The stage for the exciting Olympic face-off between Murray and Federer was set after the Wimbledon final where Murray lost to Federer in an extremely emotional match. In fact, Federer’s Olympic fate was probably decided and sealed that day itself!

When you try to win something that someone else wants equally badly, the stage is set for a really great competition: Sport is all about winning and losing. The spirit of the game, and the satisfaction of participation is important, but champion sportsmen play with their body, mind, and soul with an aim to win. That is why, at the end of intense competition there is so much emotion all around; and let’s face it, if it was not emotional, it would not be sport.

After the Wimbledon final this year, Murray left in tears, his fierce determination to win further whetted; Federer left in smiles, his sharp competitive spirit probably slightly blunted with the satisfaction of a big win.

Motivation is the foundation of athletic success. Motivation directs all effort to a focussed single point. Motivation can be external or internal, positive or negative; and sometimes, failure or success can themselves act as motivation. Top level athletes can use acute failure to transform their game, change their circumstances, focus their efforts, rise up and win a big one.

Federer is a great player, but then so is Murray! In a clash of equals, each with his own set of strengths and weaknesses, game-plans are made in advance keeping these in mind. Federer does well in longer matches, and he knows it. His strength lies in the fact that he can out-play opponents in lengthy four and five set matches with seemingly no change in form, and no hint of tiredness. To use this strength, he has to lure his opponents into long matches. He plays tennis like he is running a marathon. He starts slowly, running across the court at leisure: he loses some points, sometimes a few games and sometimes a set. He doesn’t let that affect him: he knows his opponent is getting tired. Federer slowly builds up his game from the second set onwards hitting powerfully and running with agility just as his tired opponent starts faltering.

His game plan worked well at Wimbledon this year. But less than a month after that epic final, at the same venue on a larger stage, a highly motivated and on-fire Murray did not allow the match to spill over into a tiring fourth set.

Anyone who saw the Federer vs. Murray final at Wimbledon this year will agree that though both seemed well matched in the initial sets, what finally decided their fate was probably Federer’s endurance, the effortless ease with which he crosses the court, and his quick recovery from breath-taking effort.

If you watch them closely you will see that Murray is a “mouth-breather”, playing almost throughout the match with a partially open mouth. Federer instead, plays with lightly pursed lips, breathing mostly through the nostrils, using mouth breathing minimally.

Breathing techniques can affect athletic performance!!

The cells in the body are constantly making energy by combining oxygen (O2) and nutrients in a chemical reaction that releases carbon-di-oxide (CO2).  Breathing provides the O2 for this constant requirement and also removes the CO2 produced. During exercise the body requires more energy, and obviously more O2. It also generates and needs to remove more CO2.

Blood constantly carries both these gasses to their destination: O2 to the muscles and CO2 to the lungs for removal. The body circulates the blood with great care, making sure that the organs that are working most receive a constant supply.

How does the body know where to send more blood? There are many systems in place, but the most important one is the tissue CO2 content. As soon as muscle work increases and more CO2 is made and accumulated, the blood vessels in that muscle get stimulated and they dilate to increase blood flow. The increased blood supplies more O2 (the same CO2 trigger stimulates the haemoglobin in blood to release more O2 to the working muscle!) and removes the accumulated CO2, thus increasing the CO2 content of the blood. This in turn stimulates the lungs to breathe faster and deeper to take in O2 and remove this excess CO2.

Now think about what happens when a player continuously breathes out through the mouth: By blowing out through the mouth, an excessive amount of CO2 is lost quickly from the lungs, and hence from the blood and the muscles.  With less CO2 in the muscles, the CO2 trigger is lost (in short there is nothing to remind the body that work is going on and the muscles require blood). The blood vessels contract to divert blood to other areas, and the haemoglobin in the blood refuses to release too much O2. The muscles keep working of course, but now without enough O2, leading to a painful accumulation of Lactic acid in the muscle and heralding early fatigue! There is a similar narrowing of blood vessels in the lungs and those supplying the brain. This means less O2 absorbed in the lungs and less O2 supplied to the brain. The result is slight dizziness and disorientation.
Just imagine what even a slight loss of concentration can do in a high level competitive game!

