When this issue reaches you, the year 2014 would have been ushered in. As I write this editorial, preparations are on to bring down the curtains on 2013. While 31st December celebrations are an annual event, the year 2014 promises to be significantly different. The winds of change are here.
Media coverage is full of reports of a new political party coming to power in the capital of the world’s largest democracy. It will be interesting to see how this outfit discharges the responsibility of governing Delhi. The party has made promises which are difficult to fulfil. What one only expects is a sincere and honest attempt to deliver them.
This party has come to power on the shoulders of a public movement against corruption. It is on the basis of this mass movement that one feels that a change is on the horizon. Public movements have always taken place. The difference between public protests of the past and those which have taken place within the last couple of years is the spontaneity, intensity and speed with which these protests occurred as well as the impact they have made. In addition, there is a difference between the composition of participants of earlier movements and those who took to the streets an year ago for the Lokpal Bill or to protest against the ghastly event on 16th December last year.
There are a few other reasons for the belief that a change is in the offing. There is a major shift in demographics. If 35% people in our country are below the age of 35, we have a critical mass of population which is well-informed, well networked and can be motivated. There is an increase in the number of people which can be called the middle-class. Globalisation which kicked in around two decades ago has brought about substantial connectivity on the commercial and business side. The social and political consequences of this connectivity need to be understood by those in power.
The requirement to cope up with a multitude of economic, financial, cultural and social differentials has resulted in an effect on society which is probably more intense than what society itself is prepared for. We are living in a flat world where interaction has become very easy. This enables a quick comparison of circumstances which sharpens frustrations. We have had a glorious past, and the country has been a home to individuals who were titans in their respective fields. However that has been our past. Rendering sermons on the past cannot satisfy the aspirations of the youth and such attempts are likely to be rejected with anger. It is precisely this aspect that our political and business leaders need to realise. 25 or 30 years ago the youth held their leaders in awe. It was far easier to preach to them and they were willing to be patronised.
Today they demand information as stakeholders and they are ready to challenge what is put before them with facts and figures, in what leaders perceive as an irreverent manner. A great facilitator in this change has been technology. In case of any major event or occurrence in the world one had to rely on what information the government gave out. Even if the people did not trust government controlled media they had very little option. Today, people know with reasonable accuracy what is happening in any part of the world, and are able to share and spread information. Social media reporting has become a very powerful tool of information and opinion building. As a consequence, public perception is a very important aspect of the lives of all, particularly those in the public eye. Apart from media, tools like the Right to Information Act have accentuated transparency in public life. While all information being in the public domain has its own advantages it is not without the flip side. Because every decision is open to public scrutiny, those in administration tend to worry more about how a decision will look in the public eye rather than the correctness of the decision itself. Every person is spending extraordinary time in documenting the process that he has followed in making the decision. This is because he anticipates that any decision can be questioned, and even worse judged in hindsight. If an administrator has the slightest inkling about a decision not going down well with the public, he will refuse to take it and will merely pass the buck. Political leaders, economists and analysts are openly admitting that decision-making has taken a beating. Because of the danger of even honest, bonafide decisions being questioned, officials tend not to take decisions.
This results in furtherance of public anger. Public or civil servants who were respected a few decades ago have been gradually referred to as bureaucrats and now derisively as “babus”. While one welcomes the change at our doorstep, this aspect needs to be addressed. In the same manner that social media castigates, criticises wrong decisions, it must laud those who are acting quickly and decisively in public interest. In a district of Maharashtra when an upright official was being shunted out of office, people of that district rose in unison against the decision. Such events will neutralise the negative impact I referred to earlier. In this process of transition how is our profession responding?
I think the response is inadequate. In professional institutions the change in demography is not being adequately reflected and seniority in age is still at a premium. While youth has entered the profession in a large number, its needs and aspirations have not been addressed. Unfortunately many of my colleagues still consider regulators and legislation as being the source of employment and opportunity, without realising that it is only excellence in service that will ensure survival. The winds of change have reached our profession. They need to blow harder even at risk of damaging some established structures, as they inevitably will.
To conclude 2014 promises to be an exciting and significant year in history. Let me take this opportunity in wishing all of you and your families that the year is a joyous , prosperous and eventful one.
