POLITICS in our country has reached such a low, that people just won’t trust politicians.
I got a frantic message from a poor friend in Orissa saying that all around him people were dying for lack of oxygen, ventilators and medicine.
I got in touch with another very close friend who had connections with a political party in the opposition, who promised to immediately rush whatever was needed to the poor people.
“Sir!” replied my friend from the poor village, “We don’t want anything from any political party, we don’t trust them.
Later, they will use us for their own purposes! The village has said no!” There was a rich man who had a large company of employees, and many of them owed him money. He was constantly trying to teach them something good, and one day he hit upon a plan.
He posted a notice for his employees to see that said, “All those who will come to my office between eleven and twelve o’clock on Thursday morning to present an honest statement of their debts will have them canceled at once.”
The debtors read the notice with a great deal of skepticism, and on Thursday morning, although they gathered in the street in front of his office, not one of them went to the door.
But finally, at 11:45, one man jumped forward, dashed up the steps into the office, and presented his statement. “Why are you here?” the rich man asked him.
“Because you promised to cancel the debts of all those who would come as you instructed,” the other replied. “And do you believe the promise?” “Yes, I do.” “Why do you believe it?” persisted the employer.
“Because, although it was too much for me to understand, and it took me till now to do so, I know you are a good man who would not deceive anyone.”
The rich man took the bill and marked it “Paid in full,” at which time the poor man, overcome, cried out, “I knew it! I told them so! They said it couldn’t be true, and now I’m going out to show them.”
What I like about the story is that the main reason the employee decided to go in and try his luck in getting his debt cancelled, was because as he said to his boss, “You are a good man!”
That is what is needed to build trust.
Goodness. I felt sad, as I heard about the people dying in this poor village, just because they did not trust politicians anymore.
Have we reached such a stage in our country? Isn’t it time our political parties started a campaign, not about just winning elections, but on winning the trust of people again, then and only then will we be able to move forward..!
