KEY ISSUES-: Managing 3Ms/PRIP/Map is NEVER the Territory/Mental Gap-Analysis/Leaders’ Roles/SOIL Erosion/Consciousness/Managing Human Behaviour/Artificial-Intelligence/MENTAL Alertness/Disaster Mitigation/School Curriculum/Impact of Climate Change/Impact of Western Culture in post 1947 India
“A thought is an arrow shot at the Truth; it can hit a point but not cover the *whole target. Sadly, the archer (leader) is too well satisfied with his success to ask for anything further”- Aurobindo
Abstract:-
This Paper is directed at the millions of PSU miners. Metalworkers and their families and particularly their children and support staff @ education institutions- school levels, college and higher studies. Food shortages, extreme temperatures and SCM disorders have begun arising out of and in the course of water shortages, top soil erosions and human induced climate changes. Corrective behavioural changes are necessary. Are we drifting under false aspirations induced by the charms of Smartphone and Information Highways?
The State of the Union of India can indicate the emerging crisis up to a point. The Media will highlight entertainment issues via TV serials/Musical Events having commercial advantages. But suddenly indescribable Disasters will hit us across coastal, mountainous and deep mineral interiors. Are we ready?
Activated minds of the leaders of the PSU/ Government Sectors can revive the semi-dormant minds of their wards. Given global field-tested research, statistical surveys & analysis thereof by natural scientists world over, the disintegration of Mother Earth has begun. Something is frightfully wrong with human prioritizations in 21st Century- @ micro family/community/small town levels and macro government policy executions! Human Race is casual & not causal (cause & effect) oriented.
The beginning of the 6th Mass Extinction has begun. This Geominetec Conference and other avenues are worthy opportunities to share concerns for our future generations through the beautiful minds of leaders who matter.
- Introduction: – It is difficult to accept the world will exist in its present form beyond 2057. But this is a fact. Ecological problems have begun to ruin mental and physical health of Humans. I find a casual approach of our policy makers very awesome against the brewing Thunders. 93% Indians are already exposed to high PM 2.5 levels of temperature heat (US based Health Effects Institute–HEI). Even the Media is very cautious not to press the panic button to its listeners/viewers/readers. Instead we showcase “World Women’s Day” and “World Children’s Day”etc! Focus is missing. We are in denial mode.
The Stakeholders of the 22nd Annual Geominetec International Symposium on New Equipment/New Technology/Management & Safety in Mines and Mineral Based Industries/Coal/Metal/OIL, are POWERFUL Leaders in their own rights. The CMDs of PSUs and their Directors in particular are not at all unfamiliar with the impacts of Human induced climate changes. These rude shocks in their domain areas will change governance priorities. PSUs and Government Leaders are in fact the Movers & Shakers of BETTER CHANGE initiatives. An integrated approach to manage climate with other issues is needed. Visionary leaders think beyond “I, me & mine”. They naturally work for the well-being of society- lokasanghraha. Their goals are to serve, add value to communities- not amass power/wealth. Thus within their life-spans they earn genuine happiness. PSU/Government Leaders are already aware of their core interests. Given climate changes for the worse within next 5 years, powerful leaders will feel one with the people’s needs. They will sermonise less and walk their talk by setting examples to follow. Ecologically we are @ the tipping point of Consciousness.
Mining Resource Persons are familiar with soil. It is now estimated that the top soil of Earth is so badly devastated by human exploitation that everything fertile will have just evaporated in 60 years from today. Reasonably we have barely 60 to 80 harvests left to cultivate on Planet Earth. In the background of this reality, leaders across Indian Mineral Industry may have already begun to think out of the box. Mining leaders are by nature community service oriented.
