“Change is the only thing that does not change” were words of immense prophecy. Everything in this universe is changing and that applies equally well to the living and non-living beings, concepts and even ideologies. Illation can be that anything which refuses to change is bound to go under the carpet of time. Yet we have the so-called professional ethics that have not changed much with flow of time in certain vital professions. Technology is changing everyday and industry is readily following it. Roles, responsibilities and ethics of job functions in industry and business have undergone rapid changes in the last few decades. In fact, what and how a Project Manager or Project Engineer performs in an industrial environment has undergone drastic changes. If they had insisted on written approvals or decisions a decade back, the same things can be got done by an e-mail or sms now. And we have even introduced sanctions on countries or companies that deal with undesirable business and technology purely on the basis of ethics.
Yet two of the most important professions have not changed much and least of all are their ethics. Professional ethics lie at the very foundations of a profession and if there are no changes therein all other changes are merely superficial. One of the key factors that make a profession noble is the ethics associated with it. When we refer to a profession as noble, we mean the profession is of very high moral quality, dignified and of high eminence. Two of the professions that have always qualified for this status are the medical and legal ones. Quite unfortunately, the basic ethics of these professions have remained stagnant and it is causing great erosion to their value. The basic ethics for these two professions are:-
· Treating anyone who needs medical help
· Advocating for anyone who seek legal assistance
The advent of organised terrorism has changed everything in the civilised world and there is no way we can go forward with such blind virtues.
Ethics of Doctors
Medicines and techniques used by doctors have undergone tremendous change in the last one century. The nature and extent of change have been unimaginable in certain specialised fields like surgery and psychiatrics. But the basic premises on which a doctor offers his services has remained unchanged especially in the case of the so-called modern medicine viz. allopathy. While a village doctor practising native medicine might refuse to treat a killer or rapist, the modern doctor will not even think twice if his or her services are ‘ordered’ for a fee. Of late, his / her only concern may be more about the HIV status of the patient and the associated risk factor for the doctor. None of the modern five-star hospitals and doctors will show any semblance of conscience while helping out the most undeserving. If there is money, even confirmed terrorists are treated as VIPs in an allopathic hospital.
Ethics of modern medicine is becoming all the more critical because of the evolving legislations and medical advancement in organ transplantation. If there is enough money there are many doctors who would be willing to ‘mistreat’ someone or steal organs or treat terrorists without any qualms. Terrorists kill innocents for no rhyme or reason and those doctors who are willing to heal their wounds forget the heinous act committed by them. The reason given is always about the professional ethics of a doctor to treat anyone who needs his help. But does a terrorist deserve any sympathy or help like that? That should be the question upper most in the minds of professional bodies of doctors in this modern era. Terrorism and terrorists are the most visible symbols of 21st century, and every profession must consider it while debating their ethics.
Ethics of Lawyers
The degeneration of lawyer’s has been the most significant among all the noble professions. One of the prime reasons for the same is its unchanging ethics in a fast changing world. In olden days when the technicalities and logic of dispensing justice in a civilised society were unknown to the uneducated, it made sense to defend any one before a court of law irrespective of the merit of the case. But it is no more so in the modern world. The terrorists are no more uneducated and primitive. In most cases they know more about technology, techniques and legalities than the lawmen. Does it make anymore sense to defend confirmed criminals in a court of law only on the basis of professional ethics? Do the terrorists, traitors and rapists deserve the services of a lawyer at the State’s expense? These are some of the questions that the civilised society in every country should ask their own self. Any more delay in starting this debate will only make our condition more and more miserable.
In India, we witnessed several cases were miscarriage of natural justice did take place as a direct result of the expired ethics driving a noble profession. Defending the known devils is equally undesirable as refusing to defend the innocent. The lawyer must first convince himself of the merit of his case. And the merit must be only that of justice for the wronged and not escape routes for the wrongdoers. But the current breed of lawyers is doing exactly the opposite. More young lawyers are taking up cases of highly paying criminals under the lame excuse of keeping the ethics of their profession, the real reason being the enormous amount of fees offered by the filthy rich criminals. The infamous case of a school teacher getting hacked to death in front of his very young students and the killers going scot-free thanks to the brilliancy of unscrupulous lawyers should be very disturbing one for any civilised society.
Whatever needs reform must get reformed. There should be nothing like an eternal concept except for the concept of God. The need for reforms in the professional ethics of doctors and lawyers is long overdue. Confirmed criminals must not get any assistance of lawyers and cruel killers wounded by the self defence attempts of their victims must not get medical assistance on the basis of a wrong interpretation of professional ethics. Lawyers and doctors must use their discretion in taking up cases. It is definitely not unbecoming of a civilised world to shun criminals and letting cruel killers to die with out any sort of medical or legal help. Any contradictory signals will only encourage the growth of terrorism and extremism.
Monday, February 19, 2007
FIRST QUADRANT
Human body and human life are among the most complex tangible and intangible phenomena known to mankind. It is a simple fact that we cannot envisage anything tangible more complex than a human body. Even the most complicated of machines or devices pale out in complexity when compared to the hundreds and thousands of systems and sub-systems that operate in every inch of the human body. The complexity is much more compounded when we consider the human life where multiple interactions with multiple personalities are involved. Yet we can always trivialise anything and start looking at complex and complicated phenomena in limited angles. Like in physics the complex whole is always a sum of its parts and same theory applies to intangibles also.
If human life can be plotted on a two dimensional plane, what should be the nature of curve for an ideal life? Before we can proceed any further with this philosophical ‘space walk’, we should define what are the parameters represented by the two axes. Let us take Values on X-axis and Actions on Y-axis (the third axis can be defined as Thoughts). When we fix these two co-ordinates for life, we get combination scenarios as follows:-
First Quadrant – Positive Values, Positive Actions
Second Quadrant – Negative Values, Positive Actions
Third Quadrant – Negative Values, Negative Actions
Fourth Quadrant – Positive Values, Negative Actions
Now the question is about where do you want yourself to be in? Let us try to analyse the various scenarios and see the results.
