Moral Infrastructure Development Program for India

                               MORAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

 

INTRODUCTION

India is a land of saints and sages with rich cultural beliefs and strong traditions. Over the years, we have produced great world leaders and have become a force to reckon with. However, we still find ourselves only inching forward, while we should be running, despite a wonderfully crafted vision. There are a plethora of issues which ails our Nation such as population, illiteracy, pollution, corruption, unemployment, atrocities on women, casteism, health and hygiene etc. One of the common links amongst them that can be safely assumed is the lack of ‘Moral fibre / Character’. While corruption generally implies financial misappropriation by a person, lack of character covers various other aspects as well such as misuse of resources, preferential treatment, misbehaving with women, cheating, copying, lying, in addition to being a mute spectator to a crime and not standing up to your rights. Even small things such as not wearing mask for corona, disobeying traffic rules, littering and spitting in public places, shows lack of character in a person. In fact, these minor chinks in armour may lead to major offences or crimes later.

While the legal system and law enforcement agencies in India attempt to curb illegal and unwanted activities by citizens, it appears that they are not successful in establishing full control. Most of these control measures are external or physical, putting restrictions on movements and actions of an individual. At times, these external control measures seem superficial like pruning the branches of an infected tree while the roots are untouched.  A lot has been said and done on a subject like this with very little results. Therefore, a time has come to have a different approach to the issue by considering a ‘Holistic’ program with ‘Inside Out’ approach and covering a person from ‘Womb to Tomb’.  

 

VISION

The vision is to make India a ‘Golden State’ (Swarna Bharat) Inside Out. A state of Peace, Happiness and Contentment.

 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

India is not a very old democracy and therefore a lot needs to be done to achieve our vision.  The first things which come to our mind is the basic necessities of the people, the Infrastructure. To make lives easy and comfortable and provide for a happy living. The term infrastructure is more often than not used in reference to buildings, roads, power supplies etc for a society. These are Physical Infrastructures. There is also a reference to soft infrastructure like education, health programs, law enforcement, recreation etc, which I would like to call them as Mental infrastructures.

 But can we assume these two alone can build up a strong nation or a state?

There are several five-year plans and other schemes which have been very well thought of, but the implementation is very poor. The plans do not meet the end point and do not deliver to the last mile. The projects have not come up to the expected standards. There are several leakages and transmission losses in the system. What could be missing? 

The basic unit of any society is a human being and a human being has to be physically and mentally strong to perform. But that is not enough, one has to be morally strong as well to be able to deliver. One should have a strong will and dedication to accomplish the assigned task. This refers to one’s inner passion and character. Physical and mental capabilities alone may not suffice. In a similar way, the state has to have a strong Moral Infrastructure to be able to deliver to the needs of people and also ensure overall progress.

We all understand the Physical Infrastructures and Mental Infrastructures. But when it comes to Moral Infrastructure, it is something difficult to perceive as it exists only in the hearts and minds of the people. It is something to do with our roots, our inherent character, conscience, attitude and behaviour. The Physical and Mental Infrastructures can be measured and the deficiencies identified and gaps filled up. However, in case of Moral Infrastructure, people would not like to accept it in the first place that there is some kind of deficiency. The build-up could take place only after that.  A dedicated effort would be required to strengthen the moral fibre of the citizens if the state has to grow as envisioned.

 

  There is no doubt that the government has done a lot to ensure a fair and a transparent system both in terms of active and passive methods. Something is still lacking that we have not been able to raise the bar. A country like Bhutan is rated at 25 by Transparency International against 80 of India.  Thus, there is a need to think innovatively to resolve the issue.

 The law enforcing agencies in a state employ method like putting restrictions, penal fines and punishments. The efforts are generally external and physical in nature, based on fear psychosis and puts pressure on individuals who unwillingly comply. Thereafter the individual attempts to circumvent the system and find a new way to break the rule. Thus, a cycle of cat and the mouse chase commences and there is no end to it.   

