32. The Role of Civil Society in Good Governance and Strengthening of Democracy

31. Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live’

Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live’

What makes us human? Is it the flesh, bones, heart and brain? Perhaps none of it; It’s our conscience the accumulated sum total of our experiences, our emotions, our abilities and our vulnerabilities. It binds us to the world, makes us believe humans matter and above all is the driver of all proactivity.

But very often few conscience shattering experiences create sociopaths, the brains without emotions. The degree of numbness is immense. There is no pain, no compassion, no solace and no succour, and neither any feeling of joy nor aspiration for it. This isn’t nirvana either, as nirvana is achieved by and for the human soul; whereas sociopaths have no soul left to achieve
nirvana for.

Humanity has been sustained and maintained by these mutual bondages and individual aspirations. Loss of these values would make anyone an outcast in a society. This level of awareness and compassion is what separates man from other animals. Unlike animals, humans don’t have to depend on instincts (though they have them). Humans are an innovative species not just because we won the race of natural selection out of sheer luck, but our consciousness helped us win the race.

When this ability to feel, reason and be associated is lost, we lose the humane portion of our existence. We survive, but the reason why we exist is lost. The sheer volume of data resting in our heads becomes meaningless with the software processing that data gone forever. Even heretics pained by world look for solace, but when you lose your soul there’s neither need nor a will to look for solace. It isn’t despair either as for that you would need hope. It’s an inner world of utter sheer emptiness, an unfathomable void which can’t be filled.

Be it Buddha or Gandhi, all have emphasized on compassion, and found it integral to our soul. The means to salvation according to them was to behave humanely, be in touch with human elements. But once we let go of the human values, we lose all sense of morality and obligation. The institutions constructed for pushing these values (religion, government, family, and society) seem redundant and often ridiculous. The detachment can make us undermine humans and sometimes even render them insignificant. The HOC prayer of Frank Underwood sums it best –
“There’s no solace above or below; only us, small, solitary, striving, battling one another. I pray to myself for myself.”

It’s not all horrible being a sociopath; the loss of emotions and worldly bondages makes us more efficient. The stone cold choices made are more rational than ever. There’s no fear of consequence, or any fear of any sort holding us back. It’s neither love, nor obscure social bondage of patriotic duties that can move us or restrict us. We may not be able to appreciate art be it Picasso, Raphael or Van Gogh or a 4 year old kid, but isn’t the whole point of arts is to not be condescending and judgemental. We may not be able to hold our new born kid and feel the sparkle in its eyes; but isn’t this sort of selfish nepotistic relations cause of all sort of feuds and malaise in present society.

The perception that being a sociopath makes us an insane robot is also flawed, for sanity and robotics are both concepts made by mortal humans and not the eternal souls. Being human has its inherent advantages and disadvantages. Sociopaths just don’t share these advantages/ disadvantages.

Not being able to feel any pain is the best blessing humans can ask for but the blessing comes at the cost of not being able to feel joy either. Probably being able to feel, desire and aspire is what makes us humans, makes us more than a tangible entity. The feeling of belonging keeps us together. The aspirations keep us innovative and fear and caution protect us. These psychological and biological links are intertwined and make a human, humane. Death is a loss to a society, but death of humanness is the loss to individual, and an immeasurable one.

30.‘Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live’.

 "The day of my birth , my death began its walk" apt saying as human lives in a cycle from birth to death. This is truth- permanent and unavoidable.Death is like going back to the origin of being and again merger with the five fundamentals elements out of which this world formed. when death is truth then speculating over its gain and loss is not worthy. But life is more about living rather living meaningfully in one's conception and at its full potential.

Human have many aspects of his being like biological, psychological and spiritual. All these aspects in collective make us human. these aspects are proof of human connection from tangible physical world to intricate mystic cosmos. That is why human have conscience ,morality , compassion and spirituality other than the bodily basic instincts.