Breathing in and out through the nose means that there is a natural resistance to airflow as it leaves the body. CO2 is not lost quickly, and there is more time for the lungs to absorb O2 and exchange CO2. It also means that the tissues/ muscles that are working get abundant O2 for performance, and there is less Lactic acid build up and less fatigue. Nose breathing also ensures that the lower part of the lungs (Which is full of blood vessels) gets more fresh air, so scope of O2 uptake is high. Interestingly, training while using “nose-breathing” simulates “high-altitude, low oxygen training” and can improve performance.

There is one more reason athletes should breathe mostly through the nose. Mouth breathing is for emergencies and so is also designed to stimulate the body’s “Fight or Flight” response. This means that the heart rate increases, and the body is on alert. While this is OK for situations requiring quick response, chronic mouth breathing means a constant state of mild anxiety and poor response time in crucial situations. Nose breathing on the other hand signals to the body that all is well, calms the mind and body, reduces the resting heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate, increasing endurance and quickening response time in emergencies.

Humans are not exclusive nose breathers. It is essential that we take in a little extra air once in a while from the mouth. It is also essential that we breathe out a little extra CO2 once in a while from the mouth.

But the true champion learns to alternate between the two so subtly that he maintains his blood gas levels at a neutral throughout, ensuring that he remains calm and strong, effortless and effective, quick and accurate as Federer was when he created history on 8th July this year at Wimbledon.

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled”_ Plutarch

I sat beside my fifteen year old son, in the midst of other parents and children, clapping for the school toppers of the ICSE examinations 2012. For the record, there were a whopping 124 children that got between a 90 and a 98.8 % in ICSE this year from our school alone.A host of thoughts flew through my mind: the clapping was mechanical. Sure, I was really happy for the children and their proud parents: watching success and achievement being appreciated and rewarded is inspiring; uplifting. We clapped for all 124 of them. I am sorry to report that the claps slowly died down somewhere below 94% and only a constant goading from the comparing teacher ensured enthusiastic applause into the 90’s!! I think I clapped loudest for those who were brought up last on to the stage (the children who got 90%). I kept thinking how horrendous to work hard, get more than a 90% and then not be clapped for the way you deserve!!

After the honours came the lectures. We were counselled by teachers who told us how organised study in a stress-free environment was the key; parents of successful children who told us how good food and rest as well as regular stock-taking from the parent was required; and then by the children themselves who each gave their take on “how to crack the ICSE exams”, in short how to score above 90%. All the speakers laid emphasis on the fact that participating in extracurricular activities, and spending time on play and rest, was important and did not come in the way of their success.

My child is now in the position these children were last year: He has just entered the “10^th” standard, and it is my duty to groom him, support him, aid him, feed him, look after his every need; as well as reassure him, motivate him, correct him, teach him, and not “stress” him, so that he can reach that “magic number”.But what if, after all our effort, he doesn’t? Unfortunately, no one talked about the approximately 200 children that did not get above 90%, but did well anyway. They were not invited to the presentation, their parents did not share their thoughts and the teachers did not make an example of them. I have been a proud parent of a child who scored 82% in the ICSE a few years ago, and he worked really hard for that 82. Being an aspiring musician, he participated in all the music competitions and events that year, enjoyed play time and other outings with friends, and made adequate time for hard-core study. But he did not score a 90, and alas, that is all that matters when we appreciate children and their efforts.

The word “Education” comes from the Latin “educere” and literally means “to lead out”. The role of the teacher then, is to lead the pupil out to where the light of knowledge exists, or to draw out the hidden talents of the student. Socrates said “I cannot teach anybody anything; I can only make them think”. Unfortunately, education today seems to be just a never-ending series of assessments and judgements; and instead of increasing the capacity for independent thinking, is in fact enforcing a standardized curriculum and replicable reasoning.

