The problems of extreme socio-politico-economic conflicts and other problems faced by India in general and Chhattisgarh in particular, might find their solution in timeless wisdom of the Mahabharata, said Dean of Mumbai International School of Business (MISB),Bocconi, Prof Himanshu Rai, here on Sunday.
Rai, who is an internationally acclaimed contributor on conflict resolution, leadership, and ethical governance, addressed journalists in ‘Meet the Press’ programme organised by Raipur Press Club. Prof Rai spoke on the theme “Visionary leadership: lessons from the Mahabharat”. He said that the vedic scripture is an unlimited source of knowledge and has solution to all sorts of problems. A former faculty of IIM, Rai explained about the definition of leadership and said that there are two dimensions of it including vision and integrity. He said that leaders are either born leaders (trait theory), become leader due to situation (situational theory) or develop the qualities of leadership (behavioural theory).
According to Rai, seemingly intractable conflicts such as separatism and terrorism could be resolved or contained by following the five principles of visionary leadership. The five principles are artfulness, diplomacy, detachment, fair-mindedness and sagacity. Citing the Bhagavad Gita, Rai said that lord Krishna clearly differentiates between morality and ethics. “While morality helps us separate good from bad and is a function of tradition and upbringing, ethics help us separate right from wrong and are a function of context and situation.”
Elaborating on ‘Nishkam Karma’ or self-less or desire-less action performed without any expectation of results, Rai opined that the principle proved effective when the Pandavas and Kauravas were negotiating the division of property, among other things. “Our current leaders could use the same principle of Nishkam Karma to achieve success in their dealings with seemingly antagonistic parties,” said Rai adding that, “while the times and context might have changed, the base of conflict remains unchanged through the ages,”.