Why Job Security?
Why we Search for Job Security. Why Not Risk Taking?Why are we so afraid of taking risks?
Why our primary focus is on jobs that provide security?
Why people go after a pensionable, secure, career job?
Why people think that becoming a government "servant" is their ultimate goal?
Why "sarkar ki naukri" has so much premium?
An analysis of these questions takes us to the time of the early 19th century and after the 1857 war of independence when the British Raj eliminated the land entitlements of the aristocracy. The landed aristocracy of subcontinent especially the Muslims found themselves literally penniless as they lost their entitlements, and their regular earnings from their land holdings disappeared. They found themselves with no marketable skills or knowledge. Their Persian language skills became worthless overnight as the official business started getting transacted in English (recall the famous saying "Farsi seekho, tael baicho").
Culturally the aristocracy of that time, especially Muslims, had looked down upon craftsmen as "kum-mi" (menial), and avoided the trades and crafts that require working with hands. They used the terms related to crafts pejoratively and disparagingly: Jolahay (artisan), taeli (seller of oil), kumhar (potter), qasai (meat seller), baniya (shop keeper), mazaray (field hand), .....
Hence, they effectively shut themselves out of the businesses related to these crafts. The aristocrats or the elites therefore had no option but to go for English studies at the new schools/colleges so that they can eventually become government "servants". Those who did not take the modern schooling to government route and also shut themselves out from the crafts and trades went hungry and their plight has been captured by several renowned poets as exemplified in the poetry, letters or life of Ghalib, Insha, etc [included still in our syllabi] and depicted by authors for e.g. in the heart breaking story of Mirza Sikandar Bakht and included in the matric Urdu syllabus of 1977 of Sargodha Board [would someone tell me the author name?].
In short, we saw during the late 19th century start of a mad rush towards the secure job of the British India Government Servant, and continuing even after partition. I have seen myself official government correspondence being transacted till late 1970s and even in to 1980s, where the government officials would sign the official notes and letters as "Your Most Obedient Servant"!
The safety and security of a government job (or a career job) robs you of your independence, destroys your "khudi", makes your prime duty to obey the commands and dictats of the superior. You become like a caged parrot. He has the security of a cage. He does not need to be afraid and continously be on the lookout for a prowling cat or a diving eagle. He has food security. He would daily get his rations in the mornings and evenings. He has a gilded cage. He is only expected to sing and please the master when the master so wishes. The master may reward him by taking him out of his cage for a few moments of supervised liberty but only after ensuring that the wings have been properly clipped. He has everything except liberty to do what he wants to.
The slave mentality and the psyche so developed in the Muslims of the subcontinent was the major target of Iqbal. His metaphors of Hawk/Shaheen (who preys himself and goes after a live prey), and denigration of vulture/kargus (who feeds on someone else's prey or dead meat") attacked this mentality.
Woh fareeb khurda shaheen jo pala ho kargasoan mayUsay kya khabar keh kya hay, rah o rasm e shahbaazi
Iqbal wanted us to be shaheen who lives on the skies, and does not settle down in plush homes, and Shaheen is not afraid of fluctuation of fortunes (jhapatna palatna, palat kar jhapatna) were all intended in liberating us from our love for security, safety and official residences. However, the love for security, safety and official residences still reigns supreme in cities like Islamabad and in particular communities.
You will see a common strand among all such enterprising communities. They make their children start in a small shop or even a street stall at a very early age. They know that the real learning is not in books but in real life with real people. Yes, reading, writing and arithmetic are important and must be learned and this a person can do in a few months or in a few years starting at any age. However, refinement of language and arithmetic skills takes place in the real life. Business learning at an early age through small enterprises can lead to great things. See for example "Made in America" the autobiography of Sam Walton of Walmart who at the time of his dying around 1993 was the richest man of the world.
- See also: Mocking Craftsmen and Business People
If today after 65+ years is not the time to get out of this slave mentality, then when would it be. Unless we begin to take our destiny in our own hands, stop denigrating work and craft, things would not change. The change is visible and is coming. We see now people looking favorably at crafts. For e.g I see in Pakistan upscale businesses with names such as "Darzi" and "Kaarigar", and boutiques, fashion designers (even Islamic fashion designers), Meat One, Gourmet, Nirala sweets etc. We are rediscovering the importance of sunnat of the Prophet by reverting towards business and trade.- See also: Why Engineering Students are Reluctant to become Entrepreneurs: Role of PEC and Universities
Current state of affairs in Pakistan is now making us realize how difficult it is to assume responsibility and take ownership of our own destiny. But, this is the cost of real freedom.
Apni duniya aap paida kar agar zindoan may hay
Related Posts:
- Which Field of Great Scope Should I Choose for My Son/Daughter
- Why we Choose Job Security and Job Safety
- Why this current urgency about visions and entrepreneurship
- Value Based Leadership
- Four Top Legacies of a Leader: Which one would you choose?