When all the time is spent memorising lessons and practising “previous years’ papers“, how can the teacher light up the child’s imagination with the fire of knowledge?

Recently I read an article on “Demand and Supply”, and while normally this would not be immediately interesting to me, it caught my attention because the “demand” was the demand for knee replacement surgeries and the “supply” was the amount of orthopaedic surgeons qualifying each year (and more specifically those that specialise in replacement surgeries)!!! Further it turns out that by 2020 the demand is going to be far more than the supply and most patients requiring these surgeries will end up waiting for a date!!

Why has Knee replacement become almost an epidemic now? Does this mean there is more osteoarthritis in the world? Or is it because osteoarthritis today is more severe than it used to be? Is it because now that the surgery is available everyone wants a better, more mobile life; or is it that the surgery itself is being projected as the only alternative we have?

There are many factors involved in the increasing demand for replacement surgeries. Let us examine a few.

It is a fact that obesity, lifestyle changes, and lack of planned and regular exercise have resulted in an increase in the number of patients suffering from Arthritis. After leading sedentary lives for several years, people often choose “fun”, high-impact exercises to get fit “quick”.  Furthermore the social pressure of modern times to “remain young” and “fit” (that no one seems to resist) sometimes results in the normal, age-related wear and tear of joints flaring up when a new exercise program begins.

New options in replacement surgeries (like “uni-compartment knee replacements”) are then being sold to this relatively-young population as “preventive” surgeries. What they are essentially supposed to prevent is “Total knee replacement”. Effectively meaning that a surgery is being promoted to prevent another surgery! So when a 45 year old who has probably done some unnecessary/ ill-advised exercises gets symptoms of knee pain and some investigations point towards significant wear and tear in one part of the knee joint, he/ she is likely to be advised this kind of surgery. Furthermore, she will probably be told that if she does not get this surgery done, she might require a total knee replacement in 2-3 years. She may also be warned that the uni-compartment option may not be available in 6 months because the other side of her knee will start wearing out soon. But these surgeries have not been around long enough to allow collection of reliable statistical data to collaborate this claim, and In fact no one can accurately predict how much wear and tear a joint will suffer and how the disease will progress.

I would like to call this century the “Instant access century”... Everything is fast paced and instantaneous, and no one wants to wait for anything. We get angry if we have to wait a few extra seconds for the elevator, frustrated if we cannot connect fast enough to the internet, we keep several windows open on our desktop so we don’t need to wait for the pages to load, we transfer money instantly all over the world, and we have instant messaging and instant recharging:  the examples of our growing impatience are several!! We want instant results even from our bodies. What does not work has to be replaced. We throw away machines that do not work; repairing them is a waste of time and money. We apply the same rule to our body parts. We have become too impatient to give time a chance! In fact our bodies have an amazing inbuilt healing mechanism that works if given some time and the correct support/ environment.

In the age of information technology and “Transparency” we are still denied complete information on our own bodies. The first obstacle is of course that the human body is not a machine. The very fact that DNA is a unique identity, that a finger print is never repeated in two individuals proves that studying one, two, or a million bodies will not give us enough knowledge to say that we know it all. The human body is so complex that no one really can understand it completely. Our information is also limited by the fact that we live in a capitalist society, where economic considerations determine all our actions and solutions. Research funds are limited, and the companies that sponsor research are those that have vested interest in the research. Open ended research often can take several years or decades to show results and then the result may not be the one desired by the party that is funding it. Often then, research is close-ended, or starts with an assumption, and the scientists then only have to prove that the assumption is correct or wrong. This makes the research process easy, swift, financially viable and predictable. It suits everyone fine, and no one really ends up losing because no rules are broken and no real harm is done. Though in most life-saving systems this kind of quick research is acceptable and beneficial, in degenerative or lifestyle related disorders it is not necessary and totally unacceptable. It denies us the right to complete and reliable information on our bodies and most importantly it denies us the right to choose.

