Epitaph- Parting words for Mr V G Siddhartha- May his soul RIP

My solemn prayers for all the family members, employees, well wishers and people who admired and stood by him during these difficult times.

In some sense the tragedy has touched a chord in many, and impacted individuals more than any normal news would do. I also sense that many feel (may not be able to articulate) that his death and self-sacrifice should not go in vain. The tragedy reveals many lessons which need to be learnt in order to overcome the endemic and prevalent issues plaguing societies all over the world. A few, I would like to share today:

1.      Unbridled ambition is dangerous. We deify success and success seems to mean wealth, growth and entrepreneurial success. One has to acknowledge that every individual has an optimal path and an optimal rate of growth. What works for one individual does not work for another. If one’s path is determined not by one’s talents and potential but by some nagging inner desire to succeed (insecurity, pressure to perform etc.), then it may ultimately lead to burnout or lead to some other serious consequences.

2.      Sharing is essential to retain balance. While we all go through trials and tribulations in life, what keeps us grounded and balanced is our inner sense of well-being. One of the most important factors that contribute to the inner well-being is love and sharing. We can never feel happy unless we become aware of our emotions and share them with our close ones. It is very important to share even at the cost of appearing vulnerable.

3.      Government should be humane and compassionate. Entrepreneurs and Businessmen are trying to create extraordinary value under very adverse circumstances. It is these businessmen and entrepreneurs who convert ideas into products and services and create employment and endearing social value. While it is important to ensure that rule of the law prevails and compliance is encouraged, government also have to figure out how they can balance this with humaneness and compassionate. A delicate balance of law and compassion can prevent many such incidents from recurring again. One way to accomplish such a transformation in governments would be to inject ombudsman who are known to be principled and humane into the executive body at various levels.

4.      Deify None, Vilify nobody. Achieve freedom from judgements. All human beings come in shades of white and black. Cycles of deification create unrealistic expectations from those that are being praised and a small peccadillo thereafter leads to their vilification. If as a human race, we can be less judgemental, more objective and keep our balance between applying what is right and listening to the public we might create a healthier environment free of fears and pressures. Sometimes this may mean that a leader does what is right irrespective of the public opinion and sometimes it behooves an individual leader to override their standpoint and firm beliefs and do what the public wants. All this calls for one to be liberal at heart free of pride and prejudice.