Leadership Archives - Page 2 of 6

The Silent Elders

In the Sabha Parva of the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira loses Draupadi in the game of dice. She is brought into the assembly hall and asks the elders whether she has been won by right. Bhishma answers: “O blessed one, morality is subtle.” He adds: “I am unable to decide this matter.” The others “sat with faces downwards, uttering not a word.”

Only Vikarna, a younger son of King Dhritarashtra, speaks: “I regard Draupadi as not won.” Karna rebukes him: “though but a boy you speakest in the assembly as if you were old.”

Before the King

Kurippu arindhu kaalam karudhi verupila vendupa vetpach chollal. Read the signs, consider the moment, and say what is needed in a way that does not displease. This is couplet 696 of the Thirukkural, the classical Tamil book of ethics, in its chapter on conduct in the presence of kings. One English version reads: “Knowing the signs, waiting for fitting time, with courteous care, / Things not displeasing, needful things, declare.”

In the Dressing Room

On January 2, 2025, in Sydney, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir spoke to the press before the fifth Test against Australia. Reports had described stern words between him and the players. “Debates between coach and player should remain in dressing room. Stern words. They were just reports not truth,” he said.

The Maytas Vote

On December 16, 2008, the board of Satyam Computer Services approved the purchase of two companies, Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties, for 1.6 billion dollars. Investors protested, and Satyam called the deal off.

Business Standard later reported on the minutes. Several of the five independent directors had raised concerns. As the meeting began, one of them, Mangalam Srinivas, warned the board against being a “rubber stamp to affirm decisions already reached.” The minutes still referred to “the unanimous approval by the board members.”

In Times of Distress

Apaddharma is the law for times of distress. A section of the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata is devoted to it. In one of its stories, the sage Vishvamitra takes a haunch of dog’s meat from a Chandala, an outcaste. The Chandala objects: “He who would regard dog’s meat as clean food, I think, would in matters of food abstain from nothing!”

Vishvamitra answers: “When one’s life, however, is in danger there is no sin in accepting such a present or eating such food.”

Below the Navel

In the Shalya Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhima fights Duryodhana with maces. Krishna tells Arjuna: “If he were to fight fairly, Bhimasena will never succeed in winning the victory.” Arjuna strikes his own left thigh where Bhima can see it. Bhima then strikes Duryodhana on the thighs.

Krishna’s brother Balarama is enraged: “No limb below the navel should be struck. This is the precept laid down in treatises!” Krishna answers that Bhima had vowed to break those thighs, and that a sage had once cursed Duryodhana to the same end. “The accomplishment of one’s vow is one’s duty.”

Bell Recalled

On July 31, 2011, during the Test between England and India at Trent Bridge, Ian Bell was run out on the last ball before tea. He had left his crease, and “wandered up the pitch to congratulate his team-mate and head off for tea,” Wisden reported. Under the Laws of cricket, he was out.

During the interval England’s captain, Andrew Strauss, and coach, Andy Flower, visited India’s dressing room. India’s captain, M.S. Dhoni, withdrew the appeal. “When play restarted after tea, a few minutes late, it was Bell who jogged down the steps.” The ICC later gave Dhoni its Spirit of Cricket award.

Power to Relax

Rule 6 of the Posts and Telegraphs (Linemen/Sub-Inspectors/Line Inspectors) Recruitment Rules of 1969 is titled “Power to relax.” It reads: “Where the Central Government is of opinion that it is necessary or expedient so to do, it may, by order, for reasons to be recorded in writing, relax any of the provisions of these rules with respect to any class or category of persons/post.”

The same clause appears, almost word for word, in rules of 2019 for the National Financial Reporting Authority.

Link by June 30

In 2017 the Indian government required taxpayers to link their PAN, the tax identity number, with Aadhaar, the national identity number. The deadlines in 2017 were July 31, August 31 and December 31. Then came March 31, 2018, and more dates after it. In 2021 the fact-checking site BoomLive called the latest move “the 11th such extension.”

In March 2023 the deadline moved once more, from March 31 to June 30, 2023. From July 1, 2023, the PAN of a taxpayer who had not linked it was to become inoperative.

Date After Date

Tareekh pe tareekh, tareekh pe tareekh, tareekh pe tareekh milti rahi hai, My Lord, lekin insaaf nahin mila. Date after date, date after date, date after date we were given, My Lord, but no justice. Sunny Deol says it as a lawyer in the courtroom scene of Damini (1993), directed by Rajkumar Santoshi.

Since July 2002, the Code of Civil Procedure has limited adjournments to three for each party during the hearing of a suit. The same rule, Order XVII, Rule 1, lets the court grant time “if sufficient cause is shown.”