Every time we look at a statue or picture of Mahatma Gandhi, something different catches our attention. His figure and looks are so plain and unimpressive that even minute details can stand out demanding a thought from the onlooker. It was his moustache that caught my attention this year on 2nd October. It looked quite unimpressive in comparison to the much famed moustaches of Hitler and Roosevelt. A majority of famous men do away with moustaches and in India itself the upper class in North India prefer not to have it. Mohandas was educated in England like Jawaharlal and Mohammed Ali. But why did he prefer to have the moustache that Nehru and Jinnah preferred to shave off? Isn’t it something to think of? The Mahatma was always like that. As he rightly said his life is his message and there is always something to be asked and answers sought about his life and figure.
There are many who believe that the Mahatma became senile towards his end and there are few who believe that he could have even acted against the nation’s interests. But the question that none of them find easy to answer is how an average ordinary Indian like him could come up to command the respect of one and all the world over. It cannot be mere luck, manipulation or even a wrong notion. There is only one answer to all such doubts. Mohandas Gandhi was the only top Indian leader who looked like, thought like and lived like an ordinary Indian till his very end. All other factors that made him a successful politician, strategist and finally a Mahatma were only incidental. His ordinary moustache indicates his complete identification with the ordinary Indian peasant and workmen. But for his moustache, he could never aspire to become the Mahatma Gandhi that we all know of now.
Meaningful Figure
Most of the leaders in our democracy look like us at the beginning of their political career and then slowly start looking unlike us as they climb up the ladder. This chameleon tendency has reached unimaginable limits that we find even older Gandhians dyeing their hair pitch black and always carrying two sets of clothes – one ‘desi’ set for the party functions and one ‘videsi’ set for other parties. Many from the South of India have one set of clothes to wear when they are in their own states and another one when they are in Delhi. Very often we find it difficult to recognise many of them when they are in Delhi. The reach of visual media has made the ‘capital life’ of all such politicians difficult. The important point most of them miss out is the impact of their ‘videsi’ visual images on their supporters back home.
The opium of the masses in a democracy is trust. If people trust a leader wholeheartedly, they will do anything for him. To win the trust of ordinary people is not an easy task. Indian democracy has proved this seemingly unbelievable phenomenon many times. It is far more difficult to convince rural illiterates than urban literates as far as democracy is concerned. It is in this aspect that Mohandas Gandhi succeeded and became Mahatma Gandhi. The loin cloth and lacklustre moustache provided a meaningful figure for the half naked fakir to walk into the minds of all ordinary Indians. Quite unlike other leaders (then and now) he never changed his looks as he climbed up the steps of ‘mahatma’hood. And that remains his uniqueness and sign of undiluted sincerity for all his supporters and opponents to learn from.
Complete Identification
The greatest weapon in Mahatma’s possession was his complete identification with Indian masses. We had leaders before and after the Mahatma who could identify with a specific section of our population for some time. Jawaharlal & Indira could identify with the socialists and Rajiv with the techno-savvy new generation. Lalbahadur could identify with kisans and Atal Bihari with the progressive middle class. But none of them could identify with the vast majority of Indians who are essentially religious and wanted to believe in something or someone who is genuinely sincere to them. Poor and helpless people are always looking for icons to identify with and Mohandas Gandhi could easily provide the same ever since he switched over from his western dresses to a piece of hand woven cloth and familiar Indian moustache.
It goes to his full credit that an ordinary man like Mohandas could generate so much trust by his looks and actions. Ever since he returned from South Africa and walked into the Indian landscape and mind, he never looked back. His loin cloth and moustache remained even when he went to London to negotiate our independence. Even those who do not believe in his philosophy and methods have no choice but to admit his sincerity with whatever he did. Quite in contrast with most of our leaders who deviate in their deeds from their declared intentions, Mahatma Gandhi remained steadfast in his actions for whatever he preached (even if it was counterproductive). Complete identification with whatever he believed in was his forte and unqualified support for his calls was the only option in front of the freedom fighters.
