We used to have a pledge in schools: ‘I love my country and I am proud of its rich and diverse heritage. I try to be worthy of it.’ Ours is a vast natural, cultural heritage repository, to be valued and preserved. Cultural – immovable, movable; natural – flora, fauna, landscapes; intangible – values and traditions, customs and practices, aesthetic and spiritual beliefs, artistic expression, cultural forms, languages et al. Unity in diversity. Tolerance, adaptability to change. We have 40 World heritage sites in India – 32 cultural; 7 natural; and 1 mixed. 3,691 monuments are declared – monuments of national importance. Can we live up to the pledge?
Tolerance is the state of tolerating, or putting up with, conditionally. Can we build this behavioural competence in us? Can we endure extremes, extreme changes? In our various nuances, dimensions? Paradox of tolerance: if we are tolerant without limit, our ability to be tolerant is eventually seized or destroyed by the intolerant. Can we know our break point and contain ourselves prior to reaching the break point?
Sudarshan S, eternal optimist as he articulates, joined back the Reliance Foundation, arguably the largest foundation in the country, this time as Chief Development Officer. SS would do magic, for sure, to make a difference to the PVM in India.
How do we set a new strategy, focus, vision? Visioning, planning, restructuring? New leadership, new teams, new additional people, training? Many argue for ‘right’ people first, with skin in the game. Followed by critical reflection(s), aided-facilitated-animated or otherwise. Away from pitching, bidding, showcasing, presenting. Into dialogue, feedback 360 degree, with all the humility one can muster. With the realization that we are the instruments.
We have 168 hours a week – 84 hours go in our maintenance – sleep, rest, care, eat, entertain etc.; 60 hours go in for work and related; leaving 24 hours for doing what we want. Can we increase this time? Can we increase the efficiency and effectiveness of this time? Can we convert work time into this time? Can we zero on items that really matter to us, essential, useful, impactful? Particularly for ‘margins’.
Margins together constitute the majority. Poor, vulnerable, marginalized communities, groups. Economically, socially, culturally, locationally, educationally, by age, by sex, by occupations, by livelihoods, expenditure patterns, risks, by capitals, resources, by abilities, competencies, intelligence, by contexts so on and so forth. By internal, external ladders they have, by internal, external snakes they face. Small, marginal farmers, farmworkers, fishers, livestock people, weavers, artisans, occupational produce, service groups, craftspersons, petty, street vendors. Sabbanda Women. Children, elders, youth. Disabled. Tribal communities, Dalits. Migrants, displaced. Unemployed, underemployed. Less literate, less digital literate. Intensity of marginalization may be varied, and keep varying with time, location etc. They need to be worked with: for gaining identity, solidarity, capacity, rights-entitlements, agency, wellbeing, freedom, choices. Through external facilitators, internal animators. Through coming together, self-help, collectives, enterprises, support, policy. Can we mentor, add facilitators, animators, functionaries, anchors for building this? In the next 25000 hours?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, keep flowing, in aggregated ‘margins’. In N? samabhaavayoga for 7L.
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