Journey दफ़्तर (Daftar) Office to WFH

 

Journey

दफ़्तर (Daftar) Office to WFH 

It is the working man who is the happy man.

It is the idle man who is the miserable man.

 Benjamin Franklin 

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do”

Steve Jobs 

Standing at the Local Bus Stand opposite Golcha Cinema in Daryaganj, Delhi-6, way back in November 1968, waiting for a bus, to join on first day at Dak Tar Bhawan, Patel Chowk, Parliament Street, I heard a four seater Motorcycle, Driver, shouting ”Daftar”, “Daftar”. I was new to the city, could not understand what “Daftar” meant, asked a person standing beside me where is “Daftar” reply was, “North Block” still could not understand, he explained it is “Central Secretariat” later somebody explained that it is “Viceroy’s” Office, when there was no other office this was known as “Daftar” and still continues like that only, still not happy with the information and asked will the Motorcycle go via “Parliament Street”, another Driver promptly replied “Yes”, I boarded and reached the destination a big five storey imposing building on the intersection of Ashok Road and Parliament  Street. Joined the duties. 

COVID-19 period March 2020 to May 2023, I had then superannuated way back in 2004, the greatest misery of mankind in the recent time changed the face of office drastically. Office used to be a group of Branches consisting of number of employees in each Branch headed by a Supervisor and the Boss sitting in a separate chamber alone and there were many rungs right up to the highest Chief may be CEO, Secretary, CMD, President. Every Branch had Five-Ten dealing hands with a Peon  and Daftry to help and it had as many tables, type writers, codes, Manuals, compilations of rules and regulations, drafting and notes pads, precedents and almirahs full of old files and also consisted important, confidential and secret files and so many other things. Taking tea together at 1100 and1530 hours was a classical feature of such working gatherings. 

During Covid “Work From Home” started as many tasks could not wait settling of COVID, obviously without the paraphernalia above mentioned: no going to office; no running after the public transport, no boss to watch and no typewriter to type and no note and draft sheets, no manuals and no code. Computer, Lap Tops, Internet, Mobile Smart phones facilitated everything, manuals, code and instructions were up loaded on internet and bosses and employees were interconnected, employees worked from the cosy climate of their home and received and sent everything on line. It was only physical work like hospital, sanitation etc that had to be done physically. Office work was managed like that world over. 

Now COVID has gone but many Multinational Companies have found WFH an opportunity to increase their profit margins, office accommodation reduced so is electricity and water bills, security staff has been rendered surplus to large extent, no tea and coffee facilities needed, paper work is nil as everything is on line, no AMC for the gadgets hot and cold, minimum sanitary staff. They have reduced even some supervisory posts too. Now the office is be on line, at the appointed time, calls, appointments and conference everything on line: this is office.  

This concept of work from home may bring a revolution in the international world of job seekers in other countries simply because of the higher wages more so because of the conversion rates. Possibility is that this may lead to reduction of international physical appointments, do your work from your home in any country for any country for any company, time zones may be relevant with reference to Headquarters only, and occasional physical conferences would become order of the day. Physicals would always be managed by locals and it is only the jobs that can be done on line would suffer. However let us see how the things shape in future always something uncertain. Time has already consumed “Daftar” parlance, what future has in store nobody knows.  

This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged

with what you are doing in the here and now.

 And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.

Alan Wilson Watts 

Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. 

The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.

Alexander Graham Bell