A Question Of Humane Rehabilitation

For the sustained well being of
Kargil victims, corporate India must work out rigorous and creative programs of support
through the HRD, finance and sales, and marketing routes.

A lot has been written about the
Kargil operation on which the attention of a billion Indians was focused over the entire
last two months. With due respect to the memory of the martyrs of Operation Vijay, I would
articulate some thoughts on the subject. As often happens, once the war and action are
over the media focus too dies down gradually. Typically, our minds tend to shift to other
priorities and focus elsewhere.

In this context, the current
political scene, though a timely and useful diversion, is really unwarranted at this point
in time. As an HRD person, I would like to share some thoughts with all organizations and
readers of this article on the subject. Let us call it HRD for Kargil. Many of us may have
thought that after having donated money or made a contribution to the soldiers affected by
the Kargil war, we had been sensitive and caring at this moment of trying need. But here I
would like to question-Is that all to it?

Is it just enough to donate fish to
satisfy the hunger of those who need help. Just monetary contributions and donations given
to the victims of the Kargil war takes this approach. Of course, we certainly salute all
the donors who have participated in this humane cause. But the thought that occurs is that
this is perhaps just a beginning.

The real needs of the martyrs and
their kith and kin are much more than just a one-time help. Addressing the war victims
on-going sustenance needs and progress and well being in life is the true journey we must
try to embark upon.In other words, we should do all that we can to initiate a process
which would help them empower themselves to face the world.

Is our social system and our
organizational response systems geared up to meet this long-term challenge? One certainly
does not doubt the intentions of anybody, but there is a concern about the tendency to
move away from the deep-rooted and sensitive needs of victims of war.

Readers would appreciate that the
letter 'D' in HRD leaves us with tremendous scope to think further on this subject. Have
any of us as representatives of business organizations concerned ourselves to teach
fishing to those hungry persons to whom we just donated fish?.

Can organizations volunteer to
institutionalize certain systems that can focus on this dimension to giving support to the
victims of the Kargil war?

I have certain questions and issues
to raise which may be answers in themselves or open up our thoughts to look at various
alternatives: n How many finance managers of IT companies have worked hard to find ways
and means of rewarding better interest rates for those deposits received for the Kargil
heroes?

How many HRD specialists in IT
companies have recast recruitment policies to accommodate the incapacitated Kargil heroes
or the kith and kin of the Kargil martyrs?

How many IT institutions have come
out with scholarships and special benefits for the children of Kargil heroes or rendered
special admission help?

How many IT vendor management
specialists have privatized outsourcing in any possible outsourceable activity, through
policies that favor Kargil heroes or their dependents?

How many sales and marketing
professionals in IT companies have set their priorities to include dealers, distributors
from amongst Kargil heroes?

Many of these heroes and their
dependants are looking forward to sustained support-not just a gesture of gratitude.
Government policy makers as well as business organizations and their policy makers may
like to ponder over these questions.

Certainly methods can be worked out
to come out with programs of sustained developmental effort for these great sons of Mother
India. If organizations take on this role of addressing the above questions, no MRTP
questions of false or wrong publicity can ever come up.

This great nation and its cultural
ethos have created an environment of humane and considerate living from time immemorial. I
can say with conviction that, while governmental regulations to support the war victims
are being framed, corporate organizations can also take fast decisions or execute policy
amendments within our current system.

If the top 50 companies alone take
an active step in this direction, there would be no difficulty to any person from the
Kargil-impacted families. May be those people who need to be helped through a corporate
effort can be outnumbered by such companies alone to contribute just monetarily for the
noble cause of supporting the war victims. Let us empower more persons with the 'fishing
competence'. And I can assure all professionals in IT organizations, who move forward on
the above lines, that the new-found confidence and purpose of those receiving help will
become a permanent asset for the organizations.

The loyalty and gratitude with which
they would work for the organizations would more than reciprocate the little help and
support they would have received. This would be a true HRD effort aimed at helping the
Kargil heroes.