Ethical Values in Contemporary India

Ethical Values in Contemporary Indiatc "Ethical Values in Contemporary India"

Satyanandhan

An attempted definition
The dictionary meaning equates ethics to morals. But the dimension of ethics are many and whenever some one uses the term ‘professional ethics’ unintentionally he touches the philosophy of ‘Dharma’ prevailing over all other aspirations of an individual.

Still an attempt has to be made to define ethics in a simple but undiluted expression.

“EXTENDING TO OTHERS THE FAIRNESS YOU EXPECT FROM THEM” might be the briefest definition. But does anybody try to find out how fair he is to his fellowmen? Is it not true that an eye for an eye is turning the whole world blind? There is a popular story in Tamil about ‘Ethical values’.

A king wanted to know the state of moral fear and honesty of his countrymen. His ‘Raj Guru’ came up with an idea. A seven feet tall brass pot was kept outside the palace. People were asked to pour milk into the container so that the king can have an ‘Abhishek’ of milk. On the specified day people were asked to stand and pour the milk without attempting to sneak a glance inside the pot. Since the pot was seven feet high no one would see the inside finally at the end of the day when the king inspected the container it was filled with pure water. Not a single drop of milk. Everyone had thought that his share might never get isolated and seen amidst litres of pure milk.

This, of course is a story. But what is the status of contemporary India?

We always look at the Fourth Estate whenever we need figures, facts and the trend of public opinion on a particular issue. From late eighties till the dawn of the new millennium a newspaper was respected only for carrying stories from an ‘Investigative journalist’

But what is the present day scenario? In July while participating in the first anniversary to mourn the demise of Late Sri. Dirubhai Ambani, the founder of the Reliance group of companies, Sri Arun Shourie, the most popular investigative journalist admitted that at one point of time he was after Reliance for violation of government norms where as now he finds those norms to be hurdles for national economic growth.

So the hue and cry made by many genuine but misguided worshippers of the ancient Indian ethical values that Kaliyug has set in and everything is going topsy turvy is completely misplaced and emotional.

In fact the Indian Society has always been very receptive and progressive child marriage and Sati have been banned and untouchability is now a crime. Now everybody has to accept it. Of course still in rural India child marriages and untouchability have not vanished in certain areas. The government now atleast has the teeth to book the guilty. From what was once a much accepted way of life we have matured into safeguarding the rights of women and the downtrodden. The yardstick of the right and wrong certainly changes old Laksman Rekhas disappear and newer ones emerge.

Earlier wood was the cheapest and a fit fuel and building material, then it became costly and now in certain states cutting wood is a crime.

But now we face the most crucial question, Is there not a very wide gap between percept and practice?

In other words charity does not begin at home.

I expect fidelity from my wife but I have an eye for someone’s beautiful wife.

I expect a quality product with a reasonable guarantee but I sell substandard stuff.  I hate a bribe. But am very eager to take one.

I choose the filthiest of words in condemning politicians who are power mongers and are corrupt.

But I never introspect how I behave amidst my family members, my community, my business associates and society as a whole.

At this stage let me take a look at the Fourth Estate in particular. While neutrally evaluating the role of the press I can conveniently place my perception of professional ethics.

Once in Tamil Nadu students were given free bus passes to go anywhere in Chennai to facilitate them to visit any library. In short students could travel anywhere free.

Feeling a lot of cash crunch in running the city buses a study was carried out to find out the percentage of students who visit public libraries. It was not even one percent.

The same is happening to the press today. The elite and a section of writers of high order and class always cirticise the press for coming up with more sensational issues rather than social and crucial issues. The press is criticised for its bias in some issues and often branded as having vested interests for or against a political party. Let us assume, I want the press to print only stories that are important and that might educate or guide the readers. I do not want anything sensational printed or blown up.

Because professional ethics means you tell the common man that these are the pros and cons and I also show him other options.

If I am a builder I will present to him not only a variety of costly construction plans but give him options of the cheapest with a strong foundation and construction.

If I am a lawyer I will tell him how far his case has solid grounds and tell him the time upto which the hearing might prolong. I would advise him wherever possible out of court settlement is the best alternative.

If I am a doctor I would not only give pills for malaria or worms in the stomach. I would make efforts to impress upon the civic administration and the general public for a clean environment.

If I am a film producer I will go for only picturisation of a story and scenes depicting high morals, ideals and aims. I would not show obscenity and scenes suggesting denigration of women.

So if I run a newspaper I would not carry any advertisement of items or services without which a man can survive. I will only cater to what is good for and what is needed by the readers.

Thus I have listed the expectations from a professional in terms of ‘Ethics’. Is it pragmatic?

A Pragmatic Approach

Cursing the present Indian society for forgetting and compromising on ethical values from an ivory tower is very easy.

Advising everyone to take only technology from the West and not culture is also superficial. But all such exercises would end up in the same hypocrisy of completely ignoring the reality and trying to shout down the voices of dissent and the natural transformation of the social order, from time to time.

Today inside the family and outside, the morals are either to safe guard some comfort, gain and rudely prescribe don’ts for avoiding a complete break-down of a family or a business partnership.

This may not be the way an order of very high class is implemented. In other words people must extend compassion, respect and warmth. But people are united as families or business associates with the carrot at one end and the stick at the other end. An arrangement of convenience with the codes of conduct should be clearly drawn.

Why hypocrisy and why duality

Food, clothing and shelter are not the only needs of a human being. In reality everyone is secretly carrying the fear of survival and craving for recognition for a place in the society. This run for status and security at any cost makes one compromise on values.

On one hand I crave for some recognition for any price, that is any compromise and also want to lead a comfortable and settled life.

I can not spare my time, attention and some money also on public issues because there is no guarantee of any return by way of fame, name and a seat of power. But I enjoy all pleasures within the limitations. I am morally sound. But please do not ask me to rise up to causes of public importance. All are selfish. Why must I dirty my dress and hands for cleaning the pond? Are there not thousands of others? This way, there is none for every one.

With hope and optimism

For writers who do not want to give up and want to continue their efforts of creativity, of art and through provocation there is certainly a silver lining of hope on two grounds.

One:  Indians still love family life. Separated parents and abandoned children can never become a way of life here.

Two: When Gandhiji was pushed out of a first class compartment of a train in South Africa he fell with his head down but when he got up the history of a self respecting nation took the first step to break the chains. Voices of sanity might be fewer and feebler but just like a spark of fire engulfing a mighty and thick forest, some or other  society will debate as a mass with respect to values which were printed in a daily periodical or a book even though rarely.

Conclusion 

Magazines like ‘Triveni’ which have the history of seventy five years of high class literature and still carrying on the mission are very rare. But such efforts and dreams for a better world of class and compassion are like links of a giant chain in the making. Slowly more and more would join to build a mighty chain that can move mountains.