By : A Bimol Akoijam/IFP 12/29/2007 1:57:43 AM
Sickness, as a state of illness or being affected by disease, is not merely a matter of body or individual. It could also be of mental and behavioural kind; and the idea can also be applied to a collective, at least metaphorically. In that usage, a sick society or a people would mean a society or a people who is in a “miserable” state of being and a state of “disorder”, a dysfunctional state characterized by an inability to carry out the normal function with efficiency and effectiveness.
Given our contemporary life, the state of affairs that we are in, and our response (or want of it) to our situation, one wonders whether we are indeed a “sick” people?
But many might take offence to such a suggestion. After all, we are a proud people with 2000 years of history and civilization, and we cannot be called a “sick” society or people. Look at the way our sportspersons or artists are doing? How can we call such a people “sick”? This could be a feeling amongst many.
But for many, there is also a very tangible feeling: that there is no sense of order in Manipur today, and that people are in a miserable state of life, paralyzed by fear, they cannot express feelings and opinions or carry out their normal activities freely. Besides, there is the concreteness of our horrendous environment with the dismal and deplorable infrastructure and amenities. Will one describe such a state of mind and concrete reality of life, a healthy life?
How do we make sense of these conflicting feelings? Whatever be the feeling, we must understand and work through those feelings. This would mean, we must anyway take responsibility for what, why and wherefore of those feelings. Once we do that, it would generate insights into the nature of our “national character”, that is, the ways we have responded to our situation, the patterns of our beliefs, values and choices implicated in those responses. That will be the foundation for a change.
Insights are only for those courageous:
Insights about oneself do not necessarily generate a sense of happiness or comfort. For, insights are likely to debunk false or self-fulfilling beliefs about oneself. And these are usually those that we hold so dearly to retain our sense of who we are, which incidentally could also be aspects that restrict us from growing and evolving further. Therefore, we must take that discomfort; it is a price one has to pay for seeking to refashion one’s life. If we do not take this discomfort, we shall continue to live like the way we do: either we think that we are okay and doing well or that we are in a miserable situation. Both ways, the status quo shall remain.
If we want to live up to the imagery of our “national character” as a heroic people who have existed with certain sense of dignity and agency in history for so many years, we must take this exercise to gain insights into our life. And ready for what gets revealed through the exercise.
Pathos of our “national character” :
One way to start with is to ask, what have we been doing as a response to our economic life? What is the nature of our economy? Isn’t our economy essentially driven by the grant-in-aid from the “Centre”? An economy with a much sought after (and perhaps dominant) tertiary sector (primarily government jobs and other services) with an eroded secondary sector (small or medium scale industrial/manufacturing units) and a stagnant primary sector (particularly, agriculture)? Isn’t it a donor driven economy with almost non-existent state revenue? What is our productive base? Have we achieved meaningful capital formation during the last fifty years or so?
Has there been any sensible economic “planning” for the state? What do the plans have to do with the present state of our economy? Do our educated lots, the intelligentsia, have enough “economic literacy” to be productive “units” of the economic activity in the state?
Perhaps, these are not familiar questions amongst the people. Even for the educated lots, these may not even occur during the Budget Session of the Assembly. Unlike advance societies, our newspapers may not even discuss the implications of the annual budget presented in the Assembly.
Contrast this with the possible awareness of the people on the following matters: More funds and projects are coming from the Centre. Or, crores of rupees are being sanctioned for “development” (e.g., Capitol Project, cultural complexes and flyovers)! Or, the other way round, people must be aware of the “percentages” being cut by so and so from the funding doled out by the “Centre” and how the “development” activity gets delayed!
With such kind of awareness, perhaps, many could have an ear-to-ear smile with expectation as they pass through the dilapidated streets or nights without electricity on their way to the new “sign of development” in the state called the B.T Road Flyover for a walk or a ride! Or, condemn the “Centre” or our own politicians and naharols (insurgents) for the percentage-cuts?
Corruption and slavish mindset are produced and sustained by the donor driven economy. But how do we resist the subversion of our life by such an economy? By partaking in it through the seduction of the “percentages”? By justifying as some would preach a slavish truism that, “Manipur can not develop without the help” from some benevolent others!
What do these issues tell us about our “national character”? It points to a lack of character and knowledge and dishonesty of purpose and action. These are aspects of our “national character” that have driven us from one crisis after another. We need to fight such pathos of our “national character”
Indeed, it is time for us to see the three fingers that point towards us as we point one finger to the others, and take responsibility for our life more than what we have done so far.
And may this New Year give us the courage to do so.