Our education system does not teach us to question research methodology, and all printed material is then accepted as truth till new research then proves it wrong, and then we start believing in the new truth. New medicine, new implants, new cartilage, new incision sites, new sutures, etc. every few months a new research offers us new solutions that last only till the next research proves them lacking. Each new product/ technique is accepted with whole-hearted support and hope. But most of the solutions offered are beneficial to manufacturers of products used, and their research is funded by these companies. Solutions that are simple and do not need manufacturing are not supported by aggressive research and marketing as they do not benefit manufacturers/ pharmaceuticals. These solutions only require qualified professional to implement and hence are not financially beneficial to big companies. They are projected as adjuvant therapies and not the mainstay of management in lifestyle related disorders.

Insurance companies make up the second angle in this financial triangle of decision- makers. Insurance companies in India do not reimburse preventive treatments, or in fact any treatment that is not surgical/ does not require admission in a hospital. Only surgical and post-operative treatments are reimbursed. This means that even expensive replacement surgeries seem cost-effective to a patient looking at various options for arthritis. In fact weight loss, physiotherapy, exercise facilities, swimming pools all seem expensive by comparison. After surgery, fees for most of these can be claimed and most patients might decide to first get operated and then try these conservative options for economic reasons.

The third angle is the media, which is getting stronger by the day. PR companies and newspapers together promote replacement surgeries as the only answer for osteoarthritis and its management. On “Arthritis Day” large articles on new research in replacement surgeries, implants, and surgeons grab a large part of the dedicated space. Articles on weight control, exercise, positive thinking, and other conservative treatments are hidden between the larger articles. This blatant manipulation of information and coverage deprives us of our right to make an informed and educated choice.

The consumer, in this case the patient and his/her family is surrounded by various data, inputs, advices, proofs and economic compulsions all guiding them towards “replacement” as the treatment of choice, presented to them as an instantaneous and  modern solution to knee pain. Hard evidence in form of articles, research, and friends and family that have already been operated and seem to be happy; family pressure in terms of over-zealous and caring children and spouse; a deep pain that seems endless and frustrating; and a vision of a pain free and active future, all create a subconscious pull towards a seemingly easy solution that will finally end your misery.

Is the patient only an innocent victim of a manipulative and conniving nexus between parties with vested interests then? Do we have no control over these decisions and are we not in some way responsible for the circumstances that put us into this situation?

“Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius”…Arthur Conan Doyle

“Spud in the Box” is a band of six very young boys that have been making music together for only a year, and in that short period have a repertoire of their own songs that can keep their audience captivated for more than an hour. Their USP: great lyrics that are beyond their years; music that reverberates with melody and youthful exuberance; and adorable on-stage chemistry that infects the audience.They obviously enjoy playing their own music, and choose to play it exclusively, refusing to do gigs that require them to play covers. They do not mind waiting for opportunities that allow them this “indulgence” of their individualism and they have an equally young manager who believes in them enough to encourage this stubborn trait!!

Recently they played at a new venue, one they had not played at before. As usual, they worked really hard for this gig, practising several hours a day, getting their set ready with precision. The on-stage time being longer than usual, this time they had prepared a set combining their own songs with a few covers. But just before they got started, a “Senior Vice President” of the organization (who by the way is a former Supermodel and ex- Miss India) came up to them with her demand: “Play covers for me!!” With no clue about this band and what they do, and no role in arranging their performance at the venue that evening, she obviously had no business trying to change their pre-planned set. They complied by starting with one cover, and then switched over to their own songs: she threw a fit!! She yelled at their manager, threatened and grumbled, called them “defiant”, threw her weight around, and educated them of her stature and clout: immature behaviour that hints at a mediocre capability. The young boys, ignoring her on-going ranting, continued to play their set as they had plannedentertaining the audience as they were paid to do: mature behaviour that hints at professionalism and confidence.

Entertainment can be of various types, and those that arrange it for their customers have a right to choose between live original renditions, live covers/ mixes, or DJ’s playing pre-recorded songs/ music. But all the choosing should be done prior to engaging musicians (obviously!!) and most people would agree that it is really high-handed and insulting to suddenly makea band that plays originals, play covers: totally disrespecting art, and the creative pride of the artist.

