What I gifted this Diwali?

Our responsibility as privileged human beings is to pay back for the opportunities we've received… Kathryn  Anastos

Kathryn Anastos, MD is a physician executive, clinician and medical researcher who for more than 20 years have provided both clinical care and operational and clinical leadership in the South Bronx.  She has extensive experience in innovative development of large programs designed to increase access to high quality, culturally sensitive care by poor communities of color, while meeting both a clinical and financial bottom line.  And what I admire about western world is the way they always try to think on paying back to the society while making money from their respective earning ways. Many won’t like this as have we not enough charity doers in form of Azeem Premzi & Narayn Murthy’s likes & isn’t Tata’s & Birla’s have done enough in this regard for the society by large? Yes, they have but amongst population of over 100 crores how many names we can count & put forward as role models when it comes to giving back to the society? And social responsibility isn’t just for the billionaires or super riches but it’s for every single person of the society; as even a beggar on foot path has a social responsibility to keep the foot path & surroundings clean where he makes his living! But think about what we see around & now tell how much socially aware we are in this country, towards our responsibility for the society?

Especially when it comes to real estate there always has been stories of spending of the big names in this business as well lavish life style they live by; somewhere many come to real estate just because the kind of money they see in the industry & that too in very less time span. Also it’s a thinking of most, that developer’s makes money without much hard work & most important anybody can become a builder as no criteria of education or qualification is required to become one. But then no such criteria is required for being a hotelier or even industrialist also, as we have examples of Mr.Dhirubhai Ambani & many others who wasn’t having any such degree yet they build an empire by themselves! May be the way we keep on reading the stories about builder’s luxurious life, more than the work they put in, so this can be the reason behind the outlook of the society about the builders. But then some where the builders themselves are also responsible for making such image. Rather many builders enjoy this status of being rich & famous in the society by flashing their wealth with big cars, glamorous parties they give & huge homes. Unfortunately the result is society neglects the hard work one has to put in for building a name in the real estate & fulfill the commitments in this industry & instead tag the builders as Casanova of modern society!

There are many good people in this industry doing lots of social works but somewhere either the number is not enough or it’s not being properly projected. For example let’s see the way we can make difference on the time of festival like Diwali which we all must have enjoyed recently; as for all of us it’s the time of fun & joy. So we shop till we drop & right from the expensive watches to cars, gift our self & only to the people who are close to us & as well to those of any use to us in business! Is that all? What about so many people who are in their own way helping us to the position we are in? For e.g. take the site workmen, as for many of them Diwali isn’t just fun or holiday but it’s the time for which they don’t get paid for as they are paid on daily wages & Diwali being an holiday it don’t get counted in their wages. Also the kind of tin sheds they live in & their children are placed, shopping as well fire crackers are way out of their dreams. In many ways this times Diwali was unique, on one side less use of fire crackers was a good thing but at the same time extraordinary inflation of commodity prices has made a commoners even middle class people’s Diwali also a night mayor! Leave apart the site workers even for the small petty contractors it was impossible to celebrate the same due to high prices of commodities like basic ingredients of sweets which are inherent part of the celebrations.

In many real estate offices it’s a standard practice not to accept the bills for work done or material supplied, in the month of Diwali or not to issue checks in the week of Diwali i.e. all due payments are cleared only after Diwali. In a way this may be right to avoid burden on finance department in Diwali days, as bonus to the employees etc are already there. But what about many of small contractors as well their labors? Rather don’t they need this money most at such festive times? Instead this could be the best way of gifting that if we can make all the due payments if not advances before Diwali to all of our vendors & make their Diwali a bit dearer! Similarly think of gifting our small vendors too site people including watchman with things which they can use instead just giving money. We can give utility objects like rain coats to winter clothing to labors & even think for their kids also for gifting, which may include Tiffin boxes to School bags to even Shoes as many of site worker’s kids are bare foot & it does cause many accidents at site as well when they are moving around. When we make decorative lighting on our offices as well projects at Diwali time, the reality on other hand is in many labor huts at sites there is not even a single light, so we can make lighting at site labor camps also. Even this small act can make the labors happy & enlighten their moods too for the festive time.

Chanakya has said, “A man is recognized by the way of his spending”. The real estate bosses should learn for this quote as how we spend at Diwali will define our approach towards the society we are in. With so many ways we can contribute to the society & lay a path for the new comers in this industry. This will not only benefit the business but will help in makeover of the image of entire industry. And what better time than Diwali to show our responsibility towards the fortune & opportunities we have received. 

As at end it’s our approach is what going to decide what we are & what we deserve, & let’s not forget only that remains with us what we deserve, that’s the law of nature!  And real estate is not an exception to this nature’s law! So this Diwali, each of us, let’s ask a question to our self that what I have gifted to this very city & the society? I think the answer will decide the faith of the city & real estate in it!

Sanjay Deshpande

Sanjeevani Dev.

MSEDCL (Power) Committee, Credai, Pune

Please do visit my blogs to know about our philosophy at Sanjeevani ! (Click the links below)

http://jivnachadrushtikon.blogspot.in/

http://visonoflife.blogspot.in/2013/01/identifying-good-builder.html


Social Side of Sanjeevani ! (Click link below)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/sets/72157627904681345/

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx

Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com