7 Houses

The other day I read in the news papers that some one - some one in power in the country - has been arrested for bribery. He had 7 houses.

Is this news? - I was wondering. Here we have a highly successful man - a man who has  'managed' to  secure materials for his family. His family members might consider him a great man; he must have been a hard working man; he must have toiled while others must have joked around; he must have lobbied while others were careless and so on and so on. 

There are probably millions of similar successful people in our country - the ones who keep our country progress through their tireless efforts in law, politics, engineering, teaching - name any educated section of society.

They travel in fine cars, live in great bunglows, decide policies and are the middle class elites in a knowledge society. They are able to speak the right things at the right time or keep quiet. They master circumstances and get gifts. They break rules just here and there - who doesn't any way, they think.

Our myths, traditions mock at honesty. Remember Harischandra?  Indian moral elite brought the concept of 'detachment' instead of tackling the amoral element in our thinking. May be they couldn't. The climate is for amorality. No Indian prophet or philosopher could break it. 'Lies' are accepted as 'grace.' 'Eight' is 'nine.'  'Let us see' is 'no.' Any one who expresses with honesty will be hounded by amoral forces till the spirit breaks. 

Indian social hierarchies are based on this amorality. It is amazing that this amorality has continued for thousands of years without being checked by any religious doctrines. 

Rather, circumstances decide morality for Indians. What is right one day may not be right another day. We have to theorize this great fluctuation of human stand when we write books on organizational behaviour in Indian work places. 

By the way, I wondered at the purpose of the seven houses. We still haven't become sure of our existence on this earth, that we need to build houses to tell every one we are secure on this earth. The Indian Saadhu or Raja Rishi like Janaga Maharaja who managed the court as well as renunciation did not address this issue of human greed or insecurity whatever you name it.

Organisational behaviour in India

Western theorists writing on 'Organizational Behaviour'  describe and have theorized on many patterns in office behaviour like power,  conflict, stress, self-esteem etc.

In the Indian, probably Asian scenario, that practices coalescing management styles, fear is an important element that pervades the office grapevine that has to be analysed in detail. As people conform to social rules and bend to authority as a cultural practice fear enters the social sphere as a natural entity.

Many offices use the system of anonymous letters when individuals panic. They send letters of abuse as a strategy to bring down  the confidence of the opponent.

Fear is one of the many office practices in India. Systems keep together usually with fear playing an important role. Its impact on human mind has to be objectively studied. Fear of losing name, fear of losing face, fear of losing recognition, fear of being ignored - the list will be long. Organisational strategies are built using this phenomenon. Political skills in an office use this to convince people or to persuade them into doing things against their will. Modern democratic offices use strategies based on 'fear'.

How far does 'fear'  bring down/increase the trust level?
How does it increase/decrease efficiency?
How is it used to keep things moving/delaying?
How is it used as strategy to bring order/disorder?
How do empty threats work/misfire?

These are some of the questions that have to be studied. 

The need for history and general fiction

The  need to add history and general fiction in Curriculum

Students  studying English literature  are not able to understand the historical background of texts. The modern students do not 'read' as they are into a visual culture. How do we take history to them?

I suggest that every paper has one unit on history. The question paper can allot 10 marks for questions on history.


Example:  American Literature

Unit 1 can have American history: Frontier, War of Independence, George Washington,  slavery, anti-slavery movement, civil war, Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address etc.

Section A can have questions like this:

1. Write a note on the American civil war.

2. What is the theme of  "Gettysburg Address?"


This system might encourage the teachers also to 'read' more of history.

Without reading  'history' students will not probably enjoy fiction and drama. Mark Twain will become more relevant to them.

General fiction like "Gone with the Wind" will help students understand American history. Such books can be added as "Extensive Readers".

One question can be asked from this too in Section A.

The great Indian society

I was reading the papers the other day. The economists have said we are doing very well. Our per capita income is great etc. etc. I wondered  if the economists have understood the actual reality of Indian life.

The macro economics and the micro economics have developed theories that say everything is fine. And then I began reading these micro-macro scholarship. Every book that I read ultimately went to some Harvard or Cambridge Professor.

These Professors live in a society that respects working for the growth of 'something' other than their personal 'something.' Their books are well written, drawing illustrations from their societies. Every thinker acknowledges the previous scholar with respect. Whether it is Marshall or Robbins or Keynes we can see how they have contributed to their subject and how there is an academic atmosphere that encourages growth.

In India these theories are borrowed by our academics and fitted into our social structures. We can't blame them, as each of these books must have fought so much of academic bureaucracy, imperialism, narrow mindedness, laziness and lack of will. Indian academic world is against academic growth and favours plagiarism, laziness and self-development frilled with power politics. The real work of the academics is to play the game of superiority: who can have maximum power?

Research and scholarship are doubted as means to more power.  People get nervous at the mention of academic journals or any such objective work.  'Work for the salary and leave the rest to the West,' is the attitude. Don't do any extra reading or thinking, people advise. We have built thousands of Colleges and hundreds of Universities which do not believe in studying our environment to form theories.   Hence our real socio-economic situation lies 'un-studied' and 'un-understood'.

Our academics must study Indian indigenous finance systems, savings in gold, establishment of good will in local business, kanthu vatti system, and other innumerable financial systems that are practiced successfully. These financial experiences are not found in the books on managerial economics.

Indian academic world has to move out of personal politics and build an atmosphere of scholarly atmosphere. What is really interesting is to see these 'educated' people attacking Indian politicians as 'corrupt.'

Our society produces or continues to produce middle class intellectuals who are more interested in taking 'more' money home with 'less' work. They are every where: in politics, academic world, social service etc. etc.

May be every society is the same. Or, may be self-centredness is the way human species have survived this long!

Whatever it is, let us copy the West to make our living and then blame the West for dominating us.