We must move from generating further Dissatisfaction to some Action Plan

In India, I write this after watching the excellent interview of Ram Chandra Guha by Karan, in which they both expound for about 28 minutes on how the evil forces of today — some media and the top echelons of national leadership- are working ceaselessly on spreading or abetting communalism, even in these Corona times. For about an hour thereafter, I kept appreciating the piece. Oh, how comprehensive and how right the interview was. For the last few years, I had been telling myself the same thing i.e. that India was going to dogs. It felt nice to see my belief validated by such eminent people.

After some time, I ran out of compliments for the interview. Then the thinking took a utilitarian turn. The article was indeed fine but was it also useful? Did it serve its purpose? Of course, it did. It reaffirmed my beliefs to me. But that is not much of a help, the mind argued. Besides establishing the expertise of Karan as an interviewer and that of Ram as an excellent analyst and subject matter expert, how exactly does the piece help us Indians?

And then the doubts and confusion grew even deeper.

Do articles like this, outlining the various ways in which the Indian bureaucratic and political system is killing India, help in any way? While they are mesmerising, what is their utility?

Do they help change the views of those who were full of admiration of the present system? No way. Ok, so do they at least move the fence-sitters move an inch away from the system, and an inch towards a change? Well, maybe yes, may not. If yes, they do so very minimally.

That’s not very helpful, is it?

As of today, the number of people fully dissatisfied with the system are already overflowing in India. Those who do not believe me should look up any anti-establishment post on any popular social media, anti-system e.g. You tube videos, Yahoo, WhatsApp etc. You will notice that the number of likes far out-number the dislikes. If you further look up comments that are positive i.e. anti-system, you will find them to be far more in numbers and far more hard-hitting than the few that are in defence of that anti-establishment post. Try it anytime. Since members of both faiths- anti system and pro system-have equal access to those posts, this ratio of about 7:1, in favour of anti-establishment wallahs, must mean something. Don’t just pooh-pooh it away.

It means that most in India hate the present system. It also means that despite this preponderance of system haters over system lovers, change does not seem forthcoming.

That is surely not democracy. Moreover, it means that the rare media which is still publishing real news, is not helping. Indeed, the job of media is to report and not to carry out activism. However, the media is more than just a publisher of whatever the reporters and writers offer to them. It is an engine of change.

The aim of educating the public is to empower them to change the wrong. However, we are seeing that the people of India are clearly signalling that they do not approve of the present system, but no change is taking place.

I submit that this is so because while the effort by writers to deepen the dissatisfaction is indeed vast, there is no effort to channelize the unrest into change.

People already know how bad the system is. Further effort in this direction will only follow the law of diminishing returns. Since the awareness has been fully set-up by now, it is time to move from ‘how bad the system is’ to ‘So, what must be done about it?’

While are we to seek — a change of ways of the system or a change of the system?

If you think it is the former, I say you are wrong, very wrong. These guys holding the toll gates of the system are not misguided brethren who must gently be shown the error of their ways. The whole point of the Karan- Ram Chandra Guha interview was that all that is happening is not an unintended consequence of some otherwise useful act, but a conscious act towards fulfilment of a much desired, evil end. If so, any attempts to initiate realization in the key players of the system would be a waste of time.

These two — that the system needs to be changed, and how to do so — are totally different animals. While we are over targeting the former, we are neglecting the latter. We are too focused on the rationale, much to the detriment of a workable plan.

I maintain that the only viable objective for everything to be done in next 4 years is ‘how to effect a change of the system’. For that, some people must take it upon themselves to stop telling people any more as to how bad the system is, but instead, guide them how to change the system.

It is always a few people who have changed perceptions. If they use the medium of influencing others smartly, it can be done. Ad companies do this on a regular basis. A good ad company will help sell even a mediocre product — no doubt about it. With a proper plan, one can even sell sugared water which is decidedly bad for health. Public opinion on anything is NOT a measure of the excellence of the product, but of that of the influencers.

The system can be changed. Make no mistakes. Even with the number of people who presently believe that it needs to be done, it can be done. So, attempts to increase those numbers is not the best utilization of time and scarce resources.

If you believe that my focus on utilitarianism i.e. how exactly does it help, is wrong, read on.

There is an interesting debate of innovation — should inventors be working on what they are good at, or on what is needed?

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s much cited quote “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door” is obviously nonsense. The mousetrap is the most frequently invented device in American history: the US Patent and Trademark Office has granted over 4,400 patents for new designs of mousetraps; it has rejected thousands more. Who needs a mousetrap, anyway?

What if all that creative energy could be directed at solving some other problem that everyone faces? The most important part of the innovation cycle is the discussion on what are you going to innovate about? What is the JTBD (Job To Be Done)? Getting that focus right is critical. Why spend energy making a mousetrap? Why not switch that energy to make a much needed suntrap instead?

India has had enough of ‘what is wrong’. Now we must switch to ‘So, what can be done about it and here’s one way to do it.’ As for what needs to be done, the only worthwhile objective is to change the system. Telling us 10 more ways in which the bad guys are indeed the bad guys, or more proof that they are blacker than coal, is such a waste of time.

A useful JTBD (Job To Be Done) for every India-loving Indian is to initiate a complete change of the system. For every 5 articles the writers write on how bad the system is, they should write at least one which answers some of the following questions –

· What can be done to make sure that the current unease among Indians about what India has become, transfers to a change in the system?

· How can a system be created whereby it is no longer necessary to mount a massive rasta-roko (block the streets) type of protest to bring about a change?

· How can Indians be made to move from merely talking to doing?

· How can unity, sense of purpose and a degree of urgency can be instilled among various bodies and organisations that are already working towards that goal — intelligentsia, women groups, student groups, some media e.g. The Wire, NDTV etc.

Proving to the people that the system is failing us in many ways, is not the best use of time and talent. People already know that. Knowing any more will not help. Instead, we should now move towards providing a solution or creating a solution. Else, we will keep generating intellectual discontent till 2023, and he will again sweep the stakes.

Start. Even the longest journey starts with a single step. Or maybe two steps.

I take you now to the very meaningful urdu sher (couplet) –

Naqsh-e-paye raftagan se ye sadaa hai aa rahin

Do kadam mein raah taya hai, shouq-e-manzil chahiye

Looking at the image of the past, I can sense that it is just two steps that make a whole journey successful. All it takes is a love of destination.

And if you would prefer something more vibrant, try this –

Kaun kehta hai, aasma mein soorakh ho nahin sakta

Ek patthar to tabiyyat se ucchhalon yaaron

Do not say that it is not possible to make a hole in the sky. Say that only after you have thrown at least one stone towards it with full might.

I have acted on my advice and put together a concise book ‘Reclaim your Democracy. Get technique driven. Get professional’ (on Amazon)