Best Options
Undoubtedly it is the First Quadrant that all of us want to be in. But is it really possible? Is it a viable option to uphold positive values and resort to only positive actions to achieve them? History shows that it is not an easy option. If positive actions refer to living peacefully, helping and sharing, we have seen them failing easily in front of violence, attack and selfishness. And if positive values stand for truthfulness, sincerity and gratefulness, then again we see them ineffective in comparison to dishonesty, insincerity and ingratitude. Even the best man we can identify in this universe cannot operate purely in the First Quadrant at all times. At best it is only an unachievable but a lofty target worthy of ideal pursuit. A peaceful world with no conflicts, no poverty and complete equality is one such ideal that is never attained.
For any student of history it is an easy conclusion that no man or woman could ever exist in the First Quadrant throughout his or her life. Even the best of biographies and auto-biographies do not tell us everything truthful about the individuals. Mahatma Gandhi’s was considered the most open but even that is turning out to be hiding many truths. What usually happens in the case of such life recordings is a look back from the pinnacle of life and invariably many of the pitfalls will be conveniently missed out. If that is the case, the natural question can be about the very relevance of such an impossible quadrant for life. It is impossible to be in First Quadrant but it is definitely a must to have such unattainable ideal options in every aspect of life.
Other Quadrants
Among the other three quadrants, we can easily rule out the third one which involves negative actions and negative values as an unacceptable one under any circumstance. The world cannot sustain itself if we have majority of people living in this quadrant. The whole world would be in turmoil if there is no minimum trust, understanding and accommodation. Second and Fourth Quadrants, where there is some positive values or some positive actions are the places where most of us would find ourselves most of the time. While Second Quadrant indicates negative values but positive actions, the Fourth Quadrant stands for positive values but negative actions. Is it acceptable to have negative values and carry out positive action to achieve them? But it is definitely not a desirable scenario to have people using positive (legal) methods to achieve negative (illegal and immoral) ends.
The Fourth Quadrant of life which stands for positive values but calls for negative actions to achieve them is the most interesting one. Is it not what Lord Krishna advocated when he clearly instructed Arjuna to stay on with the dharmic war to achieve noble ends? In our world today it is no exaggeration to imagine each of us as Arjuns in Kurukshetras around us that calls for similar actions to achieve nobler ends. If it was swords and lances then, today we are living in times of guns and bombs. We do not see our enemies but they are out there everywhere. The modern weapons make no mistake and the modern terrorists make no discrimination in using them. Negative values can be confronted only by negative actions and that’s what Fourth Quadrant requires us to do. But that should be an exception.
Whatever be the quadrant we are in, we have our lives to live and live on we must. While First Quadrant is where we want to be, it takes immense luck and sacrifice to be there through out. While most of us would invariably get pushed around the other three quadrants of life, it must be the endeavour of everyone to get back into the First Quadrant at the earliest. If a majority of us succeed in doing so it would be much easier for us to identify those who are stuck in the Third Quadrant and isolate them for ever. Our world would be a much safer place if we can destroy and thereby limit the occupants of the Third Quadrant. In the current parlance there should be only terrorists in the Third Quadrant and all of them must be eliminated for our own good. Genuine Paradise would prevail only in the First Quadrant and that is what all the sane secular and rabidly rational humans must strive for.
If human life can be plotted on a two dimensional plane, what should be the nature of curve for an ideal life? Before we can proceed any further with this philosophical ‘space walk’, we should define what are the parameters represented by the two axes. Let us take Values on X-axis and Actions on Y-axis (the third axis can be defined as Thoughts). When we fix these two co-ordinates for life, we get combination scenarios as follows:-
First Quadrant – Positive Values, Positive Actions
Second Quadrant – Negative Values, Positive Actions
Third Quadrant – Negative Values, Negative Actions
Fourth Quadrant – Positive Values, Negative Actions
Now the question is about where do you want yourself to be in? Let us try to analyse the various scenarios and see the results.
Best Options
Undoubtedly it is the First Quadrant that all of us want to be in. But is it really possible? Is it a viable option to uphold positive values and resort to only positive actions to achieve them? History shows that it is not an easy option. If positive actions refer to living peacefully, helping and sharing, we have seen them failing easily in front of violence, attack and selfishness. And if positive values stand for truthfulness, sincerity and gratefulness, then again we see them ineffective in comparison to dishonesty, insincerity and ingratitude. Even the best man we can identify in this universe cannot operate purely in the First Quadrant at all times. At best it is only an unachievable but a lofty target worthy of ideal pursuit. A peaceful world with no conflicts, no poverty and complete equality is one such ideal that is never attained.
For any student of history it is an easy conclusion that no man or woman could ever exist in the First Quadrant throughout his or her life. Even the best of biographies and auto-biographies do not tell us everything truthful about the individuals. Mahatma Gandhi’s was considered the most open but even that is turning out to be hiding many truths. What usually happens in the case of such life recordings is a look back from the pinnacle of life and invariably many of the pitfalls will be conveniently missed out. If that is the case, the natural question can be about the very relevance of such an impossible quadrant for life. It is impossible to be in First Quadrant but it is definitely a must to have such unattainable ideal options in every aspect of life.
Other Quadrants
Among the other three quadrants, we can easily rule out the third one which involves negative actions and negative values as an unacceptable one under any circumstance. The world cannot sustain itself if we have majority of people living in this quadrant. The whole world would be in turmoil if there is no minimum trust, understanding and accommodation. Second and Fourth Quadrants, where there is some positive values or some positive actions are the places where most of us would find ourselves most of the time. While Second Quadrant indicates negative values but positive actions, the Fourth Quadrant stands for positive values but negative actions. Is it acceptable to have negative values and carry out positive action to achieve them? But it is definitely not a desirable scenario to have people using positive (legal) methods to achieve negative (illegal and immoral) ends.
