AFTERSCHOOOL CENTRE FOR SOCIAL

ENTREPRENEURSHIP
SIVAKAMU VETERINARY HOSPITAL ROAD
BIKANER
www.afterschool.tk
mobile : 9414430763

ARE YOU LIVING WITH SHARKS AND CROCODILES?

Population has increased four times since independence, but we are still to
find another Gandhi. The number of large organisations has increase more
than 100 times since independence, but we are yet to see another
Jamnalal Bajaj. The combined wealth of the nation has increased many
many times since independence, but the money spent on social
development initiatives by persons has also decreased substantially in
terms of their % of total income. The poverty ridden India of 50 years back
had more Bhamashah's and more Jamnalal Bajajs in comparison to the so
called rich India of today. The number of cases of suicides, corruption, mal-
practices, organisational feudism, nepotism etc. are increasing at
phenomenal rate - far beyond the expectations of any person. The true
spirit of the nation has died out long back and what is left is only a mad
rush for wealth. The true understanding of wealth has narrowed down to
only money and it is shrinking every day.

I have seen very brilliant persons preparing for entry into government
organisation or some big organisation and then getting into their dream job.
I have seen these brilliant persons then using their extraordinary talent in
fighting with other similar extraordinary persons. These persons than spend
their entire life fighting with their colleagues / superiors. These persons get
huge salaries, promotions and so many facilities, but the cost they pay is
beyond calculations. Most of these extraordinary persons fail to realise that
they are actually paying a huge cost in return to the so called high salaried
job. Their brilliance is obsured by the pomp and show of the job that they
so eagerly wish to acquire. Power and politics are being used for narrow
purposes. Merit and capabilities are ignored everywhere and parochial
interests dominate all policy makers. There is paucity of great and bold
policy makers who can remove all these clutches and bring India back to
the path of honesty, simplicity, true democracy, brotherhood and help to the
needy. The youth are the most adversely affected segments. They are now
rushing after short success formulaes. Media has further tried to misguide
them. The media tries to celebrate successes of those persons who reach
the top by hook or crook. The cases of corruption and malpractices are
highlighted but sincere and bright social entrepreneurs are ignored. The
result is growing dissatisfaction among the youth, who are today looking at
their life only as a short term money making venture. They fail to
understand the true purpose of life and are not able to have long term
objectives.

A story is presented here:

Mr. Ranjeet (a fake name) did his graduation and then started preparing for
IAS examination. Got into the IAS in his first attempt after leaving some two
lakh candidates behind. He then joined the governmenment in revenue
department. He now specialises in study of files. His comments on files are
very difficult to crack. He picks up cases which are very difficult to crack.
He puts the other party into trouble by his comments. He remembers each
and every sections and sub-sections of Indian revenue laws (the Indian
revenue laws are gigantic). He occasionally prepares report about different
aspects and his reports are also verbose. He is today known for his
sharpness. If you have to compare him with some living creature, you might
compare him with a scorpio. He has lot of money, lot of power, lot of
respect, but do you think he has done justice to his extraordinary talent? ?

Where lies the fault?

We are all myopic. We fail to understand the impact of our own actions on
our life. We are willing to lead a life witch looks attractive. We are not able
to understand that there are many aspects in life - which are beyond our
own comprehension. I expect the brilliant persons at least to try to
understand the implications of their own actions on their life. Mr. Ranjeet
(as narrated above) today fails to understand that he would have become a
better saint, or a better philanthropist, had he tried. But did he try? no. He
spent his life to a goal which was socially imposed on him. He has literally
wasted his life.
The story of large corporations - picture of ugly bureaucracy

All large companies, corporations and government departments depict

similar pictures. There is bureaucracy. There are cases of unnecessary
jealousy or envious behaviour in organisations. People are busy in
organisational politics. The only aim that people have is to acquire and
retain power. What is the use of that power? Only to maintain power. There
are no concrete goals, nor any concrete achievements. Each executive
tries to maligh other's achievement and tries to highlight his own. This
process is carried out religiously by each of the executives.

The solution
There is a solution to this problem. The brightest persons must be
encouraged to take up social enterepreneurship as their career. They can
use their extraordinary talent in bringing about solutions to the problems of
the society at large. They can be encouraged to think beyond their own
narrow goals. There are possibilities for this. At present, we are not giving
any encouragement to the social entrepreneurship as a career. There is a
need to give guidance, training and support to the budding social
entrepreneurs. Let us encourage the children to pick up career as per their
dreams. Let us give good publicity to social entrepreneurs and their
accomplishments. Let us conduct social entrepreneurship workshops in
schools and colleges so that the students can develop social commitments.
Let us invite social entrepreneurs to share their experiences in schools and
colleges so that we can find more social entrepreneurs in the years to
come.

Let us all get united to the cause of our next generations before it is too
late. Let us establish true institutions, where people come and contribute to
the nation building. Let us remove educational institutions from the clutches
of capitalists or other ists who are only trying to make money out of these
institutions. Let us encourage the reformers to come to forefront and take
charge of the making of the nation. It is the time that India should again rise
to the occasion and give an example to the world so that the forces for
social development can unite in other parts of the world also.