Vikram Aditya Tirthani, Founder of MediKlik is an ardent follower of the No Sir No Madam culture. After completing Engineering in Electronics and Telecommunication in 2007, Vikram joined the healthcare sector. He has been a part of this industry for the last 12 years.
Vikram started MediKlik in 2016 and aims to build the next-generation healthcare ecosystem for India. The company provides preventive health, effectively at free of cost. It includes complete lifestyle transformation through proper checkups and other services related to nutrition and fitness.
As an informed citizen, Vikram indisputably relates to the cause. He encourages everyone in his company to dispose salutations. Everyone initially had faced difficulty while adapting to this new culture.
However, they slowly came to realize the benefits of such communication. Addressing each other by their names has created a strong connection within the team. The bond of trust makes every member responsible and increases the productivity of the company.
Vikram had the experience of Sir/Madam culture while pursuing engineering. As is the norm in most engineering colleges, Vikram had to regard not only his professors but also his seniors as Sir or Madam. This created a distance between them, which resulted in a disparity in communication.
He confesses that “After getting out of college, it took time for me to adjust with being addressed by my name.” Vikram gradually came to understand that the No Sir No Madam culture increases efficiency by removing discrimination.
Vikram deems it to be unfortunate that even after 72 years of independence, the British tradition of salutation is still practiced by Indians. This ingrained custom has resulted in conceiving respect through the terms Sir and Madam. This molds the society into a hierarchical system. Vikram protests against such arrangement by voicing that “We all have beautiful names, why not use them.”
Vikram is aware of the repercussions of trying to regard government officials by their name. He has witnessed the same in the healthcare sector. Doctors are easily offended when not regarded as Sir or Madam. It is due to the expectation of reverence they have from the patients and medical representatives. Therefore, Vikram admits that “We have to follow because we are forced to follow the convention.”
However, Vikram is hopeful that the new set of educated officials will understand the importance of two-way mutual respect. These officials can encourage the citizens to converse with them without any hesitation.
The perception that has been embedded in the sub-conscious of the Indians can only be removed through proper education. Accurate learning can empower and boost everyone equally. Only then the citizens can work in unity for the development of the nation.
In his observation, the “First step towards changing things should be removing Sir and Madam” from our day-to-day communication. Vikram applauds the No Sir No Madam initiative for effectively and innovative creating consciousness among the mass. Vikram suggests that the privileged group of citizens should direct the less fortunate towards awareness to reduce the inequality within the country.
Vikram wraps up—Addressing Sir or Madam does not serve respect. Following this tradition still chains us down as British slaves. Therefore, we should accept true knowledge, which will set us free from these limitations.
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