All action is derived from the art of making meaning…
Reflections from Participating in the Rashtriya Sanyukt Morcha Karyakarini of the BJP, July 2022, Patna, Bihar.
Had the privilege of joining the women leaders of the BJP’s Mahila Morcha National Executive Council, as a special invitee, at the National Joint Morcha Executive Meeting, last week. Four days in Bihar, immersed in discussions with karyakartas at the deepest level of the volunteer structure. From leaders who manage voting booths to four-time women MLAs in challenging, erstwhile violent constituencies; to city mayors and municipal leaders from across India, who work 24/7 to support their constituencies; from young adults filled with inspiring energy in the Yuva Morcha; to members of the party’s central leadership sharing their vision, strategy, and experience with members of all 7 Morchas in this massive, joint meeting.
That I can immerse in such a way, at a point in our democratic journey that represents a manthan, a churn of epic proportions for India, is deeply humbling. It is a privilege, and one that I cherish as one of the most intense learning phases of my life so far. Nothing challenges us more than an opportunity that triggers a deep, intentional quest to grow.
With no background or active interest in political roles, I have asked myself often how I could contribute meaningfully to India’s democratic journey? How does one balance the pursuit of an enriching professional career with global colleagues, an entrepreneurial life with its share of responsibilities AND an interest in contributing to the nation’s tryst with democracy & development?
Over the last year of immersion and learning, I can only say that I am more convinced than ever that, when called upon, each of us must contribute to a higher purpose than ourselves, and balance is just a matter of applying time and energy to meaningful action. The gathering in Bihar allowed time for more reflection and here are a handful of insights from the year so far as a special invitee to the Mahila Morcha NEC…my endeavour to make meaning that leads me forward to action:
1. The most intrinsic unit of democratic outcome is shared growth. At an individual level that means actively engaging in helping people grow, improving their quality of life, directing resources to enable underserved citizens to access equal opportunities. At a personal level I am asking my self: how can I interpret and act on the concepts of Antyodaya and Integral Humanism? Am I helping people in my village/ city/ state to grow and access equal opportunities? How?
2. To bring long term growth and change, in a democracy, you must win the right to bring those changes that you envision. Each vote is different, every voter thinks independently and is the fulcrum of any change; and this makes democracy a massive, continuous journey of change and evolution. How can I invest intentional time in learning, discussing, sharing ideas, engaging in dialogue, building a shared vision of where we want to be?
3. Finding ways to act at my own, local level; while connecting frequently to the bigger picture to gain insight, momentum and energy is the essence of the journey. How am I engaging in focused action that links local action to the larger good and helps everyone in my village/ community achieve more?
4. Finally, ideology. It’s a value system, a shared set of ideas that each of us is aligning around. If you are clear about what your value system is, and can anchor your actions to that value system, then the noise generated by media and fancy consulting terminology to obfuscate democratic choices will not cause any confusion. For me that translates to focused effort. Am I meeting enough people of varied beliefs, am I putting my own views to the test often, am I contemplating enough on the differences to find the underlying similarities? This is an individual quest to learn and engage.
At current count, the BJP has around 185 million members and is the largest Political Party in the world, in the world’s largest democracy. As a reference, the second largest party is the Chinese Communist Party with 95 million members, around half of the membership size of the BJP. Therefore, you can imagine, anchored in a nationalist ideology that puts India First, this volume of volunteer membership translates to tremendous energy and momentum on the ground. And yet, the organisation spends an incredible amount of time building the team, in karyakarta nirman, in deepening its India-first mission, connecting more people to its conceptual, historical roots, reminding every member that at one time we only had 2 seats in Parliament and no national mandate.
History and ideology are deeply enmeshed together in the fabric of the organization’s karya paddatti (methodology), and it takes time and patience to slowly absorb, engage, make meaning and find your own inflection point for action.
Immense gratitude to the patient and generous leadership of Shri BL Santosh ji, National General Secretary, BJP, and Smt. Vanathi Srinivasan ji, National President of the Women’s wing of the BJP, who are so open and willing to create the opportunities for immersion and learning, sharing with many of us, the potential to contribute to India’s democratic choices.
Lots of actionable ideas were triggered in this gathering, and its time to invest energy, build collaborations and put them to work.