 The present physical measures are important as they give immediate results. However, for long term sustainable arrangements, the internal activities of a person also need to be considered. Physical boundaries may prevent people temporarily, but it is important to address the root of the problem where all kind of immorality originates – inside a person's mind.

A person is well behaved when under supervision, however when no one is watching one may tend to go wild. Supervision can be ensured for a maximum of 20% of the time but the rest 80% of the time an individual is independent. People   depend on their own moral compass inside them for guidance. That is why we need to consider a Holistic ‘Inside Out’ approach which should cover from ‘Womb to Tomb’. A man can be made self-disciplined and that will improve his overall character. This will drastically cut down all the unwanted activities mentioned above, reducing the burden on law enforcing agencies and improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the state.  

While considering this paper, the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) draft formulated by CVC has been studied in detail. Here, all the law enforcing agencies come into play. The effort is to curb the menace by advices, warnings and punishments. We impose fines, restrictions, imprisonment etc. Some suggestions have also been made to avoid offence being committed by changing some procedures. As per the Annual Report of CVC, some of the advices given by them for disciplinary action to various departments have not been heeded to and CVC can’t do much about it!

 We must realise that we are dealing with human beings. People are not born criminals but are mostly victims of circumstances. The environment and upbringings make a lot of difference to a person’s attitude and thinking and it is the thought that makes a man do what he is doing. The ultimate fault lies is the mind and thought. If we are able to manage that, then we have achieved something. Therefore, this paper mostly deals with inside of a human being, acting upon one’s heart and mind and motivating a person internally to act upon their conscience and build up a moral compass so that they fit well into the society. Once the internal compass has been correctly calibrated, it would refrain a person from any of the nefarious activities even when not under supervision. In fact, a culture of discipline needs to be built up which would automatically keep a check on various activities. This could be achieved by repeatedly working on the minds of the people along with the physical measures. A kind of system reset! And it is not difficult. When an Indian goes to a foreign land, he behaves perfectly there, but when the same person gets back here, he starts spitting and littering all over the place and breaks every rule. This instant transformation of an Indian has never been understood. But the fact remains that there exists a disciplined person inside the very same individual. We only have to get him out.

  

CAUSES AND ANALYSIS

There are many stimuli for subversion of moral fibre of a person and we are aware of most of them.  Some of them can be enumerated as under:

·         Religious Practices. Some of our religious practices involve offerings being made to god almighty for fructification of our desires whether they are justified or not. A similar habit is carried on in real life to gratify others to get our jobs done.

·          Environment and Upbringing. Environment and upbringing of a child can make all the difference and this has been proved many times over.  Children tend to absorb things not only what has been said but also the silent activities. Actions of parents and Teachers always speaks louder than words.

·          Greed and lack of Satisfaction especially of the well to do class.

·          Lack of patriotism, National spirit or State Spirit

·          Wrong influence of media, movies and peers,

·          Fear of taking a stand.

·          Poor legal system and Lack of punitive action.

·          Shy of being honest.       

·         ‘Chalta hai Attitude’ of the masses. They Could not care less.

·          Acceptance by the people that nothing can be done about it.

As per Anti-Corruption Bureau, ACB, 10% of the people are scrupulously honest and another 10% are incorrigibly corrupt. So, we can ignore both these categories for the purposes of our study, as nothing can be done about them. The honest person will not be affected by anyone and the incorrigible will not change.  The balance 80% are the people who are fence sitters, who can sway either side depending on the situation whether there is supervision or not. Therefore, our aim should be to focus on these 80%. This should not be a difficult task.

While 30% of the population of the 135 crores people in our country are well off with a well-paying job, Roti, Kapada, Makaan, Bangla, Gadi etc, there is another 40% in the low-income group with low-paying jobs or part time jobs. They somehow manage to make ends meet.  The balance 30% is either poor or below poverty line. They may lack the basic necessities and always seek help of others for their living. 

