Despite being the most talked about subject in Management literature the concept of Leadership is still hazy. The copious volumes written on the basis of research and practice have contributed precious little to help managers unravel the mysteries of the significant art that differentiates between an effective and an ineffective organization. What makes an effective leader is still mired in ambiguity. Bhagavad Gita, however, does offer valuable insights on what real leadership is all about. It suggests what leaders need to do to get desired results. How Lord Krishna transformed Arjun from a reluctant and self doubting person to a confident and action oriented warrior is perhaps the greatest lesson on leadership. Though summing up the complete essence of Geeta is a long haul, some crucial tips from the widely read holy book are given here to help in understanding the crux of leadership .

The Lord starts with the first lesson that conveys convincingly that He, the Lord, only matters. This is the first step in making the followers trust the leader. Starting from this basic premise, Krishna leads Arjun through a series of dialogues into believing in himself. It is this confidence that a leader must build in his followers. How could the Lord do it? Standing in front of the massive and mighty Kaurav army, Arjun was a bundle of guilt, fear, and anxiety. So Krishna enters into a kind of counselling session with Arjun and gradually builds his confidence and prepares him for the crucial transformation. He acted as the friend, philosopher and guide to mentor Arjun. And when that stage is reached the Lord thunders - I am there. That is the kind of reassurance that makes ordinary subordinates perform extraordinary feats. In Management theory this is explained as the Pygmalion Effect. When the leader explicitly reposes faith in the subordinate’s capabilities, the subordinate also tries to live up to that expectation by working more sincerely to meet those positive expectations. It’s the leader’s belief that changes the subordinate’s perception of himself. That is what the Lord did. But the way it is done is what matters. Krishna does it by increasing the awareness of Arjun so that he can realize the purpose of his contribution.

By making him understand the concept of duty and the limits of his efforts the Lord makes it amply clear that only performing the duty sincerely is his right. That is, making efforts with full commitment. But the results or the fruits of action are not within his hands. Thus it’s not the success but the unflinching commitment that matters. But Krishna also ensures that a duty done righteously will be rewarded. That is what Lord means when he says ‘Yogashema Wahamyam’ or I undertake. This guarantee given by Krishna in Chapter. 9, verse 22 of Bhagwat Geeta is the essence of leadership. Gita offers the sum and substance of Indian philosophical wisdom contained in the Upanishads. It starts with Tat Twam Asi,(that thou art), followed by Iyam Atma Brahma(this atma is the Brahma) and concludes by emphasizing Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahma). Bringing this realization in followers is real leadership. A leader doesn’t make followers, he creates many more leaders.

Living has always been stressful. For the cave dwellers it was uncertainty of the next meal, apprehension of the untoward and fear of the unknown that caused stress. Unforeseen challenges kept the humans on tenterhooks. We knew less and therefore worried more. Ignorance, certainly, was not that proverbial bliss. Peace of mind always eluded humanity as constant anxieties kept on arising. With humanity progressing and knowledge of science and technology upgrading human thinking the insecurities that kept fuelling anxieties in earlier days became much less bothersome. The advancements of the civilization made human life more organised and secure. Scientific development made living easier. The logical conclusion should have been that there will be less stress and more peace. But as we look around we find that the peace of mind which the humans always longed for remains as elusive as it used to be.

That brings us to the all important question--Why? Despite the tremendous progress in the living conditions of human beings, peace of mind still seems to be a mirage. There is a simple assertion that will provide a clue to the riddle. Peace of mind can only come if we develop a Mind of peace. And how to do that? The answer has to be carefully thought over. There is an old time Indian parable from the classic Panchtantra that may serve the purpose. It is the story of four poor friends who were in search of a life that would provide hassle free living. Finding it difficult to cope with their predicament they went to a renowned sage who had provided solutions to such problems for many. After listening to their woes the sage gave each one of them a small lamp which they were to carry on their palm and climb the high mountain that was a bit far from the place they lived. The sage told them that the point of the mountain where the light of the lamp of an individual will extinguish will be the place where the door to his fortune will open. Excited with the prospects of striking rich fast, the four started ascending the mountain. After climbing some height the lamp of one of them extinguished. He along with his three friends started to dig that place. They found plenty of copper coins lying there. He asked his friends to join him in collecting those coins and return. But the other three did not agree. They thought they would get something more precious than copper and proceeded to climb while he returned. They carried on with their journey uphill till the lamp of another of the friends blew off. He along with the other two of them dug that place and found plenty of silver coins. He asked the other two friends to collect silver coins and return. But the remaining friends decided to continue with their ascent. As they reached a very high altitude the third friend’s lamp went off. On digging deep there they found plenty of gold coins. The person whose lamp had extinguished suggested his friend to collect the gold coins and return as gold was the ultimate. But that person decided to continue his journey thinking that he will get something much more precious at a still higher altitude. So he continued. After ascending very high, almost to the cliff, he saw a man wreathing in pain, with a wheel spinning on his bloodied head. Surprised as he was he went to that person to inquire about his plight. But barely had he completed his question that the spinning wheel came on to his head relieving the other man. It was now his turn to experience extreme pain and blood letting. Baffled and pained he asked the other person how come this happened and how will he get away. The person replied that he also had come there, driven by a lust to search for something more precious than gold. Finding a person in a similar plight, he had asked the same question to that person. Now, only when another similarly greedy person reaches there in search of something more precious than gold that he will be spared. Moral of the story --our problems are due to the result of that lust for more and more. It is this pure greed that creates a craving for more and more leading to misery as a result of worry, anxiety and stress. This distress causes a disequilibrium in the mind and peace becomes a casualty.

In the year 2001 an acronym STEM was coined by some scientific administrators of the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States suggesting that education needs to focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. And it soon became a global phenomenon like all other American ideas. Countries one after another started treating it as a gold standard for education as if Designing STEM based curriculum would bring about a kind of transformation in the society that would create a better global order, leading to prosperity, peace and happiness. Policy makers and educators of many countries started STEM based curriculum in schools with the assumption that it would be the answer to problems of humanity.

While two decades and a half have passed, we still find a large section of humanity all around the world struggling with the same problems that were there. Should we not go for some kind of introspection? More so, because the country from where the idea originated seems to be losing its sheen. Not just the immigrants, but a large section of other Americans have started thinking that the American dream has gone sour. The jargon STEM then just seems to be a fashion statement for the educators who of late have stopped thinking and are simply following whatever is being told and sold through high decibel campaigns. The obsession with STEM, notwithstanding, a critical appraisal is very much in order. Are we not missing the wood for the trees? This is the question that must be pondered over. STEM seems to be losing steam, because problems of life, society and the humanity at large call for skills beyond Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Those who understand life would agree that it is more of algebra than mathematics. Adding steam to STEM calls for focusing on arts also. STEM can gain steam by adding the letter A and giving to art the due weightage. STEM should thus read STEAM, the letter A representing Arts. We need to demathamaticise education.