But then again, how would a former supermodel and ex Miss India understand this creative pride? For isn’t modelling all about using your “God-given and Man-made” beauty to showcase clothes and accessories made with other people’s talent?

“As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live”- Goethe

Standing outside nursery and kindergarten to pick up my first-born during the early years of his schooling was always a bit tricky. Most mothers waiting along with me were also first-time mothers and they were eager, confused, stressed and busy: parenting can be one of the most challenging, thought-provoking and demanding vocations. Invariably the topic of discussion would veer towards nurturing, and very often involve heated debates on the efficacy of several “classes” in the locality promising to develop the child’s potential in various ways. I always felt inadequate in such discussions because my child did not attend a single “after-school” class. This being unheard of, I was always looked at with disdain, and ended up feeling isolated and “different”.

I believed very strongly that after attending school for half a day, (in the Indian system of education even the pre-school years have a lot of structured learning time), the child needs time for unstructured play and exploration, value building through extended family time, and a lot of idle time to fantasize and dream as only a child can. Childhood dreaming and associated free play are inbuilt natural learning modules and form the basis of future hobbies and interests. We are each of us unique in our natural skills and aptitudes, and recognising these becomes impossible when overwhelmed with varied external structured stimuli.

As children grow older, they have a series of outside influences trying to correct them, change the way they naturally think, coach them in the subjects they are naturally “weak” in, and teach them the importance of issues they inherently dislike. In fact so strong and persuasive are these advices that young adults lose their natural instincts and forget who they really are.

Most of us have encountered “crossroads” in life where crucial decision making is called for. Sometimes these decisions are easy and insignificant, but sometimes they are critical and require us to think instinctively as well as rationally. In such situations it would be in our favour to know who we really are, what we like and dislike, what our goals and values are, how we define success, and what our real strengths and weaknesses are.

If we know who we really are, we can easily trust our instincts making decisions for ourselves with confidence and faith. But obviously you cannot learn to trust yourself if you do not recognise yourself in the first place, and those who dither while making such decisions are probably confused from years of baffling data obscuring their basic instincts.

As parents it is important to remember that children have a vivid and colourful imagination and they learn through various seemingly unimportant events and influences.

Structured learning and coaching are important of course, but personality development, self-awareness, and the first hints of true talent show up not in a classroom, but in solitude and leisure.

Sachin Tendulkar is not God. Sachin is a very special person, one that had a talent and was fortunate enough to stumble upon it early in life. Privileged to be one of the extremely few individuals who earn money from the very hobby that gives them joy and happiness, he was also blessed with a supportive family, and a brother who nurtured and supported his talent encouraging him to make it his profession. He was favoured by providence and got guidance from a guru who cared enough about his pupils to instil in them a sense of professionalism, integrity, and duty that is rarely seen these days. He was also lucky to have met and married, early in his career, a lady who has since created a stable and sustaining home front that he can return to from time to time, either joyously or in turmoil.

No, Sachin Tendulkar is not God. Sachin just built on what destiny bestowed him to become a hugely successful individual. Successful people work hard, and they work hardest on themselves: they do not bank on their talent, but on sheer hard work. Successful people don’t criticise others or get into backbiting for sensationalism: they stay focussed on their own goals. Successful people always give more than is expected of them and do not complain. Successful people make others feel important by staying humble: they listen well and give respect in several ways. Successful people stay young and eager by being excited about the smallest aspect of their chosen work. Successful people practise self-improvement by learning everything they can and always striving for perfection. Successful people are confident, optimistic and persistent: they never give up even in adverse situations. Successful people pour their heart into their work, and always give their best enjoying the journey without giving a thought to the end result. And successful people often fail, because failure cannot be avoided when you win so much.

