Status symbols

Status symbols

In our day to day life there are many status symbols a man aspires to obtain.

These include a trendy automobile; villa, house or luxury apartment in posh locality. Membership of elite social club, children going to high-end school and so on.

In the childhood, the symbols start with book covers, trendy stickers on the books and notebooks. Cute pencil sharpener, erasers of different shapes and some of them with scent. Different types of pencils. Schoolbags, raincoat, water bottle, tiffin box all add to the stature.

For the present day children, vacation and holiday locations are important. How many countries one has visited is a cause of envy or desolation. In our childhood, going to relatives' place was the idea of vacation.

A good bicycle becomes status symbol in a town or township where everyone either walks to school or pedals. In bigger cities use of bicycle was not prevalent.

Every organization has its set of rules by which it defines eligibility of individuals for getting some facility or perk.

When we joined BHEL Trichy in 1976 as Engineer Trainees, the company had set of rules.

Engineers were allotted one T9 table, one steel side rack, one chair with arms and two armless chairs for visitors. Engineers were required to transfer this furniture along-with them whenever transferred from one building to another building or from one department to another department. Non-executives were not issued any visitor chairs. All executives sat on one side of the hall in a single line. Non-executives and draftsmenoccupied the other part of the hall.As there was shortage of visitor chairs, individuals would seek permission to take a chair to other table. Some people were very possessive of these chairs and tie them to their table.

A glass-top for the table was a status symbol. You had to be on good terms with office supporting staff for getting supply of consumables and other things on time. Many table tops used to be uneven and glass top would break. To protect glass one would put plastic bubble packing sheet. These were only available in Sub deliverystores. You required rapport in stores to get the sheet.

Those were the days when ballpoint pens used to smudge. We were issued desk pens and ink bottles. Receptacles for the pens were used as paper weights. If one left the pens in the open in the evening, next day the pens would be missing, such was the demand for these pens.

Glass tumblers were issued to only executives. Steel tumblers were issued to non-executives. Even tea or coffee was not served to non-executives in the hall. Only executives would get tea or coffee in cups.

BHEL had entered into many collaborations in that period. Those who had been trained in Combustion Engineering USA, used to wear typical stretchlon pants. This clearly indicated that he is one of the chosen ones. Vespa/ Bajaj scooters had a long waiting list at that time. Their new Chetak scooter was available on payment of foreign exchange.Possession of a Chetak scooter was a symbol of foreign returned individual. People somehow saved enough money during foreign trip to buy Chetak scooter.

An executive would move from the hall to a room as per seniority. Initially there would two or three executives in one room. Later as a Deputy manager one would be allotted separate room with a stenographer. 

As a Deputy manager a person would get a bigger table with central drawer and a revolving chair. A small folding table would be there for taking lunch.Most of the sub-department heads were Deputy managers.

Managers had window air-conditioner fitted in the room. A wash basin also was provided in some cabins.

Similar structure was followed by regions in the sites. Many bosses believed that site is a temporary establishment and hence individual eligibility would be one step lower than followed in units.This system changed when people who had been at site throughout their career occupied top position in region.

In late 1980s Labour militancy necessitated provision of attached toilet and bathroom to the chief’s cabin. 

In the township there was a long waiting list for the eligible type of quarters.We were initially housed in Probationary Hostel (PH) which was one room kitchen block. After a few years we shifted to two rooms and kitchen block.

Officers' club, bank and school were near to each other. The houses near the club were coveted. The occupants proudly informed their house address with reference to club.

The factory had it’s own telephone exchange for internal communications. For External communication, P&T telephones with STD facility were provided on need basis.Departments requiring external communications were provided with P&T phone without STD facility. Call registers were maintained by the PS concerned. In the hall intercoms were issued section-wise. Senior executives would get individual intercom. Names of executives and Foreman grade supervisors would appear in the telephone directory. There was a criteria for providing residential phone connection. Shop and Maintenance executives would get immediate residential phone connection. Residential phone was envied by neighbours.

Later on Pagers were flaunted by people. After that Mobile became a status symbol. Today all these have lost relevance. There was a time when Blackberry phone was a status symbol. Now many wouldn’t know about Blackberry. Latest models of iPhone and other phones are now status symbols.

Railway station was far away from the township and transport facilities were not good. Company used to provide drop and pick up facility for employees and their familiesfor Rockfort express only. Individuals were required to send request to transport department well in advance.Depending on number of persons, cars and buses were sent from designated pickup points.DGM and above were provided exclusive car for this purpose.On return journey from Madras, some individuals would get down at Srirangam to save time. In those days there was always talk in office how some DGM avoided eye contact with others, to avoid taking them in his car.

Chauffeur driven official car is still a status symbol.Taking colleagues in official car is below dignity for some.

Class and mode of travel is a status symbol. Travel entitlement is specified by the organisation. In railway travel graduating from Ist class to 2AC andthen to 1AC was always aspired by all.

Managers and above were eligible to travel by air on official tour. Madras and Bangalore were both connected by overnight train from Trichy.Some persons travelled from Trichy to Bangalore via Madras by air instead of taking train. Later Trichy to Chennai travel by air was banned by local management.

In 1970s many top bureaucrats and officials preferred wearing Safari suits. Our CMD was particularly fond of such suits. All his followers also started wearing Safari suits irrespective of the weather conditions. Later when company introduced uniform, some individuals stitched Safari suit of uniform cloth.

Another status symbol was a briefcase by VIP, which was issued by company on eligibility criteria. For some persons, that was the only luggage they would carry on official tour of any duration.

Well as time passes, status symbols also change.