This 34 minute clip is an insightful peice on the nature of state authority of a democratic country. Is this any different from a autocratic or despotically governed country. Is the citizen of both these contrasting types of countries living life any differently, or is this just a perception that democratic citizens live in.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Hot showers in chilly seasons
Have you ever experienced this? Its very early on a cold winter morning and you are in a hurry to get to some place important. You have planned things Just-In-Time so that you dont get late. Among other things, you also turn on the geyser at the right time so you get nice, warm shower before you move out too.
You enter the shower and you turn it on; adjust the knobs half each to so you can take a lukewarm shower. The water hits your back and its ice-cold, probably the remanants of water inside the pipe. You pull back, shocked and simultaneously, almost instinctively turn up the 'Hot' water knob real hard. This time, you feel the water wait for it to get a comfortable warm and come under the shower again. The water gets warmer and more comforting. Your body adjusts to the growing warmth. You almost dont want to get out from under the warm flow.
Just then, the water suddenly turns hot. Hot but bearable. You can still stay under it. Then, in just a moment, its scalding.
You jump out of the shower. Get the 'Cold' knob on the go; re-adjust the 'Hot' knob to make it lower simultaneously. A couple of seconds pass and you test with finger under the shower. Feels right and you take your position under the shower again.
It gets comfortable. Then a little colder, till its absolutely ice-cold (reflecting a northern winter). You jump out again.
Cold. Jump in. Comfortable. Scald. Jump out. Turn up cold. Test. Jump in. Comfortable. Ice-cold. Jump out and so on...
The cycle could continue forever. In the case of the shower, luckily we get out fast enough. Though we are bound to repeat this cycle the next day.
Why does this happen? Cant we get to the comfort quicker?
Actually this is the typical logic that any feedback loop uses. The lag in the system inherently makes it difficult to reach the desired level quickly and effectively.
Imagine the above system when a turn of the knob instantaneously changes the temperature of the water hitting your back. Here, since the cause and effect are without lag, stability is reached immediately too. In this situation, you would come to a preferred shower temperature within moments without having to go through the agony of hide-and-seek under the shower.
However, unfortunately for us, life is akin to the former situation. There are intrinsic delays between action and result; cause and effect. Also, in life, these delays are almost impossible to guage and judge, further eliminating chances of logically connecting the cause and effect directly. Then there is the multitude of factors which impact the same outcome and therefore it is tough to find the primary reason(s) for the result.
If the above is true, how does one ensure you are not facing the 'Hot-Shower-in-Chilly-Season' syndrome every day of your life? Is there a solution to this conundrum?
The solution lies in Acting with a vision of the end result of the action. We must also estimate all the major factors which impact the outcome and then enter the 'system' with complete knowledge. (In the case of the shower, a simple understanding that water is already very cold will be the third input needed). The last and important understanding is to be able to estimate the delay in one or two important components of the system which will affect the end result.
Cause and effect have a lag and often, in life, it is not easy for us to recognize all these lags. Also, the subtle impacts that many things have on the outcome are also not recognized and understood easily. Therefore perhaps the ancient wisdom that says, 'Do your karma without expectations of results'. A reflection that the doer is only one component in the system - he/she does not achieve the result alone.
Recognize this one key thing and you will see the outcomes of your life changing by just this mindset change.
Update on 16th May 2012: This article became a part of a chapter in my forthcoming book Decoding Communication.
You enter the shower and you turn it on; adjust the knobs half each to so you can take a lukewarm shower. The water hits your back and its ice-cold, probably the remanants of water inside the pipe. You pull back, shocked and simultaneously, almost instinctively turn up the 'Hot' water knob real hard. This time, you feel the water wait for it to get a comfortable warm and come under the shower again. The water gets warmer and more comforting. Your body adjusts to the growing warmth. You almost dont want to get out from under the warm flow.
Just then, the water suddenly turns hot. Hot but bearable. You can still stay under it. Then, in just a moment, its scalding.