The Fourth Quadrant of life which stands for positive values but calls for negative actions to achieve them is the most interesting one. Is it not what Lord Krishna advocated when he clearly instructed Arjuna to stay on with the dharmic war to achieve noble ends? In our world today it is no exaggeration to imagine each of us as Arjuns in Kurukshetras around us that calls for similar actions to achieve nobler ends. If it was swords and lances then, today we are living in times of guns and bombs. We do not see our enemies but they are out there everywhere. The modern weapons make no mistake and the modern terrorists make no discrimination in using them. Negative values can be confronted only by negative actions and that’s what Fourth Quadrant requires us to do. But that should be an exception.
Whatever be the quadrant we are in, we have our lives to live and live on we must. While First Quadrant is where we want to be, it takes immense luck and sacrifice to be there through out. While most of us would invariably get pushed around the other three quadrants of life, it must be the endeavour of everyone to get back into the First Quadrant at the earliest. If a majority of us succeed in doing so it would be much easier for us to identify those who are stuck in the Third Quadrant and isolate them for ever. Our world would be a much safer place if we can destroy and thereby limit the occupants of the Third Quadrant. In the current parlance there should be only terrorists in the Third Quadrant and all of them must be eliminated for our own good. Genuine Paradise would prevail only in the First Quadrant and that is what all the sane secular and rabidly rational humans must strive for.
L14 SYNDROME
If AIDS is the syndrome that can upset the destiny of any man, its counterpart in the case of nations or institutions must be much more dangerous. King of France, Louis XIV, made his distinct contribution to the degeneration of ‘man-ruling-man’ systems when he declared “I am the State”. Though he himself was involved in a monarchy, his flawed philosophy produced more followers in democracies than monarchies. Like AIDS it is not a disease that is passed on from one to another nor is it a symptom of total failure of any of the systems. But it is a syndrome that develops over a period of time among leaders who come to yield power in institutions and nations under peculiar circumstances. Let us name this AIDS that afflict democratic nations and institutions as L14S. Consequences of L14S are invariably disastrous for the leaders and systems that come to contract it.
Though both nations and institutions are equally amenable to L14S affecting its leaders, the strengthening of various watch-dog institutions in democratic countries has cut down its occurrence at the level of nations. Also, now there is the big bulldog watching all nations and its leaders in a uni-polar world. In a way it is good that there is someone watching all the world leaders and their potential for contracting L14S sooner or later. But it becomes counterproductive, when they themselves inflict some selected leaders with L14S to serve the temporary needs of the lone superpower. These leaders with L14S are later hanged or hooted out like rabid dogs. But there are those who develop L14S over a period of time at the top. It is worthwhile taking a look at how the syndrome descends among some of our democratically elected leaders without any extraneous reasons.
L14S in Nations
If it was Louis XIV himself who said it in France, it was a lesser known Barooah who said “Indira is India” in India. What followed is recent history. If the basic pillars of democracy were strong enough in India then, India would have been in a different league by now. But the huge giant on weak knees that India was (and to a great extent, is), the effect of L14S was fast and devastating. Emergency followed and Indian Democracy was put back by at least a couple of decades by the excesses first and its enquiries and punishments later. Precious time was lost during the growing age of a democratic nation. Advent of a Narasimha Rao a few years earlier, ushering in a two-digit GDP growth rate, would have almost put India at the very top by now. But L14S is like that and its effect is much more ravaging in the case of youths than oldies.
To make matters worse, L14S has never really gone off from the Indian sub-continent for the last half a century. Whenever and wherever its antithesis Democracy takes root, L14S is also lurking around. The case of Pakistan, Bangladesh, SriLanka and even Nepal is no better than India’s. When there are no external threats and the leader gets a chance to do something good for the country, what strikes invariably is L14S and not the sane & sound thoughts to do something long lastingly good for the motherland. There have been very few leaders in democracies who have not fallen for the sycophants and advisers, who are the carriers of L14S virus. The distinct lack of real leadership qualities, coupled with larger than life images that these leaders develop, always take them to their political graveyards sooner or later. Keeping away from L14S needs much moral courage and many inherent abilities, and that is exactly what many of them lack.
L14S in Institutions
Easier preys for L14S in the present world are the leaders of various institutions. Many of them are titans in tiny worlds of their own making. First few times, these tiny titans get elected democratically on shear merit and they do significant contributions too. And then the problem starts. In the midst of appreciation and accolades, many of them get cut away from the outside world that is always thirsting for change. TINA factor (There Is No Alternative) sets in and the leader himself starts believing in the words of the sycophants around him or her. Then it is only a matter of time for L14S to claim its next victim. The L14S afflicted leader genuinely believes that he or she is irreplaceable, and that the institution itself will be destroyed if someone else comes in his or her place.
Democratic countries have the maximum number of democratic institutions and L14S has taken its maximum toll in such countries. The unimaginable diversity that is found in anything and everything about India has resulted in a mind boggling number of democratic institutions also. Thanks to the democratic tag, free and fair elections are held but the L14S victims at the top scuttle real democratic spirit from flourishing. How can we expect democracy to be fruitful in any institution where 70+ old leaders are the front runners in elections for several years? Democracy for the sake of it is not want we want. We should be looking for the democratic spirit for progress and development that can come only from younger and younger leaders progressively.
The inseparable trio of democracy-development-dynamism can happen only if there is constant turnover of leaders at the top of any institution or nation. L14S is an unacceptable syndrome that is afflicting the leaders of so many democratic institutions and nations. While most of us are understandably powerless in doing anything about national leaders, we can certainly do something for inculcating the spirit of dynamism and change in the nearest local institution that we form part of. And if we are successful in defeating L14S in most such institutions, the eternal quest for change and democracy will definitely throw up more and more youthful alternatives from our own midst for our own nations. A giant democratic nation like India can make real progress only in such a scenario.
