There was a time when children could be given examples of persons as Role Models. That option is closed for several decades. The national leaders who fought for the freedom of our motherland fell in that category without exceptions. There were also those from the fields of art and culture, science, literature, civil service, sports and social service. But, that is past now. The decline has been phenomenal and so sharp that it defies explanation. Is this the price of liberty that we ought to have paidIJ The ideals of freedom have gone for a toss. The rat race for power and reaches means that no norms are sacrosanct. liberty has become such a licence in our country today that it is impossible to find a role model for the youth.
It is not fare to categorise a particular class for this downslide as the whole society is responsible for what has apparently gone terribly wrong. The economic progress, though not universal in itself, brought in enormous wealth for certain sections of the society. But along with that came the greed to make instant money and an obsession to succeed at any cost without caring for the means to achieve it. We now have contractors, fixers, brokers and others who liaise and mediate for their protagonists in the corridors of power. Irony is that these persons are not run down, rather they are much sought after; they command a premium amongst the clientele for their specialised jobs. Prosperity has ushered in a consumerist culture that unabashedly professes acquisitions, richness, power and influence, not necessarily in that order and at the cost of morality, equity, fairness and democratic principles. The emergence of this vile institution of brokerage typically means that there is no level-playing field for ordinary hard-working persons as success would ordinarily come from extraneous factors. Unfortunately this is no longer an isolated situation and too wide-spread to ignore, and worse, is almost becoming a mass psyche for the attainment of worldly riches. Ethical practices have become a huge casualty in that process — they are now out of fashion and aren't even spoken of. So, we are reconciled to live a life like this even as a society with wants falls easy prey to crutches and promissory notes that are expected to deliver.
It is not the case that the change is to be resisted as that would be against the law of nature. The trend is unstoppable. With higher standards of life, neither the unrelenting demand for more goods (luxuries) and services will cease nor the insatiate urge to buy and acquire more and more. But what must be inculcated gradually is the attitude to acquire only through legitimate means. High disposable income sources are often suspect and are expended on activities that are not honourable. The problem is, ethics cannot be taught to adults. It is something that comes from environment in which one grew — inherited and imbibed from the family and the immediate social circles — a toll order to ensure such exposure and training to the general population. But initiative must be made in that direction and the best way is to ‘catch them young’. Some internal control mechanism and self-imposed discipline may be inculcated in the youth to begin with.
The question then comes where to begin and from whoIJ We may recall the famous adage, ‘Jaisa Raja, Waisee Parja’. Therefore, the change of mindless splurge as against mindful spending should come from the political class as they are rich, have the propensity to spend more and are in command; this may be followed by similar obligation from other influential classes from the Corporates, Bureaucracy, Business, rich farmers and others. The ostentatious spending, made possible by large money that these classes hold, is infectious for the less endowed who without the wherewithal, try to replicate the practices of the ‘upper classes'’ and therefore fall prey to debts, bankruptcy or worse, resort to getting the money from illegitimate sources. A word of caution — illegitimate earning is more the preserve of the powerful, many of whom succeeded through dubious means — it is never the case that the deprived would have the proclivity to adopt such means. But, they are likely to be influenced to do the same through the working of the theory of demonstration effect.
Our Constitution provides that code of conduct but is regrettably disregarded. We may specially refer to Preamble, Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties. If followed and implemented effectively, they may provide the moral-legal framework for promoting ethical practices in public life.
More importantly, Moral Science and some basic knowledge of Indian laws must be reintroduced to our youngsters. While the former has remained tucked-in as a neglected portion of the school curricula with uninspiring presentation and insipid content, which is barely equipped to impart the youth a value-based education with necessary ethical learning, the lack of knowledge about the latter has kept them unaware about the basic civil and criminal laws of the land that could act as a deterrent against wrong. Some of this age group may then be expected to grow up as role models for their next generation.