Preparedness of our society for global leadership role

“where there is a will there is a way”

                                                                     Its often said that folk tales of a country carry the crux of greatest wisdom of that country .the above written truth,which has its origin from a folk tale ,is abound with deep meaning.indian society who is both aspirational and capable for taking challenges and turning them into opportunities have to play this role at global level and should realise the true meaning of this wisdom.but is it prepared for this huge responsibility?

                                                                     The issue of preparedness of india society comes to the table because of increasing economical,political and diplomatic clout of the country in global sphere .multinational companies turning to india for their production and commercialization,nations anticipating the active Indian role in world sphere ,entrepreneurs growing in india who are making their mark in top riches of world is all that which makes the image of india transformed from a country of snakes and multiheaded gods to a country of intelligent and exceptional brains

                                                                                              The concept of leadership whatever at personal or at bigger level is the idea of moving forward as a whole and let the unbound energy realizes its potential.global leadership in itself carries a wider meaning though aim is same and that is ‘everyone matters’ in this race of development.for Indian society to provide global leadership ,it needs to reintegrate with world society and help the latter in unmasking human capabilities and abilities

                                                                                                              Currently there is a lot of anarchy in world.be it the violence in Iraq ,Syria or Ukraine and increasing triumph of greed of personal profit over public good in every facet of life and nation ,yet there is a hope in the mind of everyone that time will change for better.indian nation in general and Indian society in particular has in its very ambit very powerful ideas,approaches and examples which can act as lighthouse for the world in this time of need

                                                                                                                          First and foremost is the idea of peaceful coexistence and non violence that is etched into the life of Indian society.this powerful idea ,though appears simple in its approach ,but has trembled the most powerful rulers at one point of time.mahatma gandhiji ,who religiously followed this idea in all through his life had said once

“in the history,the ways of love and truth have always won.there had been tyrants and murders and sometimes they might seem invincible but in the end they always fall.think of it always”

    This idea needs a leader who will first emulate it and show it to others about its udefulness.indian society is apt in that and if this idea properly implemented,it will be a huge relief for strife torn areas around the world.

                   Second is the existence of multiculturicity,multilinguistic,multiethicity and multireligiousity in Indian societydue to which many scholars have rightly pointed out that Indian society shows the phenomenon of ‘diversity in unity’.all over the world where the people getting divided on issue of religion like in nigeria of Africa where book haram is killing Christians,on issue of language like in ukraine’s eastern half which felt alienated because of abolition of Russian as national language ,on issue of culture like in united kingdom’scotland where people had gone for referendum of independence because of the peculiar hill  culture distinction they aspire for,are the various areas where Indian society ccan act as pole star for solving disputes and moving forward..

                                                                Third peculiarity of Indian society where it can guide the path of world community is in the field of implementation of democracy and its principles.most important principle of democracy is freedom of speech ,about which it was rightly said by a western philosopher that-“I may not agree with what you say but I will defend your right to say it”.indian constitution prescribe for this freedom as one of its fundamental right.many parts of world ,ehich are slowly shedding the principles of democracy like Egypt or Thailand ,can learn from Indian society example which had directy migrated from colonialism to democracy and has maintained it inspite of its neighbours who had gone from democracy to all the way to military dictatorships.

                                                                               Fourth arena in which Indian society can serve as leadership role for global people is in the concept of sustainable development.whether it be the sacred groves or chipko movement or appiko movement or conservation plan of bishnoi community or recently held jal andolan ,its always the concept of taking development not as an economic prosperity but as social prosperity and environment friendileness as a whole which is the central concept of Indian society.in the words of mahatma Gandhi-“the earth ,the air,the land and the water are not inheritences from our forefathers but are on loan from our children and we have to hand ovcer to them atleasr as it was handed over to us”.till the time world community not held this idea in its highest esteem ,it should be sure that its not chosing between idea of more or less development but between development and doom and man will be the first species to orchestrate its own destruction.

                                                                                 Fifth is the pristine idea of humanity which is in itself the hall mark of Indian society and its the single most powerful idea which can change the way of functioning of societies around the world.it will make the people look forward not as a mean to some end but as a dignified living beings and when this approach will be realized then its only the love and goodness that will prevail.indian society has been fortunate enough to have humanists in every span of time whether it be raja harishchandra or ashoka or akbar or mahatma Gandhi,swami Vivekananda,mother Teresa and many more.the excerpt from the life of mother Teresa is worth mentioning in the light of concept of humanity-“in the slums of calcutta ,when one leper patient was dying in the hands of mother Teresa then he said “in all through my life I have lived like a demon but now I am dying like an angel”.this incidence shows the humanism as a soothing reality.isnt the world be a better place to live if it just learns from Indian society this idea of humanism?