Though both nations and institutions are equally amenable to L14S affecting its leaders, the strengthening of various watch-dog institutions in democratic countries has cut down its occurrence at the level of nations. Also, now there is the big bulldog watching all nations and its leaders in a uni-polar world. In a way it is good that there is someone watching all the world leaders and their potential for contracting L14S sooner or later. But it becomes counterproductive, when they themselves inflict some selected leaders with L14S to serve the temporary needs of the lone superpower. These leaders with L14S are later hanged or hooted out like rabid dogs. But there are those who develop L14S over a period of time at the top. It is worthwhile taking a look at how the syndrome descends among some of our democratically elected leaders without any extraneous reasons.
L14S in Nations
If it was Louis XIV himself who said it in France, it was a lesser known Barooah who said “Indira is India” in India. What followed is recent history. If the basic pillars of democracy were strong enough in India then, India would have been in a different league by now. But the huge giant on weak knees that India was (and to a great extent, is), the effect of L14S was fast and devastating. Emergency followed and Indian Democracy was put back by at least a couple of decades by the excesses first and its enquiries and punishments later. Precious time was lost during the growing age of a democratic nation. Advent of a Narasimha Rao a few years earlier, ushering in a two-digit GDP growth rate, would have almost put India at the very top by now. But L14S is like that and its effect is much more ravaging in the case of youths than oldies.
To make matters worse, L14S has never really gone off from the Indian sub-continent for the last half a century. Whenever and wherever its antithesis Democracy takes root, L14S is also lurking around. The case of Pakistan, Bangladesh, SriLanka and even Nepal is no better than India’s. When there are no external threats and the leader gets a chance to do something good for the country, what strikes invariably is L14S and not the sane & sound thoughts to do something long lastingly good for the motherland. There have been very few leaders in democracies who have not fallen for the sycophants and advisers, who are the carriers of L14S virus. The distinct lack of real leadership qualities, coupled with larger than life images that these leaders develop, always take them to their political graveyards sooner or later. Keeping away from L14S needs much moral courage and many inherent abilities, and that is exactly what many of them lack.
L14S in Institutions
Easier preys for L14S in the present world are the leaders of various institutions. Many of them are titans in tiny worlds of their own making. First few times, these tiny titans get elected democratically on shear merit and they do significant contributions too. And then the problem starts. In the midst of appreciation and accolades, many of them get cut away from the outside world that is always thirsting for change. TINA factor (There Is No Alternative) sets in and the leader himself starts believing in the words of the sycophants around him or her. Then it is only a matter of time for L14S to claim its next victim. The L14S afflicted leader genuinely believes that he or she is irreplaceable, and that the institution itself will be destroyed if someone else comes in his or her place.
Democratic countries have the maximum number of democratic institutions and L14S has taken its maximum toll in such countries. The unimaginable diversity that is found in anything and everything about India has resulted in a mind boggling number of democratic institutions also. Thanks to the democratic tag, free and fair elections are held but the L14S victims at the top scuttle real democratic spirit from flourishing. How can we expect democracy to be fruitful in any institution where 70+ old leaders are the front runners in elections for several years? Democracy for the sake of it is not want we want. We should be looking for the democratic spirit for progress and development that can come only from younger and younger leaders progressively.
The inseparable trio of democracy-development-dynamism can happen only if there is constant turnover of leaders at the top of any institution or nation. L14S is an unacceptable syndrome that is afflicting the leaders of so many democratic institutions and nations. While most of us are understandably powerless in doing anything about national leaders, we can certainly do something for inculcating the spirit of dynamism and change in the nearest local institution that we form part of. And if we are successful in defeating L14S in most such institutions, the eternal quest for change and democracy will definitely throw up more and more youthful alternatives from our own midst for our own nations. A giant democratic nation like India can make real progress only in such a scenario.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
ASATYAGRAHIS
One hundred years of satyagraha has produced more asatyagrahis than satygrahis - no other conclusion can be reached by any honest and impartial observer of public life and politics in India. Though various forms of satyagraha had been in existence in our culture from time immemorial, it was an ordinary Mohandas who realised the effectiveness of a modern version of it while fighting against painful racial discrimination in South Africa. He took the idea and gave it a definite form to deal with the atrocities of the British. In the process Mohandas also got transformed and he evolved himself into Mahatma Gandhi. And when he left his earthly sojourn in 1948, we termed all that he stood for as Gandhism with satyagraha as one of its basic tenets. What happened to Gandhism from then on is recent history and not mythology. We do not even need history books to learn and understand from it. Its remnants are all around for us to see and draw our own conclusions.
The power of satyagraha does not need any more examples than the transformation of an ordinary Mohandas into an extra-ordinary Mahatma Gandhi. Just like intense desires resulting in even movement of mountains, the inherent desire for satya (truth) can achieve the impossible if we can cultivate it properly. All of us know this and we have seen this happening. But the sad part is that we do not take note of it nor do we care to cultivate it. While travelling in a local train we know how it feels when we see a couple of wayward boys molesting a hapless girl. We know how it feels when we learn the truth about how a petty politician has cheated a poor villager or an old man. We suddenly realise our earning for truth and desire for victory of righteousness. But most of us get overwhelmed by the associated hatred for wicked. We do not know nor care to find out the correct way to get the wrong-doers realise their mistake. That was exactly what Gandhiji achieved by practising satyagraha. For those who say that Gandhiji copied from Jesus Christ, they are right in as much Jesus Christ copied from Lord Budha and Sanatana Dharma.
