Mahatma Gandhi: India's empty vessel

Sixty one years after his death, the name of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi still lives on in India. If not in grotesque political campaigns by corrupt leaders, then in Mont Blanc's ostentatious advertising posters. If not in India's currency mints, then in Bollywood movies gaudily celebrating ascetism. And if not in hunger strikes by power hungry politicians, then in temples robbing from the rich and the poor alike.

In one way or another, for right or for wrong, via moral or immoral, the idea of Gandhi-ism still evokes the same sense of respectful consideration in the eyes of Indians. Yet, how many truly understand the basic tenets of Gandhism and what Mahatma Gandhi stood for? How many appreciate his calls against materialism or economic avarice? How many follow his methods of peaceful resistance and self-suffering, and for how long? The sad truth is that while Indians may erect statues of Gandhi at the drop of a hat or recollect his ideals for selfish reasons, they treat the father of the nation as they would an empty vessel--adding and removing from it whatever they see fit for themselves. In doing so, they effectively tarnish the image of India's most beloved national icon.

In this essay, I wanted to re-examine Gandhi's two most basic beliefs. How have Gandhi's ideas been transformed and can the concept of Gandhism survive in today's generation?

On arriving in India from South Africa, Gandhi took his place at the helm of the nationalist movement. Where his compatriots were pushing for the British to vacate India, Gandhi was striving towards a different goal—developing moral thinking. For him, the answer to India’s salvation lay not in the establishment of an independent political system (for that would be akin to “English rule without the English”) which he saw as a secondary goal, but in repairing a social system which encouraged ruthless competition and materialism. Gandhi can best be thought of as an architect who wanted to fill the gaps in a structure’s foundation, not with cement and mortar but with morality and self-respect, before raising its height. Though the name of Gandhi lives on in India, the process to fill gaps and inject morality can barely be found in the abject ostracism and corruption that plagues the country today.

Next, Gandhi believed that the most important goal of nationalists was to carve a distinct identity for the colonized people. To bridge the widening gap between politics and ethics, he suggested a system of “enlightened anarchy” where governance would not occur at the state or central level, but at the grass-root village level. He shunned the idea of a representative democracy, a political system he believed condoned morality, promoted materialism, and lead to an elitist culture which usurped the voice of the larger population (ref: Hind Swaraj written by Gandhi). He believed that if every individual was given the opportunity to rule himself and be self-reliant, there would be no need to force the British out as they would depart by themselves. It was this utopian character of his message that appealed to the Indian masses. Yet, today, Gandhi's name is synonymous with democracy and politics?

Looking ahead, I see the future of Gandhism looking bleak. Or at least, Gandhism as Gandhi would have liked it and not as he would have wanted others to interpret it. Perhaps Gandhi set a bar too high for others to leap over or perhaps his ideas are too impractical to embrace two generations after his death. Whatever the case may be, I believe it is time Indians start taking ownership of their own rules and ideals instead of mutilating those of Gandhi and passing them as their own. Surely, the father of the nation is owed more than that.

Founder's Day 2009: Speech to Parents

Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Venue: Hope Hall Foundation School, New Delhi
Occasion: Founder's Day

Speech to 1800 parents and students at the school. The theme was "Inspirations 2009"
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I’d like to begin by telling you all a short story.

A father would walk his son to school every morning. Every morning, the father and son would pass a beach that would be full of star-fish that had been washed to shore by the tide. And every morning, the son would break away from his father for two minutes, run to the beach and throw a few star-fish into the sea.

One day, as the boy was about to run to the beach, the father impatiently asked the small boy: “What do you think are you doing? “

The boy cheerfully told his father: “Dad, the star-fish need my help! If I don’t throw them into the water, they will die on the sand!”

The father realized his son was right. “But what difference can you make son? There must be thousands and thousands of such fish who die everyday. How many can you save?”

The boy ran to the beach, picked up a star-fish, tossed it into the sea and said: “I just saved that one, Dad!”

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Good evening ladies and gentlemen;

Do you know the benefits of eating green vegetables? Do you know that littering on the roads is not a good thing? Do you know that animals and plants are living things and should not be harmed? And do you know, like the boy in the story, that star-fish will die if they are not kept in water? Don’t worry—if you dont, chances are that your child has the answer to all these questions!