- The Reality:-Evidence confirms @ time of current Ukraine War, the world is also going through its sixth mass extinction processes at an abnormally high rate. Most species would be extinct by 2100 if the current rate of extinction continues. The implications for human health and wellbeing are dire, but not unavoidable. The evolution of species takes place over time, and as species evolve, they replace other extinct species. But this extinction will have no replacements. We are to blame for the emergence of diseases like HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and COVID-19 due to our collective disregard for the integrity of natural ecosystems. However, with a little effort and longer-term planning, our Leaders could make our future just that little bit less ghastly for the next 60 years at least. We could potentially limit the damage if societies around the sphere of our respective governances are made to embrace certain fundamental, yet achievable, changes. Shouldn’t we then try?
Let the brilliant minds of the Geominetec Change Masters be connected beyond technical suaveness in 2022. Planet Earth is looking for appropriate Leaders to create 1000s of others. Allow this Conference to think out of the box differently.
- The Basic Problem: – If only the other life forms on planet earth could at all understand the kind of damage Humans have done to Mother Earth, they would have united to exterminate Humans decades ago. But like Roman Emperor Nero, the 7.3 billion Human Beings are consciously/unconsciously playing truant even as Civilisation burns around. We have Nero-hyped leaders in Europe, Asia and Africa performing weird acts- Biden from the White House, Putin from the Kremlin and the other crazy Vlodomir, President of Ukraine who also plays the piano! And all these Policy Makers with their Think Tanks are on their hidden agendas. The World has actually spun out of control. Within this macro reality, my paper is a very small speck. It seeks to reintroduce a few basic “Inconvenient Truths” and trigger beautiful minds. Authentic Leaders always realise the Map is not the Territory. Life begins at end of comfort zone.
- Where the Map is not the Territory: – Whatever be our life position and role-play, as Prime Minister/President to ordinary kirana shop owners- none of us in 2022 must ignore the imminent reality of Death by scorching heat or floods/landslides. In fact to miners and metalworkers, getting burnt in open-cast mine operations is not at all unknown. Their awareness levels are high. Any rise in temperatures beyond permissible limits flag-off newer questions. E.g. What preparations can we make for our children when there is lack of water and air? How best can we assist others who will be collapsing around us and how supportive can we become on this Journey of Death?
This august Geominetec Conference May 2022 calls for the Devil’s Workshop. With Climate Change affects our Environment Management, Optimisation of Energy Resources, and Occupational Health/ Safety under a 24X7 Disaster Mitigation Program. Leaders are displaying appropriate leadership that show how things can be done differently. FIELD TESTED BEST PRACTICES tested in Mining Sector under able leadership can be replicated by even the GoI in civilian populations. Styles and fashion are not the priorities now; Disaster Mitigation Best Practices are… Schools and Colleges should have Disaster Management curricula deep rooted into their daily routine. The Mining Industry can benchmark these innovations for larger execution within their jurisdictions and GoI will be happy to replicate best practices in civil communities. The Mining Industry is richly talented to innovate. Why wait for the GoI?
- Indian Leadership Challenges:-To manage billion peoples we need resilience with common sense. Artificial Intelligence must be used as out of the box customer touch-points. AI must be used to fulfil the social needs and not aspirational wants that encourage increasing comfort levels. Sadly, the temperament of humans’ struggle with Nature has become very technical oriented at the expense of existence. The Sixth Mass Extinction of Life has begun sometime ago. This is a natural process of evolution. But human induced climate changes have brought forward the inevitable disaster to our generation. PSU/Government Leaders are challenged- display the way forward to the next few generations. They are aware majority of unconscious Indian masses are naive/uninformed that climate is a critical touch point of their lives. Our education systems have laid less emphasis on sensitivity; but immensely on sensuousness. “Mr/Mrs Know Alls who do not know they know nothing” have been produced for 75 years: who grossly under-utilize both heads and hands less.
Governance methodologies in India have never been off the mark with their good intentions. But somehow Indian leaders have never truly covered the *whole target. Experts believe 75 years of casual negligence in management of the 3Ms (men, money and materials) are causally linked to current human mismanagement (cause-effect connect).
