POWER OR NUISANCE VALUE

I was the only doctor posted on board INS vikrant.I used to do my job very sincerely and thus used to take rounds of pantries galleys and cook houses on a fairly regular basis.One day while walking to the sailors  cook house I saw the entire cookhouse and dining hall full of smoke of oil.On entering it I asked the chief cook what was the problem.He said that the exhaust motors of the three exhausts were not working and his staff was having a lot of difficulty frying 8000-9000 poories due to smoke.Vikrant had a staff of 1000 sailors and 200 officers. The cook house for sailors was below the sea level thus had to have a forced ventilation and exhaust system.

Since all the three motors for exhaust system were not working the entire cook house and dining hall was filled with smoke from the oil in which the cooks were frying "Poories".I was shocked to see the state and asked him why have you waited for all the three motors stopped.Actually at least one motor needs to be operational and two motors give a better ventilation

He said that they had complained to the electrical dept  when the first motor had stopped itself.But no one was listening.Since the cooks are class IV employees(NMER-non matric entry recruits) they come at the lowest rung of hierarchy no one listens to them.Neither they can stop cooking less they will get blanket treatment.(This is a type of punishment given in closed communities like on board ships where you put a thick blanket on a person and beat him.Since he is unable to identify who has done it there is no way he can redress it.) 

When I asked the deputy electrical officer why the motors were not repaired he told me that there were more pressing jobs like the A/c motor of the radar room and flight control office jobs were to be done.    

I cam back to my dept little frustrated and angry thinking as to what I can do.

In  the mean time two electrical engineers came for their promotion medical examination.(In Armed forced you are granted promotion only if you are medically fit).Without thinking twice I marked unfit on their medical forms and told them to leave.They were surprised (and also angry) by my action and asked how can i make them unfit without even examining them.I declared them mentally unfit(verbally and told them that they have failed in their jobs since they cant see the agony the cooks are undergoing.

Both the engineers left the medical dept hurt and angry and complained their HOD about the unjust treatment they had got.As expected I got a call from their HOD why they have been made unfit.I replied that I will not make them fit till the cook house exhausts are repaired.The HOD replied that "doc the exhaust motors have nothing to do with their fitness'

I replied that as a welfare officer it is my duty to look after the sailors and I will do whatever I consider fit even if it means using extra constitutional means and he is free to report this to the commanding officer if he wishes.

The catch here was-- he was in zone of promotion and any adverse comment from the commanding officer could have doe him.So he did not dare to take the matter to the CO(commanding officer).He also knew that I was a favourite officer of commanding officer.(I was not in the rat race as doctors have time scaled promotion.) So I used to be upright and tell whatever is truth.

As a result the HOD of electrical dept told both the engineers that their job for the day was to get the three exhaust motors and they need not do anything else for the day.

The result --All the three motors were repaired all the light and fans in cook house were repaired/replaced by afternoon.The cook house had a new look because as the lighting improved the dirt hitherto not seen was visible in cook house and dining hall. The chief cook in the afternoon made all the sailors to clean up the whole place and that place was shining now.

When both the electrical engineers came to me again, I promptly signed their promotion medical examinations congratulated them asked for cold drinks and snacks for them and explained to them the situation.To my surprise both of them were actually happy to help the sailors as they were not even aware of the problem.In a system the more influential people can get their jobs done easily and not so important persons are relegated behind.

After this episode the entire cooks and stewards were so happy with me I was really looked after for my entire tenure.In any party I was being treated like a VIP.Any corner of the party I may be standing i used to be served hot snacks and goodies.

Result--I gained 9 kg weight in 8 months.I was 56 kgs when I entered Vikrant and was 65 kg within the next 8 months.(I have managed to remain at that weight since last 22 years despite marriage, 2 kids and 40 + age)       
I FEEL IF YOU USE YOUR POSITION TO DO SOMEONE'S WELFARE IT AMOUNTS TO POWER BUT IF YOU USE IT TO HARRASE PEOPLE AND EXTRACT YOUR POUND OF FLESH IT AMOUNTS TO NUISANCE VALUE AND NOT POWER..