Einstein once said that everything that can be counted doesn’t count, and everything that counts cannot be counted. We need to look at the big picture. Despite being firmly entrenched into the 21st century, with all our advances in Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics, we have failed to create an equitable and just social order where the weakest enjoy the same right as the strongest. Why despite an astronomical rise in institutions of primary secondary and higher education, the problems of the society are still mounting. Maybe, we no longer live in the jungle. Maybe, we have more control over life. Maybe, we have reasons to believe that we are much happier than our earlier generations with more money and physical comforts. But is this satisfaction, which I believe is more of statisfaction (using statistical data to create the ‘feel good’) giving the quality of life that could result in more holistic satisfaction involving mind and body, heart and soul. Per capita rise in income is not a measure of per capita happiness. There is more of healthcare facilities, and less of well-being. School children going on shooting spree, rising incidents of self -harm, growing instances of violent outbursts in the society are all indicative of the grim reality that all is not well. There is the need to understand that some kind of socio- psychological healing is required. And for this STEM is not enough. There is need for a paradigm change. Watering the stem will not work if the root is not nourished. So we need to take care of the ROOT. And root according to me is strengthening these -- Reflection, Observation, Orientation and Temperament. Stem without root has a limited life span.

Humanity is on the throes of a grave humanitarian crisis. No, it’s not the meaningless wars. It is not even the inconvenient truth of climate change. It is not also the faultering global markets dancing to the greed of the filthy rich. It is also not about the unrest of the Gen Z that finds the world not fit for them. All these are just symptoms, the manifestations of a much deeper malaise afflicting the minds and corroding the hearts of the human beings. What, then, is this humanitarian crisis all about. Finding a word is not easy but ‘techno-mania’ is what seems to be catching up. A kind of fatuation human beings are developing or being systematically nudged to develop with gadgets, enslaving them into an addiction they will not be able to come out of. It applies to all ages and classes.

These are the trappings of the ultra post-modern society we have now created. The result is some very significant technology driven changes in the lifestyles. Two major casualties of this have been relationships and love. The resulting obsession with self has created a social distance that we find difficult to bridge. There is an ironical twist to this predicament. Technology was supposed to raise productivity, and it has. In the process, some big short term gains have accrued. Quantitatively, we are able to do more and more with less and less bringing down the tangible costs and feeding human greed.

There is more leisure as promised by the lobbysts of the so-called tech revolution, rather explosion. But there lies the irony. Leisure has failed to give the desired by-product, quality time. There is more leisure but less time. Despite all the gadgetary support humanity is not able to address itself. Maybe, it has lost the address. Slowly but systematically human beings are losing the human touch. The fallacy is that they are trying to seek solace in non-human objects. The head is being contaminated by the techno-bacillus and the heart is being corroded by the acidic content of this organism. As a result the indestructible soul is getting diseased. Burnouts are the logical outcome as the conflict between being and becoming consumes individuals. They long for belonging but belong to no one. That is the crisis that is building up.

But there is a silver lining in this otherwise somber atmosphere. True human nature still wants to survive. There are ways, too. Simple and time tested tips. Keep on meeting people. And off screen. The stroking that these human moments give is worth thousands of online messages. So just talk, avoid text. Feel the warmth, enjoy the vibes. Tame your ego. It’s mischievous intent has diluted love. Don’t just wear a smile, throw it at someone. Interestingly, the only animal that can genuinely smile is the human being. Greet with the heart, don’t tweet with the head. Finally, be aware that you are a human being not a humanoid. Enjoy the drive, not the speed.

Let us begin with a jingle-

Mind and body, heart and soul,

Yoga helps heal them all.

Yes, that is what yoga does. As the world celebrates Yoga day on the 21st of June, let us try to understand the essence of yoga. For the common person yoga these days has become a handy technique for physical fitness. Simple movements that help a person maintain the flexibility of joints and muscles that is so important for keeping one physically fit. With the growing number of physiotherapy clinics all around, the one lesson that we need to learn is that we have all become victims of faulty lifestyle. Our sedentary ways of living may have helped us gain wealth but it has cost our health. But yoga is something that covers not just physical health. It is important for even mental health. A simple tenet of earthy wisdom needs to be remembered here. ‘If you can bend easily, you may not break easily’. And mind you, this is applicable both for physical as well as mental health.

To understand the basic nature of yoga, it is important to know that this ancient Indian technique was meant for mental, physical and spiritual well being. For those desirous of acquiring real knowledge of the science of yoga one can refer to the Yoga Sutra, the ancient text that contains the scientific details of the subject. The practice of yoga involves the psycho-biology of the human body that affects the mind, the body, the heart and the soul. Yoga not only helps in acquiring physical fitness, but it also strengthens mental resilience, and facilitates spiritual upliftment. In fact it is a means of holistic healing.

Modern medical science is increasingly focusing on psycho-biology for achieving complete well being. There are ample research findings to suggest that most physical ailments are psychosomatic in origin. That is, they involve both mind and body. The impact of psychology on physiology is now well established and in medical science there are several diseases that are linked to faulty lifestyle and thought processes. Subject areas like endocrinology and psycho-neuro-immunology suggest how important it is to maintain a balance between mental and physical health. Stress is a major trigger in several diseases. Research in the immune system, cognitive behavior therapy and neuroplasticity suggest that mind body connection plays a significant role in health and well being.

Recent knowledge indicates that practices that integrate mind and body like yoga and meditation can reverse many conditions that are thought to be irreversible. Integrative medicine or holistic healing is all about understanding the mind-body compatibility. Mind and emotions play a critical role in our health and well being. The endocrine system is largely influenced by mental disposition and secretions like catecholamines have significant bearing on physiological health. Yoga helps in arriving at mind-body balance through influencing the secretions of ductless glands. With yoga training, even some involuntary responses like blood pressure may be controlled. The health of our body and the health of our mind are intricately connected and lead ultimately to the transformation of the spirit which is the final aim of yoga.

The practice of yoga lends robustness to the mind and the body that help in resisting diseases and creating a healthy mind and healthy body. Yoga is not just an exercise. It is a practice that helps the individual in reinventing himself and realising his potential. It is, thus, an easy way to attend mental and physical well being with some effort and discipline. Yoga can provide the right answer to many of the new age problems. Yoga means to connect and it is the way to union or ‘yoga’ with the ultimate reality!

