Large development projects of any kind, may be a refinery, a power project, a highway or railway project, whenever are being set up, carry a different kind of atmosphere that can be more felt than described to have a true feel of it. There is an electrical charge in the air, rush to sites and back to home when the shifts are over, animated discussions, review meetings, brain-storming sessions to solve the problems encountered every day during their setting-up. Designers, Site engineers, workers, all are involved alike in the activities irrespective of their ranks and ‘Nishchaykarapnijeetkaron’ is the force behind.
A large manpower is on the job, huge plant and machinery works round the clock, gangs of workers and supervisors ceaselessly shuttle between the campus and project site, their families assigned seat at the back of their minds and project targets at the forefront. There are no holidays, even on Sundays, at least mentally even if a weekly off is there for you. And completely embroiled by this magnetic field of work and targets, you don’t even realize that when the days and weeks and months and years of your lives slip off. A deep breath is finally taken only when the project is completed and realization occurs that oh! So many years have slipped away in a trice?
And that’s the best way of living, I’d say. Problems are plenty in a human life and there is no end to ambitions, desires and expectations. Achieve some and more take birth. Brood over the problem and it becomes bigger. Best solution is to lose oneself in the cycle of a constructive activity like building a project, have a feeling of doing something good in life and allow the years to slip by. Working on a project, you actually realize that yes, work is worship and these projects are real temples of worship.
Another unique feature of development projects noted everywhere is the building of religious shrines of a temple and a gurudwara adjoining the project campus. Whenever, a project is to be set-up, the first task taken in hand is to establish a housing campus for staff and engineers of all ranks. Even the head of the project resides there. When the campus is coming up, the engineers and staff consider the idea of fulfilling their religious sentiments. They acquire two small plots of land adjacent to the campus boundary wall for building a temple and a Gurudwara there. Fund collection missions are launched and everyone contributes as per his will. Slowly and steadily, brick by brick, the temple and Gurdwara buildings come up as skill and engineering is already available in plenty. Finally the day arrives when each place of worship is ready for one and all to visit and pay their obeisance.
A strange brotherhood prevails among the Hindus and Sikhs posted at the projects. They all attend all functions at the two shrines. Festivals and Gurparbs are celebrated with great fervour followed by Langar when everyone irrespective of his rank serves the rows of people. That atmosphere filled with bhajan and gurbani kirtan doesn’t allow you to leave the place as you want it to go on and on. Acelestial experience it is.
I had the opportunity of working on such projects for a long period of more than 20 years. Today, after another 20 years, the unforgettable memories of those days still prove heart-warming and life-inspiring.
