Article: "for the people, of the people, from the people" -a long lost thought!

Most of the problems, or shams, or deceptions arise out of Money! If not, then out of desire to possess power!

The premise is that the elite educated class knows about what is going on in "this" country (for that matter in any country) is the result of “few” individuals who have the above stated desires -- absolute power or "more" money! Now the question is how can we make it apparent to the masses to be able to differentiate between those “few” and the rest , as the masses are the ones who choose candidates, who bear the responsibility of running (or ruining) the country. To quote Frank Herbert - "The machinery of the government is always subordinate to the will of those who administer that machinery. The most important element of government, therefore, is the method of choosing leaders."

To bring about the change (i.e. to reduce corruption, bring more efficiency, reduce public exploitation) we need to start somewhere and it will be easier to start from the “top”, i.e. to put the right people in right posts. I tend to agree with Plato’s vision of philosophers being the guardians - the leaders. However, I beg to differ from Plato that I don’t consider the ethical standards, he upholds, important. I believe in cheating those who cheat, in beating those who beat, and in looting those who loot.

I believe that if a change has to be brought about it has to be a product of two simultaneous movements -- one, at the bottom and, the other, at the top. The bottom heap of the population is already frustrated and we just need to equip them. And at the top, we need to find a better way to get “better” people.

In the current scenario the “change” initiated from the top will percolate rather easily than if initiated at the bottom. Gone are the days of Gandhi as we don't have unity for one cause any more - we don't have a collective frustration. The population is divided as there are loads who suffer and few who care and very few who are ready to act and still very few who have means to act.

Now the question is how to bring about that change – I suggest that we cheat the system! By cheating the system, I mean that we use the existing system and manipulate it for our cause; in the same way the people in power do! In an ideal situation there is no need to cheat, but ours is neither an ideal situation nor an ideal system. Our system runs based on perceptions and not on the basis of facts! When I say "system" I refer to people who constitute the system! People who have authority!

Cheating the system is essential. Firstly, the people who are responsible for the present situation (i.e. pushing a common man towards the attitude of “chalta hai”) will try their level best to resist a social change, which weakens “their” hold and makes “them” accountable, they'll use all their power to make sure that there is no way a rule or regulation is created to allow this. Secondly, there is no point in creating one more regulation which can be passed and then blatantly violated. So simply cheat the existing system!!

"They" the party candidates cheat. Distributing alcohol and money during election time is a well known, accepted fact! We see it, but still we ignore it! From a layman's view he should definitely vote for a candidate who can at least provid him alcohol or money during elections. Short term gain is certainly better when we know that the long term does not hold any promise!

“What -to-do” is known. The question now is “How to do it?” - How to cheat the system? I propose a few guidelines here. Though these are ideal guidelines and in a way can be labeled as “Utopian” i.e. in the sense not possible! But I guess we need to start somewhere and it’s always good to start from certain ideal and then tweak it as we may see fit.

1) Educate the masses about the electoral candidates**, without attraction untoward attention from the ruling class. There is a mandate by the election commission on the same, but national parties have found a way around it.
2) More and more “educated” people should join “the cause” in whichever way possible. Like creating a uproar in every possible way about each small misdeed about each small fault
3) Pick up a social cause and adhere to solving it with tenacity, even if that cause affects only 2 people
4) Help the masses in identifying the local heroes who stand for the cause. It does not matter, if these local heroes belong to a particular political party, as long as they are genuine in their dedication to the social cause. (For this solution to work we need to work on solution 1 in tandem)

These are very broad guidelines and a common theme which is running across them is of a mass movement of the intellectuals of this country demanding and being the change which is long due.

In addition to the above route corporate India can be leveraged. Profit is good with a little extra caution and care for the “Aam Admi”. It’s not about the Corporate Social responsibility (which is a fake activity). They have to get involved in much more meaningful way and at the same time not hitting the bottom-line in the long run. Instead of pouring money on CSR activities, which most of the time are gauged by the useless KPI of man-hours, they can channel the money in creating funds for the education of needy children or run a local school. More important from giving money they can induce the culture of accountability and calibrating success in the system.

** Who is fighting, and for what cause. Facts are rendered useless in the hustle bustle of the propaganda of the people in power! What remains is just the perception. If we study the “history” of a specific person we can easily distinguish between the perceptions created and the “true facts” about the person.