LTTE STRIKES AGAIN!!!!

THE TYRANNY OF THE

LTTE

About 7 years ago I wrote an article on creative thinking for the INDIAN EXPRESS,MUMBAI .The afternoon of the day on which my article appeared I received a telephone call from the secretary of the Commissioner of Mumbai Municipality a very senior IAS officer. Being a ‘senior man’ naturally it was his secretary and not the great man himself who rang me up. I was told that the Commissioner appreciated my article and would I please meet the principal of the staff training college at Borivali to talk about a possible workshop for the top officers of the Municipality?

THE TYRANNY OF THE

Off I travelled to distant Borivali .I had a very fruitful talk and if the faces of the college officials were any indication I was sure I had made a big impact .The Principal promised to get back to me ‘ soon’. A month later I was told to make a proposal containing some details that the rules dictated .I complied. Three months later I dialed the principal to ask for the response .What he told me shocked me out of my wits.

‘You see as per our procedure I am expected to obtain three quotations and thereafter the Commissioner will settle for the lowest. I am trying to get 2 more quotations ’

My curiosity was aroused . ‘Who are the other two persons from whom you have requested for quotations?” I asked .

Pat came the astounding reply ‘SRI SRI Ravisanker and Deepak Chopra.’

‘But you can’t compare oranges and apples’ I protested. ‘ ‘they do not teach lateral thinking. Sri Ravishanker will talk of meditation etc and Deepak Chopra about …’

‘Mr Ravi’ the Principal interrupted ‘you are 100% correct but what to do. Rules are rules’.

I put the telephone down but not before telling him that it is precisely such issues that could be tackled creatively in my workshop.

It is now 7 years and I presume they are still waiting for two other quotations!

Where does the LTTE referred to in the title come in? I refer to the tyranny of the Lowest of Three TEnders.

But the question. arises. How is it that despite such ‘tyranny’ jobs get done in government? I shall tell you a secret. I asked my detective friend Alphonso to find a way out of this logjam. He came back just an hour later with the know how to get things done . ‘Ravi’ he said as I almost heard bugles blaring in the background ‘the trick is simple’

‘Just solve my problem. Don’t just give me advice’ I shouted ,irritated.

‘Here is the solution’.

He placed before me two letter heads in the finest paper.

The first was from the desk of Sri Sri Ravishhanker and the other from DR. Deepak Chopra!

‘All you have to do is sign at the place marked ‘x’’ he said .

K.R.RAVI

WWW.KRRAVI.COM