The author can be reached at bimol_akoijaml@yahoo.co.in
[TSE]
Sickness, as a state of illness or being affected by disease, is not merely a matter of body or individual. It could also be of mental and behavioural kind; and the idea can also be applied to a collective, at least metaphorically. In that usage, a sick society or a people would mean a society or a people who is in a “miserable” state of being and a state of “disorder”, a dysfunctional state characterized by an inability to carry out the normal function with efficiency and effectiveness.
Given our contemporary life, the state of affairs that we are in, and our response (or want of it) to our situation, one wonders whether we are indeed a “sick” people?
But many might take offence to such a suggestion. After all, we are a proud people with 2000 years of history and civilization, and we cannot be called a “sick” society or people. Look at the way our sportspersons or artists are doing? How can we call such a people “sick”? This could be a feeling amongst many.
But for many, there is also a very tangible feeling: that there is no sense of order in Manipur today, and that people are in a miserable state of life, paralyzed by fear, they cannot express feelings and opinions or carry out their normal activities freely. Besides, there is the concreteness of our horrendous environment with the dismal and deplorable infrastructure and amenities. Will one describe such a state of mind and concrete reality of life, a healthy life?
How do we make sense of these conflicting feelings? Whatever be the feeling, we must understand and work through those feelings. This would mean, we must anyway take responsibility for what, why and wherefore of those feelings. Once we do that, it would generate insights into the nature of our “national character”, that is, the ways we have responded to our situation, the patterns of our beliefs, values and choices implicated in those responses. That will be the foundation for a change.
Insights are only for those courageous:
Insights about oneself do not necessarily generate a sense of happiness or comfort. For, insights are likely to debunk false or self-fulfilling beliefs about oneself. And these are usually those that we hold so dearly to retain our sense of who we are, which incidentally could also be aspects that restrict us from growing and evolving further. Therefore, we must take that discomfort; it is a price one has to pay for seeking to refashion one’s life. If we do not take this discomfort, we shall continue to live like the way we do: either we think that we are okay and doing well or that we are in a miserable situation. Both ways, the status quo shall remain.
If we want to live up to the imagery of our “national character” as a heroic people who have existed with certain sense of dignity and agency in history for so many years, we must take this exercise to gain insights into our life. And ready for what gets revealed through the exercise.
Pathos of our “national character” :
One way to start with is to ask, what have we been doing as a response to our economic life? What is the nature of our economy? Isn’t our economy essentially driven by the grant-in-aid from the “Centre”? An economy with a much sought after (and perhaps dominant) tertiary sector (primarily government jobs and other services) with an eroded secondary sector (small or medium scale industrial/manufacturing units) and a stagnant primary sector (particularly, agriculture)? Isn’t it a donor driven economy with almost non-existent state revenue? What is our productive base? Have we achieved meaningful capital formation during the last fifty years or so?
Has there been any sensible economic “planning” for the state? What do the plans have to do with the present state of our economy? Do our educated lots, the intelligentsia, have enough “economic literacy” to be productive “units” of the economic activity in the state?
Perhaps, these are not familiar questions amongst the people. Even for the educated lots, these may not even occur during the Budget Session of the Assembly. Unlike advance societies, our newspapers may not even discuss the implications of the annual budget presented in the Assembly.
Contrast this with the possible awareness of the people on the following matters: More funds and projects are coming from the Centre. Or, crores of rupees are being sanctioned for “development” (e.g., Capitol Project, cultural complexes and flyovers)! Or, the other way round, people must be aware of the “percentages” being cut by so and so from the funding doled out by the “Centre” and how the “development” activity gets delayed!
With such kind of awareness, perhaps, many could have an ear-to-ear smile with expectation as they pass through the dilapidated streets or nights without electricity on their way to the new “sign of development” in the state called the B.T Road Flyover for a walk or a ride! Or, condemn the “Centre” or our own politicians and naharols (insurgents) for the percentage-cuts?
Corruption and slavish mindset are produced and sustained by the donor driven economy. But how do we resist the subversion of our life by such an economy? By partaking in it through the seduction of the “percentages”? By justifying as some would preach a slavish truism that, “Manipur can not develop without the help” from some benevolent others!
What do these issues tell us about our “national character”? It points to a lack of character and knowledge and dishonesty of purpose and action. These are aspects of our “national character” that have driven us from one crisis after another. We need to fight such pathos of our “national character”
Indeed, it is time for us to see the three fingers that point towards us as we point one finger to the others, and take responsibility for our life more than what we have done so far.
And may this New Year give us the courage to do so.
The author can be reached at bimol_akoijaml@yahoo.co.in
[TSE]
No comments:
Post a Comment