The Voice of the People

The election process in a democracy is a wonderful thing. It's a time when the masses seem to speak out silently, expressing their will, their approval or disapproval, contentment or frustration. And in a plural, diverse country such as India, with a medley of needs, aspirations and pressing issues, it's not uncommon for people to speak in the form of an indiscernible racket, rather than a mellifluous chorus. And when the People speak, at last, in one voice, it is the ultimate celebration of the idea of democracy.

The People spoke yesterday, at last, in one voice. A voice of rousing appreciation for a vision of reform, progress  and amity.  The journey of our democracy so far has been marked by the Voice of the people making itself heard in differing ways mirroring the changing needs of the nation.  A resounding mandate of approval for a founding father in a nation in its infancy, getting used to the idea of democracy. The first signs of disapprobation in the defeat meted out to an authoritarian by an electorate in its early adulthood. Followed by a mandate of hope amidst sympathy. And then, a period largely marked by 'midlife crisis' of a growing democracy, disenchantment leading the electorate to speak in dissent, sending a miscellany of coalitions to the Parliament. In those dark days of indecisiveness, toothless governments emerged as no single party was deemed worthy of governing on its own. What is most beautiful about the Indian democracy is that, even in those bleak times, the polity did not suffer complete degeneration; development may have been delayed, but the spirit of democracy stayed intact. None could capture absolute power in an undeserved fashion. The divided mandate of the people kept that in check.

At times, the voice of the People may have turned impatient, and frustrated, but they never turned to mass rebellion or mobocracy. They waited for hope to spring. Say what you will about the unpredictability of the people, but you cannot fault their wisdom.   The democracy is now wise enough to vote against handouts, and for self-reliance, against inertia and for spirited action.

The People are now ready to take the nation to a new stage in its growth, to reap the rewards of their own hard work and enterprise,  without the interference of powers that seek to delay, deny, defraud and obfuscate. Sailing away from the easy waters of populism is not easy. But the People have spoken. They are ready for a new world: one where the government will be a facilitator, and not a capricious benefactor. From a state of comfortably numb to courageously new.

 But do remember, the People just set the bar higher with this. When they speak in one voice, it is more than a shout of acceptance, it is a chorus that is meant to empower the government to speedy, prudent action.  And the People, once again, will stand by to judge. 

A new world order

A little over twenty years have passed since Samuel Huntington published a landmark piece entitled 'The Clash of Civilisations.' Published shortly after the end of the Cold War, this article presented a detailed analysis of the shape conflicts in the post-Soviet era would possibly take. While idealogical differences were the drivers of conflict in the twentieth century, civilizational fault lines would constitute the 'battle lines of the future,' he argued.

Looking back at the intervening years, it is clear that his prediction has been prophetic. The nineties saw the escalation of Judeo-Islamic conflict in the Palestine, the dismemberment of Yugoslavia along ethnic lines, an Indo-Pak conflict in Kargil, and above all, the rise of extremism.

The second decade of the twenty-first century began with an uprising in Egypt, the harbinger of what is now known as the Arab Spring, in which a rapid succession of Arab and north African countries have succeeded in, or are struggling to, overthrow unpopular, dictatorial governments amidst revival of Islamic popularity (notably in Egypt). Closer home, the ethnic solidarity story gains a new twist, as a regional party pulled out of the coalition government at the centre last year over neighbouring Sri Lanka's excesses against the ethnic Tamils in a recently concluded civil war.

In short, all that Huntington predicted and feared, have come to pass. Moreover, rumblings of further conflict are brewing. As the world becomes more and more connected, and as rogue nations increasingly improve their access to nuclear and other weapons, the call for relentless efforts to promote co-operation has never been more strident.

To Huntington's thesis, I would venture to introduce two added dimensions: that of economic iniquities and political strategizing. Political strategies and foreign policy games, are to blame, in no small measure in fomenting inter-civilizational tensions, as seen in the case of American strategy of supporting rebels in central Asia as part of its Cold War strategy, only to see the extreme effect of the souring of these old relations in the form of the 9/11 attack.

Persistence of economic inequality and lack of access to education and health facilities in pockets of the world is worrisome, not just because of the cruel denial of the basic necessities for dignified human existence, but also because the deprived fall prey easily to malevolent forces. The uneducated, underprivileged youth is an easy target for indoctrination, and ruthless conflict-mongers could potentially form armies of energetic, passionate and disastrously misguided young people.

What we need is an agenda for development, for nations and multilateral agencies to come together to create directed programmes addressing high-risk impoverished regions, and to make a life of dignity a reality for the deprived millions.

A world with lesser discontent is a world with a much better shot at lasting peace. 

Working in the 'Zone'

The other day, I was reading a column by an otherwise well-meaning writer, berating the lack of accountability in the corporate world in  general and amongst research analysts (of the equity markets variety), in particular. He said that such analysts did not bother if their  models failed and predictions were proved wrong; in what was purported to be a humorously oblique reference,  he wondered if such  analysts lived by the mantra of "doing what they had to, without caring about the results" as espoused in the Gita.

I was left ruing the inadvertent consequences of popular columnists invoking their "heard" knowledge of ancient texts, and wishing that  someone would come up with a accessible interpretation: one that would be closer to the truth.

And I decided to give it a go myself.

This is a fairly well-known verse:

Karmanyeva adhikaraste maa phaleshu kadachana  l

Ma karmaphala heturbhu: ma te sangostvakarmani ll *

My handy pocket BG's translation goes like this:

To work alone is your privilege, never to the 'fruits' thereof. May you not be a mere producer of the 'fruits' of action- nor be you tied to  inaction.

In the currency of modern spiritual parlance, one can call this practising 'mindfulness' in every action. Mindfulness needn't mean forcing  yourself of 10 minutes of meditation every morning. Every action, from savouring a meal to making an Excel model can be turned into an  exercise in mindfulness by 'living in the present'.

This doesn't mean that one should not create goals to work towards. Once the planning phase is complete, when it's work that one must  delve into, one should set anxieties over results aside, and approach work in a poised, efficient manner.

If we think of ourselves as merely producers of results, so lost are we in anticipation of the results, that we end up being unable to enjoy  the process of creating or working on something. The rush to get to the last page strips the joy of reading the book. So nervous as to  whether the boss would approve of your presentation that your nerves hamper you from giving it your all right now. So anxious to top  the exams that the burden of anxiety takes it toll on your preparation.

And it's not just for those prone to getting the jitters.  In daydreaming about your gold medal, you make a slip-up that's going to cost you dearly.  And finally, in a fit of anger over frustration of your efforts, or aiming to avoid disappointment,  should you just stay put, frozen?  Emphatically, No!

This, in short, is a call for inspired zeal in work: work that means giving yourself completely to the present and 'getting in the zone'. Truly,  there's no gift like the Present; make the most of it, without hankering for the results or letting worry sap you of your energy. And don't  throw in the towel, either… because you simply cannot wish your troubles away or run away from giving the Present your best shot. The  'fruits' or Future will follow in due course. 

Chapter 2: Transcendental Knowledge Verse 47