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Gandhi for the future 2
Why I need Gandhi today: The sacred economy 4
The Infosys investigation needs a broader ambit 6
Development lessons from Gandhi 8
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Source : www.indianexpress.com Date : 2019-10-07
GANDHI FOR THE FUTURERelevant for: Ethics | Topic: Human Values - Lessons from the lives and teachings of great Leaders, Reformers
and Administrators
© 2019 The Indian Express Ltd.All Rights Reserved
The writer is former Vice Chancellor, Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad.
I need Gandhi today for three reasons. First and foremost, I need him for self-development. Themost important lesson that I have learned from him is how he was eternally vigilant about his selfand went on correcting and developing his inner self. Ignorance and intellectual arrogance havemade many reject him and as a result invite disaster in their personal lives. Honesty and integrityare at stake in personal and public life. The Western libertarian thesis promised that the virtue ofcivil society, if left to its own devices, would include good character, honesty, duty, self-sacrifice,honour, service, self-discipline, toleration, respect, justice, civility, fortitude, courage, integrity,diligence, patriotism, consideration for others, thrift and reverence. Unfortunately, gluttony, pride,selfishness, and greed have become prominent. It has permitted permissive behaviour and leftthe aberrant behaviour to be corrected by systemic checks loaded with ever new technologies.
Gandhi, too, was a strong votary of individual liberty. But he differed from Mill and Spencer. Hisconcept of liberty for vyakti (individual) arose from the individual’s responsibility for self-regulation. He practised and subscribed to 11 vows. Satya (truth), ahimsa (non-violence),brahmacharya (self-control), aparigraha (non-possession), asteya (non-stealing), abhaya(fearlessness), asvaad (palate), shareer shram (bread-labour) were eight vows for self-regulation, and swadeshi (local), sprushya bhavna (removal of untouchability)and sarva dharmasama bhava (tolerance or equal respect for all religions) were for bringing back rural,decentralised economy and bringing harmony among castes and religion. This has to be wovenin education and practice.
The second reason I need Gandhi is to work toward peace among warring sections of humanity.Samashti or humanity as a whole is at war. Caste, race and religion are a political façade and asocio-cultural menace. Gandhi had sensed this in South Africa and came up with ahimsa or loveforce. It was not only a strategic alliance of Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Parsis, but of allcastes and creeds that lived in South Africa and suffered the humiliation and violation of humanrights. He earnestly wanted humanity to live together in peace and harmony. He was“Gandhibhai” for all and he was fearless in facing any brute force. After his return to India in1915, he could touch the hearts of all and identified himself with all. He carried them and ledthem to swaraj, although conceding that it would only be political freedom to begin with. Hismessage reached the world humanity and people saw new hope amidst two world wars. AsIndia reached political freedom, he was betrayed by leaders and not by people, and hunger forpower and hatred speared him. He was down but not out. He walked alone in Noakhali to wipetears and apply the love force which he had expressed in Hind Swaraj quoting Tulsidas: Ofreligion, pity, or love, is the root, as egotism of the body/Therefore, we should not abandon pity,so long as we are alive.
Gandhi’s faith in daya or love force was so deep and he practised it with such passion thatduring the communal riots before and after Independence, then Governor General LordMountbatten famously said, “In Punjab, we have 55,000 soldiers, and large-scale rioting on ourhands. In Bengal, our forces consist of one man, and there is no rioting.”
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Unfortunately, it is not only hatred that is back with a vengeance, it is deeply tempered by controlover natural resources and concentration of economic power among communities and nationstates. In our own country, newly defined nationalism has become hyper and is threatening totear apart the finely woven socio-cultural fabric of the country. It is not incidental that afterstruggling for more than 60 years, the UN declared in 2007 Gandhi’s birthday as the day of non-violence. Humanity has to embrace all those who have been hurt intentionally or unintentionallyand heal the injury with love.
