What Should Be Our Strategy?

(An internal note that I wrote in May 2016)

While discussing the activity overview at Patel Nagar, we added a final slide on ‘strategy’, listing the potential interventions that will come out of our work. (He) suggested that I write a document to elaborate on the strategy. What is our strategy and our outlook towards strategy?

I am sharing some thoughts on strategy for things that may be beyond our work, and yet closely connected to it. These thoughts are gathered through observations, interactions, and contemplations.

Towards the larger motive of nation-building, our efforts are currently focused on policy and governance. But deeper, we share a set of fundamental beliefs that come from an indic understanding of existence itself. We have a worldview of human nature and the purpose of life. These beliefs then reflect in our behavior, ideology, approach to family, nature, and so on. In our efforts, we aim to influence the system so that it also reflects these beliefs.

At the level of the individual, Bharat has always had sages and rishis who elevated humans to their highest potential. We have also had institutions in the form of education, family, health, etc. which facilitated this. But we now sense a lack of systemic support, let alone manifestation, of this idea. A societal degeneration attributed to 1000 years of invasions has brought us here. Yet, we realize a continuity in our civilizational values. That is what we uphold. That is what we want to promote and protect. Needless to say, public policy and governance could be the most influential tools to achieve this.

To influence governance systems, we need the right thought and the right people to execute/generate that thought. Talent and thought, these are the two elements we are directly working on, however superficial it may be as of now. The system is so rotten that we find it difficult to bring fundamental changes without dealing with the superficial. It is likely to remain as such for some time.

There is also a third element which cannot be ignored. Even if we have the right talent and thought, we need readiness in the system. The system’s inertia will deter our efforts. Strategic interventions can provide readiness to the system.

Again, readiness can come through two broad means. First, successful and imitable examples of projects which reflect our mission. These projects could be a school, a company, a social intervention, a model village, and so on. People in the system, like politicians and bureaucrats, can rely on these projects as examples whenever they want to do something new. For instance, if an entrepreneur builds an Indic school that attains success in every aspect, a person in the system can become more comfortable in scaling it up.

The second means of achieving readiness is public discourse. The system delivers what the voters demand. Elements of our philosophy and worldview should get into the public discourse so that society is not alien to our ideas and vice versa. It is a constant effort for us to stand where society is, and take it forward one step at a time. Currently, the desired discourse is neither at individual level, nor institutional, and certainly not national or global. Planned initiatives like production house and publication house can build this discourse. A rigorous entry into media channels is another such tool to influence discourse.

Therefore, while imitable examples tell the system what it can do, public discourse tells it what it must do. Both, together, break the inertia in the system.

With this background, strategic initiatives can bandwagon to support our idea of nation-building. Some of these initiatives will come out - by fellows, alumni, and all of us. Some will rise parallely and we would like to acknowledge them. The ideas of starting an educational institution, an education board, a discourse-building house, a political movement, and a venture fund, are all ideas that will help us in realizing this dream. Numerous such initiatives and interventions will prove to be crucial in the nation-building movement. Change agents within and outside will be a part of these initiatives.

This is the framework in which we operate. Now are some long-term action items that either align with or promote the framework shared above. I had discussed these last year with (him).

We (‘we’ in this refers not to our team but thousands of like-minded change agents) have to fix the existing rot while designing the desired systems so that we have some concepts ready when the rot is fixed. For this, we have already identified the three tools - talent, thought, and readiness. Particularly for talent, we should think of ways that incentivize the system to recognize, appreciate, and facilitate good talent. Electoral reforms, institutionalization of politics, and alternate selection/training processes for bureaucracy are some examples.

Ideologically, our political and philosophical tenets do not fit in the spectrum of Right and Left, Liberal and Conservative. We should define our worldview of politics (and other institutions) and see how current structures can move towards that. Defining the alternate is as important for us as disassociating from this spectrum.

The left is dying as a political force and someone will fill the space. But we should do it with our strengths and not just their weakness. Intellectual capital (talent and thought) is one ingredient to achieve this. The other is to showcase working models (pilots) based on our ideas.

Further, Bharat itself will have to lead by example and not by theory. In some ways, I have found the US to be more Bharatiya than India. Examples are cases like the dignity of labor, treatment of temples and holy places, political decentralization, etc.

For this, we should do away with our obsession with glorifying history. It keeps us stuck in the past. We tend to find traces of desired changes in our history. This may not always be useful, even if possible. History should be our motivation and not our destination. We have to identify the eternal and universal elements of that history and be very open to new ones. Therefore, we should analyze if the ideas fit into the historic worldview, not the historic manifestation.

In the mission of four kinds of happiness for society, poverty creates a handicap. Poverty, both physical and mental, puts a limit on the scale of change we desire. Lack of wealth also becomes a hindrance for people to take risks and for radical transformation. Entrepreneurship, policy environment, and conducive education can help alleviate poverty. In whatever we do, we cannot ignore the fact that India is home to the world’s largest poor population and our efforts will look alien to the public. Poverty alleviation is essential.

There are some areas/institutions in which India can showcase global prowess. Food, education, and health are three of these. We are not just capable of providing a fundamentally different outlook to these, but can also make huge economic gains for the country. Family is another such institution where we can lead the world but not for economic gains. We have so far failed in this regard.

Finally, we have to be very careful about what we are teaching to the children. In two generations i.e. 30-40 years from now, a lot will change, because of the ecosystem. Those who are 0-20 years of age right now will be the leaders then. It is crucial that they are equipped to sustain and build on that change.

At a personal level too, we should be clear of our direction and intention. In this journey to make a conscious society that achieves 4 sukhas, let us individually also remain an aware part of that consciousness, achieving the 4 sukhas for ourselves as well.

The background and the agenda listed above form a part of our strategy towards nation-building. It is a ceaseless endeavor to elevate human consciousness, to design systems that facilitate this process, and to strive to elevate ourselves. These principles should be reflected in our nation-building movement, making India an example of what our philosophy can make possible.

Therefore, at the core is human evolution. An evolution derived from our civilizational wisdom and philosophy. An evolution for one and all, for us and them, for others and I.

So what should decide our strategy?

Be and Make. This must be the defining characteristic. It not only inspires our action, but can also guide our direction.

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For liberation of the self and benefit of the world.

~ A Rig Veda shlok often professed by Swami Vivekananda.

In simpler words, this is Be and Make.