TAKE IT EASY POLICY

It is not uncommon to find boys and girls who come to work in a factory get a little more affectionate and after sometime the affection turns into love! From then on one’s imagination needs to gallop and go forward without a pause to understand the complications and implications!

In Thailand the affection and admiration start right from the bus stand as people embark on the task of searching jobs. Mostly people from “Pak Issan” that is North Eastern region of Thailand migrate to Bangkok in search of jobs. By and large girls lead the pack as their number is more. Boys are generally followers and follow their leaders- girls meekly.

Girls, when they meet possible companion in the bus stand strike a conversation, convince the other person, arrange for sharing accommodation and move in. Being an industry driven economy (apart from tourism) jobs are plenty and they find suitable jobs in no time. Now after moving in and having started living together then the trouble starts not for the couple in love- for the bosses who manage them!

We need to accommodate them in the same shifts, in the same department and same section so that the boy doesn't do the wandering trick and girl does not become a looser in the end. To control that, the girls become clever and keep the boy’s ATM card in their custody! Thus, when the boy goes out even to play foot ball our madam is there to escort him till the end of the game and bring him back in sober condition so that he doesn't end up with one or two bottles of beer too many !

This culture is not only with workers, it is with even staff of supervisors and levels above them too! At times even Managers too are caught in the tight web of love and have problems with “Gig”.. the other women! But Thai society doesn’t look at single, unwed mothers or fathers in good light. So when things start showing up in the tummy of the girl a marriage is solemnized quickly and whole thing is made official. As this gives economic freedom due to optimization of resources people are happy to embrace this concept of living together till it lasts!

Now, we come to Anne and Unni. Unni is not a Malayalam name. It is the name of a Malagasy worker and the story is about him and his Malagasy girl friend Anne!

Malagasy society is more French than French people themselves. Here to become a mother one need not be married. Hearsay is that girls live with boy friend for a considerable period of time and once she convinces him in the bed and then by getting him a child then they think about marriage! Parents know that their children are sexually active and are playing or fooling or enjoying around but turn a blind eye! Unwed pregnant girls go to church and do all sundry household chores without anyone raising an eye brow as all is well as long as the girl and the boy are happy.

The other day one girl was found eating food within the packing section. As the same is against companies S.O.P( being a food manufacturing company we pack food on line) the recourse taken by the girl was that she being pregnant she was entitled to eat in time anywhere! When asked to produce proof of pregnancy and marriage etc. I was warned by the HR person that the same was an intrusion into her personal life and we would get the wrath of powers in labor department! I am sure that in another nine months the girl would never go to labor ward as she is not pregnant in the first place and it was a poly to escape disciplinary action!

Anne one day met me in the packing hall! She wanted to ask something in Malagasy and I could understand little, after taking help from fellow workers she put her thoughts across. She wanted to know whether Unni would return to work. She also told that she was pregnant with his kid and two months into the family way.

Then, I remembered having caught Unni inside the compressor room of the factory smoking the other day. As it was a weekend he was sent to HR with a security escort to take needful action. His papers were made by HR Manager and Unni was to be terminated along with his accomplice who had gone to sound the alarm on my entry into the compressor and utility area the other day.

Unni was typically as the name implies, in Malayalam language- a short person with the agility of some of the great dancers like Michel Jackson or Prabhu Deva. He could mimic anyone under the Sun with ease. His Moon Walking mimicking of Michel Jackson or taking a pot shot at the Quality Manger’s style of walking was legendary. He had his knack of winning his supervisor’s confidence and got his way through minting money in overtime and running around for small errands keeping the supervisor’s happy. I too liked him as he was a go-getter. But too much of pampering had spoiled him. Therefore despite warning he was becoming a delinquent over the last few months.

Anne joined a few months back. Though not a beauty by any standard she had slightly fairer complexion probably due to mixed breeding, she had hair atypical of African style..coiled coiled type, her features were yet to mature and develop.. especially her breasts. But she had a knack of dressing well with the abundantly available second hand clothes in Madagascar. Her height was a bit less and this suited our Unni as he was also around 5 feet 3 inches only. In Madagascar there is a unique culture when a local girl passes by another Malagasi person passes comments, whistles or makes a typical exclamation sound etc. These things are taken as a normal behavior by the girl, boy as well as society. This is applicable to all and sundry irrespective of the position, status in society etc.

 When Anne joined in our company Unni was of the habit of wooing her with his cat calls etc. Thus slowly they started meeting each other when leaving work. This extended to dining together during lunch break and culminated in the bed, leaving Anne pregnant with Unni’s baby.

Now, I had the unenviable task of telling Anne that Unni would never return to work as he would be terminated from the service with immediate effect. I had seen Anne along with her mother going to Church on Sundays during my morning walks. I was too happy for her when Unni became her friend, boy friend and later constant companion. But now as Unni got terminated by my string disciplinary action I had no words to express my dismay. When the news of Unni was broken to Anne she took it in her stride and said job or no job Unni would remain my child’s father. May be after sometime I may get another working boy friend and partner!!

Typical Take it easy policy!!!