                                                      But as every coin has two sides and so is true for Indian society.it can perform and give able leadership to world community but first it needs to introspect itselfand clears itself of many unwanted increepings.

                             First is the prevalence of colonial mindset in Indian society.this mindset is solely drifting india towards westernization and not modernization,which ia unwanted.result is that india is slowly and slowly shedding its ancient pholosphy of ‘welfare of all’ with welfare of some’.it should not be astonishing in this light that though four out of top ten richest persons are from india yet four out of ten poor pesons are also from india.division between haves and have nots and trend of consumerism is doing greatest possible harm to india.

                                                                      Second blot on india society is the hypocrisy of it.the most aptexample of it can be the condition of women in this society.our society though treats girls as goddess and take blessings from them at various auspicious ooccassions is also the one that is having one of the highest cases of domestic violence and crimes against women.nirbhaya case of 2012 had forced Indian society to look towards itself and had raised serious questions about leadership ability of Indian society for world.

            Third vice of Indian society is prevalence of corruption in the society .presence of organized workforce is like a drop in the vast ocean of unorganized workforce and unemployment which have made the Indian society ,a hierarchial one in economic terms.result is exploitation to so much extent that second administrative reforms commission had dubbed Indian society as the society which worships power.an Indian sociologist had also said about this condition in a more  critical word as-“Indian society is the one in which persons doing corruption are not shown prison but promotion”.any society which fosters corruption,faces subversion ultimately at the end.this is a major deterrent in Indian society acting as a hope for global society.

                                                                                               Fourth deterrant as well as obstruction coming in way of Indian society aspiring for global leadership is the divisions which are surfacing in Indian society.these divisions are on the basis of religion like communal riots which are claiming nearly hundred lives per year,on basis of region like son of soil theory brewing up in Maharashtra,on basis of language like belgaun dispute between maharshtra and karnatka ,on basis of ethnicity like between nagas and kukis in our north east.if this fissiparious tendency just goes on increasing ,then sooner will be time when instead of leading global society ,it will lose its own leadership also.this tendency needs to be curbed ,not only with words but with actions.

                                                                                       Fifth dangerous trend which is emerging in Indian society is the opportunism.this tendency is a side effect of rise of cut throat competition which looks at failure not as stepping stone to success but as a loss of faith in the ability of those who fail.then starts a vicious cycle of using available overt or covert means to success.in this mad race ,ideas of cooperation got replaced with competition and then conflict which is a challenge to peaceful coexistence of Indian society itself.

                     Sixth challenge to Indian society aspiring for global leadership comes from the rigidity of the social institutions of our society.this results in making our society hostile to the individual freedom and liberty.this can be seen from banning three girls to perform music or arresting a cartoonist who put a satire on the system or honour killing seen in north india .this certainly cant be the way by which Indian society will attract globally people,for its leadership role.

                                                                                                       But as it was said that there Is a way to those who are willing to find the way,so is true for india and its problems.our society certainly needs improvements not cosmetically,but in real if it wants to be the leader and motivator of this whole world.

                                                              First is the role of family in weeding out vices from Indian society .among the family ,it’s the mother who has to play a role.for the wider role of mother in this rechristined society ,it’s the education which will serve as support.as said by Indian prime minister that-“when a boy gains education,it’s the gain of one person but when a girl gains education ,it’s the gain of whole family”.education which minimize prejudice and stereotyping and make a person to thinkin rational way is the need of the hour and when it focus on women in particular,it will and it shall change the dynamics of Indian society.

                            Second suggestion for improvement is the instillation of culture of reward and punishment in Indian society.for Indian society who wants an increased role in worldly affairs,it needs to institute such a value which in the words of napoleon Bonaparte ,craves for-“to let the good people do what they are doing and to stop the bad people from doing what they want to do”.this will minimize the tendency of corruption,regionalism and communalism in indian society albeit it will not eliminate such tendencies altogether.

           Third solution for Indian society so that it can gain bigger role in global affairs is to learn from its past and to practice all those learnings in the light of reason.rationalism should be the basement for Indian society above which it has to built its dream of happiness and welfare for all.this is the concept as aptly summarized by swami Vivekananda that-“if you are able to wipe out the tear from the face of a single individual,you have done enough.this is the single most important truth I have learned in all through my life”.

         Fourthly for Indian society ,it needs to shift from the concept of nation in making to nationa being made.that will give rise to idea of oneness of all the disparate features of Indian society and will make it a vital force of leadership as said in words of ancient Indian thinker and strategist chanakya that’one india,glorious india’.

                                    Having said that ,it can be concluded that Indian society is fully prepared not to lead the world but to motivate it if and only if it solve some of the problems finding way into it.not only Indian society,but the whole world should not let the vice of weakness in its endeavour because that will destroy the very basis of hope on which they think to make things better.as said by swami vivekanada-“strength is life and weakness is death”.the final goal as a motivational role of Indian society for whole world should be to make it possible that a girl coming from a school,in the remotest hinterland of world,with her mind sharper than yesterday and smile on her face.