Conscience tell us wrongness and rightness of one's behaviour in societal setup,though in alone he is himself and free from worldly expectations and bondages.

Morality make a human humane , full of regulated ,controlled and directed thoughts. Morality teaches us why we should respects other people's bodily integrity and do never such act to be offensive to other's value and belief system and faith.Morality tells what our behavior should to others. it finds the basis of compassion and the way to curb the horses of passion.

Spirituality bring the human closer to nature and cosmos. Human get the essence of his being and contemplate himself as Integral part of this dimensionless, intricate and mystic universe whole. this conception is not reflection of haughtiness of being superior among all but understand his responsibilities and duties while enjoying the consciousness at higher echelon to promote and protect sustainability to world system. how can Such a majestic and superb qualities ,can defy Humans to die before death is a question which should be prime Enquiry to all Human race.

What is there which may not be present during life is not questionable. It can be lack of morality and spirituality, lack of compassion and life enduring passion etc. it is always individual's interpretative judgmental view of life that what he considers as essential and priority. But fundamentals of Humane life can not be denied by anyone at any cost. On the other hand one's conception oh is world matter.

Man lives with his conception of life for oneself ,for family, for society, for nation ,for truth and for supreme being that is GOD. If life is not worthy in one's own terms by any means ,death occurs , subjective rather than objective. This is nothing but the dying of willingness and passion for life.It is the condition when all reason fail to cherish and appreciate this invaluable gift of life. At this stage, one is equal to dead and this is most tragic and greatest loss. the tragedy lies behind the fact that every being want to live, it is one's basic instinct of survival and right too. But something happened in this material world that an existence denied itself.

we live in a world full of inequalities like social, cultural, economic, political and many more. No two human beings are equal by any means is an universal truth. Life would be complete if exist alone. But it exist in common and collective and conceives everything comparatively. The relative deprivation caused additional deaths along with natural one. The exploited and suppressed class when stops dreaming individually and collectively and accept the destiny as it is ,it dies before death.Here Marx is a fit that then religion become the "opium of masses " in such conditions. the examples are migrant people from war torn or riot affected countries and attached humanitarian crisis. they are the group where people not able to get basic necessities of life and gradually calamities of life itself torn them apart. But sometimes few individuals are victim of the circumstances not the whole community.

Individual is also responsible for his own destiny. His endurance towards odds and fortitude to fight adversaries of life , determine his mental condition which further decide his passion for life. The individual who can not cope up with the struggles of life ,he dies by quit and complete submission. He, then, stops strive for making things better to enjoy rest of life. The deviant , confused and alienated youth is most vulnerable to such conditions. Sometimes Individual end their life by suicide also. This is deplorable and heaviest blow to nature's law. Life must be respected in all conditions and by any means at any cost.

what circumstances exist to deny life are variable and complex. But one thing is essential that human life cannot live alone with basic necessities only. It wants purpose and meaning of life. It may come from setting goal of life, satiating some wants and desires and from faith. The recent radical change under large discourses of modernisation and Globalisation brought kind of changes which ripped community life apart. Region was a umbrella for integration of all aspects of life. The increasing differentiation of human life under secularisation by decline of faith and religion, Individual has become misplaced in society. This , though , very according to individuals conception. But a fit role in society evade confusion in one's life and provide existential satisfaction to one. that is why few individuals are not able to connect and integrate themselves with society and obstacle the flow of life.

On the other hand , world is full of examples when individual endured all odds in life and brought dignity to it. they set great example to humanity. The living paralyzed scientist Stephen Hawking did what the full life cannot. the day to day examples are shown by disable people's Achievement that life is how you take it. Some one said the sharpest violation of human rights is not inflicted upon you ,it comes from within. this is directed towards the one who don't respect their own life and disrupt it by any means.