Figure One
THINKING SMARTLY AND NOT HARDLY MATTERS NOW
[The Mass that is Bharat- Managing the 3Ms- Men, Money & Materials-is no mean matter!]
Since 1947 India has been evolving under the Hindu rate of Economic growth, then the 1991 delicensing years and now the current liberalised environment where commercial trends have been superficially changed without changing peoples’ minds/attitudes. The world has been run by very maverick/pretentious leaders. But PSU/Government Leaders by nature focus on values that bind people together. They do not push apart societies/communities/nations living in the same colony. PSU/Government leaders have to be better managers of people.
But the larger global self-defeating system is making people inactive, disinterested and apathetic to reality. Daily livelihood problems give less leisure time to think and reflect on how to better change. Leaders must wriggle their employees/followers from sleep-walking to self reliance now. We are on brink of disaster management but we are unaware.
Humans are to blame for the emergence of HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and COVID-19 diseases. We have a collective disregard for the integrity of natural ecosystems which includes human behaviour. It is toward creating this integrity in human behaviour our leaders must focus urgently.
Figure One captures the mindboggling reality that is India. It also offers a challenge to Leaders to be authentic and become WIRED TO CONNECT. Our ecological comfort zones have been lost forever. And the current Ukraine War will only re-confirm more severe financial complications. The objective of sharing these thoughts is to trigger the minds of Miners, Metal workers and Government Employees as they return to their fields of operations from this Seminar. The reality is that every year since 2020 over 9 to 15 million deaths shall be sustained due to environmental tragedies.
Questions in Tables One need a careful mental work-over by Leaders.
Concerned Indian leaders @ PSUs, Private Companies, Brand Managers, Professors, Vice-Chancellors, Artists and political leaders of Odisha have their jobs cut-out for them. They must smartly deal with human induced climate changes with the public. Odisha is blessed with an extremely proactive, learned & gentle Chief Minister. He symbolises innovative ethical quotients as he emulates authenticity. It is a vast domain worth experimenting.
Can our leaders showcase to the world that the Indian Genes and DNA possess the requisite capability maturities to tackle Ecological Disaser? I believe this is possible. Entrusted leaders need disaster mitigation programs with mental frame. Leaders in PSUs can easily innovate, challenge stereotype programs for more awareness and corrective actions among the thousands under their charge. They are conferred such powers by Laws of the Land- Fundamental Rights & Directive Principles of our Constitution have overall applications. We need collaborate with the National Disaster Management (NDM) with demonstrable output oriented activities across communities, schools and colleges/higher learning institutes. Stakeholders must be shaken out of comfort zones. Unless intensified initiatives begin @ micro levels in PSUs and Government Factories NOW, ignorance will not be bliss but scorching deaths sooner than later. This is authentic human touch.
- Incompatible “Topee Pehnao” Culture: – British induced ‘missing links’ have perpetuated a system of governance which still sell the “Topee Pehnao-Koi Hai?” bias. Unlike our Freedom Fighters, post 1947 Indians are largely weaker humans. And yet government leaders and employees are very sensitive family members. Each government colony has its own ambience of culture and cooperation. The CMDs/Directors are the “mai-baap” of the employees/families. Their employees quietly perform their work, comply with all regulations and soundlessly retire with their peacefully earned superannuated benefits. Perhaps CMDs and Senior PSU Leaders must formulate creatively newer strategies to sustain the awareness levels on climate changes of their employees even beyond their professional careers! Economics follow human behaviour. Motivated Stakeholders will respond with even better change ideas @ local levels. Ripple effects can happen with an integrated bottom-up approach. We need a BOTTOM-UP APPROACH.
