And there she was, engrossed in reading a book on the deck of the houseboat, oblivious of the exquisite beauty of the Dal lake.
Second time in as many days, I could not hold myself back from asking “Are you on vacation?” Violation to her privacy notwithstanding, she was still candid in her response, “No, I’m on a sabbatical.” I must confess it took time for me to get the essence of her response and hence our conversation was truncated then.
Years later, I discovered the subtle but profound distinction between a vacation and a sabbatical. A sabbatical is a little more than a vacation, but a vacation is just that. The young lady on the deck was on a trip to unwind, explore and regenerate herself. Whether it was employer-supported or not, sabbatical for her was a desire fueled with fantasy. And, all fantasies carry a shadow of uncertainty. But she seemed reasonably prepared for the next three months of her sabbatical.
Sabbatical is considered a Biblical act, when God rested after creating the universe. Present across ancient societies, the idea was to not only ‘take a break’ but allow nature to take a break too. Agriculture activities were given a break for the land to rest and recover, what in modern parlance would be considered an ‘unproductive phase.’ Majority of our present day problems are precisely borne out of over-stretching everything, from the living to the non-living.
Many forms of sabbaticals have been invented. In some, absence from service is fully paid, whereas in others some companies offer unpaid sabbaticals. Universities do encourage their faculty to avail sabbatical and so do government offices. Rarely do they practise it. Given the immense pressure of deadlines and targets, employees run out of steam for randomness, spontaneity, and serendipity — all of which are crucial to creativity and innovation.
India’s youngest Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, is credited for not only cutting a typical week to five working days but for introducing “leave travel concession” for employees to escape from their daily ordeal. It is no secret that the opportunity has been squandered (or misappropriated) to such an extent that a month’s basic salary is what most employers currently offer, whether or not one travels. No wonder a recently retired acquaintance knows little about himself and his surroundings.
Part of the reason is that, we Indians, love predictability and continuity, and so do our employers. Rarely if ever, they inspire themselves or the others, status quo suits them the most. In contrast, “sabbatees” are a different beast, ready to go away to assess whether or not they still like “themselves.”
Indians often go on vacations, capturing selfies against important landmarks. but rarely submit themselves to sabbaticals.