Learning from the past

NOT MERELY SCIENCE, BUT DEDICATION TOO

Tuesday, 11 November 2014 | Ashwani Lohani | in Oped

1

2

3

4

5

0

Human ego is the biggest stumbling block to progress and growth in today’s era. Bigger the ego, the lesser the delivery

The national penchant for re-inventing the wheel and invariably showcasing efforts as the first of its kind is as damaging as it is hilarious. I vividly remember the beginning of my tenure in the tourism sector when I was asked to take steps to prepare State-level master plans for the development of tourism. I tumbled upon a bookshelf and found that similar reports were prepared many times over in the past.

Yet, in our efforts that are directed towards self-perpetuation, we never learn, nor seem to be inclined to, despite the fact that there is really much that can be gleaned from the affairs of history. Napoleon’s conquests and his emergence as the emperor of France when he was merely 35, the rise of Germany as the most powerful nation in the world within 70 years of its being totally vanquished during the World War I and the ejection of the British Empire from the sub-continent almost single-handedly by Mahatma Gandhi, are classical examples from history that should  inspire us towards achieving greatness.

And it is not merely these great examples. There are many other equally important examples, albeit on a lower scale, that are within the realm of realisation by mere mortals. How many of us know that the great architectural masterpiece, Red Fort, took only 10 years to build — that too almost four centuries ago — and the iconic Howrah bridge took just five? That the three hill railways, namely, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Kangra Valley Railway and the Kalka Simla Railway, each took less than three years to build, is also beyond the realm of comprehension. Unthinkable indeed in the present era, when the skills, technological as well as managerial, are far more advanced than the time when those masterpieces were created.

Perhaps then delivery was as sacrosanct as processes are today. And therein lies the folly of the systems of present times. And it is also about ego. “The bigger the ego, the lesser the delivery”, a statement that symbolises the working of all the enterprises today, says it all about the causes that underline our most glaring failures. That human ego is the biggest stumbling block to progress and growth is a fact that needs appreciation. Yet what really surprises me is adjustable egos that do not even whimper when a superior pulls one up but flare up in the presence of a subordinate at the slightest pretext. And the tantra is perhaps the finest example of egos that remain elastic throughout ones lifetime. What a great waste of life, human life that according to the Hindushastra is conferred after passing through 84 lakh life forms.

The great Indus Valley civilisation of the 5th century BC is an outstanding example of what our ancestors were capable of even in those days that were bereft of technological advancements of the kind that exist today. The strides that this civilisation made in the fields of town planning, trade and culture are really an eye-opener and make us wonder with awe — if so much could be achieved in those days, why not now?

Perhaps it is all about our ability to dream and having a single-minded focus and determination to convert the same into reality. Yet the same would not be possible without three things — leadership, absolute integrity and ethical behavior, the void of which this great nation had been experiencing for quite some time now.  Yet we remain engrossed in trivialities, things that really do not matter in the long-run or even in the short-run. Moreover self-gratification and an absolute lack of concern for the collective can never propel a nation forward.

Do we need bullet trains?

The answer is yes with a but, the but being that running more trains as well as longer trains so that all those desirous of traveling can get a confirmed seat should have a higher priority over mere speed. The constraint in increasing the number of trains to suit the demand stems from the reality that major trunk routes are now saturated due to the yearly addition of new trains with scant regards to the infrastructural bottlenecks and much warranted systemic improvements.

Nevertheless, even considering that saving a few hours is to be pegged at a higher pedestal than meeting the basic expectations of the traveling public, the fact remains that the existing tracks even on the golden quadrilateral would not suffice as running a couple of bullet trains would drastically reduce the train carrying capacity of the lines, thereby increasing shortages even further. Moreover With airfares almost matching upper class fares on the track, those wanting to save time or forgoing the hassles of long distance invariably travel by air. This category would continue to do so even if the travel time is reduced to half unless of course the experience itself makes up for the extra time spent.

This brings us to the fundamental reality that quadrupling of important tracks is indeed an essential prerequisite before a path breaking exercise like bullet trains or even large scale increase in the existing trains can be considered. Considering the mess that the railways find itself in, it is apparent that time has come when the private sector and private funding should be involved in the building and operation of new tracks, new overhead equipment, new rolling stock and new terminals through the PPP route, for besides the money, it would also be many times faster than the existing methodology. 

Sometime back it was reported that a high level delegation went beyond the shores of the country to scout for suitable technology for bullet trains. Unfortunately it is not only about technology, it is about running an organization well, it is about vision, it is about being responsive to the changing environment, it is about connectedness of the organization to the clients and the men who run the show. It saddens me that an organization, a commercial one at that continues to perform miserably even in the best possible business scenario – monopoly, sellers-market and a burgeoning middle class.

Yet dream we must for only those who dream, dare and railways has indeed been waiting for big ticket improvements and reforms. If our clients want bullet trains give it to them, but at the same time also give them the other things in their well justified wish list, like the ability to travel when they like, clean trains and stations and above all a better managed railway that can compete with railway networks in the developed world.  

There is a lot to learn from history. Is it not amazing that in the nineteenth century it took a mere two decades and a half for the four major cities to be linked regardless of the absence of technology and planning tools that we have today? The pace at which the hill railways were built, all five of them is also equally amazing for after over a hundred years of technological advancements and breakthroughs we feel exasperated that mere paper work takes more time than what our ancestors took to build. 

For the nation to indeed live the big ticket dreams in the railway sector, a totally out of the box thinking and execution methodology would have to be resorted to. Unfortunately the monolith being mired in its own archaic thinking and processes would resist change, yet would have to come around if it has to emerge as the engine of economic growth in a now resurgent India.