No, Sachin Tendulkar is not God and he never asked to be made one. But his fans, they loved him, and called him a genius, a phenomenon, a master, a prodigy, the pride of India, a gentleman, a natural force, a real hero, a superhero, a warrior, a living legend. Some even say that he binds the very diverse India like nothing but the National flag and Anthem do! As the adjectives ran out, an adoring nation made him God and when even that was not enough, he became religion itself!! Gods do not rest in peace, and like it or not, Sachin had to behave like the God they made him. They test him in every match, every innings he plays, and pronounce judgement every time. Sometimes they threaten to take away the crown they gave him, and sometimes they come back with garlands and offerings. They decide the milestones and then decide when he should reach them, they pray for him and they torment him, they demand from him and they bestow on him, they accuse him of weaknesses that he never denied and they decorate him with virtues he never declared. They burden him with everything they desire and expect, and they say he is God so he cannot complain.

But Sachin Tendulkar is really not God. He is not devoid of human emotions like anxiety, sadness, anger, excitement, joy, happiness; nor is he above materialism and desire. He has never claimed to be. Why make him a God? Is it somehow easier to accept that reaching such heights in a chosen field is not for mere mortals? Is it easier to accept that only the chosen few are capable of such astounding success? God is a power beyond description, the absolute truth, the ultimate source of all energies. All religions show us several paths for the faithful to experience this supreme power. Our Bhagwad Gita has shown one such path and that is the path of Karma or labour. A Karma Yogi is one who does his destined work, however big or small, however important or insignificant, however pleasant or unpleasant, however lucrative or fruitless, with single minded dedication and without any expectation of reward or disappointment. Lord Krishna says that such a Karma Yogi will be walking on one of the paths leading to the supreme power.

Sachin Tendulkar is not God. He is in my opinion a modern day Karma Yogi.

A gymnast poised on a balance bar, a batsman sprinting across the pitch to take a quick single, a marathoner running at an even pace, a basketball player jumping to slam the ball in the basket, a child running in a garden, a housewife working in her kitchen: all might seem to be performing different activities at different speeds and with different movements. But they are all similar in one crucial detail: They are all upright on their feet, and their foot and ankle muscles are all working hard to maintain balance and assist them in their work.

Humans are distinguished from the rest of the animal species by the fact that they are the only mammal to use “Bipedalism” exclusively for locomotion. In fact “Bipedalism” was developed 4 million years ago, even before the large human brain and invention of stone tools etc. distinguished humans from primates.

When “Bipedal locomotion” was chosen by man 4 million years ago, it was used for hunting down and killing prey, gathering food, walking on rough terrain and running away from several dangers. The foot obviously is an engineering marvel without comparison and has evolved over millions of years. It has the ability to mould to the terrain, grip various surfaces like tree trunks, rocks, slippery moss, sand, etc; has several inbuilt sensors (more than 20,00,00 nerve endings!!) to detect any possible danger and to give a signal about the specific terrain that the body needs to adapt to, without requiring to use eyes or other senses.

But we must remember that the foot was designed to be naked, and is meant to interact with the natural elements without a covering. The foot and its design is the most important tool helping us stand up unassisted, use our upper body for various tasks and maintain our balance throughout. Just like the foundation of a building; the roots of a plant; the base of a bridge, the foot too serves as the “anchor” for all work. Our ancient forefathers used locomotion (gait) to perform all activities required for their survival, the foot was not covered in footwear and the terrain was natural.

Modern man uses gait for “Professions”. Eg. An engineer working on the floor of a factory might stand whole day and stroll around the factory; an athlete might do intense training for four hours a day; a salesman may walk; climb and descend stairs for 5-6 hours a day, a businessman may hardly walk/ stand at all, a ballet dancer may practise standing on her toes / forefoot for several hours a day; and a basketball player might need to jump and land on his feet several times. Each profession today has a different demand on the body, and hence on the function of the foot.

The terrain we use is also radically different from those that our forefathers used. We have Tar, Cement, Gravel, Slab, Stone tiles, Ceramic, Wood, etc. and we walk/ train on these exclusively throughout the day. A very short time if at all might be spent on natural surfaces like grass, sand, natural stone, and mud. Most of the “natural surfaces” we might encounter are actually man-made/ maintained by man. Obviously then, right from the time in infancy when we learn to walk, our feet never interact with nature the way they were meant to. This also means that they probably never learn and develop all the functions they are really capable of.

