Why does this idea of writing on HRTalks– a space created for all human resource professionals – on this Independence Day remind me of an article from The Atlantic Monthly which was published in 1959?The article was titled “India’s Masses: The Public that Can’t be Reached” and was a first-hand account by the author Arthur Bonner of his stay in India during the ‘50s. It starts with a revealing episode:
“I first began thinking about India’s communication difficulties three years ago… I stopped at a post office and saw, in a corner, a short spear with two little bells attached to the shaft near the head. I recognized it, from descriptions in books, as a spear carried by dak (mail) runners. I thought it was a relic of the days when the mail was delivered by runners who needed the spear to protect themselves from robbers and wild animals… as they jogged along jungle trails. But the postmaster assured me that he still delivered some of his mail by runners who took three days going out along one route and three days coming back by another. “
He went on to describe the mammoth efforts that went into reaching out to India’s masses, and connecting and uniting them around a common identity of a newly-formed nation– a nation
where in many villages people still – 10 years after independence - did not know that British no longer ruled India
which had no common language which everyone understood (and still doesn’t have)
which was a sort of patch-work collage of the “India” + 562 princely states - each with its own law, norms and even currency!
which had a circulation of only 3mn newspapers for 400mn people (in any case, only 15% people could read)
which had installed 40 thousand “Community Radios” in villages to connect India (but there were 500,000 villages!)… and so on.The efforts to reach and connect the public were important to keep India together, to create the identity of an “Indian” – and negate the prediction of General Claude Auchinlek (the Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army at the time of Independence), who scorned the “the idea that India is a country, whereas it is a subcontinent as varied as Europe… The British tried to consolidate it but achieved nothing permanent. No one can make a nation out of a continent of many nations.”
62years into freedom, India is intact, and even though we may have differences, we “know” that we are all Indians… clearly, the efforts of that era to “reach the public that can’t be reached” succeeded
So why did I recall this article?
… perhaps because, Independence Day is not just a time to remember those who made it possible, but to also ask the same questions which they must have asked themselves… I mean, whether one is building a nation or an organization, the critical questions remain the same across time - but every era has to find its own unique answers and pointers…
And so, as a human resource professional, I asked the question:
How do we reach the public that can’t be reached?
…what, for instance, would have this 15th August – the Independence Day – meant, as a day-to-day living experience, for:
for the vendors and hawkers of vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, snack-foods and a myriad of non-perishable items ranging from locks and keys, soaps and detergents, clothing, vessels to books…
for the owners of those numerous stalls and kiosks selling various things and services… the road-side cobblers, barbers, tailors, book-binders, cycle mechanics… the garbage collectors, rag-pickers… construction workers… landless labours
for the head-loaders, cart-pullers, camel/bullock/horse-cart drivers ferrying goods/passengers to other places… and of course, the rickshaw and auto rickshaw drivers… the truck drivers…
for those who work in/own small workshops that repair bicycles and motorcycles, recycle scrap metal, make furniture and metal parts, tan leather and stitch shoes, weave, dye, and print cloth, polish diamonds and other gems, make and embroider garments, sort and sell cloth, paper, and metal waste… and more.
for the ones who remain “invisible” and produce and sell from their homes/shanties (mostly women) as garment makers, embroiderers, incense stick rollers, bidi-rollers, paper bag makers, kite makers, hair band makers, pickle and papad-makers, and others.
for the maids, domestic servants, chauffeurs, gardeners… the person who comes to wash the car, to deliver newspaper, milk,…
Do we, as HR professionals, need to redefine the boundaries “human resources” and reach out, considering that this segment also accounts for:
60% of Net Domestic Product
68% of National Income
60% of National Savings
31% of Agricultural Exports
41% of Manufactured Exports, and
92-93% of total employmentAny thoughts?!…
HR profession, Uncategorized, nation building, unorganised sector Dr Madhukar Shukla
While we observe the 63rd year of independence, it is imperative to look at the future and decide what legacy would we want to leave behind for the future. I have been engaged for some time on these thoughts. Thanks for the opportunity to ventilate.
The situation is pretty alarming right now - depleting ground water leave alone potable water, abuse of natural resources leading to pollution and acute shortages, potential regression on the developmental front wherein rich continue to remain rich whilst poor continue to live in poverty.
In view of these perspectives India is emerging candidate for change, which could easily be pioneered in a democratic governing system. The need is to create a system for leadership development across various walks of life to pioneer change, implement and sustain change. This can ably be assisted by us as Human Resources Development custodians. Such an initiative calls for long durations of continuous courtship and commitment.
I am fleeting with the thoughts of the day when we would be lay out clear criterion for selection of candidates by parties who would run for the legislative assemblies and parliament. These criterion should essentially comprise of functional and behavioral competencies clearly articulated and outlined - when we implement such a system, we would have possibly competent people at the helm of administrations rather than having those who aren’t or doubtful contributors.
Further, we should explore the possibility of implementation of performance improvement systems such as Goal Setting, MBO, or for that matter BSC etc to improve the quality of life of people and make sure that we as a country are truly progressive in nature rather have a set of mixed bag in our kitty.
Except for the invasion of cable TV and Mobile telephony to an extent, there is no other technological improvement. Women and children still traverse long distance to fetch potable water, men continue to struggle in the clutches of the money lenders in the rural India, whilst other wait and pray for rains to get to work.
I am convinced that we can make it happen by contributing to the process of improvement of people and their lives by educating them through a process of adoption of villages as part of social responsibility, sustainable development & leadership development initiatives or programs like the focus hope foundation created by Father William Cunningham.
Mantra is to spread education, create awareness about basic rights, create awareness about impacts of abuse of natural resources, & sensitize about their inborn talents or potential.
My thoughts…
The article is interesting and challenging. Challenging for existing mindsets.
Human well being is everybody’s business . It means how do I relate with myself, with people I employ at home or office, people I work with, I deal with and so on. Very essence of co-existence.