Gandhiji to Gandhi
Ever since Gandhiji left the scene in 1948, Gandhism has been reduced to a sort of fashion rather than passion. Many of Gandhiji’s direct followers talk about a certain amount of passion in their attraction to Gandhism. Those like Vinobaji lived like a saint after Gandhiji’s death. But many of the hardcore politicians who survived Gandhiji have been reduced to Gandhians only in their dress and cap. For them Gandhi (not Gandhiji) is only a mascot for attracting votes during elections. It is very difficult to categorise many of the current politicians as Gandhians when we know their true picture by way of newspaper and TV reports. Those who attend meetings wearing Gandhi caps and khadi clothes are the very same who have ‘benami’ investments in liquor industry and gun running. And those who swear by equality of all religions are the very same who argue for ‘minoritism’ much more than equality for all Indians irrespective of religion, caste and class.
Decline of the ism has been in direct proportion to the decline of his name from Gandhiji to Gandhi. If the former conveyed our unconditional respect, the latter clearly conveys our reserved formality. If our previous generation could entrust their future with Gandhiji without any hesitation, we can do it now only with guarded hopes. Gandhiji will not do anything against our interests. But is that the case any more? Our national interests are allegedly jeopardised in many issues and doubts about the real intentions behind many of the ongoing negotiations with foreign countries are frightening. We cannot sleep anymore in peace when Gandhiji has been reduced to mere Gandhi. Even Jinnah is reported to have said that he needs no Pakistan if all Indians are like Gandhiji. It is highly doubtful if even an Indian would reflect similar spirit with the new Gandhis around.
Gandhism to Ghandism
Many of the foreign literature refer to Gandhism as Ghandism. They are right and we should be thankful to them for such a reference to what is being practised now. It is a purely mistaken notion that Gandhism is all about bullock carts and it is opposite of what computers stand for. The basic axiom of Gandhism is truthfulness and it is exactly opposite of what hypocrisy stands for. The concept is very simple if we can understand the truthfulness of a British in coat & tie as being a Gandhian and the lie of an Indian Gandhian with dyed hair in an air-conditioned Corolla among poorest of poor in Indian roads. What would differentiate a Gandhian act from a Ghandian one is the extent of truthfulness in the doer. We have dozens of so-called Gandhians visiting Rajghat on 30th January every year but very few who reflect Gandhism in their day-to-day lives. Many of them qualify only to be Ghandians and not Gandhians in any manner.
Ever since Mohandas turned into Mahatma Gandhi, he was particularly careful about indulging in practises with a noble message. His intention must have been in conveying the message more than the particular incident or act as such. The way he dressed, the way he travelled and the way he lived all carried tons of messages to those who are serious about Gandhism. He was much more comfortable in western dress, yet he took extra effort to dress up as an ordinary Indian. He was definitely more conversant in English, yet he wrote his autobiography in Gujarati. As he rightly said, his life is his message. And those who are missing these real messages can never qualify to be practising Gandhism. What they are doing is evidently Ghandism.
Gandhiji dreamt of an India full of satyagrahis and made his best efforts during half his lifetime. The touchstone of his ism was truthfulness in our search for truth. Unfortunately that is exactly what is lacking among most of those posing as Gandhians in India today. It will be no exaggeration to say that those who are opposing these current Gandhians are the true followers of Gandhiji in present day India. And quite likely we should be finding most of the true Gandhians among the highly educated youth of this country who survive truthfully on their merit even in foreign lands. It should not be shocking for any of us if many of the Indian icons in hi-tech business turn out to be more Gandhian than those in khadi and Gandhi cap at the sammelans and seminars. True Gandhism and satygraha might finally succeed through unavoidable meritocracy in the booming hi-tech industry in India.
The power of satyagraha does not need any more examples than the transformation of an ordinary Mohandas into an extra-ordinary Mahatma Gandhi. Just like intense desires resulting in even movement of mountains, the inherent desire for satya (truth) can achieve the impossible if we can cultivate it properly. All of us know this and we have seen this happening. But the sad part is that we do not take note of it nor do we care to cultivate it. While travelling in a local train we know how it feels when we see a couple of wayward boys molesting a hapless girl. We know how it feels when we learn the truth about how a petty politician has cheated a poor villager or an old man. We suddenly realise our earning for truth and desire for victory of righteousness. But most of us get overwhelmed by the associated hatred for wicked. We do not know nor care to find out the correct way to get the wrong-doers realise their mistake. That was exactly what Gandhiji achieved by practising satyagraha. For those who say that Gandhiji copied from Jesus Christ, they are right in as much Jesus Christ copied from Lord Budha and Sanatana Dharma.
Gandhiji to Gandhi
Ever since Gandhiji left the scene in 1948, Gandhism has been reduced to a sort of fashion rather than passion. Many of Gandhiji’s direct followers talk about a certain amount of passion in their attraction to Gandhism. Those like Vinobaji lived like a saint after Gandhiji’s death. But many of the hardcore politicians who survived Gandhiji have been reduced to Gandhians only in their dress and cap. For them Gandhi (not Gandhiji) is only a mascot for attracting votes during elections. It is very difficult to categorise many of the current politicians as Gandhians when we know their true picture by way of newspaper and TV reports. Those who attend meetings wearing Gandhi caps and khadi clothes are the very same who have ‘benami’ investments in liquor industry and gun running. And those who swear by equality of all religions are the very same who argue for ‘minoritism’ much more than equality for all Indians irrespective of religion, caste and class.
Decline of the ism has been in direct proportion to the decline of his name from Gandhiji to Gandhi. If the former conveyed our unconditional respect, the latter clearly conveys our reserved formality. If our previous generation could entrust their future with Gandhiji without any hesitation, we can do it now only with guarded hopes. Gandhiji will not do anything against our interests. But is that the case any more? Our national interests are allegedly jeopardised in many issues and doubts about the real intentions behind many of the ongoing negotiations with foreign countries are frightening. We cannot sleep anymore in peace when Gandhiji has been reduced to mere Gandhi. Even Jinnah is reported to have said that he needs no Pakistan if all Indians are like Gandhiji. It is highly doubtful if even an Indian would reflect similar spirit with the new Gandhis around.
