Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications

Tuesday, February 17, 1998

Mutual Benefit

Date: 17-02-1998 :: Pg: 08 :: Col: f

THERE is a solution for every issue. It works on the basis of mutual cooperation.

I was sipping coffee at the Calcutta airport. I was to take an early morning flight. Some twenty years ago. Yes, twenty years ago.

``Good morning, Sir'', I heard a voice behind me. I turned. The gentleman did not appear even remotely familiar.

``Sorry, I don't place you,'' I said apologetically.

``You are going to know me. You are about to be introduced to me -- by me. How about that?'' he said with an East Bengali accent. I was accustomed to that refrain. In those days, courier services were not known. There used to be Express Delivery or the Quick Mail Service -- both of which had a premature but natural death. Then there was a vacuum.

And those people. Those who wanted to quote for Tenders. They would burn the midnight oil and could be ready only at the last minute -- by which time, the more common registered post for dispatch was out of consideration. They had devised methods for the fastest delivery of the documents.

So they would wait at the airport, looking out for a prospective carrier -- someone proceeding to the destination of choice. They would get acquainted, find out his name, address and make note of instantly recognisable marks for identification. The sender would pass this information to his counterpart at the other end through a booked trunk call, and the contact would subsequently meet the carrier at the airport and collect the papers.

The modus operandi was simple and very popular, not because it was free, but because it was reliable. The carriers were invariably law-abiding, God-fearing, tax-paying gullible folks who never disobliged. Pity, these they do not any more tolerate our ferrying parcels for others!

During the time I was in the mid-west, one day when I could not get a taxi, I hesitantly approached my neighbour and requested if he could help by dropping me off. I was careful to let him know that it was not an obligation, and he would be compensated by at least the usual taxi fare. He had no reservations. The arrangement worked fine. I stopped calling the taxi service thereafter. The neighbour helped me also in plumbing, wiring, mowing or moving -- all for agreed fees.

We complain about porters at the station, the indifference of the babus or the sulking utility fiefdoms. But we rarely ever stop to ponder on workable solutions, such as this one.

I call this the Friendly Neighbourhood Botch Scheme. As the name implies, the scheme is limited in scope - to start with. The Neighbourhood Botch works through volunteers. They organise to settle your electricity, water or telephone bills. They send a plumber whenever required, or get a choked sewer de-clogged. They interface with the municipality and organise to get the roads repaired or the month-old garbage removed. Yes, they will have the best solution for every problem -- and all you have to do is give the Samaritan a hefty tip. It works on a basis of mutual cooperation. I scratch your back, you scratch mine. Okay?

tinmoorthy

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