Everyone wants a job. Some people chose a career for themselves. But most people accept whatever job they manage to get. Those people who chose their career say that they chose the work because it is interesting or meaningful. That argument sounds hollow because they always chose those jobs that are well paid. There are so many other works that are very meaningful and interesting, but most people don't even consider those low paid job options. The truth is that it money that influences their choices. And they rationalize their decisions by pretending that they like such jobs. So, undoubtedly, people work for money. Other factors do matter to some extend but the most important factor that determines what one does in life is the monetary reward. What is wrong if people just accept that truth?
People can't accept that they spent most of their life after money because that shows them how meaningless their life is. Accepting that fact shows them their real status and situation in life. It shows them how helpless and vulnerable they really are and how limited choices they have in their life. It shows them their lack of freedom and choice. Therefore, most people hide their greed for money with the mask of noble aspirations.
So, it is pretty clear that people work for money. Some people openly and proudly say that their main aim is to make money. They can shamelessly say that, because they know that the society accepts pursuit of money as desirable; well at least secretly, if not openly. Such people do not try to find out the consequences of their work for the society or for themselves. Such people fill all the vacancies in institutions that perpetuate injustice and inequality, even human rights violations.
Let us take the case of a man working as a clerk in a para military force. He does only office works. He does not harm anybody. He does not even get angry with anybody. In fact, he is afraid of his superiors and he is overworked. He is always anxious about completing his works. He even does not get enough salary to satisfy all his needs. He is a normal person doing his job. Now, let us look closely if he has anything to do with what the para military force does to the civilians. Irom Sharmila is a lady who has been doing satyagraha for the last ten years. She has not eaten anything for ten years in the hope that the government would stop the army and para military forces from destroying the life of common people. She is just demanding the special powers given to the military to be withdrawn. She is willing to sacrifice her life for this cause. The government says that the situations is not very bad. Who do we believe about the ground situation- her or the government? Now, if she is telling the truth, then the clerk has a big decision to take. Should he continue to serve the para military force which is doing injustice for the state, on the innocent civilians, or should he cease to cooperate with those people?
He may be having a large family to support. But , he must chose either to resign and struggle for sometime or ignore the consequences of the actions of his company. If he decides to stay with the company in spite of human right violations and tortures, then he must also be ready for retribution from the civilians and must not cry when injustice happens to him.
To be innocent, it is not enough just to refrain from doing injustice directly. To be really innocent, one has to see if one's actions support anybody to do injustice to others.
This is the kind of questions that all people need to answer before claiming to be innocent and moral. You might be a sports person, a journalist or a manager in a corporation. You are directly participating in doing injustice if the corporation or the department is engaged in cheating or malpractices. One can not remain guilt free if one is supporting injustice in any way.
What do you think? Do you work for any institution that ultimately cheats people in any way? No one else need to judge you. It is your life. One becomes what one does. It is your decisions that will decide what you become.