For 75 years “Time has run very slowly” for India’s unconcerned “Ram Bharose” citizens. Can PSU/Government Leaders change this outlook? In so doing, we must remember to ripple effects this may have on confused minds of the migrant labour, jobless youth and aspirational classes that form 70% of the population. They are in turmoil post Covid pandemic. The UKRAINE War symbolises the failures of global leaderships. Should push come to shove these helpless population segments may demonstrate deviant behaviour. Huge human segments form what Yuval Noah Harari calls the “Useless Class”. Weird LOCAL scenarios may emerge for CMDs/Government Bureaucrats to manage and coordinate @ 11th hour. It is better they take mental preparedness NOW within their powerful fields of current management.
- Mindset Challenges up ahead: – Air and water will be in short supply. Food will be unaffordable. Boarding and lodging will become unhealthy. Health care and education institutions will become obsolete. Lumpen Elements will be prowling all over…to attack for full water jelly cans others may be carrying. The administration in post 2022 years will deal with very demanding civic societies. It is quite unimaginable to think of offering cakes and pastries/hamburgers OR samosas as sops! In times of basic shortages and civic unrest, it is also very likely armed forces will protect the rich. Given India’s political turmoil, will only CSR type governance be adequate protection to govern?
Death is inevitable and we must accept we are not immortal. But present mind-set dispensations of the “tu-tu: main-main” dance of Indian democracy among political parties is long outdated. Indian political leaders actually spend annual average of 30 days (Indian State Legislatures) & 63 days (Indian Lok Sabha) on work that they are handsomely paid for (with pensions/perquisites for good measure). But, as per other confirmed reports, our political leaders ought to be spending at least 147 (UK Parliament), 166 & 192 (US House of Representatives & Senate) or 150 (Japanese Diet) days on the seats they have been so elected. Journalist Shri Jug Suraiya thus reported in the TOINS DT. 9th March 2022, “…many of our MPs/MLAs are doing all sorts of other things”. He wondered if they were pursuing hobbies like “stamp collecting or solving Wordle or playing Ultimate Mah-jong?”
- India’s Present Dilemma & the Legacy of the British Raj: – Are our erratic and misbalanced behaviours hybrid efforts of Indian Modernisation? Brand Ambassador Shombit Sen writes in his 2007 published Sage book “Jalebi Management”: “India has never faced any real life threatening Mass Struggles in past two centuries.” The British drove in the “divide and rule” policies which magnified existing contradictions among caste and classes. Finally on the eve of Independence they viciously plunged the religious divide. Sen observes “I see a distinct similarity between British Imperialism and Nazi Dictatorship…their ruling instincts were the same…the Germans employed hard dose extermination while the British used the soft dose of cultural transformation”. Have such soft dose cultural transformations then sustained beyond 1947? Can such soft doses of cultural democratic transform into viciousness for a culpable Indian public? “Machines to produce ‘useless’ machines to produce even more ‘useless’ machines” (with due apologies to Economist late Joan Robinson)!!
Sen (labelled “the seductive salesman” by his international admirers) regrets since 1947 India never created Quality Customer Want (QWC) standard in any domain. Naturally a slothful bureaucracy with personal revenue oriented programs (PRIPs) enabled political leaders convert into negative behavioural economics here…But in this same post WWII period the same QWC approach created economic miracles within devastated Japan and Germany. QWC never fall from the skies. Aspirations need inspirations @ backend-where Leaders develop social and economic models in their domain.
- Key Harmful Western influences superimposed on India: – It is in this background the negative role of Edward Bernays (nephew of Freud- Google) has to be understood. Our Culture has been redefined under conscious and intelligent manipulation of organized habits and opinions of our peoples- movies portray entertainment quotients that are debilitating (“3 Idiots” movie being an exception).
Quite unfortunately there have been no signs of any revival of Munshi Prem Chand or Gurudev Tagore in post 1947 Indian landscape. Indian history has been created by suffocating the practical concept of community living. Leaders never contextually related to the larger issues. Creativity, Maintenance and Destruction merging with the Oneness of Universe has no relevance in India today. Within the 3 delicate Dimensions of Existence the macro (society/community/earth/universe) is astutely linked to the a) micro-Memory (Past), b) Present Existence and c) Imaginations (Future) to become the three Pillars of Time. There was an ethical connect between life and Nature. Not the mechanical connect we possess today creating hybrid-cross-breeds!