You jump out of the shower. Get the 'Cold' knob on the go; re-adjust the 'Hot' knob to make it lower simultaneously. A couple of seconds pass and you test with finger under the shower. Feels right and you take your position under the shower again.
It gets comfortable. Then a little colder, till its absolutely ice-cold (reflecting a northern winter). You jump out again.
Cold. Jump in. Comfortable. Scald. Jump out. Turn up cold. Test. Jump in. Comfortable. Ice-cold. Jump out and so on...
The cycle could continue forever. In the case of the shower, luckily we get out fast enough. Though we are bound to repeat this cycle the next day.
Why does this happen? Cant we get to the comfort quicker?
Actually this is the typical logic that any feedback loop uses. The lag in the system inherently makes it difficult to reach the desired level quickly and effectively.
Imagine the above system when a turn of the knob instantaneously changes the temperature of the water hitting your back. Here, since the cause and effect are without lag, stability is reached immediately too. In this situation, you would come to a preferred shower temperature within moments without having to go through the agony of hide-and-seek under the shower.
However, unfortunately for us, life is akin to the former situation. There are intrinsic delays between action and result; cause and effect. Also, in life, these delays are almost impossible to guage and judge, further eliminating chances of logically connecting the cause and effect directly. Then there is the multitude of factors which impact the same outcome and therefore it is tough to find the primary reason(s) for the result.
If the above is true, how does one ensure you are not facing the 'Hot-Shower-in-Chilly-Season' syndrome every day of your life? Is there a solution to this conundrum?
The solution lies in Acting with a vision of the end result of the action. We must also estimate all the major factors which impact the outcome and then enter the 'system' with complete knowledge. (In the case of the shower, a simple understanding that water is already very cold will be the third input needed). The last and important understanding is to be able to estimate the delay in one or two important components of the system which will affect the end result.
Cause and effect have a lag and often, in life, it is not easy for us to recognize all these lags. Also, the subtle impacts that many things have on the outcome are also not recognized and understood easily. Therefore perhaps the ancient wisdom that says, 'Do your karma without expectations of results'. A reflection that the doer is only one component in the system - he/she does not achieve the result alone.
Recognize this one key thing and you will see the outcomes of your life changing by just this mindset change.
Update on 16th May 2012: This article became a part of a chapter in my forthcoming book Decoding Communication.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Ten things for 2009 (picked up from a forwarded mail...)
1. Do not go into next year without a worst-case-scenario plan. I am not trying to scare you. Just the opposite. I just want to make sure that if you get a few bad phone calls from clients in the first quarter, then you simply execute the plan that you already thought through at the end of 2008.
2. Do not panic. Doing nothing only leads to failure. This is a moment that will test your leadership. Go out there, and face it head-on. Promote your agency more aggressively than ever. Stir up new business leads. Re-negotiate costs with vendors, utilities, IT providers and your landlord. Bring even more business-building ideas to your existing clients. Doing so will reinvigorate you and your agency. And it will make you a better leader down the road.
3. Do not forget about The Work. In your efforts to navigate your agency through 2009, be sure your agency's work is as smart as it can be. Ask yourself: Is the message (on behalf of your client's product or service) as relevant today as it was six months ago? If not, perhaps it should be re-visited. Is it as inspired as it used to be? Or does it look like fear has set in? Maintain the integrity of your agency's work throughout these times, and you will earn the respect of your client's customer.
4. Do not take your eyes off of your P&L. Slow-paying clients that promise to get current will only eat away at your agency's cash flow and profits. Keep your overhead as lean as possible, your staff as agile as it can be, your finger on the pulse of every client (especially ones that you suspect may be most vulnerable in this downturn), and your agency in the black every month.
5. Do not manage by hope. If you sit back and wait for the next new-business win to avoid making tough budget and staffing decisions, the hole you dig may be too deep to climb out of.
6. Do not take your clients for granted even for one day. When was the last time you visited every one of your clients in the same month? Now would be a good time to start. I can't think of another time that clients were searching for answers to kick-start sales, and if their agency's leadership is right alongside of them in battle, helping to invent new solutions, they will likely never forget you when good times roll again.
