The Hindu Business Line : Why dharmanomics must reign

IT HAS been argued that the spread of globalisation signals the end of history. Western liberal democracy shall spread across the earth resulting in the demise of mankind's ideological evolution. All that is to be done at this point is to ensure that each country becomes an efficient capitalist player contributing toward the development of the global economy.

Liberal democracy fuelled by capitalism stands as the summit of human possibility and to uphold the great pillar of capitalism becomes the prerogative of every responsible nation. But how sound is this world-view and the resultant goal that seems now to have captured the imagination of all nations?

Capitalism has no doubt played its part in freeing many from the shackles of poverty. It has brought financial and hence other kinds of freedoms to many who had not tasted such possibilities earlier. No doubt some form of it will continue to be useful.

At the same time, and in much of its manifestation in the past, it easily assumes a dark-face. Witness 9/11. Witness the Afghan and Iraq wars. It has been said that each of these was the result of an aggressive US foreign policy in which control of world resources has been the unstated motive.

How is this brand of Imperialistic capitalism that different from Stalinist socialism that it has espoused to replace? Both first brainwash, one subtly, the other more overtly, and then suppress — again, one subtly, the other overtly — in support of some stated ideology. The chosen `way' is imposed upon the `liberated', and any notion of free choice, of a people or nation evolving through self-struggle to eventual freedom is discarded as an unnecessary inefficiency.

One might as well tell the nose, the eyes, the ears, that they exist to function as a nose, because that is the best sense of the body, and redefine an `enlightened' or beautiful face to consist of five noses. One might as well reduce to useless all manifestation of individual genius and eliminate such vague characters as an Einstein, Vivekananda, Beethoven, and Napolean, because they do not appear to be in conformity with the `enlightened' norm.

One might as well say that in the process of a Darwinian evolution the US in its present-day manifestation has proven to have the superior mould, the right `national-gene', and henceforth all nations will have to adopt this, or be eliminated in the race of the fittest. Clearly, this face of capitalism is better left alone.

History has proven, time and time again, that standardisation leads to weakness and eventually to decay. Diversity is the cornerstone of stability. The nose must fulfil its function, as must the eyes and the ears theirs. Einstein must fulfil his dharma as must Vivekananda, Beethoven, and Napolean theirs. India must fulfil its dharma, as must Israel, Uganda, Japan, the US, France, amongst each of the other nations.

Going forward, this then becomes the global economic challenge in a world so rapturously enamoured of modern-day capitalism. Dharmanomics must replace Bushanomics. The essence of what a country stands for must not be jettisoned in the vast but vain ocean of Standardisation or Globalisation or Westernisation. For this would lead to a weak and senseless world, rife with various kinds terrorism, external and internal.

A few decades ago, following tremendous economic development, Japan had raced ahead on the economic front, with many of its corporations emerging as leaders in their respective fields. Yet, in the hurry, something sacred was left behind.

Where bonsai and individualised small gardens had adorned even as small a space as a balcony in an apartment, and where people spent their free time communing with natural beauty or involved in the pursuit of it through tending to their gardens, today activities such as these have been cast aside in favour of watching generic global television or reading individualised comic digests on hand-held devices.

Bankruptcies, suicides, and a larger sense of emptiness have emerged and the question arises as to how truly `developed' is a nation whose youth has embraced hamburgers and soda-pop in favour of sushi and green tea. Development is important. Building and harnessing of technologies paramount. But there are both senseless and wise ways to do it. In the rush for advancement is it of any value to cast aside the spirit of the Samurai and the beauty of the cherry-blossom? Rather, these should become the abiding guidelines or pathways along which development proceeds.

Technology and corporations can be built through principles of nobility, courage, justice, honour, beauty, and a high and refined aestheticism that are themselves the foundation aspects of what it means to be a Samurai or a cherry blossom. Technology developed in a manner that truly encapsulates the truth or genius of a nation will likely be of a far more enduring quality than that built under the pressure of a blind capitalism.

And if each nation were to develop technologies and develop itself, inspired by the essence of what it stood for, would not the world be a richer, more beautiful, more creative and more dynamic place to live in? What if the spirit captured by the vast, all-encompassing, yet intricate architecture of India's temples, literature, or music were to be replicated in each modern Indian endeavour?

Not out of a senseless act of mimicry, but because the essence that the temples, literature, or music stood for should be kept alive in today's professionals and artisans, and seek expression in modern terms, because that is what keeps a nation alive and ticking, and that is what the spirit of the nation demands. To say, hence, that we have approached the end of history, and that that liberal democracy fuelled by modern-day capitalism is the summit of human possibility is a short-sighted statement.

When neighbours like China appear to be racing ahead, with increasing foreign investments and a heightened pace of development, it is easy for India to want to redouble its efforts along those very lines that have been laid out by developed countries as being the only way to proceed. It is easy under the temptation of making the quick buck to do what the Union Carbides, Enrons and Shells of the world have done. It is in the face of these easy paths that the true dharma on India has to be invoked.

The spirit of India stands for a masterful synthesis, a supremely just assimilation where each new impetus is seamlessly recognised for what it is and naturally accorded its right place in the continually developing concordance of things. Hence, the act of mimicry or of becoming a mindless trading-hub for developed world MNCs must be avoided. At best, they may be a preparation, the laying down of infrastructure so that the true creativity may arise in the future. But even that may not happen, unless we become alive to our dharma now.

Yes, we must develop new and unique technologies. Our corporations and organisations must become leaders on the world stage. But we should do these things in a manner that is consistent with who we are, and what our great nation has stood for over the millennia.

Vast creativity. Seamless synthesis. Just and continually developing concordance. It is these that must be ignited. It is these that must become alive. Dharmanomics must reign.

(The author is the founder of Aurosoorya, an endeavour focusing on innovation and creativity. He can be reached through e-mail at pravirmalik@yahoo.com.)