It is not too long ago that I too was a school student, eager to do well in academics and sports; however, I notice a vast difference in today's children. Today, children are not just brighter and smarter than I was…but are also more responsible and caring for those around them. They want to be not just better doctors, scientists and engineers, but also better human beings. So, be it organizing charity drives for the poor or planting trees to help the environment, today’s students are eager to take the first step forward. Like the boy with the star-fish, they are eager to make a difference, even if it is a small one.

This immense passion to be more responsible and to make a difference is a tremendous strength for all of us. It gives us hope that over the next few years, we will have students who are not just doing well in class-rooms, but are also helping make the world a better place. We will have leaders who can empathize with their followers. And that we will have sound citizens who can help move the country forward.

I am often asked about what it is that makes education such an interesting field to be in. Indeed, it is this immense enthusiasm to be more responsible and aware that exists among students, that makes my job and the job of all the teachers in this school as exciting and rewarding as it is.

Today, as we celebrate our Annual Day--Inspirations 2009--I hope we, teachers and parents, can find inspiration from our young heroes. I also hope we can gain some inspiration from our students. We must remember that even the smallest voice can teach the world a song and that sometimes our students can sometimes be our best teachers.

India challenges my definition of ethics time and again

Its been nearly 6 months since I arrived in India from Singapore and I am having a hard time reconciling my standards of ethics with those present in India. Having lived outside the country most of my life, I am also humored, and sometimes distraught, at how my concepts of morality are challenged day in and day out in the country.

Issues which I know to be unethical outside India, are most times the norm within the country. Take corruption for instance. In the extensive traveling I have done around the country recently, in the several conversations I have had with businessmen and students, and in the observation of life around me, I have not met a single individual who didn't pay a bribe at some point in their lives, for some reason or the other. When I inquire of why this is, I get the ever ready sardonic smile: "It is how things get done here." While their remarks made me flinch initially, I now realise how right they may be. Consider a mother who wants to get her son admitted into a school asking for a "donation" or a business-owner who needs his papers processed before the 6 months timeline usually given by the sarkari office. These are problems I have observed and I am often dumbstruck by what I would do if I were in the shoes of that mother or that business-owner. How does a model of ethics survive in a society such as India, where corruption is so ingrained into everyday life?

In the corporate setting, I notice (what I consider) unethical practices being played out day in and day out. These include areas such as exploiting workers by withholding their salaries to carrying out business activities despite clear conflicts of interest. The concept of money laundering and tax evasion in India are also well known of. I often ask myself why this is the case. Are India’s corporate leaders not educated enough in the concepts of business ethics? Are the country’s ethical compliance standards not water-tight enough? Is there no understanding of the malignant chain reaction unethical decisions can lead to?

I believe that the problem in India is that everyone is keen to write their own code of ethics instead of conforming to a prescribed set of rules and regulations. Given the weakness and ineffectiveness of the country's legal system, Indians embark on their own crusades to determine what is right and what wrong, especially for issues that are in the grey. There is also a strong "survival of the fittest" contest being played in the country, where those with the most ingeniously unethical methods to survive prosper. Is it a wonder then that the country's largest industrial house has a shady track record of political graft? Or that most Indian politicians have served at least one prison term before coming to office? For industrialists, entrepreneurs, students and leaders, the idea of dabbling in borderline illegal and clearly unethical behavior is not regarded as shameful or wrong as in countries like Singapore/US. It is, in fact, proudly hailed as 'working the system', a necessary ritual required to get things done effectively.

Further, there is a massive lack of understanding around ethics and morality in India, especially among the common masses. As a student in the US, I remember spending an entire semester discussing concepts of ethics, how they help impact the world around me and my role as a business leader. In the US and Singapore, corporations are also required to hold training sessions for every employee on the corporation’s code of ethics. In India, schools and colleges pay little attention to issues around moral culpability, nor do corporations dedicate resources to training employees.

Perhaps my ideas of ethics, derived from living in two highly developed countries and working in a highly regulated industry, are unfair to apply immediately to India. Even as I tone down my expectations, however, I am left wondering whether things will improve over time or whether a culture that is so beset with a disregard for ideas of ethics (again, I acknowledge that the concept of ethics may be alien to Indians) can be improved and educated. I believe we should bank our hopes on the later; after which, only time will tell.