Altruism that is living for others without any expectations, faith in the name of Supreme Power, devotion to family or dear one brings meaning in life. Meaning and purpose provide the necessary energy and Flow of life. We cannot stop death to happen but can eliminate the preventive premature deaths.Here the achievement of life is not to get something but to achieve life till blissful and respected Beautiful death.

29. Are classroom relevant today?

We create the culture- culture recreates us- Geetz.

It is possible by dissemination of knowledge and propagation of it from one generation to other generation.Man's quest for excellence and control of nature related to accumulation of knowledge and its application.That is why,evolution of various learning methods happened like scripts,language and other ways of communication.Classroom learning is the way of learning and educating the young of society.It is formal way of socialization of Young in Modern society. It is many- to- one mode of teaching in formal school education system.(definition)

Classroom learning is one of the most prevalent method in imparting knowledge and education in 20th century. Though  in increasingly technological world, ICT and Internet are changing the classroom from separate infrastructure of school to individual students' household. But dialogue and two way interactional method satisfy the human psyche and his appeal. Job Stewart-"the internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom". I mean there is no way that any day classroom leaning is going to be irrelevant.(thesis)

Classroom is the world of social life,opportunity to social mingling, way of socialization, quenching behavioural instincts, and ground for group dynamics etc. This world is practical where formal education is subsidiary not the only goal. value education, cooperation ,knowing and internalization of customs and norms of society. In traditional class room learning is through doing and by experience , live model of society at large. This type of learning make the personality which become integral to society gradually. Not alternatives can provide so much dynamics to individuals.(subthesis-1)

Classroom learning have histories and memories. Students have friend circle which are with them throughout life. They have souvenirs of school days.classroom are multidimensional where activities occur simultaneously ,things happen quickly,events are unpredictable -that is total sum of life -a true example of Human life.(subthesis-2)

But life is about more and more and further enrichment. it is about being better day by day. Virtual classroom are apt in this approach. their quick response to correctives and adaptation is unique. Flipped classroom brought dynamism like one- to- many passive coaching to one to one active coaching.now the lecture at home and homework can be at classroom. it is remedy to one size fit all methods. Advent of cloud services provide option of choosing their own guru. these flipped classes are miracle by providing access across boundaries and without any human biases. then what is there which hinder them to transform the scenario of traditional classroom.(subthesis-3)

Still there are numerous concern for these type of virtual classes- reliable and affordable internet access and access devices are not universally available. Digital divide comes from the structural inequalities of the human world.Most of the population(>2 billion) do not have basic necessities leave alone the internet. Content authenticity, copyrights issues, content selection. separating data, information and knowledge is going complex each day are some of the issues to address. lack of concentration , short span of reading, diversion to commercials and pornography are also needs to resolved before making the virtual classes effective at par.(subthesis-4).

The passion of technocrats for increased interactiveness at virtual mode of learning making them similar to traditional classes but not in employment generation. The mass open source courses are good at delivery to mass students at a single time. but learning is for employment and livelihood to which these classrooms have to do lot of work.

Classroom will be integral to virtual classes gradually. the integration of both mode of learning is salvation and liberation of human from passive and enforced way of learning. More choices and self determined mode is new Mantra for young ,it should be celebrated for long.

28. "Globalization is dead"

Globalisation increasing, deepening and broadening of the interconnected of the world in every walk of life. Globalisation is not only restricted to economic aspect only. It incorporated almost all aspects of society like political, economic , cultural and social. Globalization is like a flow and process which but gives increasingly networked world.global connection have been thickening but the significance of thickening remains contestable.It fundamentally deals with flows. the kind of flows are Ideas, capital, commodities and people.(definition)

Globalisation is like a flow.Then, can we consider that it is phenomenon of the contemporary world only and was not present in the past. If it was not present in the past then definitely there are some forces which emerged recently. The two dimensionality of the process is economic integration facilitated by technology. The increasing internationalization of marketing, production and distribution of the goods. The internet and Integration of the citizens across borders uniting the world into single, lucrative, but brutally competitive market place. these processes are ever changing in pace and intensity. we can perceive and compare that the pace is slow or slower but it can not be stopped completely. Globalisation is never dead but the processes are dampened by some factors which need to be discussed and worthy of critical thought.(Thesis)