                             

                                                                                       

Indian role in changing global order

   “geography make us neighbours.history make us friends.economy make us partners.necessity make us allies.so why to break the notions of world created by god himself?”

       j.f. kennedy ,the former usa president had said these words summarizing the beauty of relationships among nation states of these times which are not only determined by static realities of geography and history but also by dynamism of economy and necessity.when he was saying these words ,a new nation that is india ,was rising in south asia after a long period of colonial domination and years of painful partition.india as well as world of today is tremendously different from what it was a few decades back and its imperative now to look at the question of whether india has maintained its pace with the rest of world or not?

                   Global order is in effect the balance of power as well as embodiment of values of peace and prosperity among nations as well as States.change is fundamental property of this order but the speed at which change is happening is quite robust in today’s time than it was in the past.

        Issue of strong Indian role in this scenario is gaining ground because of the confidence with which world is looking towards it in fields spaning from culture to security and philosophy to practice.recent electoral verdict in this largest democracy of world ,which have voicedthe will of 121 crore people in support of stable government is acting as a catalyst in that direction.

                   Indian role in changing global order needs to be looked at like a travelogue.it needs to be seen how much and in what way change is going on and how india had played a role in itand what can be done to increase Indian contribution to global reality?

                               First and foremost ,in political field,the most important change world has witnessed is rising wave of democracy .whether it be arab spring which had rocked the thrones of arab monarchs in favour of democracy or higher voter turnout in Afghanistan even after the warnings of extremists ,it all points to the fact as bluntly told by a western commentator pointing his finger at dictators of theworld that”power they took from the people will return back to the people”this is not just the power to rule but it’s the power to voice their grievances and concerns to a replaceable authority whose replacement will also be decided by people themselves.

                 Indian role in democracy in not just astonishing but worth emulating.this country in its very first elections,conducted under the able leadership of first chief election commissioner shri sukumar sen had shown to world that democracy is not the prerogative of rich but it’s the right of all.whether be it the construction of parliaments of Afghanistan or Bhutan or sending electoral officers to guide the nascent democracied of Africa to the path of ideal of democracy,india had played a keen role.

                                           Second important change the world is witnessing is in the social sphere and that is growing of equality between man and woman as well as rise of invisibles until now.woman are making their mark in every field whether be it the presidentship of brazil or germany ,chairmanship of top companies like pepsico or that of international organizations like international monetary fund ,women are coming forward stronger than ever.but there is dark side too.recent united nations report showing that more than 50% of women are still suffering of domestic violence.world economic forum has pointed to otherwise gloomy picture of women rise by showing up the data on discrimination with women at work place.but still after three concrete feminist movements world had witnessed in all these years has improved the position of women.

                                         Invisibles are the other class whose rise in social sphere is encouraging in today’s world.these invisibles are those who were discriminated till now like black people of united states of America or poor and downtrodden of latin America or former slaves in some countries.when a person of black race becomes president of usa or when a truck driver rise upto position of head of state of Venezuela or when the head of Liberia,a country populated by former slaves,rise upto speak at united nations auspices ,it itself shows that world has changed.

                                                                   Indian role in social sphere realities of world is marked by cautious optimism .though it was the india ,who had given the right of vote to women at the time,when western nations were discussing on such a radical measure in their language.but india is also a country often  deemed as rape epidemic centre of world and such a preposition need introspection .when it comes to tthe right of invisibles till now,india had taken a lead and had written down article against untouchability in its constitution.not only this,Indian notion of ‘one person one vote ‘ and ‘one vote one value’ along with land reforms it pursued after independence had given push to its downtrodden.but still india is a country where 35% people of its so called lower castes are in poverty compared to 12% of upper castes.

                                                                Thirdly it’s the economic sphere in which the world is undergoing a significant change.rise of developing economies is a major implication of this change.recent human development report with title ‘rise of the south’ has pointed towards this fact that combined wealth of countries from developing world had crossed that of developed world.like it was agriculture in feudal times or industry at times of renaissance ,it’s the service sector which is the currency of today.developing countries have tapped this sector efficiently with their high demographic dividend nd thrust to education.globlization of trade had acted as game changer in all this with a robust dispute redress mechanism of wto which have upholded rights of poor nations against rich countries and so helping them in achieving their capabilities.

                                                                               Indian role in this sphere cn be gauged from the very fact that india is deemed as growth engine of this world.high demographic dividend along with independent judiciary and stabilityis all that needed for promoting growth.economic stability of indi t the time of 2008 global financial crisis nakes the world confidant in Indian capabilities.but changing global order in economic field is demanding for india and china both to be partners with each other and with the world as whole to create a favourable condition for future economic powerhouse.