More than 200 years ago English author Mary Shelly wrote a science fiction titled Frankenstein. It was the story of an ambitious young scientist Victor Frankenstein who creates a monster-like creature through his unorthodox experiments. But the ambitious creation of an overzealous human being who wants to play God ultimately leads to disastrous consequences for the creator. Around 130 years later George Orwell brings out a classic fiction 1984 that is on a theme not much deviated from Frankenstein. Both these literary works were about exercising control over human behavior and thinking, in some way or the other. Hollywood also contributed to these weird themes by producing some movies about aliens visiting and impacting our world. All these were works of creativity and imagination of the human brain. But we are into different times. The very creativity and imagination is under threat.

There is a movement picking up around the world that is being steered by a handful of billionaires who claim and aim to create technologies that would rule and control human beings. And the threat this time is real. How is it gaining momentum. There was an old school time adage that said “necessity is the mother of invention.” This has been made to turn on its head. So it now reads ‘invention is the mother of necessity.’ Invention comes first and necessity is created subsequently through aggressive marketing campaigns. That is how the AI revolution is working. Call it artificial intelligence or alien intelligence, we are seeing a creation that has the potential to affect the entire humanity in a big way. How good or bad it will be for mankind is an issue that is being debated rather vociferously. But one thing that needs to be understood is that this product is likely to have serious side effects. It is already showing, though loud and systematic campaigns are orchestrated to suggest otherwise. With lobbyists and pressure groups having an agenda of their own working overtime, advocacy for adoption of AI is carried out in a very concerted way. These, however, hide more than what they suggest. Attempts to influence different segments of the society like industry, education, healthcare and government with powerful marketing mechanisms are promoting adoption of AI in day to day governance and activities.

The issue is not whether the bots are influencing human behavior and thinking. The issue is whether humans are being made to behave like bots. Through the use of AI the human mind is being conditioned to think in a patterned way. As algorithms start fashioning the thinking patterns the uniqueness of human ability to think independently is getting affected adversely. Pope Leo XIV has recently called for strict regulation of AI to protect human dignity, prevent mass unemployment and keep power out of the hands of a few. In fact, this is precisely what is happening. The continuous advocacy of AI by the rich and the powerful is basically to usurp power and wealth of astronomical proportions. Already, recent data suggest that the world is going to get its first trillionaire in history. A man whose worth was $11 billion just 10 years ago is now going to have $726 billion. The reason is that his doctrine of AI as the be all and end all of everything is being accepted by people at meaningful positions in many countries. The question is if AI is the panacea for all ills of humanity? Or is it going to add to the ills of humanity.

World renowned Economist and MIT Professor Daron Acemoglu is of the view that AI should not be our fate but our choice. Technology is never neutral as it imbibes the character of its owners and controllers. AI will likely become the Orwellian big brother controlling the mind and body of the human beings and decapacitating the heart and the soul. However, there is a need to understand that AI is yet to demonstrate real creativity that is the uniqueness of the human brain. Those over enthusiastic to adopt AI must know that over use of AI will make under use of human beings that has the probability of back firing in a big way. More importantly, food, water, air and other basic needs will always be necessities for human beings. To get these they will need the capacity to buy. AI should not be allowed to deprive them of this capacity because it can have dangerous consequences. The question is not about AI or no AI. It is about how much of AI and for what?

Our Common Future was the title of the report that was brought out in 1987 as a result of the deliberations of the World Commission on Environment and Development. Constituted by the United Nations in the year 1983, it aimed to address the escalating global environment and socio-economic crisis. Sustainable Development was the catchphrase that was given as the mantra for a better global future. Remembering Bruntland is quite in order here because she was the person who coined the phrase Sustainable Development. Some four decades down the line a big question crops up - where does the world stand in terms of sustainable development? As the date for yet another World Environment Day, the 5th of June, reminds us about our duty towards Mother Earth, the answer to this question becomes a concern of critical importance. But we need to understand the essence of sustainable development first.

While many have defined it in their own ways, let us zero in on Bruntland’s idea of the concept of Sustainable Development. For the Norwegian Prime Minister, the term referred to the development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their needs. Given the global scenario today, and the kind of mess a few old men with bloated egos and untrammeled senses have landed the world into, it seems meeting the objectives of sustainable development is still a far fetched idea, rather beyond the realms of possibility. In fact, the youth of the world need to unite against this because it is their future that is being endangered by this. This is not a pessimistic assertion. It is a realistic observation based on an understanding of the human nature. Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most widely respected global personalities, had given a very plausible explanation for this. The world, he said, had enough for everybody’s needs, but not enough for even one person’s greed. We are witnessing this stark reality all over in the present times.

Nature has made available enough resources so that we can live comfortably and fulfill our basic needs. But human desires and urge for unbridled consumption create scarcity, starvation and inequality. It is that thin dividing line between utilization and exploitation of resources that is responsible for the humans plundering nature’s bounty without reservation.

There is a very old fable written by the Greek wise man Aesop sometime around the sixth century that explains this human psyche rather succinctly. The story is that there was a man living in a village who had a hen that laid one golden egg everyday. Life was rather good for him and his wife. One day, driven by greed, he got an idea which he thought would make him rich instantaneously. Assuming that the hen must be having a gold spinning machine inside her stomach, he decided to kill the hen and tear open it’s stomach to take out all the gold that was there. He proceeded with his theory and ended up getting nothing, losing even the very asset that he possessed. There is no need to emphasize the moral of the story that we find being validated everyday during the present times. Human beings have not changed a wee bit in all these 3000 years remaining as greedy and foolish as they were.

It is against this background that we need to think of the wars that we are witnessing in the world today. The reason that the fights erupt or continue can be traced to one simple word ‘greed’. Greed to possess more and more, without caring to think of the final result that in the end proves disastrous!

What is the greatest paradox of our times may be a difficult question to answer. We live in a world full of contradictions where oxymorons like ‘virtual reality’ have become a fact of life. Real is virtual and virtual is real. So everything becomes surreal. Yet, there is a paradox of our time that is the greatest of all the paradoxes. The belief that we live in a hyper-connected world. Yes, we are connected. Yet, we are disconnected. A world where digital devices have made possible networks and communication channels that facilitate constant connectedness. True, it has been made possible. But the question is whether we are connected with one another in the real sense of the term. Many things that are possible often do not happen. Because we do not make them happen. We, then, need to pause and decide how connected we are.

