Parikshit Borkotoky, the managing director of Kraftinn advocates in support of No Sir No Madam ideology. Kraftinn is an eco-friendly company that sells product made of Bamboo trees that are native to Assam.
He is an alumnus of Amity Business School, India. However, he always had a passion to portray the hidden Assamese talent to the outside world. Parikshit felt that the North-East India is promoted in a wrong way. Therefore, with this burden on his mind, he established Kraftinn to highlight the traditional hand-looms and bamboo handicrafts to the world.
Parikshit believes that everyone is equal in the workplace, irrespective of their designation. Accordingly, he has implemented No Sir No Madam doctrine in his organization. He states that there is no manager-subordinate concept at Kraftinn. His employees utilize vernacular terms such as ‘dada’ while addressing him. Moreover, every employee at his firm holds equal respect despite different responsibilities assigned to them.
Prior to Kraftinn, Parikshit was working for American Express. He came to know about first-name habit being practiced in offices at this place. He considers himself fortunate for being introduced to No Sir No Madam culture from the beginning of career. Parikshit was impressed by the first-name custom and decided to implement the same in his firm.
He claims about building a much better personal relation with his employees because of following a salutation ridden custom. Being located in a small village, people recognize each other personally. The employees invite Parikshit too, to be a part of any festival or occasion being celebrated in the village.
Sharing his experience with PSU’s, he mentions — I had to visit every bureaucrat’s office unnecessarily. I now have stopped approaching any public official as a lot of time is wasted. Government officers misuse their designation to exploit people in small villages. I am certain this is the scenario in towns as well. Ergo, it is crucial that salutation dictum should be eradicated from government offices.
Likewise, he ventures on the ill-effects that salutation custom has on the working class section of society. Parikshit enumerates, “I come from a middle-class family. My father worked in a para-military organization, where ‘Sir/Madam’ culture is strictly adhered. What surprises me is that even today my father has to address the officers as ‘Sir’.
In addition, I, being his son, I am expected to do the same. I fail to understand why I have to greet people with a salutation. I have my own identity and have no duty towards them.”
Parikshit also explains the positive effect, he has been able to instill in his employee’s life. He unfolds — majority of my employees are artisans from small villages. In villages, people end their day even before the sun sets and have plenty of time in their hand. Consequently, for entertainment, they start drinking to a point, where it becomes a sort of addiction.
One of my employees, who was a drunkard, used to abuse his wife under the influence of alcohol. I had to visit his house every time and stop the fight. However, after conversing with him and giving him a sense of responsibility in life, he has now quit drinking and has become a responsible proud parents.
Parikshit claims he could help the employees because he corresponded with him like a friend, and not as a boss. “Clinging to No Sir No Madam thesis has enabled me to fight social issues like this in my village,” he adds.
Ergo, he recommends, No Sir no Madam theory should be adopted in the education system. Informing kids about the boons of first-name habit would assist them in the future. It would also enable students, not to be scared of their teachers.
Furthermore, he implies that college students should be allowed to address their teachers without a salutation as they are adults. This would help them in preparing themselves as they step into the corporate world.
In the end, Parikshit conveys — People in small villages recognize each other personally because they address each other by their first-name. They respect each other genuinely and make themselves approachable for any help. Whereas, people in towns are so distanced from even their neighbors because they do not have the same respect for others. Thus, implement No Sir No Madam doctrine in your life to purvey equality in society and to connect in a better manner with people around you.
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