7. Do not become safe. Slow client spending is not an excuse to go conservative with your work. If you think you are going to hold on to your clients by being extra safe with your work, you've just given your clients an excuse to get an agency that will continue to take smart risks -- especially in an environment that needs to motivate consumers more than ever. Recessions are the best time to innovate. So consider, for example, breaking new ground with your agency's public relations' expertise -- perhaps experimenting more online with blogs, social media and viral video campaigns.
8. Do not stay holed up in your office. Get out there with your staff and let them know what's going on with the agency. Better internal communication can only make your team stronger.
9. Do not stop looking for the best talent. This economic downturn has put a lot of really good people on the street. Now may be a rare window to upgrade your bench and sign a star free agent or two.
10. Do not veer off course. Just because times are tough, this is no time for your agency to steer away from the strategic course you set when the economy was strong. Remaining consistent with what will make your agency grow—be it a plan to differentiate your agency brand, expand into new services, or buy another agency, stay true to it. Even if it takes a little longer to execute. When the economy turns around, you'll have the wind at your back.
2. Do not panic. Doing nothing only leads to failure. This is a moment that will test your leadership. Go out there, and face it head-on. Promote your agency more aggressively than ever. Stir up new business leads. Re-negotiate costs with vendors, utilities, IT providers and your landlord. Bring even more business-building ideas to your existing clients. Doing so will reinvigorate you and your agency. And it will make you a better leader down the road.
3. Do not forget about The Work. In your efforts to navigate your agency through 2009, be sure your agency's work is as smart as it can be. Ask yourself: Is the message (on behalf of your client's product or service) as relevant today as it was six months ago? If not, perhaps it should be re-visited. Is it as inspired as it used to be? Or does it look like fear has set in? Maintain the integrity of your agency's work throughout these times, and you will earn the respect of your client's customer.
4. Do not take your eyes off of your P&L. Slow-paying clients that promise to get current will only eat away at your agency's cash flow and profits. Keep your overhead as lean as possible, your staff as agile as it can be, your finger on the pulse of every client (especially ones that you suspect may be most vulnerable in this downturn), and your agency in the black every month.
5. Do not manage by hope. If you sit back and wait for the next new-business win to avoid making tough budget and staffing decisions, the hole you dig may be too deep to climb out of.
6. Do not take your clients for granted even for one day. When was the last time you visited every one of your clients in the same month? Now would be a good time to start. I can't think of another time that clients were searching for answers to kick-start sales, and if their agency's leadership is right alongside of them in battle, helping to invent new solutions, they will likely never forget you when good times roll again.
7. Do not become safe. Slow client spending is not an excuse to go conservative with your work. If you think you are going to hold on to your clients by being extra safe with your work, you've just given your clients an excuse to get an agency that will continue to take smart risks -- especially in an environment that needs to motivate consumers more than ever. Recessions are the best time to innovate. So consider, for example, breaking new ground with your agency's public relations' expertise -- perhaps experimenting more online with blogs, social media and viral video campaigns.
8. Do not stay holed up in your office. Get out there with your staff and let them know what's going on with the agency. Better internal communication can only make your team stronger.
9. Do not stop looking for the best talent. This economic downturn has put a lot of really good people on the street. Now may be a rare window to upgrade your bench and sign a star free agent or two.
10. Do not veer off course. Just because times are tough, this is no time for your agency to steer away from the strategic course you set when the economy was strong. Remaining consistent with what will make your agency grow—be it a plan to differentiate your agency brand, expand into new services, or buy another agency, stay true to it. Even if it takes a little longer to execute. When the economy turns around, you'll have the wind at your back.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Conscience
A few days ago I wrote the following post on PositiveBloc.
The safest course is to do nothing against one's conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death.- Voltaire
And the first step would be to listen to what our conscience has to say...
And right below it, there is another article titled 'Tightroping life with 'Conscious Balance' which has a part that talks about life’s situations and our reactions to them based on
* our knowledge and our interpretation of it and
* life’s experiences and how they mould our thinking and our reactions
..and that got me thinking..
