Public perception

Public perception about issues and individuals may vary sometimes totally from truth and facts. When Goebbelian propaganda machinery is involved in spreading lies, there is a need to record, spread the truth on a mission mode to avoid permanent damage to the image.

This has done incalculable damage to Congress more than Rahul. The sad part is Congress leaders defend themselves, their group if it affects them. Rahul is left alone. He may not care. Gandhi family never does. When Rahul attacks Modi, his entire cabinet, party troop in.

Congress leaders do not bother much about political damage to Congress and also to Rahul who is fighting more or less alone to defend Congress, fight Modi/ BJP/ RSS bravely, with unflinching determination to preserve, resurrect the culture of Congress, people and the country.

If one goes by the outcome the response mechanism of Congress to defend the party or Rahul is totally inadequate. Why was it allowed to happen? There is no logical reason. They cannot wait indefinitely for the truth to percolate and change the perception of people in the natural course.

What is the alternative?  

It is a big question in everyone’s mind. They get diffident losing hopes and tend to be negative, restless, anxious with fear. Fear of failure adds to the phobia but does not help evolving solutions. One has to face the truth and facts in detail.

The best course is an analysis of information, ideas available or generated. The analyses invariably are dismissed as theoretical. It is often underestimated. It is only a process to understand what is true and right. It brings clarity. Evading analysis is evading to know the truth.

Normally the problems are assigned to individuals or groups. What matters is the process adopted by them. They may go by their perceptions, experience, skills they gained. There are people with extraordinary perception and discerning ability. Still, they can go wrong. 

If one goes deeper, perception is also the result of a person’s internal analytical process. Much of it is contributed by one’s growing years building up mental faculty, added by exposure, experience, application apart from DNA and inbuilt characteristics of individual/s.

That also carries the prejudices, preferences, ambitions affecting one’s impartiality consciously or subconsciously; impairing their assessments, opinion and conclusions. So it is to be cleared of these impurities by inclusive processes with free flow of information, analysis.

A discussion itself is a process to understand each other’s differing or concurring perceptions. It is put through the crucible of the analytical process to sort out and eliminate defects or impurities. It will make people bow to logic, reasoning; will help unity, consolidation.

Do not imprison or artificially restrict the thought process. Let a hundred flowers bloom (Deng Xiaoping). An analysis is a scientific process to generate, discuss and come to a more probable right conclusion methodically, logically for the problems or issues concerned.

Whether practical?

Whether it is practical to embark on such lofty ideas, thought processes, problem-solving mechanisms? They are not new in the present world or even in ancient eras. Let there be a method, not madness. We have abilities. We always perform far below our potential.

We need not go into bygone eras for examples. Congress was having brainstorming sessions. It is also an engineered generation of ideas, thoughts about issues, solutions. We can view it as a process involving a broader spectrum of people for discussions, dispassionate analysis.

It is a healthy approach irrespective of its failure to strengthen organisation bringing changes. Maybe the focus and issues were different. If such brainstorming sessions were held more frequently perhaps it may have solved many of its internal organisational problems.

One may call it a brainstorming or analytical thought process. If it is generating or bombarding information, ideas, we can have more of it. Why should we make it exclusive to a few individuals and their perceptions or expertise instead of having it more broad-based?

When we create an aura to a normal routine job, it becomes artificial, restricted. Were we not having discussions under the banyan tree? Can we not have discussions in a tent say in a place where farmers agitate? Knowledge or the brain to understand truth is available all over.

People do not lose their rights to contribute to the nation with their ideas once they vote a representative from their constituency. This also applies to the various political parties. They should listen to people, their voices; welcome their contributions and be responsive.

We should not concern too much about who contributed to it. “It doesn’t matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice?” (Deng Xiaoping) It is foolish to deny anyone their right to contribute to the nation, whether one is from a dynasty or from commoners.

Will it open Pandora’s box? Action is better than inactions. Don’t we have people to channelise, sort and analyse information impartially, dispassionately? Ideas, information should not be stopped. If sources are restricted/ compromised, any decision, judgement will go wrong.

Amazing talents

We have amazing and unbelievable talents available in our midst. We should be punishing all concerned for this colossal wastage of talents. We can fill 1000s of Lok Sabhas and can even rule the world if they do not pick up our present political traits and vices.

Congress can use them. Rahul is a no-nonsense person and so also many of the younger generations. Even if they tend to be materialistic they are amenable to reasons, logic and sense. Congress should move away from their minimalistic approach to unleash animalistic drive. 

Congress leaders see every other person as a political threat and inferior to their class. In a true democracy, they have no right to secure, safeguard their position by oppressing and suppressing others; should not treat anyone as a threat. Instead should encourage talents.

For safeguarding the nation and to reestablish truth and sense we need such talents. The value of truth and honesty is always underestimated. The materialistic world turned to viruses in place of virtues. When the viruses cause damage to the system, the community seeks virtues.

Congress cannot adopt BJP’s ways. It will lose its values. Its leadership will not endorse it. There is no shortcut for Congress; no covert and unethical moves. That is simply not its arena or game. Maybe, pursuing truth is a faster route. Its acceptance is not yet dead.

Unfortunately, truth and facts have not percolated down to the people to the extent needed. It is due to inactivity, self-doubts, the methodological flaw of Congress and also all other opposition parties. Congress should change its approach and search for talents to strengthen it.