Sometimes the questions from the innocent children put the elders in real trouble. All of us know the story of the king who wore the imaginary dress prepared by the clever weaver who told that the dress can be seen only by those loyal to the king. Though all the people saw the king walking naked, nobody dared to speak, because they will be treated as traitors if they don’t see the imaginary dress worn by the king. But not the small boy. He called out,’The King is naked! The King is naked!’.
In the same way, the 10-year-old VI standard student Aishwarya Parashar’s RTI to the Prime minister’s Office (PMO), has startled not only the PMO, but also the Home Ministry and the National Archives of India. What is this troublesome information that the little Aishwarya wanted to know through RTI? It is very simple, ” Who conferred the title of Father of the Nation to Mahatma Gandhi?”
Neither the PMO, nor the Home Ministry nor the National Archives of India could answer the same, since they had no authentic information. She was given the reply, ” there are no specific documents on the information sought”.
Another RTI by the same girl for which also the government can not give a correct reply was . ” Who had declared Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday, Republic day and Independence Day as National Holidays?”. The reply given was,” No such orders were issued.”
The government stands shamed and negligent of the past of the Nation. At least now, the Government should start a serious investigation in the matter, check up all the available documents and find out when the title of Father of the Nation was used for the first time and when for the first time the three National Holidays were given. The government can certainly find these out and satisfy the curiosity of the young girl and lakhs of people of this country about these vital information. ( Ref: A report in the Hindu, 25th May)
But it can not be like this. The above institutions or scholars in the subject has to find the answer. Such an issue can not go unanswered.
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 
BSNL IS RUINED…Can u save it ……No NO No
We are making all out efforts to save the BSNL. Due to our customer Delight Service programme and struggle for procurement of equipments, there has been some improvement. The government could not implement its disinvestment programme and VRS due to our strong protest and agitations. We have seen what happened in VSNL and what is the position of MTNL due to VRS and disinvvestment. The workers have fully supported our ideas and that is why BSNL stands in its present position. It is not easy to change the government policy and mismanagement, but that is what we are trying. The Unions/Associations have already taken suitable decisions in the matter. If we keep this unity instead of going different ways and avoiding struggles, it will be less difficult to make BSNL survive. Hence let us prepare ourselves unitedly to make all efforts to save BSNL.
sir are you suggesting all of us that we should start filling RTI to BSNL for the failures and degrading promotional avenues for Group-C & D staff. specially for Dr.TTAs who have not got a Single PROMOTION in their entire career so far…what a shame..??…this is the blackest spot on the face of all the Unions..Every TTA is crying and cursing Mgmt & Unions. Sir you were accusing NFTE in your earlier posts for the failures in protecting Employees Rights but your were also a Leader of NFTE once. When you accuse NFTE for all the misdeeds going on in BSNL then how come you forgot that you played a crucial part in earlier NFTE….
sir i am criticizing you all the time but i honestly admire that you are always polite in replying and chosen your words very carefully to avoid all the queries from TTAs. Your words are always running ahead of your actions.
Namboodiri Jee
Both the management and employees are responsible for the state of BSNL today. I will only discuss about the non-executive here to save your time.
Sir, most of the non-executive staff do not work and just spend their time at offices doing their personal works and just trying to avoid any responsibility shared with them.
The so called union leaders of the local area are very busy in managing the transfers, fighting with the officers for their vote bank, and doing no work. I have not seen any union leader of any union who is sincere at his work. They just exhibit their power and protect their vote bank. They do not care if the employee is not working as long as they support their union and leaders.
We talk of being the biggest telcom player but I think we are a bulky organiation which has no clear goal and no attitude to work.
Just go to public and ask them. They hate BSNL employees for their arrogance and poor quality of service. Mostly, people hate the way we approach them and treat them. Go to any customer centre and see for your self how the people are treated by our employees.
No union has ever tried till date to educate their followers about the importance of work and attitude. Only people occupy any berth in any union today are the local leaders worried about the power centres.
You have spent a lot of time building your union and it is the time you pay back to its constituents and it is the time you taught them the work ethics and thus save this mighty organisation fast approching the natural death.
The need of the hour is to have a change in the thinking pattern of the unions. Let the unions just not be working only solving petty issues and working to attract the employees for just being in power, but be the means to bring in the change in the work culture and ethics in the organisation.