The fact is that despite all that connectedness, humanity was never so disconnected. Precisely the reason why loneliness has become the biggest curse afflicting mankind today. Deep down there we are so alone, so lonely that most of us have become victims of Paranoia. Mental health is a global epidemic. Not because there is some abberation in the brain. The problem lies in our mind, our thought process, the egocentric mind set. When ‘I’ becomes larger than life, life loses life. Rightly do we see the messages that want us to prove that we are not a robot. Once upon a time we were told in our sociology classes that man is a gregarious animal. The adjective gregarious is no longer valid. Man, women included, has ceased to be gregarious. And not because of any compulsion. But by choice. The digital devices that have become an addiction worse than a drug, have snatched humanness from man. He loves now to be alone, talk alone and as a result suffer alone. Though connecting and exchanging thoughts verbally was never so easy. Yet, talking to one another has never been so difficult. The devices that were meant to be talking devices have become texting machines. Try calling somebody and chances are you will get a reply- please text, don’t talk. The assumption being that talking disrupts thinking, kills time. The interesting fact, however, is that it takes less time to talk than text. And more importantly talking stimulates thinking. Texting is monotonous, talking is variety. But like all other addictions, digital addiction also suffers from the same mindset- cognitive dissonance. Like a habitual smoker who thinks smoking is not going to harm him, the digital addict nurses a similar attitude. These people suffer from confirmation bias and only believe what they want to believe. But the reality is otherwise.

It is not without reason that first Britain and later Japan thought of a Ministry of Loneliness. Though slow, yet, the realization is now there that social isolation and mental health crisis is brewing. Loneliness is being identified as a critical public health issue which some experts believe is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Connectedness doesn’t necessitate connectiveness. With everyone having a smartphone in hand and a notification popping up every moment, and internet and data easily accessible, the obvious illusion is that it’s all in my hand. But your hand is in the hands of the gadget. Relationships, interactions and communications appear so handy, yet so rare. The logical culmination is death of feeling. It is this concern that has made Britain start the National Conversation Project. This Recent initiative is all about importance of developing relations with people living nearby, sometimes in the same house. What an irony that you live together yet you are not together. Community Oneness and Social Amity is the recent British effort to strengthen camaraderie in communities.

Technology has distanced people and created a false notion of self dependency. It is time we understood and practiced the profound African humanist philosophy ‘Ubuntu’ - I am because we are. That is what the society used to be. That is what a society should be. Logical arguments to the contrary notwithstanding, an individual’s well being, identity and humanity are closely intertwined. One of the ten commandments reads - love thy neighbor as thy self. But to make it work, know the neighbor first. Crass individualism will crash humanity. It is already cracking.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This old saying has been vindicated time and again. But this is just one part of the story. Power not only corrupts. It erupts, too. In many forms of unwarranted actions. From fool hardiness to psychopathic behavior to exploitative autocracy, there are many manifestations of absolute power that always makes people go berserk. The reason is that power disrupts also. It disrupts the orientation, the thought process, the attitude, and the complete personality. And this mental state finally destructs. From genesis to nemesis this is the typical cycle of arrogance of power.

Something similar is happening in the world today. One person’s thinking disorder had created a global disorder. A massive disruption. Who wins in a war is a foolish question to ask. There are no winners in a war. Even the perpetrator of the war who thinks he has won is a loser. Though this realization comes at a huge cost. Wars lead to pyrrhic victories. While this has been proved since the time immemorial, there are people who don’t understand. Senator William Fullbright of Arkansas, US had expressed his deep concerns about the war in Vietnam as well as the dangers that result from aggrandizement of power by the ruling executive, several decades ago. But as the adage goes, history repeats itself. And it usually repeats as a farce. So it is this time also.

As an influential critic of the Vietnam war which he called ‘Presidential War’, Senator William could make a case for the rational view for the legislative and constitutional approach to governance. The good senator was successful in strengthening the anti-war movement in the US by his speeches once he realized the folly of the presidential action of the then President. His initial support for the US military action in Vietnam was more of a knee jerk reaction and he soon corrected himself. As America gets involved in another presidential war, there is need for a similar voice of sanity to subdue the vanity of a person who seems to be guided more by whims than reason. The man who promised to make America great again is trying to do exactly the opposite. If actions like this continue unabated, the MAGA dream will become sour. Such actions are not going to make America great again. The world has seen megalomaniacs in the past, too, who would nurse similar dreams by raising similar slogans and finally misleading their nations to ignominy. Around a year ago in one of its issues the globally reputable weekly Economist tried to figure out if America was dictator proof.

And it finally came to the conclusion that it was not. In fact, for that matter no democracy can be dictator proof. It is not the system, but the individual at the helm who determines whether democracy can be dictator proof or not. A Democracy runs on the strength of the institutions but there again the people heading those institutions will determine the sanctity of those institutions. So the essence is the character and the values of the people holding those positions rather than the system per se. But one thing is certain that over and above the system there is a supra system that is far more powerful and it does intervene to restore order when things don’t work. The mightiest of the Empires and the strongest of the people have all fallen prey to the divine intervention by that invisible hand. It won’t be different this time also. But whatever is happening today reminds of an early sixteenth century novel Don Quixote by Spanish Author Cervantes. For the literary minded it will be a good read. Close resemblance to the two lead characters of the book Don Quixote and Sancho Panja can be found in the present chaos the world is witnessing today. And, yes, if Cervantes was there today he would find enough insights to write a sequel with the title Don Quick Shot.

The Anatomy of War is a detailed analysis of the US -Vietnam War by Gabriel Kolko based on his 1985 study. Kolko’s basic thesis rests on the analysis of existing social, and economic factors that he believes shaped the conflict. To Kolko the causes of War are more socio-political than due to deviations of the innate human nature. His comprehensive analysis takes into account the structural trends rather than military action alone. In understanding the war social, economic and ideological factors are crucial. That, however, may be only partially true as in most wars ideological factors are more of an excuse rather than a reason. More so in the present times when we are witnessing the end of ideology. Wars actually have more to do with human nature wherein violence, aggression, envy, greed and wickedness are innate evil tendencies that guide human actions. It is these ego driven thoughts that cause wars.

As the recent war involving Israel, US and Iran threatens to engulf many more countries causing a massive global disruption, there is a need to understand why wars take place in the first place.

There is an ancient fable dating back to some three thousand years that may offer some insights into the genesis of the present war. This story of the lion and the lamb may throw useful hints on the present day wars that the world is witnessing.

