(my piece for IANS...that went viral in websites on Diwali becoming new tool of India's Soft Power)
The move by US lawmakers led by Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney from New York to get a new draft law that would declare Diwali as a federal holiday is a landmark event of our time. After Yoga, we now have Diwali - the festival of Light and Sound - as a symbol of India's Soft Power.
Statesmanship, mutual benefits, and strategic significance, not necessarily in that order, decide foreign policy ball games in the contemporary settings. Now, it is time to add ‘Soft Power’ as a major tool. The emphasis is bigger and more trustful in the post pandemic era.
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| Soft Power at display in Varanasi |
Without realising much, we now know that the world is changing pretty fast. The ‘great resignation’ saga as witnessed by MNCs is a case in point.
For beginners, a Microsoft study says nearly 40 per cent of professionals are keen to give up their existing jobs in the current calendar year. Welcome to a new world era wherein the civilisational and cultural prisms too could prove to be effective tools in the changed world order.
Perhaps this can be underlined better also in the context of developments in Afghanistan and some roles played by Pakistan. Religiosity can have a soothing impact for someone who uses these occasions to gaze in within oneself. These virtues are appreciated in advanced societies as materialistic achievements have made people lonely and friendless.
More than creating ‘segments’ like Hindu culture or fest, certain things are emerging now as a global phenomenon. The timing of Diwali festival in between autumn and winter is not something to be lost. The light and sound kill some bacteria in the air – that’s for the rational school; and in pursuing this argument, one knows the problems lay in overdoing things.
Bursting of firecrackers would have been pleasant and a tasteful experience had not this become a symbol of showmanship. If firecrackers are bad for the environment, so is gambling and the so-called gift-exchange culture of Delhi for human behaviour.
Here too, the problem is in overdoing things; not ordering a blanket ban as a presumed corrective strategy.
The global recognition by the UN and ongoing craze for Yoga and a renewed zeal for festivals such as Deepawali have some messages. Of these, the big picture message is – the international game can be no longer about pushing a single-agenda item.
Soft power games also means persuasive diplomacy. It may be out of the box, but not something to be dismissed as out of the blue. Life is often like standing in the dusk, to use poetic jargon. It is all about optimism. Optimism leads to patience. The storm would pass off eventually, no matter how long it is.
This is a major takeaway from oriental teachings and India’s perspectives. That’s the essence of India’s civilisational “soft power” strength too. Diwali symbolises glory of virtues over vices like most festivals and rituals across the globe.
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| Blogger: On ground reporting |
Switching on to another chapter now, there are observers who say that Indians thrive on self pity and that’s why we Indians often continue to curse ourselves. The polarization of India’s intellectual class is so deep that it is difficult to express an opinion and that would still be considered an objective one.
The motive of building a predefined narrative against Hindu fests and practices, if any, has thus fallen flat.
Diwali as India's 'soft power' ::: Why do we Indians and Hindus continue to curse ourselves?
New Delhi:
The polarization of India’s intellectual class is so deep that it is difficult to express an opinion and that would still be considered an objective one. If one writes a few lines on Hindu festivals and oriental traditions and values, he is in the danger of being called a communal !
But the fact of life is that some Indian and for that matter Hindu fests have attracted attention and excitement globally. Yoga has been acknowledged, and now Deepawali or Diwali is one such momentous event.
The US is mulling a new draft law to declare Diwali as a federal holiday, In the meantime, Diwali is already a national holiday in many countries.
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| PM in Nowshera to celebrate Diwali with soldiers |
Media reports said, led by Congresswoman Carolyn B Maloney from New York, lawmakers have announced that a bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives to declare Diwali, festival of lights, a federal holiday.
The historic legislation is co-sponsored by a number of lawmakers including Indian-American Congresswoman Raja Krishnamoorthi,
The festival of light and sound which essentially marks the victory of Good over Evil and Knowledgeover Ignorance is being celebrated with religious zeal in countries such as the UAE, Canada, African nationsand Malaysia.
It is worth mentioning that in 2016 in the context of Art of Living’s World Culture Festival in Delhi,none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said - "We (Indians) can make contribution (of India’s soft power) only when we ourselves feel proud of our culture. But if we continue to curse ourselves, then how will the world look towards us.The world is not only united by concerns of economic growth, but also by human values and India can play a vital role in it".
The pandemic perhaps has yet again underlined the power of 'soft power' and in this endeavour,we have Yoga and fests like Diwali making waves globally.
In countries like the US, every year the White House lights up to mark Diwali. This tradition wasstarted by the then US President Barack Obama and was continued even under Donald Trump.
Amid the debate over environmental hazards posed by fire crackers, while a section - Left liberal and distortedNehruvian secularism schools have targeted Hindus alone, a question emerges whether they played into anti-Modi and anti-Hindu lobbies.Importantly, have the media and the environment activists deliberately or otherwise become a party to spread a message that the Hindu fests and rituals have only negative connotations ?.