The recent economic crisis and afterwards protectionism in world trade and exchange of commodities. The protectionism is at peak when 90 percent of the exports from the least developed countries have to compete against 'some kind of subsidized rival. The capital and  hot money related volatility of the banking and financial sectors made the national markets wary of each other. The main drivers of change are exhaust of energy and settling down. (subthesis-1)

The migration wave were both cause and effect of the Globalization. Now the borders are closing.humanitarian crisis of migrants looming large from war torn and riot affected countries. Migration have changed the mood due to anti immigration policies of the developed world under influence of right wing conservatives.(subthesis-2)

Hopes for Doha round are almost dead . UN body is not able to stop war ,terrorism,piracy and trafficking etc.The global institutions to bring the globalization in effect are ineffective.The climate change negotiation are not result oriented.(subthesis-3)

Globalisation and the ideological positions are changing.like the tranformationalist say that globalization as having both negative and positive consequences, and also both homogenising and hybridising impact plus emergence of identity based defences. Homogenization and hybridisation here related to cultural dimension of the globalization. for example In India Pizza cannot replace the dosa and jeans and kurta are weared in combination.(subthesis-4)

There is almost opposite and a counter wave of Anti-Globalization exist. it seems that wave have considerable force to slow down the process and atleast direct it. the major actors of this wave are national liberation factions, environmentalists and left wing parties.Anti globalization is not against Globalization per se but against certain aspects of it. (subthesis-5)

After studying the various aspects of globalization and its counter wave we can conclude that Globalization as a process is historical,continuous and variable in its pace. Social change is in inevitable ,Globalization is part of it or not will always remain a critical question with supporting view and counter view. Hope lies in the selective adaptation and adoption of the phenomenon for the betterment and enlightenment of humanity.(reinstatement and conclusion)

                          

27. Should Women be Allowed to Fight in Combat, Including in Infantry?

When we ask such a question Like appropriateness of women in combat at front end then we divide the Human civilization into two gender where one seems at decision making end at individual level or at social level.
If circumstances and milieu allowed and reasoning of time justified the build of man dominated Military or combat force then need is to reconsider the plan in contemporary world. We can analyse the situation holistically by gradual study of various issues involved to meet conclusion somehow.

Moral and Ethical responsibility to protect and secure society lies with both the Gender Male and Female. Gender being social concept can be changed and deliberate socially made differences of division of work can be eliminated then. If it is related to biology then then inferential judgement of less physical strength, stamina can be put to grueling ranger course before recruitment of Women to combat field ,Armour infantry ,artillery or similar other jobs. Bodily complications can be excused which are only for limited period and can be suppressed by medication ,thus easily spared.

Women when will be recruited in infantry then many other issues will also arise. Like Our minister of defence said recently that India cannot afford her women as war prisoner . It is sexist remark . Women are not property or asset the male dominated countery or society own as matter of respect. Martyrdom and right to combat and die for country is equally prerogatives of Women as of Men. The participation of half gender will even provide strength to military to ensure win in war.

The Inclusion of Women fighters in Army can help and outweigh and outweigh any short term compromises. The social sensitivity will increase which can help to read emotions of terrorism and extremism affected people. the information and intelligence and can collected from Women victims without fear of retribution if assured by Women combatants. Recently Women Combatants In Afghanistan practiced the same tactics successfully and not planning to use it in Libya, Sudan and other African Countries.

But military cannot be suitable for women, Until it changes itself and society as well.Recently many incidents of Sexual harassment case came to surface in US military .In such circumstances ,the indifference of Top brass in Military was noticed. In India, Situation can be worsened as Less women at upper Echelon and immunity of defence from Media reportage and civilian Judiciary. The military culture must be changed first and should be conducive to security of Women recruits and proper mechanism of Grievance redressal or special women cell.