Is conscience universally the same? When I quoted Voltaire and said that the first step would be to listen to what our conscience says.. did I know what I was talking about? Does everyone’s conscience tell them the same thing? Is there a universal right? A terrorist has no fear of death. Does that mean that he has been following his conscience?
I have no answers to these questions but they are extensions, in some way, of a question that I have always wondered about… do we all see the same things? As a child, I used to wonder that we all have eyes but when we look, do we see the same object, the same colour, the same distance.. and even if it is the same, do we perceive it as being the same.. as in does blue look the same to everyone..
It’s the same question I have with regard to conscience. I say very casually that we must follow our conscience but what is the conscience telling us? Is this inner voice for different people not conditioned differently by life’s experiences? The incidents in our life must mould us all in a unique manner.
I think that conscience is the absolute, pure, unadulterated emotion we feel in response to anything just before the intellect takes over. It’s that split second reaction which cannot be controlled. Does this split-second reaction vary for everyone or is it the same?
Does everyone feel the same anguish when a terror attack happens?
- Or when a tree is cut?
- Or when a dog is kicked?
- Or when we hear about the NSG soldiers who died fighting for the country?
- Or about global warming and the destruction of the rain forests?
- Or about the inhuman living conditions in Africa?
- Or shopkeepers being threatened?
- Or when innocent people were attacked during the railway examinations?
- Or when the Taj mahal is threatened by factory emissions?
- Or when we see the glory of the rising sun?
- Or the splendour of nature?
Will the reactions of every person reading the above questions be the same? I don’t know the answer but I’m quite sure it’s in the negative. If these things affected everyone the same way, we would have no terrorists; we would have no hunger in the world, nor any injustice.
So what’s the solution? What is it that we can change to make it such?
I think that since these are all reactions based on perceptions of the world, the one thing we can do is to ensure that everyone’s perception of the world is good.
It’s a vicious circle that we are all stuck in. Perceptions are based on experiences and experiences are further created by our reactions which are based on our perceptions.
Change, therefore, is hidden within us. We have to rethink our world-view and our aspirations. We have to modify our reactions to make sure that we are creating positive experiences for ourselves and people around us. That is the only way to break the cycle and begin afresh.
My mum says that the split-second reaction of the conscience is the same in everyone and the first time the conscience does insist that we do what is right.. but then, we stop the voice of the conscience and do what we want and that’s what kills it.
If that is true, let us not do that any more. Let us listen to the first voice within us and follow it. Let us allow the positive influence of the conscience to guide our reactions. Once the new cycle of positive thought and action is started, it will influence experiences and reactions within and around us, for the better, and hopefully we will be able to build up a new, positive, universal conscience.
So finally, after much thought, I return to the words of Voltaire:
The safest course is to do nothing against one's conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death.
.. and these words make so much more sense to me now.
The safest course is to do nothing against one's conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death.- Voltaire
And the first step would be to listen to what our conscience has to say...
And right below it, there is another article titled 'Tightroping life with 'Conscious Balance' which has a part that talks about life’s situations and our reactions to them based on
* our knowledge and our interpretation of it and
* life’s experiences and how they mould our thinking and our reactions
..and that got me thinking..
Is conscience universally the same? When I quoted Voltaire and said that the first step would be to listen to what our conscience says.. did I know what I was talking about? Does everyone’s conscience tell them the same thing? Is there a universal right? A terrorist has no fear of death. Does that mean that he has been following his conscience?
I have no answers to these questions but they are extensions, in some way, of a question that I have always wondered about… do we all see the same things? As a child, I used to wonder that we all have eyes but when we look, do we see the same object, the same colour, the same distance.. and even if it is the same, do we perceive it as being the same.. as in does blue look the same to everyone..
It’s the same question I have with regard to conscience. I say very casually that we must follow our conscience but what is the conscience telling us? Is this inner voice for different people not conditioned differently by life’s experiences? The incidents in our life must mould us all in a unique manner.
I think that conscience is the absolute, pure, unadulterated emotion we feel in response to anything just before the intellect takes over. It’s that split second reaction which cannot be controlled. Does this split-second reaction vary for everyone or is it the same?