- What inspires me: Leadership against all odds.
- Mocking Craftsmen and Business People
Excellent background to the current unemployment crisis. It will be great to see some do-able steps for the youth to follow and beat the job crisis.
ReplyDeleteSheheryar Mohsin Qureshi commented (Yesterday 1:44 AM)
ReplyDeleteSalam!
Dr. Sahab, great piece of thought. I had to reply to this earlier, in fact, when i read it. Nonetheless, i am not too late to leave some comments and questions.
You asked about risk taking and secure job seeking, but you yourself answered all this in your article on "impact factor research" in which you truly stated the game of citations and raised a valid point about how international journals play in the "commercial market of papers" to improve the so called impact factor. In our case, the imapct of research on society has to be undertaken in order to calculate "our imapact factor".
See, this job seeking may have its roots to the colonial period, but this is one side only which you partially uncovered. In a society, people earn money to be alive, this is a very basic and natural reason and every other thing comes after this objective. When kids sleep with empty stomach, every philosophy disappears. Unfortunately, this has to be related with the dishonesty of our nation and leaders that people try to earn money with some guarantee that their job shall remain in place for a long time. Besides having a weaker EEMAAN and Tawakkal IllalAh, several other societal factors and uncertainty encourage or rather compell people to go for so called "permanent jobs".
I myself agree and endorse your opinion that risk takers are ultimate bosses and enterpreneurs, however, i cannot forget whats going on in surroundings. Your article needs a salute and this lesson needs to be taught in every home, but the practical dimension and "real Pakistan situation" are not covered comprehensively.
Thanks!
The key to solving this problem I think is reflection on "Small Is Beautiful: A Study of Economics As If People Mattered by economist E. F. Schumacher".
ReplyDeleteI think many of the issues of the world can be solved by forcing the companies not to become too big to control the environment and public policy. Small sustainable communities whose internal dependence relationships are much more stronger than the external relationships is the way out.
Salam!
DeleteThis is very true sir. Here you talked about monopoly which can be of one person in the society or one big group in the market or any single company. True and very true - small is beautiful!
This also goes in line with the Islamic economic system's core policy. Deen prevents anyone to be too authoritative to have control over every affair whether it be the market prices of commodities or interference in any department of state. Thats why Islam does not only limit its view to managing monopolistic attempts by just one company, rather Deen considers even Ameer-ul-Momineen to be the servant to Almighty and people of state because all powers belong to Him, undoubtedly!
Correct me if i am wrong, but so far as my information is concerned, i know that in the USA, the law is strict regarding monopoly issue. The US government does not allow and tolerate anyone (person or company) to be bigger than government and have its/his influence on society increasing with a faster rate. This was one of the reasons due to which Bill Gates resigned from the post of MS Chairman and became Chief Software Architect, a few years back.
Hats off to your thinking and I appreciate the solution you have put forward. Yet major policy changes do not lie under our jurisdiction. However, we at least know the solution and won't hesitate to implement it wherever we are able to.
ReplyDeleteI think the view about the competitive environment in USA needs to be studied. The documentary http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Corporation_(film) outlines how the corporation has become monopolistic and moved away from the original ideals over the last 150 years. It is now an instrument of control not originally conceived by its designers.
Michael Moore's documentaries "Bowling for Columbine" gives an inside look at the Gun Manufacturers monopolistic control of the public policy and "Sicko" details how pharmaceuticals control the government policy. Another documentary "Food Inc" details how the big giants of food throttle the government.
Best example is the comparison of mobile/cell industry in Pakistan with USA. In Pakistan, consumers rule. They can change the sim, can buy phones that will accept sim from any operator, can switch the operator while keeping the number, and the charges are lowest. However, in USA you can not change the operator at will, the phone comes with the service, charges are obnoxious and several times those in Pakistan, you are forced to keep an operator for at least two years. The environment is stifling. Even the highest paid professionals i.e. doctors find mobile use expensive in USA. In Pakistan even the lowest paid bhangi now owns and operates the mobile phones at will.
Best example of monopolistic control in USA. Microsoft, Google and others are huge monopolies that do not let the small players survive. See how IBM bought two most promising companies like Lotus and Rational and then throttled their product and their innovation. Google has now captured the entire internet.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWell, you are correct and all your references seem in line with your viewpoint. However, this was not the core of discussion. I cited an e.g. from Microsoft just to support your point. Anyway, you referred to some more relevant cases which eventually have strengthened your argument. Still we should focus on developing ways to stop organizations or institutions or people from being monopolistic.
DeleteIn such a shaky economy, searching for a job security is something workers need to prioritize.
ReplyDeleteI think job security should be important for best job and job seeker. Important Thinks for Choosing Govt jobs in MP
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete