Remember the days when inviting a politician meant that your function would be delayed by many hours because they would always be late? Well, it’s gone forever. I was at the India Economic Summit in
It made me think. Whatever happened to Indian Stretchable Time?
Is this just a stray incident, meant to impress the foreigners who were at this conference? Is this the effect of the globalization of
My son may not grow to be a politician. But clearly he is going to be as punctual as our ministers are today. Happiness!
This business of ministers being punctual has another special significance.
But in the new
I am a Virgo who has a bee in his bonnet about being punctual. For a long time this has been considered a major flaw in my character. I have arrived at parties only to get glares from my host which softened only when I offered to help them set up for the party. I have had colleagues wonder if I had no work at all – how else could I be so punctual? I have suffered ulcers when my bosses (this term includes my wife) have made me late.
And I have always despaired about this thing they call Indian Stretchable Time.
But now I have hope. Suddenly things seem to be changing. We have all begun to cram our lives more. We all have much tighter schedules. So we can’t afford to be late. This attitude is starting at a young age.
Does this mean that everyone is being punctual? Of course not. Nothing ever changes so quickly. But the trend is clear. More and more people are demanding punctuality. Because they are busy. Because they are more equal. Because that is just the new way. Those who don’t fall in line are suddenly going to discover that they are outdated – a part of the “old guard”. People who didn’t quite get it. Sort of like someone who still uses a typewriter and doesn’t know what a blog is.
Hallelujah!
3 comments:
Delicious topic, especialy for a Sunday morning. Is time getting more valuable? It would seem that technological and sociological advances have made it so. Ooh! I 'm using a lot of big words today.
One, the ubiquitous mobile phone has made it virtually impossible to bullshit without weaving treacherous webs of deceit.
Two, more opportunities for social entertainment means that impunctual celebrities will stare at empty seats, their audience having moved on to another party. And a celebrity, who is a person who is famous for being famous, would rather die than being ignored.
And if all this is sounding a mite incoherent, that's probably because I had a few very punctual drinks last evening.
happy to note, that the bangalorean/bengaloorian, one of the most relaxed of the species, is also changing---10 years ago, "I will see you at your office sometime tomorrow" was considered Rolex efficiency---5 years ago it was "sometime between 1 and 4 PM---these days it is "between 1 and 1.30" ...........oh. did i forget to mention....the chap doesn't land up.......you see, it was raining.
Indian Stretchable Time had a delicious sense of laissez faire to it. Sure, late coming would have bugged a whole bunch of ontime types. I'd like to believe that those in a position of some authority would have a team or department doing the actual work, where timeliness is important. The seniors being in a managerial or supervisory role would be required to merely put in an appearance, sign a couple of letters, dictate the odd i.o.m. and perhaps sign a cheque or two and then toddle off to the nearest golf course.....!!!
Hail, hail, the still stretchable time. Mera Bharat Mahaan.
Post a Comment