Does everyone feel the same anguish when a terror attack happens?
- Or when a tree is cut?
- Or when a dog is kicked?
- Or when we hear about the NSG soldiers who died fighting for the country?
- Or about global warming and the destruction of the rain forests?
- Or about the inhuman living conditions in Africa?
- Or shopkeepers being threatened?
- Or when innocent people were attacked during the railway examinations?
- Or when the Taj mahal is threatened by factory emissions?
- Or when we see the glory of the rising sun?
- Or the splendour of nature?
Will the reactions of every person reading the above questions be the same? I don’t know the answer but I’m quite sure it’s in the negative. If these things affected everyone the same way, we would have no terrorists; we would have no hunger in the world, nor any injustice.
So what’s the solution? What is it that we can change to make it such?
I think that since these are all reactions based on perceptions of the world, the one thing we can do is to ensure that everyone’s perception of the world is good.
It’s a vicious circle that we are all stuck in. Perceptions are based on experiences and experiences are further created by our reactions which are based on our perceptions.
Change, therefore, is hidden within us. We have to rethink our world-view and our aspirations. We have to modify our reactions to make sure that we are creating positive experiences for ourselves and people around us. That is the only way to break the cycle and begin afresh.
My mum says that the split-second reaction of the conscience is the same in everyone and the first time the conscience does insist that we do what is right.. but then, we stop the voice of the conscience and do what we want and that’s what kills it.
If that is true, let us not do that any more. Let us listen to the first voice within us and follow it. Let us allow the positive influence of the conscience to guide our reactions. Once the new cycle of positive thought and action is started, it will influence experiences and reactions within and around us, for the better, and hopefully we will be able to build up a new, positive, universal conscience.
So finally, after much thought, I return to the words of Voltaire:
The safest course is to do nothing against one's conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death.
.. and these words make so much more sense to me now.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Just a thought..
The safest course is to do nothing against one's conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death.
- Voltaire
And the first step would be to listen to what our conscience has to say...
- Voltaire
And the first step would be to listen to what our conscience has to say...
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tightroping life with 'Conscious Balance'
Many decisions in Life resemble a tightrope walk. And, we deal with these decisions based choices made on informational inputs and our own world-view. While choices are common to every situation and every person, its how we choose that makes all the difference.
Our choices in every situation rest on various factors. In a case of a real tightrope walk, it would start with our assessment of the environmental 'wind-factor', on the tension in the tightrope et al to arrive at an extremely complex decision of the foot placement and the next step. The final result of a successful tightrope walk in its entireity can be called 'Conscious Balance'.
The term 'tightroping' is usually used to demonstrate delicate maneuvering over precarious terrain. Lets apply the same term to Life. Here, we often think that we've been doled out a situation and after assessment of its significance we choose to deal with it in a manner we believe would give the best results in such a situation.
Life's situations, more often than not, are not just about chosing a response to a situation, they are more about whether we want to treat any situation as the tightrope equivalent or as an ordinary one. Its our definition of the situation that determines how we will react to it. We often believe that significant situations handled extremely well connotate success. However this is not the only truth. Significant achievement and outcomes emerge from several factors. These we could club under the overall concept of 'Conscious Balance'
First important step in achieving Conscious Balance (CB) is the recognition that the current situation, no matter how small it may seem, deserves to be treated with the care that one would employ in tightroping. Prominence of achievements is not based on the WHAT, but on the HOW of things. The important thing for us to realize is that each thing we do, each action we take, and every situation that life deals out to us can be significant, depending on the way we treat the situation. The choice is ours to make it a significant situation or not.
Another critical factor in achieving Conscious Balance is to know the environment, or to know the things which impact the situation. These are not, however, limited to the aspects which impact the outcome of the situation alone, but instead these are ALL things which impact the situation and the interaction they have among them. As a dynamic entity the environment has to be seen as such, even considering the manner in which the observer impacts the situation.