Almost sixty years have passed since the Mahatma is gone. Indian nation, which has matured from an oversized colony to an organised democracy, is still struggling with an identity crisis. Now the question that is uppermost in the minds of all Indians is about the efficacy of this type of a democratic government to alleviate poverty and develop a billion strong country within a reasonable time frame. Even after 50 years, we are unable to make any drastic but absolutely essential changes in our constitution. We do not have the type of political leaders who can confirm the backing of the nation for any major changes in our constitution. The leaders do not have the masses with them and most leaders are not trusted by the masses. The simple fact that we are unable to develop an alternative for Satyagraha, which was developed by the Mahatma almost a century ago as a form of non-violent civil protest, speaks volumes about the quality of leadership that followed him. Only another Mahatma with moustache can lead us out of the democratic quagmire that Indians have fallen into. Hey Ram.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Thursday, October 12, 2006
President Murthy and PM Shourie
Most men are mere toys in the hands of Time and very often we find unexpected men coming to occupy unexpected positions at unexpected times. But rarely do we find unplanned developments setting good precedents for the society at large. Though we had a couple of earlier Prime Ministers from this category, the assumption of office by Dr. Singh has opened up a golden opportunity for Indian democracy. Even if we have to admit that it was a clear distortion (and hijacking) of mandate, the precedent can prove advantageous for Indian democracy, if it is utilised properly. To a large extent he is the first apolitical chief executive for the highly politicised Indian democracy. He might have landed on the chair thanks to specific reasons, but his erudition and academic brilliance must set the long lost meritorious precedence for the most difficult job in the world viz. Prime Minister of India.
In a way it is good times for India now. In addition to an erudite Prime Minister we have one of the best brains that India ever produced as the President of the country. No other President has given us so many ideas and suggestions for improvement. It is definite failure on the part of each of us if we could not heed to any of his ideas and improve ourselves. Very rightly he targeted the children for first hand dissemination of ideas. We can rest assured that at least 10% of them will develop wings of fire and make India proud. President Kalam has already indicated his unwillingness for a second term and another term for the incumbent PM is almost out of question. It is in this historical context that opportunity is presenting two brilliant candidates in front of us.
Narayana Murthy for President
Whatever way we look at it, the logical step from Kalam to Murthy cannot be missed out. If one has presented brilliant ideas, the other one has demonstrated miraculous dexterity in implementation of ideas. To build up something like Infosys from scratch with little capital and lot of knowledge is a feat achievable only by the likes of Narayana Murthy. India of twenty first century is leading the world in knowledge and we desperately need the guidance of Murthys to capitalise on this advantage. Countries like China will overtake us in every field if we cannot consolidate our unique advantages in the next one or two decades. Narayana Murthy has demonstrated his unparalleled leadership qualities many times in his own field and related ones. Moreover he is a thoroughbred Indian technocrat who understands India and Indians like no one else. His capacity to ‘think globally and act locally’ can provide the right mix to inspire young entrepreneurs of India. If Kalam could stimulate the children of the country, Murthy will do the same with the youth of the country. What India needs today is ‘out-of-the-box’ ideas and ‘thinking really big’. There is no better candidate than Murthy who could guide us better today. He commands respect and he can lead the nation by example.
Arun Shourie for Prime Minister
In contemporary India, there is no one who has achieved so much in the fields of journalism, economics, administration and culture than Arun Shourie. After his extra-ordinary performance in journalism as the redoubtable Editor of Indian Express, there were many who had dismissed him as a mere paper tiger. To the admiration of those (like me) who adore him and to the dismay of his distracters, his subsequent performance as a historian who understands history and administrator who knows his job has been outstanding. We have many learned and eminent historians like Thapar and Panicker who are unwilling to learn from history for extraneous reasons. In their midst, Arun Shourie, who is not a historian by training, was a shining example of how an Indian historian must interpret and learn from Indian history. He presented the picture of an Indian sage who understands the absolute necessity of trustworthy soldiers around a peaceful ashram to protect the champions of ahimsa. It goes to his credit that he alerted Indian mind against the mechanisations of foreigners who have been ‘servicing’ India for decades in education, social service and cultural uplift. Communism, pseudo-Secularism and eternal-Reservation also got thoroughly exposed and discredited under his piercing arguments based on facts and figures. Disinvestment and dismantling of trade barriers found a meaning in government corridors only after he took over the respective ministries. In every sense of the term, Arun Shourie easily classifies himself as one of those ancient Indian seers who combined erudition, morality and profound wisdom. Given a chance, he is sure to take India to the very top in the next five years. The only condition that we should put is that he should get elected to Lok Sabha and not to make a back door entry through Rajya Sabha.