                                                             The other major arena in which world is witnessing a change is the matter of security.rise of china as an aggressive entity,decline in the power of usa owing to its domestic pressures as well as its long drawn engagement in middle east,rise of state sponsored terrorism s well as ideology linked terrorism are the biggest challenges to be faced by the global order.

                                      China’s influence is a valid concern not because of the fact that its quite tremendous and that too in short time but because of its expansionist tendencies.whether it  be the south china sea islands dispute with south east asian nations or east china sea disputes with japan or land border conflicts with india,Chinese response has been vocal and authoritarian like instituting oil rig near to Vietnam or air free zone near to disputed islands with japan or issuing stapled visa to persons from arunachal Pradesh.

                                     Usa ,the only superpower left after disintegration of ussr,is facing its own distinct challenges at home as well as abroad.financial problems that got exaggerated after 2008 financial crisis as well as fall of its credibility specially in the eyes of middle east people because of its frequent realiging with dictators of the region,is strongly hurting its position as global super power.japan’s recent reinterpretation of its constitution by which it has given more power to its rmed self defence forces is clearly indicative of its cautious reliance on the usa who had promised it protection at times of conflict.

                                                           Then there is the rise of state sponsored terrorism,the concern of which was expressed by Indian prime minister at recently concluded united nations general assembly.whether be it the instability in Afghanistan or Ukraine or even india ,this kind of terrorism owing to its vast supply of money and arms is proving to be more serious to tackle.global order has changed so much so in the field of terrorism specilly fter9/11 attacks on usa that problem of terrorism now a days,not deemed as law and order problem as was some decades back but as a challenge to very existence of human race.ideology linked terrorism is other branch of terrorism whose propelling fuel is provided by extremist ideology like wahabism for the recent rise of isis.

                                                             Indian role in such a global order had been supportive ,enthusiastic as well as protective.india had been able to position itself as an alternative power in asia other than china.asean’s response to engage with india for collective security in region is a testimony of this fact.usa has also voiced its willingness for engaging with india in its so called pivot for asia pacific.in the field of anti terrorism ,india had been supportive because its itself a victim of terrorism.india had supported the global war against terrorism when it provided naval ships in indin ocean,in their endeavour against terrorism hubs.indian support is phenomenal in case of Afghanistan so that it don’t fall back to terrorists again specially fter the withdrawl of usa forces.this was even appreciated by afghans themselves.

                                Indian role in this changing global order though is quite appreciative but still there needs more to be done in Indian context so tht its contribution materilises into a peaceful world as well as to make it prosperous.

                             First thing india needs to do is to make its democracy much more vibrant by instilling the necessary reforms.along with it,india needs to support those nascent democracies who just fall back to dictatorship again.the effective and efficient use of un peacekeeping forces ,to which india is the largest contributor,can be very useful in in this regard.india should act as lighthouse of democracy not only for its neighbours but for whole of world.

                                                          Secondly india needs to bring reforms in its social sphere and present to the world a better picture of cohesiveness as per its social ideal of ‘vasudeva katumbkm” which implies that ‘whole world is my family”.improving position of women in society,helping downtrodden to rise and shine,making a child realize his or her potential is the need of the hour.in short term,laws nd policies can help in this regard but in long term ,its only the education which will bring a long lasting change.

         Thirdly it’s the economic sphere in which india has to shed its pacifist tendencies relating to business by private entrepreneurs and has to take the opportunity presented by this changing global order in economy field.recently launched make in india campaign in india is a welcome step in this regard.india needs to thrust upon the domestic private entrepreneurship along with making economy of scale a possibility.

                          Then comes the security sphere in which india has to play for bigger change in global order.reforms at un security council,when its going to attain its 70 th anniversary are very much needed and indi should pursue it not only for its own benefit but for the collective global security.to balance out the other rising power in asia,india needs to bind up with its neighbours more strongly so that balance of power can be maintained.indian support to anti terrorism should be based on geographical realities and focus should also be shifted to funding part of these terrorist organizations.

                                In the wider meaning ,though global reality is changing like the introduction of democracy in some areas or rise of developing economies or rise of oppressed or drastic security challenges,yet Indian response had been that of an active,responsible and a benevolent nation.

                                                                  Having said that,it can be concluded with optimism that coming times will be more peaceful and progressive not because there will be end to human suffering but because there will be beginning of end to humn suffering.for such a world,india needs to build towards that global order which is reflective of human needs nd aspirations. Beautiful thought of mahatma Gandhi ,which can be a guiding lamp for the world is-“the future depends on what we do in the present”.

       Hopefully ,the future of world will be bright with all its nations as allies and people as partners in each other’s development with india playing the role of a thread binding the pearls of these friends.