One of the most popular quotes found in many random places in small towns is attributed to Jawaharlal Nehru. “Aaram Haram hai.” Don’t rest easy. Like many quotes falsely attributed to APJ Abdul Kalam, this one by Nehru too became part of everyday street literature. Legendary graffiti artist Banksy once painted a fake quote attributed to Greek philosopher Plato on a blue door in Brooklyn: “I have a theory that you can make any sentence seem profound by writing the name of a dead philosopher at the end of it — Plato.”
Recently, a real quote attributed to Indian billionaire NR Narayana Murthy emerged, sounding unbelievable in 2023, a time when progress has been made in terms of rights and labour laws. Murthy urged India’s youth to “work for 70 hours a week”, by gaslighting them that it’s for nation-building. This statement triggered “netizens”, a term possibly coined by an underpaid intern working 70 hours as a “social media trend editor” at a news website.
A few corporate chiefs echoed Murthy’s sentiment. Bhavish Aggarwal, who agreed with the Infosys founder, said something that Gen Z might translate as “so true, bestie.”
This statement seems bizarre because India is no stranger to the concept of working hard. In fact, the level of inequality in the country ensures that those who work hard earn less, while those who hardly work earn the most. With labour laws inconsistently enforced and social hierarchies functioning smoothly, individuals at the top routinely exploit those lower in the hierarchy.
This is one reason why people who find Murthy’s statement offensive—due to their shared experience of working long hours for low pay—may not be as upset about the overworked and underpaid domestic helpers in their own homes or the predicament of gig workers delivering items like Diet Coke and McAloo Tikki burgers in just 10 minutes, even on rainy days when the streets are flooded.
Also read: Feel free to hit my child—Indian parents’ ground rule for good education. Toxic teachers oblige
Work isn’t just work
India’s relationship with work is uniquely intertwined with spiritual connotations. Beyond professional commitment, most people also view their work as a pursuit of higher significance. The widely circulated quote “work is worship” suggests that every task carries a spiritual significance that goes beyond the mere transactional relationship between the worker and the employer. In fact, the annual package of Rs 3.5 lakh offered to engineering graduates from distant towns by many multinational companies implies that work may be considered worship, but the ‘prasadam’ will remain insufficient.
To understand the relationship between work and productivity, one should study Japan. The island nation has an unusual and terrifying phenomenon called “Karoshi”, which translates to “death due to overworking”. The first documented case of Karoshi occurred in 1969 when a 29-year-old man working at a major Japanese newspaper company died from overwork-related complications. By 1988, nearly a quarter of male employees in Japan were working more than 60 hours per week. To address this issue, “Karoshi hotlines” that provided people with support and guidance were established by a group of lawyers and doctors. Japan’s rapid post-World War II economic growth and demanding work schedules, often requiring 12 or more hours a day, 6-7 days a week, contributed to the Karoshi epidemic. Japan has some of the longest working hours in the world, yet its productivity has ranked lowest among G7 nations for the past 50 years. This phenomenon isn’t limited to Japan.
Yet in India, suffering through hard work is associated with increased productivity. In general, though, suffering is considered by many Indians as a result of their “karma” in past life, which is why people endure in silence since there’s little they can do about it. Moreover, in India, suffering is also associated with noble and political causes. Narayana Murthy, who urges people to work 70 hours a week, does so in the name of “nation-building.”
But then, some people do enjoy working to the point of burnout. Existentially speaking, many believe that one may avoid sadness and intrusive thoughts by working excessively and staying busy all the time. I have encountered people who keep themselves perpetually busy, because it serves as a distraction and helps them avoid overthinking. Reminds me of a quote from the iconic film Taxi Driver: “I’m working long hours now, six in the afternoon to six in the morning. Sometimes even eight in the morning, six days a week. Sometimes seven days a week. It’s a long hustle but it keeps me real busy.
“Twelve hours of work and I still can’t sleep. Damn. Days go on and on. They don’t end.”
Anurag is a multimedia artist and host of Anurag Minus Verma Podcast. He tweets @confusedvichar. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)