Our typical reaction in such demanding situations is to look for reasons to oppose. Murthy and Shourie may or may not belong to any vote banks, ideological groups or even pressure groups. All those who want a Harijan for the sake of upliftment of so-called Harijans must remember that it was a non-Harijan like Mahatma Gandhi who did anything for Harijans in recent times. The Jagjivans who amassed wealth beyond their own imagination and Narayanans who cried annually citing inability to help anyone except immediate family are bad examples for repetition. It would be mere waste of time and effort to hunt for Harijans and Minorities just for the sake of it. Murthy and Shourie will provide the best combination that can accelerate India’s growth and social development beyond our imagination. And only when the nation develop will the Brahmins, Harijans and Minorities can develop. In India today – "North or South, Murthy and Shourie are the best”. Let us hope good sense prevails among all political parties and its leaders.
In a way it is good times for India now. In addition to an erudite Prime Minister we have one of the best brains that India ever produced as the President of the country. No other President has given us so many ideas and suggestions for improvement. It is definite failure on the part of each of us if we could not heed to any of his ideas and improve ourselves. Very rightly he targeted the children for first hand dissemination of ideas. We can rest assured that at least 10% of them will develop wings of fire and make India proud. President Kalam has already indicated his unwillingness for a second term and another term for the incumbent PM is almost out of question. It is in this historical context that opportunity is presenting two brilliant candidates in front of us.
Narayana Murthy for President
Whatever way we look at it, the logical step from Kalam to Murthy cannot be missed out. If one has presented brilliant ideas, the other one has demonstrated miraculous dexterity in implementation of ideas. To build up something like Infosys from scratch with little capital and lot of knowledge is a feat achievable only by the likes of Narayana Murthy. India of twenty first century is leading the world in knowledge and we desperately need the guidance of Murthys to capitalise on this advantage. Countries like China will overtake us in every field if we cannot consolidate our unique advantages in the next one or two decades. Narayana Murthy has demonstrated his unparalleled leadership qualities many times in his own field and related ones. Moreover he is a thoroughbred Indian technocrat who understands India and Indians like no one else. His capacity to ‘think globally and act locally’ can provide the right mix to inspire young entrepreneurs of India. If Kalam could stimulate the children of the country, Murthy will do the same with the youth of the country. What India needs today is ‘out-of-the-box’ ideas and ‘thinking really big’. There is no better candidate than Murthy who could guide us better today. He commands respect and he can lead the nation by example.
Arun Shourie for Prime Minister
In contemporary India, there is no one who has achieved so much in the fields of journalism, economics, administration and culture than Arun Shourie. After his extra-ordinary performance in journalism as the redoubtable Editor of Indian Express, there were many who had dismissed him as a mere paper tiger. To the admiration of those (like me) who adore him and to the dismay of his distracters, his subsequent performance as a historian who understands history and administrator who knows his job has been outstanding. We have many learned and eminent historians like Thapar and Panicker who are unwilling to learn from history for extraneous reasons. In their midst, Arun Shourie, who is not a historian by training, was a shining example of how an Indian historian must interpret and learn from Indian history. He presented the picture of an Indian sage who understands the absolute necessity of trustworthy soldiers around a peaceful ashram to protect the champions of ahimsa. It goes to his credit that he alerted Indian mind against the mechanisations of foreigners who have been ‘servicing’ India for decades in education, social service and cultural uplift. Communism, pseudo-Secularism and eternal-Reservation also got thoroughly exposed and discredited under his piercing arguments based on facts and figures. Disinvestment and dismantling of trade barriers found a meaning in government corridors only after he took over the respective ministries. In every sense of the term, Arun Shourie easily classifies himself as one of those ancient Indian seers who combined erudition, morality and profound wisdom. Given a chance, he is sure to take India to the very top in the next five years. The only condition that we should put is that he should get elected to Lok Sabha and not to make a back door entry through Rajya Sabha.
