Knowing our limitations along with our strengths is the wisdom that we should demonstrate.
Viewpoint
By NV Paulose
Government is a symbol of power. Any power centre behave like a government. Every person at power think in same manner. Power think ultimate about themselves. I can do everything is the attitude. Nothing should happen with out my knowledge and interference is the approach of power. As an outcome it prevents others from doing their part in development process and programs. A state or a nation where only the government machinery is in action is bound to fail in performance. False claims and manipulated figures are all the outcomes of such an approach. Ultimately the ship has to get into troubled waters and everyone starts to blame the people at power. Same lips that sung slogans of praise go spreading wrong slogans about the king. Better correct and know what are the things possible at self and what all need others to play roles.
A government is like a ship. Every constituency is a mini ship. MP and MLA or even a Corpopator or a Gram Panchayat Member is the Captain of that particular ship. People of the constituency are the Crew of the ship. When Captain claim all the credits, the Crew become lazy and disconnected from the system. This is alright when things go fine. But then you cannot keep the ship in the Seashore. It has to go to deep sea.
Deep sea is of troubled waters. Captain need support from the Crew. There should be a proper coordination between the Captain and the Crew. There should be mutual respect. Attitude of the government’s claiming bigger than what they are causing gap between the people and the government. Those who are just focused on corruption only can go in a careless manner. Others shiuld keep people alongside. Or else at critical times the Crew may throw the Captain out of the ship. That may become an unpleasant exit.
In Kerala flood it was visible. People took control by themselves. Government and governmental machinary has to speak loud their expressions gratitude to the people. Those officers were genuine and had the courtesy to tell the truth. The Chief Minister of Kerala has done good work at the time of trouble. Even his medical travel was postponed.
But he was forced to do things that he had refused to do earlier. Press briefing was abruptly stopped immediately after he became the CM. At time of flood almost every day he had to explain about all what is being done. That had proved many things. In the total work of relief and rescue operations the role of government is only a rat size in the entire mountain of goodness.