The third reason I need Gandhi today is because his vision of non-violent society will save thehumanity from ecological disaster that seems to be looming large. Our relation with prakruti(nature) has to significantly alter. Humanity in general has been optimistic and so it should be.But, a business as usual approach can, and has, landed the humanity in deep crisis. In recenttimes, however, many of the crises are manmade. Gandhi had sensed it and voiced in 1909 inHind Swaraj: “Let us first consider what state of things is described by the word ‘civilisation’. Itstrue test lies in the fact that people living in it make bodily welfare the object of life.”
He questioned whether big houses, many clothes, big cars, fancy food, globe destructing warmaterial and luxuriant indulgence and leisure, was modern civilisation. In the 1930s, he wrotethat if India wanted to ape the British standard of living then, it would require resourcesequivalent of three earths. How prophetic! The market is not innocently responding to pricesignals. It is manipulating tastes and preferences in favour of a particular self-indulgent life styleand converting them into demand
Gandhi talked about local first and global later. Swadeshi is promoting a decentralised economythat is mainly rural. Gandhi does not deny the relevance and use of technology for survival. Buthe called for political, social and individual behaviour to become self-aware and to substantiallychange.
Gandhi offered to India and the world a wise and compassionate vision of harmony betweenvyakti, samashti and prakruti.
The writer is former Vice Chancellor, Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad
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Source : www.indianexpress.com Date : 2019-10-19
WHY I NEED GANDHI TODAY: THE SACRED ECONOMYRelevant for: Ethics | Topic: Human Values - Lessons from the lives and teachings of great Leaders, Reformers
and Administrators
© 2019 The Indian Express Ltd.All Rights Reserved
We definitely need Gandhi. But the point is: How do we utilise his wisdom to sort out the messwe have created in the last seven decades? When you look at it this way, you realise that youhave to take Gandhi’s economic wisdom, rather than the many, many other things that he did.What is Gandhi’s economic wisdom? J C Kumarappa called it “economy of permanence”. But Icall it “sacred economy” because Gandhi, in a fundamental sense, married the sacred and theeconomic, while all of us, in the last seven decades, have been separating the two.
We should realise that Gandhiji was a Rama bhakt. For him, political independence went alongwith constructing a Rama rajya or a civilisation that is decent. When he married politics andRama rajya, he did so at the level of the economic. For Gandhiji, economy meant construction ofjobs, more than production, more than profits. In the last 70 years, we have been increasingproduction only because it meant a lot of profit for a few people. We genuinely thought thatthose few people would transfer the profit to the masses. Jawaharlal Nehru tried seriously toachieve that, as did others. I am sure even our present PM is trying to achieve that.Unfortunately, this has not happened.
The economy of over-production and excess profit and growth is collapsing. Some may bewishfully thinking it will revive. But most sensible people think it won’t. You can’t simply go onconstructing and we can’t always have a 12 per cent growth — that can be achieved only bycancer, not by human beings. When Greta Thunberg is raising her voice, saying, “You peopleare destroying my world”, she can only cry because the country and continent in which she lives,as well as America, have converted so completely to homogenised economic systems that theymay be unable to go back. But as a proud Indian, I know that the other economy, which wasdear to Gandhiji, is alive in India. So there is a possibility of going back to nature.
How can we achieve this? Only the way Gandhiji tried to achieve it. By marrying the best in citypeople with the best in village people. We don’t realise that Gandhiji, though he donned thedress of a villager, was an urban mind. He had gone to England, South Africa, he knew manylanguages; he had, among his friends, socialists, communists and Catholics. He understood theworld. And he was telling the young people of those days, whether it was Subhash ChandraBose or Nehru or hundreds of other highly-educated city people, to go to villages. He was alsoasking the village people, too, to go to the city for inspiration.
Gandhiji’s economy is sacred and also scientific. How do you save nature? By actually shiftingto production systems that use less of automation, that treat nature as less of a raw material.When I talk of sacred economy, I don’t only mean the handmade. A lot of people think thatGandhiji talked of the handmade in a Brahminical way — meaning only that and nothing else. Ahundred years after Gandhiji, we cannot draw the line between the handmade and the machine-made. But we have to start the scale from the complete handmade, as the most sacred. A littleless handmade is a little less sacred and so on.