Our typical reaction in such demanding situations is to look for reasons to oppose. Murthy and Shourie may or may not belong to any vote banks, ideological groups or even pressure groups. All those who want a Harijan for the sake of upliftment of so-called Harijans must remember that it was a non-Harijan like Mahatma Gandhi who did anything for Harijans in recent times. The Jagjivans who amassed wealth beyond their own imagination and Narayanans who cried annually citing inability to help anyone except immediate family are bad examples for repetition. It would be mere waste of time and effort to hunt for Harijans and Minorities just for the sake of it. Murthy and Shourie will provide the best combination that can accelerate India’s growth and social development beyond our imagination. And only when the nation develop will the Brahmins, Harijans and Minorities can develop. In India today – "North or South, Murthy and Shourie are the best”. Let us hope good sense prevails among all political parties and its leaders.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Re-Form UNO
League of Nations died when the Second World War started and United Nations Organisation (UNO) is almost dead with the American invasion of Iraq. The P-5 who lords over all affairs of the world are no more truly representative of the planet we live in and the lone warlord in P-5 is blind with unchallenged might. With the growth of media and democratic values, it is no longer the sole privilege of a few elected (and unelected) world leaders to decide on who represents humanity. Each and every human being has a viewpoint on what is good for mankind. What is good for governments need not necessarily be good for humanity. Any world body, if it is to represent the hopes and aspirations of human beings, must be based on certain unnegotiable human values. Instead of wasting time in reforming an outdated system it may be better to re-form the UNO once again based on the following criteria:-
Equal Rights for All Humans
Equal rights for all human beings shall be the sole criterion on which any credible world body can be formed. I am deliberately avoiding the word ‘equality’ because it is an unrealistic target. But assigning equal rights for all members is definitely an achievable and realistic target for any organisation. If it is equal rights for all human beings, headcount must be the only criterion for deciding on the world leaders. It may be true that some of the present leaders were super military powers once (at others expense). But the most repugnant policies of colonialism and imperialism practised by such erstwhile superpowers make them morally incompetent to lead humanity in any form. The first 15 or 25 of the most populous nations must form the core council in any world body. They should take the responsibility and authority to decide on what is good for mankind. A fixed % of the GDP of all the countries must form the corpus for the functioning of a re-formed UNO. There must be more than one general council meeting every year and it must be mandatory for all the heads of states to attend at least one of them. All decisions must be made on two-third majority with no veto power for anyone.
Equality of Nations, Religions and Cultures
Though equality of individuals is an unachievable objective, equality of man-made entities like nations, religions and cultures is an achievable target. The re-formed UNO must declare equality with regard to nations, religions and cultures without any ambiguity. This is very important because Whites are dominating the world even after fifty years of UNO. Nations, Religions and Cultures dominated by the Whites are still dictating the destiny of mankind. This is unacceptable when we know for sure that they have neither the natural resources nor talent to do so. Hang over from the colonial era is still making the Brown and Black bend in front of the White. In such a scenario, the world body must clarify without any doubt about the equality of Nations, Religions and Cultures. No priority, privilege or partiality need to be shown for any individual in any matter connected with the re-formed UNO. It is definitely a good idea to have the UNO premises located in one of the islands not forming part of any nation. This can go a long way in asserting its independence.
Ban Religious Conversion & Organised Migration
The single most reason for growth of extremism and terrorism is the organised effort of some religions to convert others into their fold. Even in this twenty first century, some people live under the delusion that theirs is the only way to reach God. Out of this false notion arise the contempt for other faiths which counter breeds hatred and violence. The only way to avoid this situation to worsen further is for the world body to declare their equal respect for all the existing faiths and newer faiths in the making. Theocratic states must be discouraged and true secularism must form the basis of every modern nation. The re-formed UNO must make it unambiguously clear that it considers all religions as equal and ban all efforts to convert people from one faith to another as a matter of policy. An individual wanting to convert from one religion to another is a different matter. Nowadays it is few and far between.
Another factor fuelling hatred in the world is the misuse of migration by organised groups. Instead of allowing the natural migration of people from one part of the world to another in line with mutually acceptability, there are highly organised clans in every nation who plan the migration of their members for eventual take over of the host country. This must be put an end to if we want to avoid generation of bad blood among natives and migrants.
Comfort for All, Luxury for None (‘Comfall and Luxnone’)
Meaning and purpose of all world organisations are nullified when we see the misery in Africa & Asia in stark contrast to the opulence in Europe & USA. Decades of efforts by all these world bodies have brought no change to the basic living conditions of the poor and deprived. In fact in many places the rivalries between the so-called world leaders have brought in more miseries and loss of lives. If the re-formed UNO is to be any relevance, it should declare “comfort for all and luxury for none - comfall and luxnone” as its motto until basic amenities (drinking water, minimum food, healthcare and education) are available to all the human beings. People who spend hundreds of dollars a day can be considered only as criminals in a planet where more than 75% people do not make even two dollars a day. International seminars on development and peace spending millions of dollars are meaningless and the money is better spent on bringing drinking water to at least one village in Asia or Africa.
Effective Punishment for Non-Compliance
The past failure of UNO has been essentially due to the absence of an effective mechanism to implement its decisions. Those who are refusing to comply with UN resolutions had nothing much to lose. Embargo and sanctions have failed to bring the erring countries on their knees. UNO has been found to be completely helpless if the offender is a powerful nation. All this can change if the punishments are severe and pre-defined. For any decision that has been taken with more than two-third majority in the general council, the punishment for non-compliance shall be complete boycott. No citizen or goods of the erring country should be allowed to come out and nothing should go in. The internal pressure that will build up can bring the defiant countries to the table in no time. The re-formed UNO can definitely succeed in this if it can act without fear and prejudice.