Knowledge and our interpretation of the same is the next important step to achieving Conscious Balance. To achieve a good Conscious Balance, one that will give complete success in all situations it is important to have a well-rounded world-view where many perspectives are allowed co-exist. This part of the balance is about accepting various points of view as existing, without having any one opinion overshadow any other in your observation of the situation. Rigid viewpoints are the antithesis of balance and therefore not conducive situations to achieving Conscious Balance.
The fourth important point to make significant achivements of everything you do, is to know the pace of progress. Too slow and too fast both can be impediments to being successful. To understand one's own pace (as against a borrowed pace that is usually achieved by comparing one to the rest of the world) is not about complacence. In fact its quite the opposite - To discover your own pace, you need to constantly race yourself, test your limits and try and achieve the most. With each step, you must be better; with each try you must be faster. Knowing your pace is one of the most critical success factors of Conscious Balance.
The final way to continuously strive towards better Conscious Balance is through practice. No amount of practice is enough and its best seen in the sports arena. A little out of practice and the selection board decides against you. Continous practice or skill honing is as necessary for new skills as it is for the existing skill-set. This is done to hard-wire & automate the actions required in any particular situation leading to a 'Do-without-thinking' approach.
Conscious Balance, in conclusion, is unique concept that allows a system approach to success, a sum total of the internal forces that allows us to make significant achivements from each of life's situations. Apply the rules of tightroping to everything you do in life, and you'll find successes in everything you do (and not be searching for them in things you do!)
Our choices in every situation rest on various factors. In a case of a real tightrope walk, it would start with our assessment of the environmental 'wind-factor', on the tension in the tightrope et al to arrive at an extremely complex decision of the foot placement and the next step. The final result of a successful tightrope walk in its entireity can be called 'Conscious Balance'.
The term 'tightroping' is usually used to demonstrate delicate maneuvering over precarious terrain. Lets apply the same term to Life. Here, we often think that we've been doled out a situation and after assessment of its significance we choose to deal with it in a manner we believe would give the best results in such a situation.
Life's situations, more often than not, are not just about chosing a response to a situation, they are more about whether we want to treat any situation as the tightrope equivalent or as an ordinary one. Its our definition of the situation that determines how we will react to it. We often believe that significant situations handled extremely well connotate success. However this is not the only truth. Significant achievement and outcomes emerge from several factors. These we could club under the overall concept of 'Conscious Balance'
First important step in achieving Conscious Balance (CB) is the recognition that the current situation, no matter how small it may seem, deserves to be treated with the care that one would employ in tightroping. Prominence of achievements is not based on the WHAT, but on the HOW of things. The important thing for us to realize is that each thing we do, each action we take, and every situation that life deals out to us can be significant, depending on the way we treat the situation. The choice is ours to make it a significant situation or not.
Another critical factor in achieving Conscious Balance is to know the environment, or to know the things which impact the situation. These are not, however, limited to the aspects which impact the outcome of the situation alone, but instead these are ALL things which impact the situation and the interaction they have among them. As a dynamic entity the environment has to be seen as such, even considering the manner in which the observer impacts the situation.
Knowledge and our interpretation of the same is the next important step to achieving Conscious Balance. To achieve a good Conscious Balance, one that will give complete success in all situations it is important to have a well-rounded world-view where many perspectives are allowed co-exist. This part of the balance is about accepting various points of view as existing, without having any one opinion overshadow any other in your observation of the situation. Rigid viewpoints are the antithesis of balance and therefore not conducive situations to achieving Conscious Balance.
The fourth important point to make significant achivements of everything you do, is to know the pace of progress. Too slow and too fast both can be impediments to being successful. To understand one's own pace (as against a borrowed pace that is usually achieved by comparing one to the rest of the world) is not about complacence. In fact its quite the opposite - To discover your own pace, you need to constantly race yourself, test your limits and try and achieve the most. With each step, you must be better; with each try you must be faster. Knowing your pace is one of the most critical success factors of Conscious Balance.
