Right from my childhood,as a south-indian chap,i was practised to watch heroes who fight for others to get red patched cheeks and favours for those they fighted for,at last. Not only me, every child is filled with aspirations to become an icon in its society that makes it to serve for others. But, unfortunately the aforesaid count plunges as they bloom. As i rose to 6 feet,I acquainted social activists and firms who submerge their profits in CSR activities, assuming to get intangibles in return.
There is another group which need to be zeroed in : - the others. Who are they?normal citizens? - a cluster which depends upon idols to work for them. The obscured shady side of those who are lingering for bigwigs to cater them. Unlfliable Butterflies that were aided to come out of cocoon.
Let me kick-off with instrinsic evolution theory of darwin - Survival for the fittest. The more competent a living being is, the higher likelihood to survive.World Lives existing today has struggled tremendously to impede from being extincted.They subsist because they dismay to death, not solely they love to live.
Ergo the real potential of someone can be known when in perils, especially when pelting for life. The real competancy that hasnt came up till that Juncture. Yes, everyone of us is filled with tremendous potential, without regard to our whereabouts and brought-ups. But by hook or by crook,we couldnt realise that, since we havent practised to USE it.
Iterating a simple example -Beggars are ubiquitous in my mother india. Envisage a situation where no-one feeds them.The aftermaths can be dreadful for them. They have to search a headspring for their existence. Eventually they will end up finding a job.Some of them may be extirpated by hunger, teaching others an important lesson - Be fit to survive. This, if escalated to poor people who's pie is high in india,can give astonishing results - net increase in productivity. The point here is neither socialism nor capitalism. The expectation of former from the latter and the service offered by the latter to the former has to be redefined.
When our northeast friends faced hiroshima - nagasaki attack, no country was ready to bail them out. What was the result now? They have hitched up to heights greater than that if they might have got pennies from neighbours.Dhirubhai ambani was a gas station attendant. Abdul khalam's child life was filled with hunger. They became heroes because they are adroit enough and not because they have been fed.
So what do most social service activists focus on? devolping infrastucture, livelihood, giving freebies etc. Yes their heart is far bigger than pacific. But their acts do have two unwelcomed aftermaths.
1. Decreasing the competancy of government and diverting the duty of political leaders giving them ways to increase their wealth by taxes we pay.The real purpose of government is diluted routing the money meant for people to swiss bank black boxes.
2. Decreasing the competancy of a citizen who can serve himself, but do not, because he is being served by someone with no effort from his side, except creating empathy.
Addressing the first issue,the desired system is government should facilitate people services through their money. If government need to do their duty it need taxes, so it has to push capitalists to pay for it.This is a cycle and should be smooth enough for a developing economy.Capitalists gain intangibles by spending in CSR in one hand and evading taxes in another hand. A recent survey says only 1 rupee out of each 3.5 rupees, that government spends for public, reaches them.This makes the entire system flawful.It is like filling water in a pot with lot of holes, through a broken tube.
If India inc is really interested in making an effective CSR, shouldnt it correct the system, rather than supporting it. Yes it can still get its intangibles. With all go-getters it has why cant it spend pennies on stablise the way things reach people? It needs guts!
Coming to the second issue,today's CSR activities and NGO's are focusing on giving fish rather than teaching how to fish. Westerners are less dependent mutually,so their competancy and so their wealth.What was the reason for sudden increase of orphanage and homes for the aged over recent years? The answer is partly their existence only.A platform is created for the unabled,encouraging their abandonment. If that had not been the case, a mother, before leaving her child abandoned and sons/daughters,before leaving their parents unsecured, shall think twice.Why cant these CSR acts & NGO's focus on developing people competencies? It doesnt necessarily mean providing education to all. But also to develop components like less-dependency and self-employment, which necessarily mean increasing per-capita productivity - smoothening the Income distribution curve - developing a sustainable economy. Implementation may be a difficult and a slow process.It has its own costs too.But can cause exponential growth. Again it needs guts!
One may say this macro level outlook may get messed up during its execution, when delved deeper and it is a regulatory job of government.Can we conclude that the quality of government is superior than corporate minds?. We cannot compare its management to that of corporations. The latter's act is due to educated minds, while the former's act is due to the so-called experienced minds, repeating the historical flaws.The latter's purpose is to increase pennies and the formers's is to retain its position. Government's acts are counteracted by opposite parties and not sure about stablisation, due to their momentry divertion of focus and to save themselves,they have to boast acts big.
So give fishing rods, teach them how to fish, But
DONT GIVE THEM FISHES !
Red carpets for comments !