Has the media lost its focus of playing a mirror’s role and instead fallen prey to wrong interpretive and cheapsensationalism in journalism?
It is worth mentioning that even during the peak of the second wave of Covid19 adverse fallout in March-April, 2021;a section of foreign media and their 'acolytes' in India raked up debates on certain facets of Hindutva.
Well, this only shows their 'distance from the real facts' and patronizing tone along with a latent andat times overt bitterness against Hindus and India.
This motive of building a predefined narrative thus falls flat.
In 2020, Kenyan President had said - Diwali symbolises the celebration of triumph of Light overdarkness, knowledge over ignorance and good over evil.How true !
In fact, many think the strength of this 'soft power' and as PM Modi underlines about “human values” would have greater impact globally if India can actually manage to enlist the support of other oriental powers including ASEAN nations and China.
This also means – time to wake up the foreign policy community to the realization that in days to come the traditional diplomatic game could change fundamentally.
ends
'Great Resignation' era - it was coming, Covid pressed the trigger
New Delhi:
Post-pandemic economy has changed the world in more ways than one. Perhaps more sets of 'new things' are on cards. A recent survey by Microsoft claims more than 40 per cent of the global workforce are considering leaving their jobs in 2021.
About 95 per cent of Americans are exploring the switch to new jobs or trying something new.
Experts say the upheaval has been driven by multiple factors.
Now this phenomenon is being called 'a pandemic epiphany'.
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| Some may build up new career in sports or music |
By mid-2020 and even when second wave hit several countries in different period,it had seemed like an "achievement" just not to get ill. However, at the latter stages,things are evolving throwing up entirely new dimensions.
It's called 'career downsizing'. "Many people are choosing to move away from ambition, to emphasise other aspects of life", says a report in abc.net.
Dr Anthony Klotz, an associate professor of management at Texas A&M University, has coined a
phrase 'great resignation'. This phenomenon sums up the new priorities of thousands of professionals- both men and women and globally - they want to focus on time for children and health safety.
There are some who have quit careers in financial technology to join or launch a new one in something like 'content marketing'. In most of these cases, the move is voluntary and those who are doing so are happy about it.
Of course, interaction with some individuals in India revealed that working atmosphere has been particularly bad in sectors like media.
"Either it is badly polarised media organisations pro-Modi or die-hard anti-Modi.Individual professional journalists are finding things suffocating.
As it is nepotism and jugadu-culture had hit some of the professionals," said one Mumbai-based journalist, who has moved to something he thinkshe would enjoy 'teaching to school children below standard sixth".
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| Roads may be old: But change ought to come |
In the US, an estimated 4.3 million people quit their job in one month of August alone. There are other impacts too. In Germany, it has been reported that one-third of the industries are short of skilled workers. Such trends are being reported in economies like Vietnam as well. In India, the attrition rate in tech sector is up by 23 per cent.
“There is evidence that people have been doing thinking during the pandemic in terms of how their life is going and have had some epiphanies and decided they want to make some changes to their life. And this could involve deciding to leave the workforce and stay home with family, to start a business, to pursue a hobby, perhaps retire early.” says Klotz, according toa BBC report.
Even China has reportedly faced shortage of workers in the tech sector.
In some countries of course there is so called 'unemployment benefit'. But it is also a fact that not everyone is leaving due to such benefits.
Some say the Covid19 has forced people to do some out of box thinking and even soul searching.
An educationist in Guwahati, Nripendra Shyam says, "The Wuhan virus has made people realise the unpredictability of life. Hence this career re-balancing".
He says many youngsters he knows have quit places like Pune and Bengaluru and returned 'home' in little known places like Margarita in Assam or rural Tripura.
In some cases globally, the 'great resignation' from existing jobs has actually led to start-up boom. Peopleare turning their hobbies like Yoga teaching, cooking and even talent in music and singing as 'part time'jobs.India has added 1800 start up in the tech sector alone, reports say. In some countries, the work force have decidedto opt for resignation also due to 'exploitation' of skilled workers.
However, from places like Dubai and other middle east hubs, no data has been made possible. But people havereturned home certainly.
In states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, some Dubai-based NRIs could be soon investingheavily in the tourism sector like setting up resorts.
In some states, first hand experience show, bureaucratic wranglings are keeping people away from making investments in setting up health centres and hospitals. Such instances have been reported about states like West Bengal, Karnataka and Bihar.
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| Blogger: Exploring new roadmap |
Overall, it's a mixed world and the pandemic has left mixed ramifications.
Can we attribute everything to the unseen virus?
A more realistic test suggests, the clamour for a 'change' existed even before the pandemic broke out, because you hated office politics, you dislikes the boss, you disapproved his nepotism and sense of justice in ignoring hard workers.
The Workers are deciding differently, finally; and in some cases the employers realise things have already slipped out of their hands.
ends
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| Who knows photography could be a new option ? |
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