Ajay Mathur, Alumnus of Queens University and Founder of Skylit Eduzone Global Private Limited, upholds No Sir No Madam. Ajay is a B. Tech in electrical engineering and M. Tech in power system and has been working in both the government and private sectors. He started Skylit Eduzone Global Private Limited in 2014. It is an HR consulting company which provides recruitment consulting, training, and education consulting services.
Ajay believes that the Sir/Madam terminology is an unnecessary medium to show respect. He tries to implement an informal and open culture at his workplace. Ajay asserts, “We assure the members that this is their company, and we are all equally responsible.”
Being a part of the human-resource business, Ajay deals with people from every corner of society. He states, “Sometimes people act rudely even after using salutations. Although our traditions teach us to show respect, parents and elders are often neglected. Hence, it is important to show respect through actions rather than words.”
When Ajay joined The Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE) of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), he struggled in the bureaucratic environment. In such a workplace, people took offense when referred by their name. However, Ajay believes that performance should be more essential rather than these false protocols.
Ajay adds that it will be a difficult to dismantle the hierarchical structure in the government sector. He mentions that some people take advantage of this system. They use a salutation to please the authorities to get their work done. If we don’t follow the same, we will face delay in work and might lose opportunities.
He advocates, “We should eradicate the Sir/Madam nomenclature as government officials are appointed to do their duty of providing service.”
At the age of thirty, he left the job of an associate professor, in a reputed college in India and moved to Canada. In the Indian college, everyone showed him respect by addressing him as Sir. However, while living in Canada, Ajay witnessed a massive cultural difference. When Ajay tried to follow this custom, he was informed by Canadians that they follow the first-name based culture which makes communication easier.
Ajay suggests that to change the environment, first we need to change mindsets. He enunciates, “We should implement a change in the schools, colleges, and among the downtrodden section of the society. The elders must spread the value of true respect among the younger generation.”
He advises that the No Sir No Madam initiative should conduct campaigns and sessions in corporate and public sectors. However, Ajay opines that we need to choose the target field wisely as every section will not accept a rampant change, peacefully.
Ajay concluded, “As humans, we are all equal. Thus, to have a responsive relationship, we must undermine the temporary roles of position and power.”
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