As the story goes, there is this lion atop a running stream trying to quench his thirst. About to drink the water flowing down, he notices a lamb at the ground below drinking water from the same stream. So that is my supper thought the lion but he wanted some excuse for attacking the weak animal to justify his action. So he shouted at the lamb-, “how dare you stir up the water I am drinking and make it muddy”. The poor lamb tried to explain that how can he spoil the water since it is running down from the stream atop. The water after all was running from the lion to the lamb and not otherwise. “Don’t argue with me. You are the one who was saying bad things about me a year back”. The lamb trembling with fear said that he was not even born a year ago. “Well it must be your father then. It amounts to the same. Don’t argue with me”. Saying so he pounces on the lamb and kills it. Moral of the story - ideological excuses are often given for justifying a wrong doing.

This has been done in most cases of wars we have seen in the recent past. However, illusion of being invulnerable leads to hubris that often ends in nemesis. But there is a more ironic side of the modern day war. Those who want the war never fight. Those who fight never wanted the war. And what about the citizens of the warring countries, family of the soldiers, and the people of the Nations that get caught in the crossfire despite not being a party? Well they all pay a heavy price. This has been happening since the ages. The question is can a few old men hold the world to ransom. Why should billions suffer for the whims of a few old megalomaniacs? The current global scenario is rather dreadful. And if the trend continues, more countries find reasons to go for the misadventure. After all, these devastations have certain beneficiaries too, for whom war is just business and nothing else. Wars suit the arms lobby and there is a dangerous nexus between political leaders of the ruling outfits, the generals who usually don’t die fighting and the industry tycoons who own the arms companies. Mad dictators are just one side of the story. The global arms industry enjoy massive influence across the globe. For both democracies and autocracies alike war is big business and deaths mere statistics. But there is a catch. Who lives if the world dies?

Psychologists say that we could take the man out of the stone age, but could not take the stone age out of the man. Call it a tragedy or a comedy, but man still carries the Stone Age within him. What a paradox that the most inhuman creature on this planet is the human being. Having doubts about this? Read the news stories from the print media, watch the television or try to find out through any of the other sources of information. The goings on in the contemporary world are eerily similar to the barbaric ways of the jungle rule. Historians thought human beings were not civilized then. But human behavior hasn’t changed. ‘Dog eats dog’ then is not just a cliche. Rather, it is a practice which some so-called powerful world leaders are actually resorting to. Autocracy and Hypocrisy has replaced democracy. Those supposed to run Nations are ruining Nations. With the devastation of the two world wars conveniently forgotten, nuclear apocalypse remains a threat. Political rulers are becoming shameless and statesmanship has become extinct.

Demagogues masquerading as leaders are destructing the world. Rulers infatuated with self love have become psychopaths and the rule of the jungle is the norm. In the Indian scriptures there is the mention of Satyug, the time supposed to be the first era of the cosmic order. In that era there was the all powerful and cruel Demon King Hiranyakashyap who wanted his subjects to worship only him. He proclaimed to be the Lord Vishnu, the God who in Hindu religion is the Preserver, Protector and Prime mover of the cosmic order. He wanted people to strictly follow his dictates. Any one worshipping God would be killed. He said he was the only God. He even tried to kill his son Prahlad who worshipped Lord Vishnu. That he met his violent end at the hands of God is a lesson to be recapitulated. But blinded by their bloated ego, people occupying positions of power today do not care.

The present era is Kalyug as per the Indian conception of time, and things can only get worse. With virtues and values declining, there are many claimants to the throne of Hiranyakashyap who want to preside over the cosmic order. Little wonder the demonic tendencies are on the rise. That they all will meet a fate similar to that of Hiranyakashyap is inevitable. Author Barbara Tuchman in her classic literary work ‘The March of Folly’ very aptly gives reasons for the nemesis of such people. She says- ‘Obliviousness to the growing disaffection of the constituent, primacy of self aggrandizement and illusion of invulnerable status are permanent aspects of folly’.

The intriguing reality is why people don’t understand this. Maybe, the Indian Epic Mahabharata has a clue. The eldest of the Pandava brothers Yudhishthir, in one of the episodes, has a verbal encounter with the Lord of Dharma who wants him to answer some philosophical questions. One such question was -- what is the greatest surprise in this world? To this he replies that every person sees another person dying, yet thinks he will not perish. This egoistic belief gives a false notion of invincibility. History, thus repeats itself, but doesn’t teach. And those seeking eternity in this mortal world are condemned to dustbins of history. That is the story across the ages from Satyug to Kalyug.

January 30 was the date on which the globally acknowledged apostle of peace and non-violence met a violent death 78 years ago. But in a world where violence is the norm, and hatred and hypocrisy the trend, Gandhi’s relevance cannot be denied. His leadership gave a new definition of strength which showed the effectiveness of kindness and forgiveness as the new attributes of courage. His unassuming demeanor and smiling face and armed with just a stick in his hand the old man brought the British imperial power to knees with sheer strength of his character. Gandhi showed what moral and model leadership is all about. As the world order is threatened with strife, it is worthwhile to revisit what this great man stood for. More so as the world is facing an unprecedented leadership crisis.

What were the qualities that transformed an ordinary mortal into a Mahatma, a noble soul and a global hero. As many are yearning desperately to get the Nobel for Peace, Gandhi is still acknowledged as the global icon, even after some eight decades of his death. What were his attributes that made some one like Einstein, one of the finest brains of this world, remark that generations to come would find it hard to believe that someone like him walked on this earth in flesh and blood. Yes, it is hard to believe. By sheer dint of his conviction, Gandhi could reinvent himself into a superhuman.

The qualities that can make a man a Mahatma are well known. And Gandhi made no secret of that. According to him they were just two --adherence to Truth and Non-violence, which in his view were as old as the mountains. However, what was required was a firm belief in those ideals and the courage to pursue them. That is what made barrister Mohandas a Mahatma Gandhi. And his prescription was no rocket science. Practice what you preach and be the change you want to see in the world. He very humbly acknowledged that there was no such thing as Gandhiism, as is often advocated. For Gandhiji it was simple humanism laced in character, courage and compassion that did the trick. He gave a simple formula for acquiring this. His crucial injunction which he named a talisman was “Whenever you are in doubt, try the following expedient: recall the face of the poorest and the most helpless man you have ever seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he be able to gain anything by it? Will it restore to him control over his life and destiny? Astonishingly simple but so conveniently forgotten these days.

