... and the world matures, but what of its leaders?

It has been ages since I last wrote a blog. Truth be told, I am not an avid blogger at all. It takes some issues that are close to my heart before I can start typing.

Events of last couple of weeks have had issues galore. Issues from lands as diverse as America, South Africa, Australia and India. It is the issue of race and ethnicity. A issue that never goes away, but may seem latent at times.

First, let’s turn to the one speech that got me writing this – Barack Obama’s speech in Philadelphia. The speech came in the backdrop of intense media scrutiny of the speeches of his pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright. A wiki search on Rev Wright seems to suggest that he has been a proponent of black separatism. And with Barack Obama having strong relations with Rev Wright, this was a ripe issue for the media, and, dare I say all the Obama critics. Surely, the critics might think, the election would witness him playing a race card.

And how did Obama respond? He didn’t dodge the issue of race, of racial discrimination. He didn’t disown Rev Wright. He simply stated a truism that hot heads and despots always forget – that in such sensitive issues, nothing can ever be gained by being exclusive; that even people with blatantly biased views deserve a hearing. Because these bias are not the bias of an individual. They simply represent the microcosm of the society we live in. For the society to be progressive and harmonious we need everyone to work towards common goals, which in a broad sense are goals of equality and equal opportunity in the true sense (emphasis – equal opportunity in the true sense and not race based opportunity).

Unfortunately, not every politician, not in USA, not in India, will go the Obama way. Some will incite the divisive nature of the race (read caste for the Indian scenario) issue in order to polarize votes; others will simply sweep them under the carpet and let it be fodder for idle speculations and lighthearted quips.

Let’s now move towards South Africa – a country that espoused apartheid in face of condemnation from rest of the world. But that is history. Today, South Africa is changing, and changing fast. Their policy makers are trying to provide more opportunities for the underprivileged (read colored) community. A system of reservations (similar to India, in case of jobs and education) is being implemented and this has made its way to the world of sports also. The South African cricket board has a “transformation policy” that has certain “targets” in way of number of colored players in a cricket team. A noble aim, considering how people of color had been treated in past. All was well until the team was selected for twin tours of Bangladesh and India. Rumblings started when the team was to tour Bangladesh was chosen. The volcano erupted when the South African squad for its tour of India was announced.

Andre Nel, the big fast furious, in-your-face snarling fast bowler, who is white, was dropped. Charl Langeveldt, the sharp medium pacer who had made a mark in one-dayers, but who seemed to lack the “zing” of a test match bowler was picked. Langeveldt is not white. Nel was disheartened. He reportedly started thinking of quitting. Langeveldt was traumatized as well. After 5 years in the international circuit, playing regularly in the one-day cricket team, having access to the best coaching facilities in the country, he had been labeled as a “quota” player – an underprivileged player. This was a clear implication that he wasn’t considered good enough on “merit” for a test match, but was condescendingly chosen. Charl Langeveldt subsequently withdrew from the squad stating he was too emotionally drained at being thus labeled (unfairly). A genuinely decent person like Langeveldt didn’t deserve such treatment. Nor did Nel.

Rather aptly, the South African journalist Neil Manthrop, in his column, commented:

“If 1000 South Africans entered a road race, it would be incumbent on the organisers to ensure that everybody had decent shoes, that everybody had access to water stations, physio points and everything else that goes with road running. And it would also be right to set aside the majority of the 1000 places for disadvantaged runners, most of whom would be black - say 700. But the one thing you can't do, if you want to preserve the race's integrity, is stipulate how many black runners must finish in the top ten. And in cricketing terms, the top 10 is the national team”

Unfortunately, there are very few good men left in political leadership positions. Most tend to be like the South African cricket bigwigs – people who try to pacify their supporters (or vote banks). The Barack Obamas of this world are the exceptions.

We need to understand that deprivation and discrimination are not the one and the same. Sure, in a number of cases they are strongly related, but they are not the same. Deprivation can be targeted using financial means. Money can be invested in the poorer schools. Investments can be made in prisons and efforts made to guide those who were sucked into a murky world through poverty. But the issue of discrimination is one that has to be sorted out in the mind. To end discrimination, the mindset has to change.

In Obama’s words:

“But I have asserted a firm conviction - a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people - that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice if we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union. For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances - for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs - to the larger aspirations of all Americans -- the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives - by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny.”

As Charl Langeveldt showed, as the South African cricketers (led by Ashwell Prince – yes, he is black too, in case you wanted to know) showed by passing a resolution condemning quotas in sports, the world is maturing. The majority of us would accept that wrongs have been committed in history. We would also accept that two wrongs don’t make a right. We would re-affirm our dream, phrased so aptly by John Lennon in his song "Imagine':

"… Nothing to kill or die for …
Imagine, all the people
Living life in peace.
Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one.”

I do believe that a large majority of us, the citizens of this world, are mature enough. But the question is, are our leaders mature enough? Have they managed to chuck away their vestiges of selfish goals of staying in power? Have they stopped deluding themselves that a world divided is the world best to rule.

Ironically, it seems, now most of the leaders have to be led.

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A footnote:

A March 2007 news article titled “Obama record may be a gold mine for critics” makes for interesting reading. The article starts off listing some of the “controversial” activities and voting tendencies of Barack Obama. But a careful reading shows that one fact repeatedly surfaced – no matter what Obama’s personal views be, he was always inclusive in his style of functioning – he always gave everyone a fair hearing. And this characteristic resonated again in his speech.

Personally, I give a thumbs up to Barack Obama – he spoke of issues openly and with finesse that should better be put under carpet by vote savvy politicians. If the world is to enter a golden era, then we need honest men at the helm. This is not to say that I give a thumbs down to the other candidates – I simply have no interest in American politics, but I do admire Obama’s strength of character.