you to read all my articles in future!

k.r.ravi

www.krravi.com