Society have differences and biases in the process of socialisation of girl and boys. It make girl child timid, delicate and submissive . Gender neutral upbringing must be ensured. even some female can be brought up in monomanical focus on battle at centre stage of daily life from devoted martial races and group along with male members.

The group dynamics and cooperation-conflict scenario of both gender in army is understudied. It must be area of study of Military and combat life.

Military is not Social experiment but just a simple pragmatism. A practical approach to include the women in Infantry is a step in favour of nation and security. But a planned and studied approach is needed by taking in confidence the people and official who are opposed to it. Israel ha already given full combat status to women, rest of the country can follow the model with few adjustment according to their needs.

26. Privacy vs Transparency: Transparency is for Government, not for Citizens

Both "Privacy" and "transparency" under makeover in modern era. Privacy and transparency are two ends of the same continuum. the more you have of one ,the less you have of the another.Privacy is in personal interest and Transparency is in Public interest. This the very reason That the laws of Privacy have exception for the public interest. If the public interest are undermined ,then individual privacy can be infringed upon.Similarly, in Transparency laws , infringement of the Individual privacy is not required unless it is in Public interest.

Transparency is required to have a check on the power,the state and the government.Privacy protections must be inversely proportionate to power and, as Julian Assange says, transparency requirements should be directly proportionate to power. There is not meaning and large public interest to share private information of the powerless.But there is not international laws of transparency in the era of Democratic and Digital governance. This is like the whole system at Global top is hijacked by powerful elite in their interest. Recently Snowden exposed the Huge surveillance project of US named "Prism". This is blatant attack on Right of Privacy by institutionalized powerful means of technology.

What we need privacy or Transparency is not our debate. We need both in appropriate context. In the era of explosive new technology like GPS,Biometric, Smart Phone, Internet Use Tracking, it seems privacy have no role and outrightly denied and transparency is new mantra but it is not so. Privacy is basic need of Human psyche. It is necessary for personal liberty,freedom and hapiness. definitely it has some limits till the public interest are not harmed. Similarly transparency have its own role in public domain.

Transparency is denied by various means particularly in developing country where democracy is not so mature and Civil society is less organized. Information is the currency of democracy. For this currency RTI activists are paying heavy toll of their life in country like India.Many government have long history and culture of secrecy.their infrastucture and functioning is opposed to openness. the cost of availing information is very high which frustrate the efforts of information seeker. For governmental transparency ,information should be understandable and of quality so that citizens can make informed decisions.They can have meaningful oversight and valuable inputs about public official. Understandable means places in context and quality means complete , accurate and timely.So can there be a alternative model of access to information and for open and transparent system.

Data activists can provide a viable alternative model for transparency by not challenging power hierarchies. Data activists work where the information is available at bottom of the power pyramid and obsessed with tools and technologies rather power asymmetries and injustices. This obsession and avoidance protect them from threat of power. Like bringing to public the wrong balance sheets,false identity and poor plans from easily available online data is job of data activist. he do not go against to avail and get answer of his question. On the other hand digitization of information reduced the cost of data access. Through biometric attendance system for all bureaucrats make them punctual. Corruption is not exclusive from not being punctual.But the same biometric when issued to public in the name of AAdhar. There is no public interest in infringing privacy of powerless . But the same biometric have huge public benefits if given to bureaucrats and politicians.

In the era of RTI act,2005 and Citizen charter and their further linkages to E-government and E-governance can provide a simplest and affordable way of realising informed society. the right to be informed is current demand of Democracy. this is the way of bypassing the evolving conflict between Administration and information seeker citizenry. In other words it is the effective way that allows us to use Privacy law and Transparency law of addressing the power asymmetries rather than exacerbating them.