Gandhism to Ghandism
Many of the foreign literature refer to Gandhism as Ghandism. They are right and we should be thankful to them for such a reference to what is being practised now. It is a purely mistaken notion that Gandhism is all about bullock carts and it is opposite of what computers stand for. The basic axiom of Gandhism is truthfulness and it is exactly opposite of what hypocrisy stands for. The concept is very simple if we can understand the truthfulness of a British in coat & tie as being a Gandhian and the lie of an Indian Gandhian with dyed hair in an air-conditioned Corolla among poorest of poor in Indian roads. What would differentiate a Gandhian act from a Ghandian one is the extent of truthfulness in the doer. We have dozens of so-called Gandhians visiting Rajghat on 30th January every year but very few who reflect Gandhism in their day-to-day lives. Many of them qualify only to be Ghandians and not Gandhians in any manner.
Ever since Mohandas turned into Mahatma Gandhi, he was particularly careful about indulging in practises with a noble message. His intention must have been in conveying the message more than the particular incident or act as such. The way he dressed, the way he travelled and the way he lived all carried tons of messages to those who are serious about Gandhism. He was much more comfortable in western dress, yet he took extra effort to dress up as an ordinary Indian. He was definitely more conversant in English, yet he wrote his autobiography in Gujarati. As he rightly said, his life is his message. And those who are missing these real messages can never qualify to be practising Gandhism. What they are doing is evidently Ghandism.
Gandhiji dreamt of an India full of satyagrahis and made his best efforts during half his lifetime. The touchstone of his ism was truthfulness in our search for truth. Unfortunately that is exactly what is lacking among most of those posing as Gandhians in India today. It will be no exaggeration to say that those who are opposing these current Gandhians are the true followers of Gandhiji in present day India. And quite likely we should be finding most of the true Gandhians among the highly educated youth of this country who survive truthfully on their merit even in foreign lands. It should not be shocking for any of us if many of the Indian icons in hi-tech business turn out to be more Gandhian than those in khadi and Gandhi cap at the sammelans and seminars. True Gandhism and satygraha might finally succeed through unavoidable meritocracy in the booming hi-tech industry in India.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
WHICH GOD’S OWN COUNTRY?
December 2006 was a special season for everyone in God’s Own Country viz. Kerala. It was Sabarimala, Christmas, Eid and Leftist seasons all rolled into one. Kerala has the unique feature of having an almost equal distribution of people divided on religious or ideological lines. The four isms ruling the hearts and brains of people in God’s Own country are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Communism. With almost 100% literacy and everyone having an NRI tint, the undercurrents of social setup in Kerala are much more complex than in other parts of India. Foreign ideologies, traders and missionaries have been part and parcel of Kerala’s landscape for the last several centuries that it is almost impossible now to wean out true history from mythology and beliefs. And all the organised groups have successfully embedded their seeds of interest in the geography and history of Kerala. Now Keralites and Kerala present the best example of highly educated yet intellectually pauperised individuals and society in India.
“Who is the greatest Keralite of the twentieth century?” is one question that will yield the same answer from almost all Keralites – Sree Narayana Guru. His articulation of Sankara’s highly advanced advaita philosophy in very simple words and actions has endeared him to all the sections of the society irrespective of religion, caste and even ideologies. ‘One Caste, One Religion, One God for all Humans’ and ‘Irrespective of religion it is enough if the human being is good’ are some of his outstanding advices for the entire humanity of eternal relevance. It was in this context that a seminar was held recently with representatives from all religions and ideologies. The topic of discussion was aptly put as ‘One Caste, One Religion and One God for God’s Own Country’. Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Communist ideologues took active part and the seminar turned out to be an unprecedented success in a highly polarised Kerala.
As an NRI on vacation I was enthralled to see details of such a seminar being attempted in Kerala. The term God’s Own country is now known the world over and the discussion on such a noble topic made me all the proud of my own state. For a few days I was tempted to forget about the political killings and communal violence that bring Kerala into news as stray aberrations in a highly evolved land of evolved humans. My own enthusiasm knew no bounds when I heard speaker after speaker recalling the greatness of our erstwhile Kings, freedom fighters, social reformers and tall political leaders produced by Kerala. To elect the first communist government in the whole world through democratic elections was no ordinary event and only a progressive society could have attempted it. Then came the socio-economic reforms ending up with land reforms even now unknown to other states. Contributions of Christian missionaries who built schools & colleges and Muslim traders who taught business were all recalled in an air of complete consensus. Last but not the least were the signal contributions by various Swamis to reform the once majority community of its social evils. The meeting was a thundering success and the cent percent consensus of having only one God for all Castes and Religions was a foregone conclusion. I could never imagine myself in a better company when we were walking out of the conference hall.
But all my enthusiasm and happiness were short lived. As a follow-up to the conference a few of us had chance discussions with the various groups that participated and that brought us down to the realities in God’s Own Country. The Bishop we met was very clear that Christianity is the only true path and the God he meant for God’s Own Country was none other than Yehovah. And the Maulavi was even more categorical in that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and Allah is the one and only God. And the communists who were participating so well in the conference had no doubt that Kerala is also going the way of West Bengal for at least 25 years of leftist rule and there will be only Mao in the pujarooms of all Keralites after that. But quite surprisingly the Hindu leaders were sharply divided on who was the God in their mind when they agreed to the one God for God’s Own Country. The disappointment was unbearable for all of us on cloud nine after the success of the conference. And the only saving grace was the more than million options for at least one section who participated.