The artificial surfaces that we work and walk on, and our “presumed” understanding of gait and foot function, have created the need for several different types of footwear, and again we choose our footwear to suit our profession. A Doctor or a banker for example might wear leather “formal” shoes, a track-and-field athlete might wear “Spurs” for training, a soldier might wear boots, a tennis player might wear “Tennis” shoes, a ballerina might wear special Pointe ballet shoes, a ball-room dancer might wear high-heeled stilettos, and a Bharat Natyam performer might train bare-footed! Furthermore the same individual might slip into 3-4 different types of footwear through the span of 24 hours!Some of our choices are determined by our profession, some by fashion, and some by comfort. In fact, as children we have no choice in the matter at all, and parents, teachers, coaches and doctors will decide what is “Good” for us.

In short the way we use our feet is radically different from the way they were meant to be used and though the foot was designed to be “naked”, we now prefer to “clothe” it, thereby providing footwear manufacturers a constant source of revenue!!

Some maxims are eternal, and can be applied to each subsequent generation, only requiring a new explanation with relevance to present circumstances. I recently read a chapter written by Acharya Vinoba Bhave (it is included in the ICSE Hindi portion and I was reading it out to my son). This chapter “The dignity of Labour”, written in Hindi in the early 1900’s is so poignantly applicable, that I am going to attempt explaining a part of it along with a few of my own thoughts.

My maid works really hard all day: travels for two hours to reach my house, works for ten hours and needs another two hours to get back home, effectively working a 14 hour day, and a seven day week!! She earns Rs. 9000/- pm, her equally hard working husband earns another 8000/-. They have two children that they are trying to put through school. The parents have no time to devote to the children and no matter how hard they work, not enough money to make up for it. No health insurance, no savings, no retirement fund, no outings, no vacations. They are still one of the lucky ones, as they own a home in the far off suburbs of Mumbai that they bought a couple of years ago with the money that we lent them. They will spend the rest of their lives working to pay off their dues.

There are several like them in the city of Mumbai and all over our country: the farmers, carpenters, masons, road side workers, cleaners, drivers, people working in our homes, etc. They are the true pillars of our society and our world will collapse if they did not show up for work. They do show up for work every day, working hard for their wages, trying unsuccessfully to catch up with the ever-increasing cost of living. They are the doers, the people we rely on to run our homes, offices, and businesses successfully, the foundations on which all our lofty plans work, the roots of our money-sprouting trees.

I wonder who decides how much money their work deserves. Does physical labour deserve less compensation than intellectual grind? Does different types of intellectual work merit different reimbursement? Why does vocational hierarchy exist? Is this not the basis of vocational snobbery, and hence the basis of growing monitory disparity between the “Classes”? When working 80 odd hours a week is not enough to feed, clothe and educate the family with dignity, when honest effort is not enough to amass savings to safeguard against calamities, when unstinted efforts are not enough to ever allow retirement, how can the honest worker believe in the dignity of his own labour? It is no wonder then, that not only do the elite look down on physical labour, the labourer himself looks down on it too!

I helped my maid buy a house and move out of her illegal slum shanty. I often help her with extra money, clothes, tuition fees, medical bills, and other expenses. I “look after” several people that work for me at home and office in this manner. I even call it “my” way of doing “charity”. But is it really charity? How bourgeoisie of me (and many like me) to demean labour and honest effort by first paying less for it, and then insulting it with the stigma of charity!

Have we risen above the caste system? Are we taking the right steps towards bridging the ever-increasing economic chasm that we have created? Is the “charity” and “giving back to society” charade that we are caught up in enough to turn things around? Isn’t it more necessary that we look at the way we are compensating for labour and try to be fairer, working towards reasonable parity between vocations?

In a country like ours, giving labour its due dignity, can be the political vision we all need!