His rule for life was simple living and high thinking and his tools were ‘niyam and sanyam’ that is discipline and self control. His philosophy was ‘live as if you are going to die tomorrow, and work as if you are going to live forever’. That he lives with us even today is a testimony to the eternal aspect of his philosophy. His religion was based on love which he thought had the magical power to transform even the staunchest enemy. His belief in ultimate goodness of man was what made him the man he was. For him spirituality was humanity in practice. In an era in which commerce rules and principles are a vanishing attribute Gandhiji’s qualities are like a whiff of fresh air. He always maintained that ends do not justify the means. The crux of Gandhian philosophy is there in ancient Taittiriya Upanishad-- ‘Satyam vad, Dharmam char’. That is, adhere to the truth and follow the path of righteousness. Are those aspiring to be the World Leaders listening?

In the year 1963 there was a Hollywood comedy film titled It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad world produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, a noted film maker and director known for many of his ‘message’ movies with some very relevant lessons. The film had an all star cast largely of comedians and was about the pursuit of some greedy people in search of a suitcase full of stolen cash which a dying man had informed about. Though the film was a huge commercial success the lessons it wanted to convey have not been learnt even today. That the pursuit of the cash filled suitcase proved futile and all those chasing the riches came to grief need not be emphasized because that is what usually has been happening since time immemorial.

Some what similar dramas are unfolding at many places in the world during the present times also, though more in the form of tragi-comedies rather than pure comedies, with the recent episode being the American action in Venezuela. Lest we forget, the Russian action on Ukraine, the Israel Hamas war, insurgencies in Africa, the Boko Haram gun trotters, the Brazilian gangsters, the Iranian unrest, civil wars in Syria and Yemen, hate mongering in Bangladesh and many more around the globe are parts of similar drama that tell us about the farcical nature of human civilization. What name would someone like Kramer have given if he was to make a film on these acts of barbarism in the so-called civilized world of the 21st century. Well, no prizes for guessing. It’s a Bad, Bad, Bad Bad World. Forget about the civilizational order, we are back in the jungle with disorder, treachery, deceit and senseless violence being the new normal. The same barbarians that lived in caves and hunted and ran amock, are ruling the world with the same animal like instinctual aggression ruling the world. It is force and power rather than consideration and reason that govern the world today.

Rightly, is it said that human beings have come out of the stone age but the stone age still lives in them. The world never was a global village. It always remained the jungle in which the strong preyed over the weak. The question is not who deserved what as people are saying about Madura. What was happening in Venezuela is in no way a justification for what happened in Venezuela. The same applies to all other conflicts that the world is witnessing. The world has always witnessed the strong finding reasons to prey on the weak. Do we qualify being called a civilized and modern society? Or it is the same jungle where human beings and animals fought with and killed one another for survival. Mansions, technology and scientific advancements are meaningless as human beings remain the same inhuman barbarians. It’s not about which country wins or loses because at the end everyone loses. And the pace and desperation with which we are marching towards that end, the day may not be far when our eagerness to self destruction would finish the world. The lessons of the two world wars did not impact our learning. And our foolishness to bring the third world war will impact us in such a way that we will not be there to learn anything. Who lives if the World dies? Amen.

As the numerologists predict that the year 2026 is going to be the year of the Sun, the world is trying to find out that thin ray of hope which has been deluding humanity for quite some time. If there can be one word that describes the state of the world today it can be Turmoil. Yes, the world is in turmoil. While some countries are fighting one another for months and years on end, there are many others who are preparing to fight. But these wars are not the only signs of turmoil. There are other reasons for concern. Climate change is one of them and we still seem clueless as to what our action should be. To make things worse bomb blasts and shootouts by terrorists and lumpen elements are making life hell for the many who are living with constant fear. And then there are the ‘tarrifists’ holding the world to ransom. To make things worse there are some who are also in denial mode. Not only the eyes but their minds are also closed.

The chaos seems to be growing. Only we do not know why. Some are trying to thrive on this chaos. Maybe, they are the ones who have created this chaos. Francis Bacon once said that if you go deep into any problem you will find people. It is these few people who are responsible for this chaos. The conclusion that can thus be drawn is that the planet is in crisis and there are some people who have created this crisis. Having thus identified the problem and the reasons thereof, there is need to find out the solution. Let us first admit that we have not been able to find a solution to the problems facing the world because in the first place we don’t realize that there is a problem. But there is a problem, and it is becoming serious day by day.

Prosperity, growth, technological advancements and scientific developments notwithstanding, peace and happiness continue to elude us. The simple reason is that we are not thinking deep into the problem. The answer lies in bringing about a Mental Renaissance. Thinking differently, thinking anew. Bringing about a change in mental attitude. But the difficulty is that changing mental attitude is perhaps the most problematic task to perform. The simple reason is that people do not realize that they have a faulty attitude. No one wants to believe that he is at fault. Ego and Envy are the main emotional states that drive human thinking today. It is important to realize that both ego and envy are the shortest road to disaster. Only a ‘mental renaissance’ will awaken the people to this realization. And for those who do not realize nature has its own way of teaching them. And rather painfully. The problems of this world are not for any other reason except stupidity of the being that thinks he is the most intelligent living creature. Learning to live with the laws of nature is what is needed for a mental renaissance. And the law of nature simply stated is peaceful coexistence as has been taught to us umpteen number of times. But as Huxley had said the most important lesson of history is that we don’t learn from lessons of history.

We are in a Goebbels’ world. Lest we forget, Joseph Goebbels was one of the most trusted sides of Hitler who masterminded propaganda campaigns using radio, films and press to promote the supremacy of Nazi ideology and brainwashed many Germans into believing that they were the superior race and Nazi was the best thing to happen for Germany. Something similar is happening in the present times. Take the case of Artificial Intelligence(AI). Goebbels’ canon that an oft repeated lie becomes a truth is being used to make us believe that AI is superior to the human brain and is soon going to replace Human Intelligence(HI) in all endeavors of life. And there are many who are willing to believe this half truth. The truth, however, is different. There is a need to understand that behind all this hype and hoopla about AI is a systemic campaign driven by the handful of rich and the powerful billionaires who are eyeing and vying to become trillionaires. Who knows some of them might already have become one.

Coming back to the issue, the fact is that AI is likely to remain limited to a narrow domain where it certainly has a far greater edge over human intelligence. But for that matter even a $20 pocket calculator is much better than humans when it comes to mental arithmetic. Talking about Deep learning, it is a pattern recognition technique and patterns are everywhere in nature. But even in this case it is to be noted that this ability is limited to select mental tasks. Most jobs involve many tasks even if it is not obvious. AI is making rich richer and poor poorer. Not only that, it is also making humans dumb as they are gradually losing their ability to think and use their creative faculties. But no matter how loud and vociferous the champions and the lobbyists of AI may argue, the challenges still remain. The same that were there initially. It is not about making a high powered computing machine. That has been done and done quite effectively. But the critical issue remains. That of designing the thinking machines. Thinking in all aspects of the term.