The alternative needs time, it needs hundreds and thousands of what Gandhiji calledconstructive workers, who will go to the villages and arm them with systems. Over the last 250years, millions of dollars have been spent in industry and the knowledge accumulated is in the
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construction of systems of accounting, of management, production, managing markets,managing production, etc. The villagers don’t have it. Mr Tata has this. The weaver doesn’t.
We should inspire thousands of young people, who are falling on the streetside every daybecause of job loss, inspire them to go to the village, and work like activists of the freedomstruggle. Work like Kumarappa. He was an US-trained economist. He changed his dress, threwaway his salary and happily worked amongst the people, improving the systems of production ofhandloom, oil, soap, etc. If we sit in our comfortable chairs and criticise others, the country willcollapse. Gandhiji did not just talk. He acted.
We need the Gandhi who constructed an economic dream. And not just a political dream. Whenwe look at Gandhi’s dream as political, then we want to kill him. Because a lot of people aretrying to convince you that Gandhiji sold out to Pakistan. That is ignorance.
I don’t want to talk about politics. Because politics has become a choice between two parties, orpieces of a few parties. But essentially, it is the same economy. They talk about the village, theyare for the city. They talk about the small, they enjoy the smart city. The people followed our PMbecause they thought he was talking of Rama Rajya, and they gave him a massive mandate. Itwas a positive mandate. To construct a Rama Rajya, which, we should realise, is ashrama rajya.When Rama fought his enemy, he had the monkeys and the birds and the trees as his soldiers.And what was he trying to save from the rakhshasa? Sita, who is nature. That’s where our PM,though he is so popular and competent, has misread the message given by the people. Thatmessage was not for the mere construction of a Ram temple, but for the construction of abeautiful dream, which is Rama rajya.
(Prasanna is a Kannada playwright and founder of Gram Seva Sangh. As told to AmritaDutta)
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Source : www.livemint.com Date : 2019-10-23
THE INFOSYS INVESTIGATION NEEDS A BROADERAMBIT
Relevant for: Ethics | Topic: Corporate governance
The software major has been rocked by whistleblower charges that need a probe. The companyhas initiated one. But its scope should include fresh questions that have arisen
Some two years ago, when Infosys Ltd. co-founder Nandan Nilekani returned to the company aschairman after the exit of then chief executive officer (CEO) Vishal Sikka amid concerns ofcorporate governance lapses, its shareholders thought the worst was behind them. Little didthey expect half a trillion rupees of the software major’s market capitalization to be wiped out ina single day, as happened on Tuesday, the first day of domestic trading after it was rocked byallegations of scandalous behaviour at the top. No charge has been proven yet, but in the eye ofthe latest storm are its current CEO Salil Parekh and chief financial officer Nilanjan Roy. Ananonymous complaint, purportedly filed by a group of employees by means of a letter to itsboard dated 20 September, accuses Parekh and Roy of demanding “unethical accountingpractices" designed to overstate quarterly profits and revenues and thereby prop up Infosys’sshare price. Not only were accounts being fudged, the whistleblowers allege, but deprecatorywords were also used by top executives for a few non-executive board members. In a statementissued on Tuesday, Nilekani said that Infosys had placed the letter before its audit committee,which had started consultations with an independent internal auditor to probe the matter.
What’s true and what’s false would take time to determine. However, given the high levels oftransparency expected of Infosys, whose success is an integral part of India’s entrepreneurialstory, it would be best if the investigation broadens its scope to include other questions that havearisen. While a delayed response to the blow of a whistle is understandable, since a largenumber of such incoming messages are frivolous, there is a long gap between the receipt of thecomplaint on 30 September by a board member, as Nilekani’s statement dates this event, and itbeing turned over to the audit committee, which was done on 10 October. Stock exchangeswere informed even later, on 21 October. Prima facie, this seems to be in accordance with legalprinciples on how to proceed in such cases. The gravity of the charges was for Infosys todetermine, and the firm has stated that it did not receive any corroborative material by way ofemails or voice recordings. Yet, for the sake of investor confidence, the probe should examinewhether its public disclosure took longer than it ought to have.
