“Be the Change You Want to See”: the power of the individual
“Be the Change You Want to See”: the power of the individual
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
The discourse on political and social change is often viewed through the lens of policies and legislations, commonly known as a “top-down” perspective.
The bottom-up perspective, however,deserves as much, if not more, importance in a nation like ours where we tend to believe our strength lies in ournumbers. The occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the birth anniversary of an individual who believed so strongly in bottom up politics, is perhaps all the more a befitting occasion to pay a tribute to the strength of civil society and individuals.More importantly,it’s a time for each one of us to acknowledge and realize our own powerful roles as individuals.
Examples from history have taught us of the infinite power that individuals have had in transforming society. Such is true of our own independence, from the struggle of our freedom fighters, including the father of our nation himself. Similarly individuals like Nelson Mandela fought for the apartheid movement in South Africa and Rosa Parks for the equality of blacks and whites in the United States.
However, the magnitude of such movements, and the stature that such figures have acquired in history can also mystify the scope that each of us“ordinary individuals”can play in initiating social change. To suggest that change is confined to the action of a few individuals whose examples have gone down in history is perhaps not an adequate illustration of the bottom-up perspective.
In a society like ours that is built on the ideals of democracy, where individuals have a space to dissent, to debate and to decide for themselves, it is naturally important for us to acknowledge the part that we have to play as individuals, and collectively as civil society. But the idea of “each voice counts” does not stop at voting. In certain contexts the role of law, or policy can also be ineffective if not for the commitment of each individual in order for a system to work smoothly. This can apply to problems as large as environmental pollution, or climate change. On a trip to Amritsar last week, a group of friends and I were amazed at the efficiency with which the guru ka langar (community kitchen) near the Golden Temple manages to feed 80,000 people a day, completely free of cost. An example, albeit on a much smaller scale,also demonstrates the principle of each individual playing his or her part
Our strength may lie in our numbers, but it is also imperative for each one of us to embrace the values that our nation was founded on, of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity that are enshrined in our constitution; for each of us to foster these values in our own lives workplaces, communities and societies, in order for them to become a living reality. In order for each of us to really “be the change we want to see.”
Saanya Gulati is a LAMP Fellow at PRS Legislative Research
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