Let us understand this with the analogy of a human child. It develops slowly, gains experience through continuous interaction with the environment that is dynamic and ever changing at every infinitesimally small unit of time. However, the AI of the computing machine has a packaged and fully developed form of this intelligence. It does and may acquire new abilities but they are no match for the human thinking which is always interacting with the environment through its sense organs. This development is a continuous ongoing process that comes naturally. The skills and knowledge that humans can acquire quite effortlessly and sometimes unconsciously, are too difficult for the computers to do. Even a three year old child moves around his or her house without bumping against the furniture or the walls and doors. Though not apparent, the child is performing a very complex task- assessing its distance from various objects, working out on the path that it wants to follow and getting full knowledge of the space that is to be negotiated. It calls for controlling the movement, the speed and the direction so as to adjust to the surroundings. Moreover, it has the ability to instantly rework on all these parameters in case somebody or something unexpectedly comes in the way. The filtering mechanism of the brain enables the child to ignore many of the details and factors that may be a part of the environment but not relevant for the activity to be performed. To some extent, more advanced robots and the driverless cars have been infused with this ability but the human brain is still superior on this count.

Human thinking is based on experience based knowledge of the real world and the inbuilt ability to use it in a meaningful manner. Another interesting feature of human experiential learning can be summed up in this quote of Aldous Huxley who says that experience is not what happens to you, but rather what you do with what happens to you. So the same experience may lead to different outcomes in different people. The golden rule in psychology is that human beings are similar but not the same. It is this truth that gives human beings an edge over AI. AI faces the problem of designing a program which represents all this experiential knowledge in the memory chip to enable it to recall the relevant possibilities to be used as and when required. Attempts to design such systems were made some five decades back, but those expert systems as they were called, had their limitations when equated with human thinking, which could work on a much wider scope. Expert systems, thus, worked well when they were designed to encompass life’s experience in neatly defined narrow areas of specialization like medicine.

It has to be understood that AI driven systems could replicate human thinking, though not fully, in such specialized areas where the body of knowledge and experience is highly structured to be manipulated through a standardized set of instructions. AI can help a doctor better his diagnostic ability but that may not necessarily lead to more effective clinical sense. In the areas which are more fuzzy and flexible, writing the algorithm that may work, is rather difficult. All possibilities of life and their outcomes cannot be written in a program. AI can account for the logical and the rational but it will be clueless about the emotional that is erroneously understood as irrational. AI can have a mind, but it cannot have the heart and the gut. We all know that gut feelings that bring about intuitive decisions are often inexplicable. But they work nevertheless. True, a robocalypse is lurking round the corner but humanity has faced many an apocalypse and survived. This too will pass. Our consciousness and our conscience are two of our greatest strengths that no technology can acquire. Psychology will always score over technology.

Ancient Indian philosophical thinking has made important contributions towards understanding the basic components of man. Famous Indian sage, philosopher and grammarian Patanjali, known more popularly as the Father of Yoga, was one such thinker who contributed towards understanding the nature of Man by suggesting that though Man is miniscule in terms of his size, abilities, strengths and entity, when compared to the hugeness of the universe, he is also the microcosm of the universe.

One idea commonly attributed to him was that of man being a system comprising four basic components namely the Mineral man, the Vegetable man, the Animal man and Human man. The different characteristics of each of these four components or subsystems that go into the making of the organic entity that man is have been explained as follows. As the mineral man, man is alive yet passive, lazy by nature performing acts through the force of habit. That is, he keeps on doing only that which he is trained to do. The vegetable man is of a higher level. It feeds on the minerals and draws its sustenance from the energy it saps through the roots that is its connecting link. One advancement from the mineral man to the vegetable man is the ability to reproduce, bear fruits and multiply. It is the animate qualities that give it activity and enterprise. The animal man is yet another higher level of organisation compared to the mineral and vegetable man. The distinctive feature of this component is its mobility. To move, to run, to walk, to connect and forge links with the surrounding world. The animal man develops the ability to think, to remember, to be conscious. The fourth and the highest subsystem is the human man which is a synthesis and harmony of the mineral man, the vegetable man and the animal man. It is owing to this that the human activity rises to higher levels of spirituality and gets endowed with reason and soul. Thus the material subsystems gets enriched by the spiritual, enabling man to acquire the human qualities of controlling the environment and the ability to unshackle the material trappings that is dominant in the other three subsystems.

This cosmic approach of Patanjali was the highest level that humans could acquire. Patanjali thus assumed that the ideal man needs to develop to become the cosmic. But becoming that is still a far cry. Even as we are trying to figure out how and when this stage is to come, there’s a new world view being propagated by the AI lobbyists who want to make us believe that an Artificial Man is the new avatar of man set to rule the globe. And he is set to break all rules. From Deep Blues and Watsons, to Alexa and Siri are all pointers to the state of affairs we can witness in the foreseeable future. But despite all this brouhaha over AI becoming the highest form of man, a couple of questions beg for answers.

But before that let’s try and understand the man as we know. The essential qualities include the cognitive ability, the emotional ability, the ability to feel pain and pleasure, laugh and cry and, of course, aspire and dream. The key variables are mind and body, heart and soul. And to cap it all there is the conscience. The first question is whether these qualities can ever be developed in artificial intelligence? Interestingly, comparative psychologists who study animal behavior would suggest that some of these qualities can be traced in animals also. To some extent then even animals are better equipped to feel pleasure and pain as compared to artificial intelligence. Yes, information can be fed in AI to fake feelings of pleasure and pain, love, hate, rage and envy. But they will still remain artificial at best. AI cannot be a conscious entity. Mother’s warmth for her child, father’s concern for his son and daughter, a teacher’s commitment for his pupil, are all values driven rather than algorithm governed. AI is no match for even the kangaroo when it comes to warmth. AI can cheat, deceive, mislead like human being but will never be able to generate the love that is God’s gift to humanity. Man is a rhythm not an algorithm!

We are into the information age and our obsession with data is rather bordering on Paranoia. We don’t trust anything but data. We don’t want anything but data. And we do have a lot of data. But the problem is we want to have more. However, there are two issues that crop up. The first one is how much data is enough to draw the right conclusions. The second one is how much of the data that has been gathered is valid and reliable. A simple illustration may help us understand these issues. Take a coin and just toss it. You know it either get heads or tails. Now suppose you got a head. Since mathematically speaking the odds are 50-50, the next time if you toss you should get a tail. But it is not necessary. You may as well get a head. Suppose you go on tossing the coin for 10 trials. You may as well get 10 heads because each event of tossing the coin is mutually exclusive of the previous trial. Does that mean that the coin is biased? Can the outcome of the next trial be predicted with certainty?

