“The sons and wives of those who die while on duty shall get subsistence and wages.” The rule is in the Arthashastra, the ancient treatise on statecraft attributed to Kautilya. It stands in Book 5, chapter 3, titled “Concerning Subsistence to Government Servants.”
Loyal to Duryodhana
In the Udyoga Parva of the Mahabharata, before the war, Krishna offers Karna a place on the side of the Pandavas. Karna refuses. “I cannot venture, O Janardana, to behave falsely towards the intelligent son of Dhritarashtra,” he says in the Ganguli translation. “I have, O Krishna, enjoyed sovereignty for thirteen years, without a thorn on my side.”
Later his mother, Kunti, makes the same request. Karna answers her: “How can I render that friendship of Dhritarashtra’s sons utterly futile?”
True to the Salt
Namak halaal, true to the salt. Namak haraam, false to the salt. The Rekhta dictionary defines namak haraam hona as to be treacherous, a traitor, one who harms his benefactor, disloyal. Namak halaal hona means to be loyal, grateful and indebted.
Two Hindi films carry the words as their titles. Namak Haraam (1973), directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, starred Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan. Namak Halaal (1982), directed by Prakash Mehra, starred Amitabh Bachchan.
Name, Salt, Flag
Naam, namak, nishan. Name, salt, flag. The phrase is widely cited as the honor code of the Indian soldier. The Indian site Chanakya Forum explains the three words. Naam is “to uphold India’s and his regiment’s reputation.” Namak is “to repay the debt of having eaten the salt of this piece of Earth.” Nishan is to honor the national flag “and the regiment’s flag/emblem.”
The Hug at ISRO
On September 7, 2019, India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission lost contact with its Vikram lander during the descent to the Moon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the scientists at the ISRO center in Bengaluru. “We came very close, but we need to cover more ground,” he said. He ended: “The best is yet to come in our space programme. India is with you.”
As Modi was leaving, K. Sivan, the chairman of ISRO, broke down. Modi held him in a long, tight hug.
The Nurturant Task Leader
In 1980 the Indian psychologist Jai B.P. Sinha described the nurturant task leader. In Sinha’s words, such a leader “cares for his subordinates, shows affection, takes personal interest in their well-being.” A 1990 summary of the model by the researcher Ansari adds that the leader makes this care “contingent on the subordinate’s task accomplishment.”
The model describes subordinates who “depend excessively on their superiors for directions, guidance, and support,” and who prefer a personal relationship with the leader to a contractual one.
Salaries After 26/11
In November 2008 terrorists attacked the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai. Employees of the hotel were among those killed. Their families “were entitled to receive full salary” until the date of the employee’s retirement, The Week reported.
Ratan Tata, then chairman of the Tata group, “visited his injured employees at hospitals and wholeheartedly embraced those who lost kith and kin to the violence.” He also “ensured the children of his late employees received a good education.”
The Men You Command
Field Marshal Philip Chetwode spoke at the inauguration of the Indian Military Academy in December 1932. His words are known at the academy as the Chetwode Motto. Two of its lines read: “The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next. Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time.”
He Took the Blame
In 1979 the first flight of India’s satellite launch vehicle, SLV-3, failed. Satish Dhawan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, faced the press himself. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the project director, later recalled: “He took the whole blame on himself despite criticisms.” Dhawan told the press that “next year we would succeed because his team was a very good one.”
Like a Father
In February 2020 Ratan Tata spoke about J.R.D. Tata, who led the Tata group before him. He called JRD his greatest mentor. “He was like a father and a brother to me,” he said.