The final way to continuously strive towards better Conscious Balance is through practice. No amount of practice is enough and its best seen in the sports arena. A little out of practice and the selection board decides against you. Continous practice or skill honing is as necessary for new skills as it is for the existing skill-set. This is done to hard-wire & automate the actions required in any particular situation leading to a 'Do-without-thinking' approach.
Conscious Balance, in conclusion, is unique concept that allows a system approach to success, a sum total of the internal forces that allows us to make significant achivements from each of life's situations. Apply the rules of tightroping to everything you do in life, and you'll find successes in everything you do (and not be searching for them in things you do!)
Monday, December 15, 2008
We have a choice..
Just today I was watching the show ‘We the People’ in which a participant read out a line which stated that:
“There is no office higher than that of being a Citizen”
A very relevant idea in the current scenario. This comment was made in the midst of a debate where it was pointed out that no matter how angry the ordinary citizen may feel, he cannot bring about change; that is what we appoint politicians to do. It’s their job to run the country. That is what we pay taxes for!!
Well, we all know it’s their job, but if they don’t do their job right, what do we do?!
Can we, as citizens, wash our hands off this? And if we do, who is the ultimate loser? It’s, again, the common man. So it’s time we wake up to the fact that we all have a responsibility towards ourselves and towards our country. This is not the time to ask what the country does for you but what is it that you can do for the country.
It has been encouraging, at this time, to see people coming together and raising their voice against the apathy of the bureaucracy and the political leadership, demanding a secure life and greater accountability from the system.
But what about us; what about the common man, the ordinary citizen of the country?!! What are we doing to bring about the change?
The attack on Mumbai has shaken up people, and the ordinary man, who earlier wanted to stay away from politics, is now actively following the goings-on in parliament. The youth is discussing politics, even to the extent of joining in and making a difference. People are taking the government and the armed forces more seriously; faith in the police has been restored to some extent. This is very important for the functioning for the state. People want to pay taxes and contribute to the nation. Politicians are now thinking twice before making any comments which may back-fire on them. The scene in parliament has changed completely; where earlier there was chaos and walkouts being staged, now there is debate and discussion and the government and the opposition are at least putting up a united front to the world. This is all a result of the citizens’ movements who have come together and made demands for the change.
The country-wide protests did make a difference, but the fervour is slowly dying down, the voices are getting subdued, the daily routine is taking over and we’re starting to forget. This is natural. One cannot march in protest every week. That too will stop being effective if it becomes commonplace. Anger is a tool to be used wisely.
So what do we do if we don’t protest? What else will make a difference? What else will bring about change?
Again I must quote the oft-repeated words of Gandhi:
“You must become the change you wish to see in the world”.
And why not..
The change needed is not only in the political system but in the social system as well.
Today we as citizens must resolve that we will do everything in our power to bring about a positive difference in our everyday lives.
It’s so simple and yet so complicated.
* It’s about the choice between paying the fine and bribing the traffic policeman – Choose to pay the fine.
* Choosing between voting and not being bothered – Choose to vote.
* Choosing between paying tax or evading tax – Choose to pay tax.
* Choosing between stopping at a red light or running through – Choose to stop.
* Choosing between buying your gadgets from the grey market or from legitimate sources – Choose the legitimate source.
* Choosing to buy an official railway ticket or bribing the TC – Choose to book it officially.
* Choosing to reach the airport in time for efficient security checks or sending that last mail – Choose to reach on time.
* Choosing to be quiet in the face of divisive forces or speaking your mind – Choose to speak your mind.
Finally, it’s the choice between right and wrong – choose the right.
Like I said, it’s simple, yet so complicated. It’s about a struggle every minute of every day to exercise your mind and do what is right instead of giving in to conditioned responses. Stop and think – and then do what you feel is right.
I recently received an sms which is about personal freedom. It goes thus, “The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the majority. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes afraid; but no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself”. Similarly, no price is too high to pay for doing what is right, even if you are alone in that and if the majority is against you.
This is what I hope, we the citizens of the country, can imbibe in ourselves and in our children to bring about the change that we all hope to see.
- Meghna Gill
It’s not the decision you face, it’s the choice you make.
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