The timeline assumes importance for the reason that the information had the potential toinfluence the market price of the company’s stock. Moreover, all listed firms are required to keepthe public informed of such developments. Delays create space for suspicions of insider trading.There has been some speculation among traders on social media over allegedly unusualpositions taken on Infosys shares. Attention has been drawn to some put options—which lettraders make gains off a price slide in the future—said to have been bought in advance. Thesecould simply be part of a regular trading strategy, but if data patterns warrant a closer look, thenthese may need to be probed as well. It is not in the interest of Infosys shareholders alone toattain clarity on this episode. With its founders serving as role models for entrepreneurs acrossthe country, every citizen qualifies as a stakeholder in this case. Infosys has bounced back froma crisis before and we expect it to do so again.
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Source : www.indianexpress.com Date : 2019-10-24
DEVELOPMENT LESSONS FROM GANDHIRelevant for: Ethics | Topic: Human Values - Lessons from the lives and teachings of great Leaders, Reformers
and Administrators
© 2019 The Indian Express Ltd.All Rights Reserved
The writer is general secretary, Deendayal Research Institute.
Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy influenced not only Indians, but many great personalities acrossthe world. Interestingly, it also influenced many a treatise at the international level. But, there islittle that the international community attributes to him while drafting the future of the world.
These days, sustainable development goals (SDGs) are the buzzword. In 1908, Gandhijishowed us the path for sustainable development through sustainable consumption. In his HindSwaraj, he outlined the threat to the common future of humanity from our relentless quest formaterial goods and services.
In 2015, when the UN adopted 17 SDGs, the 12th was about “ensuring sustainable consumptionand production patterns”. This was perhaps the most fitting tribute to the enduring greatness ofGandhi. But no mention of Gandhiji or of Indian values was made in the preamble to thisdeclaration. If we carefully read the subtext of SDGs, we find that they mirror the philosophyenunciated in Hind Swaraj.
The adoption of some of Gandhiji’s tenets in the SDGs bear testimony to the fact that thesewere not flights of fancy, but rather, achievable aims. This has been demonstrated by thedevelopment model evolved by the Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) and other suchinstitutions. The DRI was set up to perpetuate the memory of Deendayal Upadhyaya, whocarried on Gandhiji’s legacy. After his death, his contemporary, Nanaji Deshmukh, undertook thetask to translate this philosophy into action.
An avowed follower of Gandhiji, Nanaji worked in the most backward districts of the country witha holistic approach, encompassing all aspects and dimensions of human life includingeducation, life sciences, livelihood, technology, and social consciousness. This model can beseen in action in Chitrakoot, Gonda, Beed and Nagpur.
Gandhiji was honest in admitting that some of his thoughts may become outdated and,therefore, he had no problem in changing his stance. But the basic principles remained same.For example, both these great men believed that native, indigenous knowledge and cultureneeds to be respected. This worldview shuns the idea of more consumption, which is both acause and consequence of greed.
Like Gandhiji, Nanaji also felt that villagers are the trustees of the country’s resources. But at thesame time, Gandhiji agreed that with technological advancement and changing aspirations ofthe people, the tools may have to be different. However, he cautioned against unnecessaryconsumption. Nanaji adopted the same approach while developing his model. Both believed thatharmonious growth can be achieved by employing cultural practices. They had an unshakeablefaith in the native’s wisdom and intelligence. They strongly believed that it could be achievedonly by employing local resources and local talent.
Gandhiji’s life is an example of how he subtly taught us the virtues of sustainable consumption.
