Celebration is a way of life in India, and it is important that we bring it back in a way which makes the workplace a happy and also a productive one.

Besides the scores of other festivals that we have, there are 3 national holidays that the entire country comes together to celebrate – Independence Day, Republic Day & Gandhi Jayanti. At Sthir, we feel that these are great opportunities to enhance the emotional wellbeing & social wellbeing in the organization. Here are a few reasons why we feel so strongly about it:

1. Aren’t we lucky to be Indians?

I am not one of those who become unduly happy or proud of my country when the cricket team wins or the medal tally during Olympics look good. I don’t need those reasons, because I am always (not unduly) proud of the heritage that I have inherited which has always believed वसुधैव  कुटुम्बकम / “vasudhaiv kutumbakam” (the world is a family) much before the world sang “We are the World – we are its children”. And while the politicians and all kinds of rabble rousers keep making noises in all the ways one should not, it is imperative for corporate leaders to recognize the importance of invoking pride in our heritage for people to feel good about themselves – and that is so important for the cause of the much-touted round ‘mental wellbeing’ that one talks of so much these days.

2021 “In a “purpose unleashed” future, purpose is the dominant force driving the relationship between workers and employers. The worker-employer relationship is COMMUNAL: Both workers and employers see shared purpose as the foundation of their relationship, viewing it as the most important tie that binds them together.

– Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends Report 2021

1. Workplace is also the Community

If workers are looking at their organizations to be more like social enterprises (Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends Report 2020) and want their leaders to role model values – such national days give organizations, the perfect opportunity to do that. It is that one time when leaders can demonstrate their care and concern for issues beyond company objectives and organizational performance.

• A reason to celebrate

In times especially the ones we are living through now, we need a reason to celebrate. Also, in a country as diverse as India the same festivals are often celebrated a day apart or in a different way across the country. However, national festivals are the same for all, across faiths and regions. They happen on the same day, they have the same reason to be celebrated and there is no dependence on the moon or tithi (date in the vikram samvat calendar). Isn’t that enough reason to come together and celebrate the same occasion on the same day across the country? 

1. Culture is a teacher.

Cultures of civilizations which are old have a lot of wisdom in their traditions and rituals. And with every ancient civilization, years make rituals decay and traditions lose meaning. These ancient values are usually those which elevate the sense of ethic in people and make them better human beings. What is needed is to see beyond the current tradition and ask pertinent questions as to why certain things in the country are celebrated the way they are. Without fails such questions will make people aware and be in touch with our ingrained values. Therefore, these occasions are important opportunities to drive these values amongst people – so these occasions can also be used to introduce or accelerate the driving of such values amongst people.