Statistical Gurus will say that if you go on tossing the coin for an infinite number of trials you will arrive at a state when you can predict with certainty what will be the outcome of the next toss. But the question is what is that infinite number? That is the problem of being excessively obsessed with data. As the world tries to grapple with the problem of climate change, the obsession with data that is largely redundant information, comes in the way of looking at the crisis from the right perspective. The results, obviously, leave much to be desired. The COP (Conference of Parties) is barking up the wrong tree and needs to police smartly. Obsession with statistics and macro driven data overwhelmingly produced by the Western world tends to miss the point. In fact, largely centered on technological and economic issues, there is more of business interest rather than public interest. Will the switch over to electric vehicles and other modes of renewable energy recharge the global environment? Not in that big way as it is made out to be.

Climate Change is a global problem that calls for local solutions. The answer lies in Community, Communication and Conservation. Technology will hardly work if Psychology is not addressed. Psychology at the grassroot level as well as at the helm. There is need to think that Militarization is far more devastating than all the emissions put together. And we all know that wars begin in minds. Global warming leads to climate change but what causes global warming has to be identified sincerely. Wars are perhaps the most ecologically destructive human actions and it is driven by Politics and Economics.

Rather than Artificial Intelligence what is needed is Emotional Intelligence. Those who swear by data must also understand how much energy the big data centers that are coming up consume. The initiatives like net zero or zero carbon will remain fashionable jargons unless backed by zero war and de-escalation of arms race which are far more threatening. The COP needs to find out the culprit first.

Share

In the New Testament there is the mention of an Armageddon which is supposed to be the last battle between the good and the evil before the day of the judgement. According to the Oxford dictionary Armageddon is a dramatic and catastrophic conflict threatening to destroy the human race. Armageddon is also a 1998 Hollywood science fiction disaster film that reflects the basic theme of the term, though humanity survives at the end of the movie. And so it will, even in reality but only by committed and concerted human action.

As the maddening obsession to defy death catches pace, with the millionaires and billionaires joining issues with mother nature, investments pour-in in tonnes and tonnes of dollars. Whether all this money and effort will outsmart death despite those trillions being spent is still a difficult question. But there are few overzealous optimists who want to be a part of the ‘don’t die’ community. In the Indian mythology there is that story of king Yayati who was cursed to grow old prematurely owing to his compulsive sensual desires. Desperate to retain youthfulness the king makes his younger son Puru transfer his youth to his father. He thus enjoys youth for a thousand years. But realizing that his desires are ever growing, he decides to abandon his futile obsession by returning his son’s youth and retires to forest to live a renounced life, finally attaining the ultimate end that is death.

The moral of the story may or may not dampen the morale of those aiming to beat aging and death, but the truth is that everything has a life. Even life itself. Against this backdrop, it will be easy to understand what ‘Pharmageddon’ is all about. A recent New York Times article talks about how the pharma industries are increasing the spending on their marketing budget to create the need to buy products that may not be required or may have side effects that could outweigh the benefits. The attractive jingles promoting the benefits of the Pharma products are misleading rather than informing and educating the consumers. Though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules of US state that commercials should not be misleading there are many drug manufacturers who don’t follow the standards. What is happening is that these advertisements have increased the demand for many pharma products which may not be required at all. It is not only through the television advertisements but even the services of social media influencers are also used.

A 2023 study carried out by Public Economics magazine found that these advertisements have increased the demand for consumer spending on pharmacy products by over 30 percent. Most advertisements are about medicines that are costly. This was quite rampant during the Covid-19 pandemic. All kinds of drugs that didn’t even work were marketed. From anti-aging drugs and lotions, to health and immune boosting supplements, there is a long product line being promoted that is aimed at duping the consumers. Capitalizing on the fear factor the Pharma industry is filling its coffers at the expense of the consumer. It is time these attempts were restrained. Or at least the advertisements are made to mention the side effects also. These side effects of consumerism are affecting the health of the people. Consumers need to be vigilant.

MAGA is perhaps the most talked about acronym of the present times. When the new Don of US trumpets about ‘Making America Great Again’ two questions crop up. First, is America slipping in its supremacy as the global leader. The second question is whether whatever is being done in the name of ‘Making America Great Again’ will actually do what it proposes to do. As far as the first question is concerned there is a need to understand that Nations find their place in history not because of what individuals do but because what ‘Time’ decides. Histories have always been determined by the swing of Time.

There was a time when Europe led by Great Britain was the greatest superpower. That was the 19th century. Propelled by renaissance the Europeans, particularly Britain became the global power. But the course of history changed and the two atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought America to the top. The 20th century for the most part was the American century. From science and technology to space and beyond America led the world. But history moves on and is guided by its own logic. So the 21st century is witnessing the rise of Asian giants. That is Temporal Determinism, an expression coined to suggest how Time runs the world and writes history. There was a time when these very Asian giants were at the top. But things changed. And things are changing again. As the famous catch phrase goes - ‘Everything changes and everything returns, like the river’. India and China are cases in point. Terms like dead economy coined by Mister President notwithstanding, India is on the rise.

One of the most revered texts, globally acknowledged as a gem of spiritual wisdom, the Bhagavad Gita unfolds the power of time. Lord Krishna while trying to awaken Prince Arjun before the Epic Mahabharata war proclaims 'I am time, the great destroyer of the world’. In chapter 11, verse 32 the Lord reveals himself as 'Kala' that stands for both time as well as destruction. Time is both an ally and an enemy. It can make individuals grow and develop or it can decimate. There is a popular Indian phrase that describes death or destruction as something 'devoured by kala'.

National and civilizational histories bear testimony to this axiomatic truth that is very lucidly brought out in the Indian epic Mahabharat in which time is viewed as a perpetual, cyclical force governing creation and destruction, an entity that sustains and devours all beings. When time turns everything changes, so one should not be proud about the mythical indestructibility of his power. Time creates and time destroys. Individuals are mere cogs in the wheel. Emperors have come and emperors have perished. Time has its own way of changing the destinies of individuals, nations and civilizations. Though academically rigorous research studies may still be needed to prove the concept of temporal determinism in shaping nations and civilizations, for the careful observer of history there are enough anecdotal evidences to suggest how Time writes history. Yes, we don't have data to validate the hypothesis but we must understand one thing that history was there when no data scientist existed and history will be there even when data will become outdated. Shakespeare once said that time and tide wait for no one. Tide, however, can be predicted, but no one can tell how time will behave the next moment.