Prominent communication theorists and practitioners call Edward Bernays the father of public relations. In his 1928 book, “Propaganda,” Bernays hypothesized that by understanding the group mind, it would be possible to manipulate people’s behaviour without their even realizing it. He field tested his hypothesis. One of his most famous public relations campaigns was convincing American women to smoke. Post WWII, the western leaders manipulated the east with ease as most of our leaders were more western than them! Borrowed Technologies with measured western aid slowly transformed Indian lives from PL480 horse-food doled (USA 1950s-1960s) to the computer era (1980s). But most deliberately our peoples’ aspirational thought processes were manipulated. English became a necessity. Sanskrit, Hindi and local languages were set aside. A huge mass migrated to western theatres.
This 2nd decade of 21st century brings benefits of AI in household utilities into our homes. Shombit Sen defines this marvel as “reducing our efforts, increasing our comfort” in Indian lifestyles. Observe that within a decade since the 21st century, Indian housewives, students, maids, drivers and all their related families are now basking under comforts of AI products (Smartphone savvy). We are unable to deny technology its priceless contribution toward micro socio-economic integration. But against the foreground of the inevitable ecological collapse, can we cast aside our craving for those “more and more” syndrome? This is not in sync with distributive justice at all! Leaders need to initiate need-based integrated community hubs.
The issue is not as easy as it may appear. Lately Indians have begun to experience two different levels of changes. On the one hand, with Smartphone related utilities, technical skill sets and aspirations for enhanced capability maturity are motivating invigorated youth-the major portion of our population. But on the other hand, climate vagaries and environment pollution (study Figure Two) offer newer sensitive survival challenges altogether. Unfortunately our youth have not been grinded with those intrinsically Indian strengths to manage climate changes as they manage daily lives. It is impossible to impose Yuval N. Harari’s prescription of large scale meditation practices on our aspirational “Useless Class”. (Refer his book “Homo Deus- a Brief History of Tomorrow”- on spiritual enhancement…
Within typically Indian frail socio-economic matrix of micro level survival, a vicious Disaster Crisis has now twisted into shape. Appropriate Leadership behaviour always “all depends” on- a) the person of the leader, b) the group/organisation/ party he or she leads, and c) the situation. Hence mega-blossoming of Quality Consciousness need began yesterday. How to initiate such processes within a very divisive Nation with 1.3 billion static minds is the challenge.
Indian national pride is very evident in T-20/ODI cricket Matches. As Sen observes: India has never faced any real life threatening Mass Struggles in past two centuries. The 2020-22 pandemic has put progress in the back foot. Government health care employees’ have put their best foot forward. But the nation is rarely linked with such common values, feelings and behaviour. We prefer manipulation to co-operation. Mental “gap analysis” has revealed HUGE differences between our chronological and psychological ages. Over decades of manipulative soft sale of their market/cultural ecstasies, the western influences have tacitly increased this gap analysis. Unlike China which created its own course in history since 1949, India’s tryst with democracy has not created that cohesive strong and invincible national platform. We have more form than content making Indians rarely aware of the real reasons which motivate their actions. By nature the younger generations refuse to live in states of inertia. This is the brewing contradiction requiring awareness by Indian Leaders.
