Eklovey Verma, Founder of Creating Talks exuberantly upholds No Sir No Madam cause. Creating Talks is a Delhi-based startup that conducts offline and online events. They cover topics from inspirational to knowledge –sharing talks that can help the youth enrich their information bank with experts’ experiences.
Eklovey has completed his graduation in mechanical engineering from Delhi Technological University. He ventured Creative Talks when he was in his final year of engineering college. Eklovey led the core team that organized an event in IIT Delhi. They received a number of positive feedback, and they haven’t stopped since then.
He strongly believes in equality and respect of all. Therefore, he regularly ensures to put his ideology in his behavior as well. He opines — There is always an opportunity to learn from someone, no matter younger or older.
There have been times when the office security guard has helped us sort of some problems that we were facing. If we did not respect him, he might not have bothered to help us. Eklovey continues “Even in our office, as we all are young, we address each other by our first-name. Sometimes the new employees are afraid to refer to us by our name, so they adhere to Sir/Madam terminology.
We make sure to inform them that we do not follow any salutation custom in our office. And if someone feels uncomfortable to address their senior by the name, we suggest them to use ‘Bhaiya’ or ‘Didi’ instead.
We do not feel that we have earned anything in life deserving enough to be greeted as Sir/Madam. More importantly, a salutation ridden custom at the workplace makes work and communicating more fun.”
Pondering upon the mandate of Sir/Madam edict in government offices, Eklovey remarks — One cannot simply use the first-name of the officials to address them. Bureaucrats think, if a person does not refer to them with a salutation, he/she is not respecting them.
Furthermore, when you are addressing someone as Sir/Madam, you are empowering them to exploit you. This is an old-mentality that needs to be uprooted. As I believe, respect can be displayed by your gestures and not just by mere salutations.
To eradicate this mentality and the taboos related to it, Eklovey suggests to implement No Sir No Madam culture in schools and colleges.
He enunciates “We spend so much time during our life in schools and colleges. Therefore, we should be trained to let go off salutation practice from the beginning so that once we step out of the education part of our life, we are more professional. I remember in my college, if we addressed a senior by their name, people would hastily inform you that the person is your senior, and you should refer to him as ‘Sir’.
One more instance, where I addressed the name of my professor by his first-name. My professor noticed this and since then his behavior towards me changed. I later realized that he might have been upset as I did not add ‘Sir’ after his name while saving his contact in my phone.“
Indians adhere to salutations because they understand that people in authority or people senior than them like to be greeted as ‘Sir/Madam’. In India, addressing someone with salutation is assumed to provide respect for someone.
Eklovey winds up— do not just merely use a few words to show respect to someone. Respect is better displayed by your gestures and your thoughts towards that person.
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