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On many occasions, he chided Jawaharlal Nehru for wasting precious natural resources for hiscomfort. He spoke about harnessing natural resources as a virtue. Harnessing seems to be theclosest English translation of the Indian concept of “dohan”, which says that natural resourcesshould be used respectfully, and carefully to ensure equitable distribution and also to ensure thatwe leave a better world for future generations. Needless to say, this would ensure judiciousconsumption of the resources.
Every region has distinctive social and geographical characteristics. There are 127 agro-climaticzones in India. And when the policymakers try to formulate policies on the basis of merestatistics, they find that each such zone has scores of eco-climatic zones.
In 2008, the then French President Nicholas Sarkozy set up a commission to identify the limits ofGDP as an indicator of economic performance and social progress, and to examine whatadditional information might be required for more relevant indicators of social progress. Thecommission found that there were vast diversities that govern the development of a region.
This is exactly what Gandhi had said a hundred years before the commission was set up. Hehad underlined the need for a decentralised system of economics and development so thatlocal, distinctive characteristics can be factored in while formulating plans on the basis ofstatistical information.
Talking of sustainable development without understanding the true meaning of sustainableconsumption will be mere rhetoric. Unless we practice restrained consumption, we cannot avoidexploitation of natural resources, and cannot achieve sustainability in production patterns.Upadhyaya also delved into the Indian ethos of restrained consumption (sanyamit upbhog).Citing various classical scriptures and cultural practices, he eulogised frugal (maryadit) spendingby Indians, in accordance with their dharma. This, he explained, would lead to less exploitationof resources. He was also averse to vulgar displays of wealth and ostentatious lifestyles. Allthese form the subtext of SDG 12.
The writer is general secretary, Deendayal Research Institute. This is a part of the lecturedelivered in St. Paulskirche, Frankfurt on October 11, to celebrate Gandhi 150
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Source : www.pib.nic.in Date : 2019-10-30Relevant for: Ethics | Topic: Corporate governance
President's Secretariat
Address by the Hon’ble President of India Shri Ram NathKovind On the occasion of presentation of the nationalcorporate social responsibility awards
Posted On: 29 OCT 2019 1:30PM by PIB Delhi
First of all, let me compliment the Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister and her team forthis initiative to recognize excellence in CSR through National Awards. I congratulate allwinners and those who have found honourable mentions in the various categories of theNational CSR Awards. I commend the whole corporate sector for its contributions towardssociety over and above creation of wealth and jobs. It is heartening to see companiescompeting in good deeds.
1.
The term ‘CSR’ is a recent coinage, but the spirit behind it has a long history in our land. Allreligious traditions that flourished here propagated the -, that is, Theory of Karma. For us,this principle of Karma is in consonance with the principles of nature that nurture harmonyand peace. In India, every child has heard inspiring tales of legendary greats like‘daanveer’ Karna, known for his generosity. Thus, what is now called CSR is very much inour DNA.
2.
The legacy was carried forward by entrepreneurs of early industrialism. Illustrious businessfamilies like Tata, Birla and Bajaj and many others associated with our freedom strugglewere sensitive to their social responsibilities. Mahatma Gandhi developed the principle oftrusteeship, not only from his deep understanding of our various religious traditions, butalso on the basis of the generosity of industrialists associated with him.
3.
It is befitting that the Ministry of Corporate Affairs is launching the National CSR Awards inthis year of Gandhiji’s 150th birth anniversary. I am happy to learn that henceforth theseAwards will be conferred every year on October 2, the Mahatma’s birth anniversary.Gandhiji found the seeds of the principle of trusteeship especially in the IshavasyaUpanishad and the Bhagavad Gita. The Gita offers this advice on the best way of giving:
4.
|
| [Chapter 17, verse 20]
It means:
“Charity, given as a matter of duty, without expectation of any return, at the right placeand time, and to the right person is said to be sattvika.”
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After independence, more and more business families and industries started followingGandhiji’s advice and returned a part of their profits to society, when the nascent republicneeded all help. They complemented the efforts of the government and the public sector,especially in education and healthcare.
