Short-termism Is Not Success

(Published in Banking Services Chronicle June 2003)

Success is an attempt to seek solutions to the problems that go on getting created. For every problem there is a solution. And after every solution there arises a new problem. There exists thus a cyclical relationship. Scientists conquer certain diseases only to be challenged by new strains of viruses and bacteria. Look at the way Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has overwhelmed nations across the globe.

However, the cycle is progressive. Every time you solve a problem, you are in a better position than earlier. It is therefore not desirable at all to get scared of problems. For one, there is the hope of a solution. And two, if you get scared you can not make headway in the positive direction.

The advent of problems is as much the test of your coolness of nerves as that of the ability to take tough decisions. Our country often falls short on the latter. Politicians believe more in appeasement. Tough decisions have negative implications on one section or the other. Sometimes people across the board get affected for a period of time.

Not willing to risk unpopularity, the politicians resort to short-termism. They forget that a Paracetamol or a Nimuselide does not cure a disease unless the body’s immune system is strong enough to fight on its own. Also, the politicians believe in making hay while the sun shines. VC Shukla and his ilk do not have any qualms in switching parties.

What ails our country most is the fact that only a few sections are empowered. Gender bias is so rampant that still half of our population remains unutilised. The caste distinctions have lessened to some extent but the empowerment has often been in a negative sense. Often the message to the upcoming castes is: “You should be strong enough in order to behave as badly as the powerful do.”

In any activity most of the benefits are cornered by the mighty few. This leads to a further disparity in the society. Even education acts as a great de-leveller. The B-school graduates, if you leave aside the temporary recession, are often overpaid. And this is at the expense of the ordinary workers.

In fact, the lop-sidedness of empowerment is visible even at the world level. When the US bypasses the UN and attacks Iraq, it is a glaring example of wanton conduct of the mighty. The US can get away with murder because there is no country powerful enough to challenge its authority. Who can bell the cat? Certainly not Iraq alone.
India once used to be a votary of non-alignment. But economic compulsions have robbed it of the power to oppose wrongs. Words have to be carefully chosen so that Uncle Sam does not get offended. We can’t even claim that Pakistan is a terror greater than Iraq.

Not that the Americans don’t know. But they prefer to turn a blind eye to what is not in their favour. It was only when Robert Blackwill decided to resign as ambassador to India that he dared to say explicitly: “The fight against terrorism will not be won until terrorism against India ends and there can be no American compromise on this moral truth.”

If we are really concerned about the ills plaguing humanity, we will have to move away from nonsensical acts. We cannot compete with the best till Laloo’s lathi and Togadia’s trishul hit the headlines of our newspapers. At a global level, superpowers like the US need to play a far more responsible role. Though terrorism is the most important issue, it needs to be holistically addressed.

The Johnnie Walker ad says: “The whole world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going.” Success will come if you know where you are going — whether you are an individual, India or the US.