“Who is the greatest Keralite of the twentieth century?” is one question that will yield the same answer from almost all Keralites – Sree Narayana Guru. His articulation of Sankara’s highly advanced advaita philosophy in very simple words and actions has endeared him to all the sections of the society irrespective of religion, caste and even ideologies. ‘One Caste, One Religion, One God for all Humans’ and ‘Irrespective of religion it is enough if the human being is good’ are some of his outstanding advices for the entire humanity of eternal relevance. It was in this context that a seminar was held recently with representatives from all religions and ideologies. The topic of discussion was aptly put as ‘One Caste, One Religion and One God for God’s Own Country’. Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Communist ideologues took active part and the seminar turned out to be an unprecedented success in a highly polarised Kerala.
As an NRI on vacation I was enthralled to see details of such a seminar being attempted in Kerala. The term God’s Own country is now known the world over and the discussion on such a noble topic made me all the proud of my own state. For a few days I was tempted to forget about the political killings and communal violence that bring Kerala into news as stray aberrations in a highly evolved land of evolved humans. My own enthusiasm knew no bounds when I heard speaker after speaker recalling the greatness of our erstwhile Kings, freedom fighters, social reformers and tall political leaders produced by Kerala. To elect the first communist government in the whole world through democratic elections was no ordinary event and only a progressive society could have attempted it. Then came the socio-economic reforms ending up with land reforms even now unknown to other states. Contributions of Christian missionaries who built schools & colleges and Muslim traders who taught business were all recalled in an air of complete consensus. Last but not the least were the signal contributions by various Swamis to reform the once majority community of its social evils. The meeting was a thundering success and the cent percent consensus of having only one God for all Castes and Religions was a foregone conclusion. I could never imagine myself in a better company when we were walking out of the conference hall.
But all my enthusiasm and happiness were short lived. As a follow-up to the conference a few of us had chance discussions with the various groups that participated and that brought us down to the realities in God’s Own Country. The Bishop we met was very clear that Christianity is the only true path and the God he meant for God’s Own Country was none other than Yehovah. And the Maulavi was even more categorical in that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and Allah is the one and only God. And the communists who were participating so well in the conference had no doubt that Kerala is also going the way of West Bengal for at least 25 years of leftist rule and there will be only Mao in the pujarooms of all Keralites after that. But quite surprisingly the Hindu leaders were sharply divided on who was the God in their mind when they agreed to the one God for God’s Own Country. The disappointment was unbearable for all of us on cloud nine after the success of the conference. And the only saving grace was the more than million options for at least one section who participated.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
BLOOMING BOTHAISM
Former South African President P.W. Botha, the Architect of Apartheid, is dead and gone. His CAHU (Crime Against HUmanity) was that he formalised racial discrimination as a state policy. There is no sympathy for him from any quarters but the big question remains as to whether Apartheid is also dead and gone. If we look around and analyse our immediate surroundings and the world at large, there is absolutely nothing to feel happy about. Ways of our world are always like that. Once in a while the whole world gets together, identify someone as a criminal who perpetuated CAHU and proceed to condemn and if possible kill him. We easily forget the fact that the world leaders who are arranging the trial for CAHU are very same who created the villainous leader in the first place and nourished him with weapons for serving their own ends. Once their purpose is served, they proceed to ‘call the dog mad and kill it’. Hitler, Botha, Osama and Saddam are a few of those who were blue eyed once but turned black sheep later on.
Discrimination on any basis other than merit is wrong in the absolute sense. We come across so many types of discrimination in our every day life and we ourselves indulge in many other types of discrimination to get things going. In short there is so much of discrimination in our atmosphere that it is difficult to find anyone who has not done it at all. But clever as we are, the human hypocrisy has found a way around to justify our own deeds. We consider all types of discrimination that suits our requirements as good and others as bad. Thus we have classified the quota system for immigration into US/Europe/Australia, caste reservations for jobs in India and different salary levels for different nationalities in the Gulf as good forms of discrimination, whereas racial discrimination remains the lone villain. The rich and powerful in the world are perpetuating so many forms of discrimination, but there is no problem until and unless it is not formalised as the ‘foolish’ Botha had done. Whatever way one looks at it, Apartheid may be dead but Bothaism still remains a thriving practice the world over.
International Racial Profiling
In all the countries that have flourished and are continuing to flourish by attracting the best human resources from all over the world, racial profiling is part and parcel of their internal security affairs. That no leader wanted to admit it is only because they are not foolishly candid as Botha was. But Sep11 has given an opportunity for one and all to drop their pants and walk naked in arrogance. Just as everything is justified in love and war, anything and everything that are done in national interest are easily justified. International bodies are toothless when it comes to dealing with human rights violations in the rich and powerful nations. A substantial part of their annual reports are always spent on the insignificant internal matters of developing countries like India and Indonesia for obvious reasons. The extent of racial discrimination and Apartheid being drafted into the internal security manuals and laws of developed and rich nations should be a warning for all champions of world peace if they truly are.
Separate queues for separate nationals are a common sight in many airports. It could have been Botha who introduced it as part of his apartheid regime in Railway stations. But why are such queues growing after the death of Apartheid and now Botha also? If the current trend continues, such queues will not only grow but spill out into the bus stands and even supermarkets of such countries in no time. The rich and powerful nations will have two sets of norms for judging human rights violation and racial discrimination - one for themselves and one for others. And even within those norms, there will be separate sub-norms for their own citizens of different descent. All pigs are equal but some white, brown and black pigs will continue to be more equal in the Animal Farm that we are developing into. We will be missing only the pioneer Botha who was foolishly impatient to formalise discrimination ahead of its time.
Indian Reservations
What else can be the reservation policies that are rampant in India on the basis caste and religion, if not Apartheid in another form? Instead of positively supporting the deprived sections of the society by way of free food, clothing and education till they climb over a certain ceiling, the whole idea of reservations in India is to punish those who are above the ceiling for whatever reasons. The logic of punishing all those whose forefathers belonged to the so-called higher castes is absurd and illogical because anyone’s birth is purely accidental. A clear cut violation of human rights is involved in all such cases of reservation based on parameters beyond the control of any individual. And by repeated denial of opportunities to those who have already survived natural handicaps, the social process is effectively indulging in degeneration and evolution to the negative side. How can we expect another Sankara or Tagore or Raman or Ramanujan from such a society? Or is it precisely that what the modern rulers of India want to avoid?