While one can justify a person, who is below poverty line committing a minor theft to meet his basic requirements, but what we cannot justify is an act of theft for personal gain by a person who is well to do. Such types of people are more in the first category (top 30%), which we need to address. The top 30% has the best of everything and still many of them are greedy.    

REMEDIAL MEASURES

At the outset, it is very much essential that we consider a Holistic program encompassing the entire life cycle of a man from ‘Womb to tomb’. The idea is to motivate and change a person ‘Inside Out’ which would prevent one from committing an offence in the first place. This could be achieved by repeatedly working on one’s mind, setting examples, showing them the end picture and making them experience the virtues of a just and fair society.  The life of a person can be divided as under:

·         0-3 years.  This period covers a person’s life from womb to the early childhood till the age of five. The influence of a mother is maximum.

·         3-18 years. A person’s School days under Mother, Father and Teacher. One is Influenced by Media, Environment and peers.

·         18-24 years.   Higher education of a person, Influenced by Parents, Professors, Peers, Media.

·         24-60 years.  When a person is Employed. One is Impressed by Employers, Seniors, colleagues, Spouse and media.

·         60 years and above.  Retired life. Under influence of Family, friends, spouse and children.

In the above distribution, it is clear that a woman plays an important role in a person's life as a mother, teacher, sister, wife and daughter. That is why it is very important to empower women in addressing this issue. 

Some of the remedial measure for various timelines are suggested as under:

·         1^st Stage:0-3 years. During this period, maximum influence on a person’s character is by the mother.  Hence it is essential that quality Motherhood training with special emphasis on upbringing of a child during pregnancy and after is undertaken. (Abhimanyu learnt the Chakravhyuh in his mother’s womb)

·          2^nd Stage: 3-18 years. Apart from parents, the teacher can influence a child’s character. Hence Upliftment of teachers would be a major task. Teaching to be made one of the best professions in the country and highly paid. In addition, 20% value-based education be introduced in schools and colleges. Plus, motivating movies, workshops on ethics and values, character and competence awards, AAA system of assessment- i.e., physical, mental, moral be introduced. Special programs to teach a child to not litter, spit in public places, obeying traffic   rules, taking care of girls, women, elderly etc.    

 

·          3^rd Stage 18-24 years. Here we can introduce Advanced level of moral education, psychological tests, military training, teach value of freedom, games and sports, IQ, EQ SQ, meditation, yoga, spiritualism, happiness and satisfaction. These can also be made part of the current skill development in the country.

·          4^th Stage 24-60 years. This is again a very influential stage when a person is worried about his job and placement. If he comes across an unfair system, then it is permanently etched on his mind and it would be very difficult to eradicate the same. Therefore, there is need to ensure a very fair system of recruitment and placements. And once a person is employed, there should regular sessions of value-based training. The working environment could have adequate quotations, posters, billboards etc to emphasise on ethical living. We could also have periodic talks by seniors colleagues on moral fibre. Plus, regular training on happiness and satisfaction and conduct of workshops on personality development and effective Living.  Even the performance Appraisals should be based on core values and 360 degrees of assessment,

·          60 and above. Even after retirement, people can have a heavy influence on the society. This group can do a lot more for the society than what it is doing today. Therefore, there is a need to guide them as well to instil values in the children and grandchildren. There are many NGOs and social service organisation which can channelise their energy and suitably employ them in the development of the nation.

Other activities which should be undertaken are suggested as under:

·         Quicker Punishments. Various offences related to moral turpitude and corruption must be addressed expeditiously and punishments awarded at the earliest to convey the right message.  

·         Empower CVC. The CVC (Central Vigilance Commissioner) must be adequately empowered to take action govt. departments not implementing the directions issued by them.

·         Positive Efforts to Instil National Pride. Taking cue from the Army where the ‘Regiment Ki shaan’, or The Glory of the Unit, is supreme. A man is ready to die for his regiment and never let its flag down. That is why we have much less cases of moral turpitude in the Armed forces. A similar effort could be made to instil National Pride in the populace. A large number of ex Servicemen in the nation can be used for this task.