5.
In order to build on our rich tradition of CSR and to engage the whole of corporate India asagents of social transformation, a policy was brought in. The Companies Act was amendedin 2013-14, making it mandatory for companies with a specified level of profit to spend twopercent of it on social welfare. I am told it is one of the world’s largest experiments inpromoting CSR.
6.
During this early phase of implementation, the response of companies to the CSRframework has been highly commendable. Every fiscal year since 2014-15, the corporatesector has set aside a total of more than Rs 10,000 crore for social welfare. A diverserange of social sectors have benefitted from this effort. I am especially glad to see amongthem education, environment, health, poverty eradication and nutrition, safe drinking water,and sanitation.
7.
The National CSR Awards aim to encourage competition and infuse excellence in CSRactivities. The three categories for the awards are well chosen – excellence in CSR,contribution of CSR in challenging circumstances/ aspirational districts and contribution ofCSR in National Priority Areas. The ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ has been apolicy priority of the government. Under this innovative programme, 131 districts have beenselected for a more focused development initiative. I am glad that the Awards recognizethe exemplary CSR work done in these Aspirational Districts. I am also happy to see thatthe winners and honourable mentions of National CSR Awards represent the full diversityof industry sectors as well as regions.
8.
It is indeed heartening to note that those sections of society that need the helping handmost are among the main beneficiaries of the CSR activities. The corporations have, thus,made a worthy contribution towards the national goals. They are helping the nationprogress towards the cherished goal of building a more equitable society. They havefocused on sustainable projects creating a long-term impact.
9.
Broadly, CSR initiatives have been aligned with the national priorities such as publichealth, education, livelihoods, water conservation, sanitation, and natural resourcemanagement. They are also in tune with the global priorities. I am referring here to theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations to end poverty, protectthe planet and ensure prosperity for all. The 17 goals with 169 targets are to be achievedby 2030. I am confident that we will achieve all targets well in time. In fact, on theparameter of sanitation, India has achieved the target far ahead of the time. The advent of
10.
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an effective CSR regime is indeed a timely development in this context. I sincerely hopethat innovative solutions to persisting development challenges will emerge from the CSRactivities.
As you all are aware, India has been consistently improving its rank among the nations onthe ease of doing business thanks to the efforts of our government. The government isalso sensitive about the need to calibrate the CSR regime to make it more effective. InSeptember, the scope of the CSR activities was widened to include more categories ofresearch incubators. This thrust on research and development will immensely helpinnovators.
11.
It is equally important to internalise social welfare in the corporate culture. Hence I willalso urge upon you to motivate your employees and sensitise them to this higher callingin service of the marginalised sections of society. This single step will generate enoughgoodwill for wealth creators among ordinary people.
12.
On this occasion, I want to share a vision I have with you. When it comes to helpingthose in the need in our society, we have the resources, we have the will and now wehave a framework too. Whom shall we help most? I have in my mind orphan children andDivyang. While the government has done what it can to give them a helping hand, societyand especially the corporate sector can still do more for them. Can we plan in such a waythat within a foreseeable future, every orphan child can get personal care? We can set2030 as a deadline to ensure providing care to every child and reap the benefits ofdemographic advantage that we have. I leave this suggestion to you as food for thoughtand action.
13.
It is my pleasure to participate in the celebrations of the First National CSR Awards. Ionce again congratulate all award winners and those who have achieved honourablementions as well as the jury and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. You all have shown thatit is possible to be profitable, while being socially and environmentally responsible.Standing before you here today, I see ancient sages were right when they said:
14.
It means:
“Respect is achieved by donating the wealth, and not by storing it. Clouds attain a higherposition by giving away water whereas the oceans remain at a lower position by storingwater.”
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May you occupy even higher positions and inspire others too! I wish the very best in yourendeavours ahead.
Thank you,
Jai Hind!
VRRK/SH/SKS
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