Those who are controlling the wheels of reservation bandwagon in India are doing a great disservice to their own progeny. For getting a few thousand votes and titbits of power, the wicked and weak politicians are playing reservation games with the future of our nation. History has shown us many times that it is positive encouragement of the weakest that takes a whole crowd forward, and not the negative hurdles put on the front runner. Those who are running at the front are presenting a positive role model for those who are behind. And it is the duty of the society leaders to generate a feeling of fairness and positive encouragement for all those who are performing well. More and more types of reservations will only impede the development of our country in every sphere. It is time we understood the reasons why Independent India is not producing even a handful of great men as we had during British Raj.
Both Apartheid and its father Botha died a natural death. But the original thoughts and theories that guided Botha are very much alive even today. By all indications it is bound to continue and develop further into more and more areas of human activities. Some great men had prophesied that human race will eventually evolve into a brownish upper class and blackish lower class, very much like the Devas and Asuras in our puranas. The 20% Devas will control 80% of wealth and use all the Asuras for their own purposes. In such a situation, Bothaism will be the rule rather than exception. The only way to avoid this frightening scenario is to encourage merit and avoid discrimination in all forms. Let us try to create more and more Devas and not ‘asuric’ Bothas in our midst again.
Discrimination on any basis other than merit is wrong in the absolute sense. We come across so many types of discrimination in our every day life and we ourselves indulge in many other types of discrimination to get things going. In short there is so much of discrimination in our atmosphere that it is difficult to find anyone who has not done it at all. But clever as we are, the human hypocrisy has found a way around to justify our own deeds. We consider all types of discrimination that suits our requirements as good and others as bad. Thus we have classified the quota system for immigration into US/Europe/Australia, caste reservations for jobs in India and different salary levels for different nationalities in the Gulf as good forms of discrimination, whereas racial discrimination remains the lone villain. The rich and powerful in the world are perpetuating so many forms of discrimination, but there is no problem until and unless it is not formalised as the ‘foolish’ Botha had done. Whatever way one looks at it, Apartheid may be dead but Bothaism still remains a thriving practice the world over.
International Racial Profiling
In all the countries that have flourished and are continuing to flourish by attracting the best human resources from all over the world, racial profiling is part and parcel of their internal security affairs. That no leader wanted to admit it is only because they are not foolishly candid as Botha was. But Sep11 has given an opportunity for one and all to drop their pants and walk naked in arrogance. Just as everything is justified in love and war, anything and everything that are done in national interest are easily justified. International bodies are toothless when it comes to dealing with human rights violations in the rich and powerful nations. A substantial part of their annual reports are always spent on the insignificant internal matters of developing countries like India and Indonesia for obvious reasons. The extent of racial discrimination and Apartheid being drafted into the internal security manuals and laws of developed and rich nations should be a warning for all champions of world peace if they truly are.
Separate queues for separate nationals are a common sight in many airports. It could have been Botha who introduced it as part of his apartheid regime in Railway stations. But why are such queues growing after the death of Apartheid and now Botha also? If the current trend continues, such queues will not only grow but spill out into the bus stands and even supermarkets of such countries in no time. The rich and powerful nations will have two sets of norms for judging human rights violation and racial discrimination - one for themselves and one for others. And even within those norms, there will be separate sub-norms for their own citizens of different descent. All pigs are equal but some white, brown and black pigs will continue to be more equal in the Animal Farm that we are developing into. We will be missing only the pioneer Botha who was foolishly impatient to formalise discrimination ahead of its time.
Indian Reservations
What else can be the reservation policies that are rampant in India on the basis caste and religion, if not Apartheid in another form? Instead of positively supporting the deprived sections of the society by way of free food, clothing and education till they climb over a certain ceiling, the whole idea of reservations in India is to punish those who are above the ceiling for whatever reasons. The logic of punishing all those whose forefathers belonged to the so-called higher castes is absurd and illogical because anyone’s birth is purely accidental. A clear cut violation of human rights is involved in all such cases of reservation based on parameters beyond the control of any individual. And by repeated denial of opportunities to those who have already survived natural handicaps, the social process is effectively indulging in degeneration and evolution to the negative side. How can we expect another Sankara or Tagore or Raman or Ramanujan from such a society? Or is it precisely that what the modern rulers of India want to avoid?
Those who are controlling the wheels of reservation bandwagon in India are doing a great disservice to their own progeny. For getting a few thousand votes and titbits of power, the wicked and weak politicians are playing reservation games with the future of our nation. History has shown us many times that it is positive encouragement of the weakest that takes a whole crowd forward, and not the negative hurdles put on the front runner. Those who are running at the front are presenting a positive role model for those who are behind. And it is the duty of the society leaders to generate a feeling of fairness and positive encouragement for all those who are performing well. More and more types of reservations will only impede the development of our country in every sphere. It is time we understood the reasons why Independent India is not producing even a handful of great men as we had during British Raj.
Both Apartheid and its father Botha died a natural death. But the original thoughts and theories that guided Botha are very much alive even today. By all indications it is bound to continue and develop further into more and more areas of human activities. Some great men had prophesied that human race will eventually evolve into a brownish upper class and blackish lower class, very much like the Devas and Asuras in our puranas. The 20% Devas will control 80% of wealth and use all the Asuras for their own purposes. In such a situation, Bothaism will be the rule rather than exception. The only way to avoid this frightening scenario is to encourage merit and avoid discrimination in all forms. Let us try to create more and more Devas and not ‘asuric’ Bothas in our midst again.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
MAHATMA’S MOUSTACHE
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.
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.
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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