We Are Making An Irreversible Leap

Signs are everywhere. Our dear lives and its inescapable surroundings are changing their course; or is it that big changes around us are affecting things that matter to us the most. 2023 suggests that we are changing, politically, culturally, and technologically in a faster pace than ever before. We, like the unannounced eruption of a volcano or arrival of an earthquake, are pushed to a sudden leap into the unknown. A quantum leap or a disruptive upheaval? Only time will tell. We are a species that is good at adapting and fitting in–and that gives us hope.

Moving beyond individual events, which are perceptible to our naked senses, what are the big drifts and developments that shaping our world? What is the big picture? We should not go about as if we have not seen them.

It took humanity over two million years to progress from sharpened rocks to polished met- al for hunting and gathering. In modern times, humanity took over a hundred years to move from steam engines (1712) to electric engines (1834). Boom! Comes the post-modern contemporary times. In last fifty years, along with new philosophies of relativism and subjective truth and cultural mayhems came Internet of things, Artificial Intelligence, big data, blockchain, 5G, 3D printing, robotics, drone, gene editing, nanotechnology, and more. Now is the time of AI assisted creation, convergence, and confluence. The result is not easily predictable. Change will change everything. The lines between humans and machines are blurring, except that we can a see a few things coming and take guard. The potential for transformative change in areas like work, governance, and creative industry is significant and potentially irreversible. Don’t miss the bus; quick, get out of your comfy tent. Be the early majority.

In population we have surged past China to become the world’s most populous nation, and having a considerable number of young people may be a demographic dividend. But what needs a serious debate and intervention is that a populous country with mega billionaires, with political patronage, on one side and 111th position out of 125 in the Global Hunger Index may make many walk on the tightrope; and many more fall out of balance. The monies and powers are with only a few, the vast majority are just part of the population.

Climate change is real; and this change is irreversible. The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference was convened from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai. It brought to the fore the impasse and pre- tended concern for the earth and ecology. Despite rhetoric of urgency, the conference failed to substantially narrow the ambition gap between current national pledges and the emissions reductions needed to limit global warming. The lack of concrete timelines and immediate action plans remains a glaring concern. The omnipresence of fossil fuel companies and lobbyists throughout COP28 cast a dark shadow on the conference’s credibility. Their active role in shaping discussions and influencing outcomes raises serious questions about true commitment to decarbonisation. Concerns about equity and justice permeated the conference. Issues such as historical responsibility, intergenerational fairness, and the disproportionate impact of climate change on developing nations were inadequately addressed, furthering existing vulnerabilities.

We have a new parliament building; the Indian Parliament Mandir is the symbol of Indian democracy and republic. The size of our parliament building has increased, but the length and quality of our parliamentary debates have decreased. Political polarisation and democratic recession deepened in India. There is an erosion of freedoms. India’s press freedom rank dropped further to 161 out of 180 countries surveyed in the World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders in 2023. There were attempts to push out elected members of parliament out of parliament: some succumbed, other fought back, and some others are still fighting.

Erosion of institutional autonomy is suicidal. Concerns have been raised about the diminishing independence of key institutions like the judiciary, election commission, and media, potentially undermining checks and balances within the system. There is a shrinking space for dissent. Crackdowns on civil liberties, increased restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, and the targeting of activists and critics raise concerns about democratic backsliding. Majoritarianism and marginalisation: The rise of majoritarian politics and the potential marginalisation of minority communities and their voices pose a challenge to India’s inclusive and pluralistic democracy. The spread of fake news and propaganda online can manipulate public opinion, hinder informed discourse, and weaken democratic processes.

We are at the turn of a year. One of the foremost thinkers and philosophers of China, Confucius, four centuries before the common era, said, “We have two lives; the second one begins when we realise we have only one.” One can begin one’s second life from any point in one’s life. Every time we show a little more courage to love, speak the truth, etc. we are beginning our second life. When we decide to help someone, or more importantly, be brave enough to ask for help we are beginning our next year, next life. Martin Heidegger famously said that your destiny cannot be changed, but can be challenged. Every time we begin again, we are challenging our density.

There is a thought-provoking poem by a Brazilian poet called, Mario de Andrade; and the poem’s name is My Soul Is in a Hurry. The poet, as he passes through his midlife, looks back at his life and writes, my future is shorter than my past, I have fewer days in front of me, and more days behind me. I have no time for mediocrity, lethargy or excuses. As the poem proceeds he uses a beautiful metaphor of a boy with a bowl of cherries. He says, my life is like boy with a bowl of cherries. As soon as the child got the bowl of cherries he just began to gulp them in. All on a sudden he realises that he has only a few cherries that are left in the bowl. He stops; he takes a deep breath, now he begins to eat the remaining cherries attentively and passionately. And the poem ends with the words, “We have two lives; the second one begins when we realise we have only one.” Happy New Year.

Written as TOGETHER editorial.

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