Namboodirijee, people have voted you to power and you have enjoyed the power of being the recognised union and it is the time you start bringing the change in the organisation. Do not be just another leader who did his term and walked away. Be the leader of change. “Perestrokia” is the need of the hour. I wish you took this up and engineer the BSNL in to a better organisation.
Dear Comrade,
Thank you for your suggestions and comments.
If you have gone through the journals, circulars, reports of meetings, demands of the strikes, discussions in the National Councils, meetings with the Secretary, DOT, Meeting with the Communication minister and even the Prime Minister and discussions in the conferences of BSNLEU since its inception in 2001, your opinion certainly would have been different. Even in the forst Conference of the Union the issue in the seminar was on the ‘Financial viability of BSNL’. In all conferences at SSA/Circle/All India levels as also even in regular meetings, the situation of the company takes an important part. If you had participated in the strikes and struggles conducted by the BSNLEU/JAC during the last 7-8 years, you would have already noted that the major demands were connected with the development and expansion of the services. Part of the orgnaisational work is connected with the work-culture and change of mindset of employees for giving a better service to the people. On the initiative of the union, many employees are doing even extra hours of work without remuneration. The P&T Department was one department in the Government of India which was praised for its efficiency and better service. We agree that position we could not maintain later, but is is mainly due to the non-procurement of equipments etc. by the management. How the BSNL was running profitably till 2006-2007 when the equipments were available etc is well known to all. So, not only the management but the trade unions in other sectors have complimented BSNLEU in its efforts for a better service.
One more thing. Votes are important, but not more important than the services or benefits to the workers. You may well realise that all the manipulated and unjustified criticism against the recognised union have been completely ignored by the majority workers who have appreciated the work of the BSNLEU. Every Union will like to be the only recognised union. But all these years we have taken a position that proportionate representation is the correct line. From the first verification onwards we have taken this stand. It was only because that NFTE took a stand in the first two-three membership verifications that only one union should be recognised, the present situation of recognition of one union has come. You may feel surprised that even now the recognised union is taking a position for proportionate representation. This is the line we have taken all along and we have the confidence that the workers appreciate the good work done by BSNLEU. It is the wrong policies of the government and the mismanagement that has brought the present situation in BSNL. The role of the workers in this is very less. But even then, they can do a lot and that is why the BSNLEU/JAC started the ‘Customer Delight Year’ and continuous propaganda which has helped to a certain extend our effort for a better service.
As you have also suggested a better work-culture is very important in the growth of the organisation. Usually those who are active in the union are also active in their duty and work. Otherwise, they will not be able to get continued support of the workers, respect and run the organisation. of course, there may be exceptions.
Sir I missed out a most important thing. I am extremely sorry for writing something which is not relevant to the topic you have started. In this connection I would suggest your goodselves something.
Please start a thread like “Grievances” and let the users or visitors keep posting their grievances in that particular thread so that your posting on some subject does not loose its original purpose.
Thanks and Regards
Dear Prasad,
Your suggestion is noteworthy. I will think about it.
It is mainly because we want to communicate with you and express our views. There is not a mechanism to do it in public like this medium. Hence, it would be better if there is a channel available and you always have the control of deleting the spam and hence it should not be a problem. However, it is your wish.
Thanks for the detailed reply to the post. But unfortunately, most of the leaders who can take decision and have a good heart are immune to the problems at the ground level due to the absence of communication between the head of the union and the worker. Most of the facts that happen at the ground level are suppressed and what you see is the painted figure of the reality. I would say that “BSNL employees do no have the confidence of the public of India”. It is hard but true. We have not changed in our approach. We still treat the customers the same way when we were a total govt. organisation i.e. the pre BSNL era. Most of the customer service representatives are rude and arrogant. This is the fact that we should accept.
Since I am working at helpdesk I know how bad they feel about our employees and our organisation.
Thanks and Regards
dear sir
even calling on various toll-free numbers of BSNL gives a bitter experience. they dont have the minimum courtesy towards caller. most of the time customers are told to visit the local SDE office or CSC. most of the CSCs ( customer service centers) in BSNL works like traffic police and customers are forced to go up and down here and there. and only if some one is known in the office to him their work is done. this is sad but true. most of the customers experience this daily. CSCs should provide single window solution to customers