·         Religious Seminars. Religious seminar be organised to motivate the religious teachers to include value system in their preaching and setting right examples.

·         Motivation and Education of General Public. The public at large can be motivated by the use of various media to convey the message on moral values and ethics. Placing suitable quotations at all public places, messages through media, email, WhatsApp, stories & jokes, Inspiring Songs and motivating Movies.

·         Whistle blower Awards. This award has already been instituted by CVC but lacks implementation for various reasons. This can be enforced upon.

·         Conduct of Large-Scale Workshops on Happiness and Contentment, meditation, yoga, spiritualism etc.

·         Regular talks by famous sports persons and movie personalities could play a crucial role here.

SUCCESS STORIES.

 It is not that we have not had success in the past using these methods. Some of the success stories that we have implemented are -- Pollution Control, anti-smoking campaign, anti-drinking campaign, anti-dowry movement, Swachh Bharat and ban on use of crackers being adopted by children simply on the advice of teachers and media. The latest being giving way to the ambulance being propagated by the media. The Advice given on Radio.

 

METHODOLOGY

To start with we should focus more on the top 30% of the population, including government departments and central establishments and the well to do people.  Since everything generally flows from top. The secondary thrust can be on the rest of the population.

Implementation should be a quiet and unassuming approach without creating an alarm in the society and we should try and integrate these ideas into their lifestyle without affecting the daily routine. While a common man may not have time to think on these issues but the National leaders and well-wishers will have to dwell on it.  Repeatedly working on the minds of a person over a long period is bound to benefit. It is like breaking away of old habit and forming a new one. People have to come out in the open and talk fearlessly about being honest and doing the right thing and showing concern for the society and the state. Setting examples of high standards and making one experience the benefits of a transparent society must be driven home. People should be clearly shown and made to realise the advantages of a virtuous society. It would be a time-consuming program and may take five to ten years to show some results.   

 OUTCOMES

Some of the immediate outcomes of this program could be that tremendous amount of trust would be built up by the government. The response of the citizens would be so much better. In the midterm, several government services will improve enhancing the contentment of the people.  In the long run, even sky is not the limit; the overall quality of life in the country will improve, reduced transmission losses, economic growth, reduced poverty, the doctors will follow more ethical practices, roads and streets and other public areas will be cleaner, there will be reduced pollution, higher standard of education, reduced molestation cases, reduced number of scams and scandals, better public services and of course, lot of savings to the state and  eventual progress of the nation .

 

BUDGET

 Since the program is proposed to be dovetailed and integrated with the existing systems, the budget requirement may not be very high. There would be some expenditure for setting up a core group, working out the implementation plans, studies ordered, meetings, media, etc. There would be some expenditure for displays and conduct of workshops etc in the Government offices, schools, colleges and public areas. But in the long run there would be large savings to the state due to enhanced efficiency and effectiveness and reduction in transmission losses.

CONCLUSION

An attempt has been made under this Moral Infrastructure Development Program, (MIDP) to focus on internal development of a person and awaken his inner conscience. Thus, reducing the very cause of unwanted behaviour and building up a strong culture of integrity. Once this is done, there is no stopping the country.

A sound foundation laid for building the National Character will go a long way in the progress of the Nation. The both present and future generations will benefit a lot. And this is not something new. The standards are much higher in other countries and we are only trying to catch up before it is too late.  It is time to clean up ourselves and our societies and set the nation on a much faster pace of progress. Changing times require new methods to handle different situations. The old saying of ‘Prevention is Better Than Cure’ holds good even today. Unless the people of the country are driven from inside to improve, any number of external actors may not prove to be effective. Political desire combined with cooperation of the citizens is crucial to resolve the issue. Let us make the dream of ‘Swarna Bharat’ and ‘Incredible India’ come true.

 

                                                                        Maj Gen K Eswaran, VSM (Retd)

                                                                Founder ‘Help and serve Public Charitable Trust’