The limited deliberations of Climate Change Meeting in Glasgow (COPS22) are indicative of future problems. The fact is globalisation processes altogether derailed natural human capital development. Indian Leaders must do things differently. There can be no SOPs. Each leader has to innovate out-of-the-box in her environment. But inertia prevails- similar inertia converted the Polynesian Civilisation into cannibals @ time of their mass extinction in 150 BC. (Google: Social-Anthropologist Joseph Tainter). All low hanging fruits around us have become poison. Can “Leaders lead human beings with affection”? (JRD Tata)
- AI cannot be the ONLY cusp of Better Change- Sadly the only reason there has been a qualitative boost in mindsets of almost a billion Indians is because of mechanical and digital products (Artificial Intelligence). AI products have begun to infuse ripple effects (customer touch points) in the minds of a huge multi-God religious (not spiritual) nation. For once the benefits of modernisation are soundly impacting Indian citizens. Deservedly this is a miracle of globalisation. But given the average psychological immaturity of Indians, climate changes may encourage violent behaviours. Aware Leaders will realise suddenly a Brahma, Vishnu or Maheswar cannot emerge to show people the Right Path, as Buddha did. Leaders must accept this Gap. Inching as we are toward “reducing our efforts, increasing our comfort” Indians need a mental revolution to better manage themselves from 2022.
Figure Two-
The Times of India. Kolkata, Saturday February 19,2022. Source: Global Carbon Project et al (2017)
Figure Two communicates the ephemeral relevance of our make-believe developed Capitalist Mind-set. In late early 200S, Dr. Kalam had predicted future civil wars on account of water shortage and skin diseases due to polluted atmosphere. The UN World Food Programme and Isha Foundation are inviting more stakeholders of “One Planet-One People-One Solution”. But should we not evolve tactical approaches to percolate such ideas @ micro level awareness’s s of deep interiors? Is it too late?
Most 21st century Human Beings and certainly Indians have limited ideas of the French rebelliousness when they stormed the Bastille (1789); or Russians working class solidarity (1917) when a character like Rasputin ignited the citizens’ ire against economic deprivation); or even the Chinese (1926 till 1970s) when a small coterie in Peking University motivated the peoples to sustain a social revolution.
- Conclusion:-Post 17th Century Industrial Revolution, Essentialist (Descartes) notion of “I THINK: Therefore I AM” was superimposed by 20th Century Existentialist (Sartre) notion “I AM: Therefore I THINK”. And funnily enough Quantum Physicists’ views today accept the Oneness and Unity of all particles in the Cosmos. Sadly these issues are not quantified to our children nor included in text books printed by NCERT/CIIL/NBT (?). Indians’ ignorance border on disinterest of scientific themes linked to Vedanta (our earlier civilisation). Gross failure of education curriculum to sensitively trigger the spiritual (not religious) minds of our students is evident. As Bernays would have it, every Indian today wants to ape the sensualities of the Western Civilisation. Unlike the Japanese and Germans who did not, India’s nationalist progress has thawed since 1947 till early years of 21st Indians have been largely born and brought up under imitation syndrome, not the innovation.
The distinct Indian approach to life has never matured. This is a Cultural crisis. PSU/Government Bureaucrats need decide innovation in their local domains. Dr. Deepak Ranade, a noted Neuro-scientist in Pune (India) has elaborated that Consciousness is NOT located in the brain. Theoretical physicists believe there is a deeper reality beneath the Quantum level– a wholeness that connects the entire micro and macrocosm. The human brain with all its complexities might be equipped with the ability to transcend the restrictive filter and expand its cognitive horizons to an integrative epiphany of “AHAM BRAHMASMI”. However, these are untapped potentials for the next civilisation to explore. Let us now move forward like Alice…with gentle hands spread where Childhood’s dreams twined-in Memory’s Mystic Band…the Times they are very much rapidly changing.
“AGE OF HUMAN INDUCED CLIMATE CHANGES WITHOUT MENTAL REGENERATION”:- This Article has been sent to the Geominetec for publication @ its May 2022 Symposium of the Indian Mineral Industry Journal. It attempts at REDEFINING ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL LEADERS IN PSUs & GOVERNMENTS under on-going Climate Change Pandemic
Prof. Partho S. Sengupta from fringes of Calcutta!
Behavioral Sciences Area/Master – NLP Trainer/Practitioner;
Former Member – Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC);
The writer can be reached at [email protected]
