The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the water close to Japan has not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring the fish. If the return trip took more time, the fish were not fresh.
To solve this problem, fish companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish. And they did not like the taste of frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price.
So, fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh-fish taste. The fishing industry faced an impending crisis!
But today, they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan. How did they manage? To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks but with a small Shark. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly on the move. The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!
This is a typical Management story, quite old cliché which sounds more hypothetical than measured that I read long back. Why I remembered it today is India always needed such Sharks to keep it's governance active and alive.
Of the very few India fortunately had every now and then in the history, the last living conscience-keeper
and politician-monitor who never failed to point out the elephant in
the room wittily and convincingly every morning, passed away yesterday.
R K Laxman, the legendary Cartoonist and Author was not only the Creator of Gattu (The Mascot of Asian Paints) or illustrator of Malgudi Days, but he was the collective conscientious awareness of the nation with his Common Man as the leitmotif.
Grieving for his demise or saying that we will remember him forever would not be enough for a man of his disposition which must get the due respect...!
Now, as he would not be around to wake us up and shake us to the roots, it's our responsibility to be aware and conscience of our surroundings and happenings. Whenever any of us could find the sign of any dirty, divisive and demoralizing politics; we must strike it and strike really hard so that he would smile! That would be the real tribute to and remembrance of this Uncommon Soul... the father of the Common Man who must not lose his voice, however orphan he might be feeling today...!
