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PART ISAN REVI EW
Chandram's brother-in -law, who was there at the time, sa id , "Even now
they might no t be able to pay taxes ! It's the soc ia list way of life, isn't it ?
T he rich ca pita lists won't let a middl e-c lass person li ve . They let a lowe r–
class person di e.
If
the sma ll - and middl e-c lass ca pita lists jo in together,
then onl y capita lists rema in. After tha t, the soc ia list way !" he sa id.
He think s o f himse lf as a n intelli gent person, but he ta lk s no nsense.
He doesn't understa nd wh a t he's say ing and no o ne else d ocs either.
1 looked ang ril y a t Cha ndram 's bro ther-in -law. I wa nted Chandram's
advi ce, no t hi s bro th er-in -law's nonsense.
" But wh a t you call-thi s applica ti on-i s o ut o f d a te." Cha ndram
sa id. "This pi ece o f paper has no va lu e. To ge t a nything in life, someone
must recommend you. Th en you' ll ge t wha t yo u wa nt. "
But wh o w ill recommend me ?
r
tho ught. I do n 't kn ow a n yone a t
Sa raswa ti Publi shing. I recogni ze o ne o r two peopl e's faces, but w ha t
go od is th a t ? Wh a t will they accompli sh ? Wh y wo uld th ey do a nything
fo r me ?
With o ut telling Chandram, 1 posted the a pplica ti o n. I wa ited fo r th e
repl y fo r three mo nth s. Mea nwhil e, I heard tha t Sa raswa ti Publi shing
had hired three new peopl e.
In
the third a ppli ca ti o n , I was even mo re o bli g ing . I th o ught it wo uld
be a good idea to show it to an e lderl y, expe ri enced person, M r.
Trivikrama Rao, wh o lives ac ross th e street from us. When I gave him
the letter, he strugg led up from hi s cha ir a nd fo und hi s g lasses . First he
read the beg inning and th e end. Th en he rea d th e middl e sentences .
Fin a ll y, he read the rema ining sentences. Slowl y ta king o ff hi s spec ta–
cles, he gave the paper back to me a nd rubbed hi s eyes . "Th a t 's a mi s–
take," he sa id.
M y hea rt fell.
" Isn't th e a pplica ti on a ll ri ght, sir ?" I as ked.
H e lifted hi s hand and waved it two o r three times. The ha ndwave
could ha ve meant that my a pplica ti o n wa s no good. Pe rh a ps it mea nt
tha t I was to keep qui et. Or maybe he was n't thinking a bo ut my a ppli –
cati on a t all. Wha teve r its meaning, spea king wo uld have been a was te.
Tha t's wh y I shut up and just stared a t him . With my bod y la nguage I
sa id, " Give me permission to leave."
"Ca pita li sm mea ns in ves tment," Mr. Tri vikrama Rao sa id in a heavy
tone, th en sto pped.
I didn 't say a thing.
"Th e first principle o f it is- " he sa id, mo re heav il y. " He w ho g ives
the jo b is a free agent; he who ta kes the jo b is a free agent. Wh y? The
power o f your la bo r-that mea ns you se ll your wo rk
to
ano th er person
