The Great Indian Chamcha

An entry to the “The Great Indian Blogging Contest”, as a part of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2015

Links: http://www.aklf.in ;  http://www.facebook.com/GreatIndianCircus;  http://www.kolkatabloggers.com;

(  by Abhimanyu Bishnu; abhimanyu.bishnu@gmail.com   )

 

Haven’t we all played “praise the boss” at some point during our career?

(Credit-  www.boston .com; Link-http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/11/15/flattery_will_get_you_somewhere)

  

The topic “The Great Indian Chamcha” (sycophant)  is very interesting and relevant, and reminded me of a famous story:

Akbar the emperor and Birbal were out ,walking, one fine morning, when Akbar, spotting brinjal growing in the fields, started praising it, calling it the supreme, most nutritious vegetable. To this, Birbal responded whole-heartedly, praising it through a poem, pointing out that the brinjal even had a crown on its head, thus making it the king of vegetables.

Two weeks later, passing by the same field, Akbar had a reversal of thought, brought on by a recent bout of indigestion after eating brinjal. He cursed the same brinjal, calling it lowly, nauseating and the worst among vegetables. Taking the cue, Birbal started deriding the brinjal, calling it a nonsensical vegetable, unfit for human consumption. This caught the emperor by surprise, and he asked,” Two weeks back, you were full of praise for this very vegetable. What has happened now?”

Birbal’s answer was a true gem in the annals of sycophancy,  “Your excellency, I am employed in your service. What does it matter to me as to how the brinjal actually is? I am your servant, not that of the brinjal."

Welcome to the world of “The Great Indian Chamcha.”  “Chamchagiri” ( sycophancy) is a part of our history and culture; how can we even hope to escape it?

The Wikipedia defines sycophancy as,” flattery that is very obedient, or an indication of deference to another, to an excessive or servile degree.” Whoah! A flowery description for what can be colloquially termed as “scratch my back”.

Nor is the culture of sycophancy, obsequiousness and genuflection limited to politics alone. The Great Indian Chamcha exists in schools and colleges (where exam marks are not strictly based on merit alone), offices (our so-called “ corporate” culture), social bodies and clubs (the “president’s back scratching  syndrome”), and even our homes (the “ favourite sibling” syndrome).

I remember one of my ex-colleagues, an imposing, heavily bearded and moustached man, who would nevertheless turn into a mouse, and run at the boss’s beck and call. His moustache would quiver and he would shake at the boss’s reprimand. Annual appraisal times would see him put on the best show, and true to expectations, his salary hike year upon year, performance notwithstanding, was very impressive indeed.

On another level, flattery combined with flirting and seduction is a particularly deadly combination, and many in the workplace have used this to their advantage.

Of course, I would not hesitate to add that in my own corporate journey, I have used a bit of “praise the boss” and “follow the boss” for my own gains, but also backed it up by solid performance.

The late English premier Benjamin Disraeli, once said,  “Everyone likes flattery; and when you come to Royalty you should lay it on with a trowel.”   Successive generations of politicians in our country have merrily taken this sage piece of advice to heart. 

But then, sycophancy has its own flipside to it. For, as the English author Jonathan Swift, said “Nothing is so great an example of bad manners as flattery. If you flatter all the company, you please none; If you flatter only one or two, you offend the rest.” 

Facebook understood the phenomenon of flattery quite early in its journey. Witness the number of “likes” on Facebook pages, and the people anxiously waiting throughout the day for these “likes”, and you see what I mean. 

At the end of the day, whether we like it or not, the “Great Indian Chamcha” is here to stay. If you are eyeing the coveted promotion and incentive, I would sincerely advise,  “Keep the boss happy.” But do remember to back this up by solid performance. For, if flattery can be likened to engine oil, performance is indeed petrol, and no matter how well-greased the engine might be, a half- empty petrol tank would not take your car very far in the long run. 

While on the subject, Hank Ketcham, the creator of “ Dennis the Menace”, said, “ Flattery is like chewing gum; chew it, but don’t swallow it.”

All that notwithstanding, here’s to the “Great Indian Chamcha! ” May his (or her) tribe thrive and flourish, for without him and his antics, in a world that is already too serious and schizophrenic, life would truly become dull and devoid of colour for many of us.