Equal Rights for All Humans
Equal rights for all human beings shall be the sole criterion on which any credible world body can be formed. I am deliberately avoiding the word ‘equality’ because it is an unrealistic target. But assigning equal rights for all members is definitely an achievable and realistic target for any organisation. If it is equal rights for all human beings, headcount must be the only criterion for deciding on the world leaders. It may be true that some of the present leaders were super military powers once (at others expense). But the most repugnant policies of colonialism and imperialism practised by such erstwhile superpowers make them morally incompetent to lead humanity in any form. The first 15 or 25 of the most populous nations must form the core council in any world body. They should take the responsibility and authority to decide on what is good for mankind. A fixed % of the GDP of all the countries must form the corpus for the functioning of a re-formed UNO. There must be more than one general council meeting every year and it must be mandatory for all the heads of states to attend at least one of them. All decisions must be made on two-third majority with no veto power for anyone.
Equality of Nations, Religions and Cultures
Though equality of individuals is an unachievable objective, equality of man-made entities like nations, religions and cultures is an achievable target. The re-formed UNO must declare equality with regard to nations, religions and cultures without any ambiguity. This is very important because Whites are dominating the world even after fifty years of UNO. Nations, Religions and Cultures dominated by the Whites are still dictating the destiny of mankind. This is unacceptable when we know for sure that they have neither the natural resources nor talent to do so. Hang over from the colonial era is still making the Brown and Black bend in front of the White. In such a scenario, the world body must clarify without any doubt about the equality of Nations, Religions and Cultures. No priority, privilege or partiality need to be shown for any individual in any matter connected with the re-formed UNO. It is definitely a good idea to have the UNO premises located in one of the islands not forming part of any nation. This can go a long way in asserting its independence.
Ban Religious Conversion & Organised Migration
The single most reason for growth of extremism and terrorism is the organised effort of some religions to convert others into their fold. Even in this twenty first century, some people live under the delusion that theirs is the only way to reach God. Out of this false notion arise the contempt for other faiths which counter breeds hatred and violence. The only way to avoid this situation to worsen further is for the world body to declare their equal respect for all the existing faiths and newer faiths in the making. Theocratic states must be discouraged and true secularism must form the basis of every modern nation. The re-formed UNO must make it unambiguously clear that it considers all religions as equal and ban all efforts to convert people from one faith to another as a matter of policy. An individual wanting to convert from one religion to another is a different matter. Nowadays it is few and far between.
Another factor fuelling hatred in the world is the misuse of migration by organised groups. Instead of allowing the natural migration of people from one part of the world to another in line with mutually acceptability, there are highly organised clans in every nation who plan the migration of their members for eventual take over of the host country. This must be put an end to if we want to avoid generation of bad blood among natives and migrants.
Comfort for All, Luxury for None (‘Comfall and Luxnone’)
Meaning and purpose of all world organisations are nullified when we see the misery in Africa & Asia in stark contrast to the opulence in Europe & USA. Decades of efforts by all these world bodies have brought no change to the basic living conditions of the poor and deprived. In fact in many places the rivalries between the so-called world leaders have brought in more miseries and loss of lives. If the re-formed UNO is to be any relevance, it should declare “comfort for all and luxury for none - comfall and luxnone” as its motto until basic amenities (drinking water, minimum food, healthcare and education) are available to all the human beings. People who spend hundreds of dollars a day can be considered only as criminals in a planet where more than 75% people do not make even two dollars a day. International seminars on development and peace spending millions of dollars are meaningless and the money is better spent on bringing drinking water to at least one village in Asia or Africa.
Effective Punishment for Non-Compliance
The past failure of UNO has been essentially due to the absence of an effective mechanism to implement its decisions. Those who are refusing to comply with UN resolutions had nothing much to lose. Embargo and sanctions have failed to bring the erring countries on their knees. UNO has been found to be completely helpless if the offender is a powerful nation. All this can change if the punishments are severe and pre-defined. For any decision that has been taken with more than two-third majority in the general council, the punishment for non-compliance shall be complete boycott. No citizen or goods of the erring country should be allowed to come out and nothing should go in. The internal pressure that will build up can bring the defiant countries to the table in no time. The re-formed UNO can definitely succeed in this if it can act without fear and prejudice.
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