Untapped Potential

Potential is a dirty word. Unfortunately many of us associate potential with a positive trait that needs to be flaunted. During my stint(s) in the tourism sector, I often came across people, even the doyens of the industry who left no stone unturned in eulogizing the tourism potential of India as if the potential itself is something that if flaunted would fetch both tourists and forex.

In India there is potential everywhere. There is potential in the building of roads, in eradicating poverty, in increasing tourism, in railways etc etc. On the contrary, one would not find much potential in the developed countries, say the United States of America. Lack of deliverance ensures conservation of potential and deliverance its extinction. Obviously, the extinction option is preferable, yet we take pride in tons and tons of conserved potential.

That conserved potential is not the preserve of infrastructure alone also needs appreciation. Most of us human beings who throng the sarkari sector also have vast reserves of untapped potential. The complexities of the tantra ensure that the untapped potential remains well conserved and the sarkar as well as the sarkari mulazims forever remain devoid of the deep sense of satisfaction that comes with the extinction of the vast reserves of untapped potential.

The tantra needs to be unshackled, the earlier the better.

Why America is Great?

The Clinton episode shook America, but subsequently the candid confession of the President once again proved the greatness of America as a nation. How many of us, politicians or otherwise would candidly accept their guilt, that too in front of everyone? Our sincere attempts to cover up our shortcomings, ultimately boomerang making the situation messier.

America is also great because of the dignity of labor. Men there are generally not assessed or ranked in the social circles because of their job profile. The dignity provided to each and every single member of the society is also a reason why America is great.

"Satyamev Jayate" is our slogan, but we rarely believe in it and hardly ever practice it. The indian society survives on falsehood. But on the other hand, the American society lays tremendous premium on truthfulness in all matters, official and personal.

A smile on every face is what one finds while walking in America. On the other hand, walking on streets in Indian cities one would come across people with a frown on their generally morose faces as if they are handling onerous responsibilities of the nation. Official meetings are also drab and dull with each trying to impress the other with his work or a false notion of responsibilities that generally do not exist.

Here we are busy and remaining busy, whether there is any output or not, is considered creditable. There they are delivering, remaining busy is just not important.

And most importantly, we shall forever continue to have potential because we are preserving it carefully. On the other hand America is fiercely consuming its potential. Yet we seek credit for having potential. How immature!

Forever busy

When shall we stop remaining busy and start delivering?

Well we the bureaucrats of India whom a british playwriter once described as a bunch of bumbling nincompoops shall forever remain busy satisfying the unsatiable, the system of non deliverance.

When shall we become mature enough to realize that remaining busy is not enough and that this scenario places us in a make believe world where we imagine that the country, state, organization of our dreams will fructify with our highly misplaced efforts.

It is true that India has potential. Unfortunately all of us have a notion that having potential is a good state of affairs to be in, wheras the truth is just the opposite. Having unlimited potential in every single sector, as is the case in our motherland goes to prove that we have been a sheer failure in our efforts. Decimating potential, and not accumulating it is the key to happiness and success.

The remaining busy syndrome has been taken so far by the bureaucracy of India that we almost everyday and on every occasion grumble about the heavy work on our shoulders and at the same time judge others by how busy they are. We are so bloody busy that we dont even have time to improve the system, or to place our objectives and the goals in the correct viewing frame. And therefore in our over-drive to create unproductive work, we are everyday devising new policies, procedures and rules, while at the same time remaining totally unconcerned about delivery. What an ingenious way of working, it is only indian bureaucrats who are capable of such a devious approach.

And why not. We have emerged as an end unto ourselves. Our concerns do not extend beyond our small worlds that comprise of our own near and dear ones. Even others in the organization can go to hell, and the common man does not figure even in the farthest of our dreams.

How the hell can this country even dream of finding a place in the top 100 nations of the world when the drivers, and we certainly are one of them, do not even know the way, have eyes but no vision, have no innner motivation to drive unless cajoled, greased or bambooed, and lastly who would sell the car at the earliest possible opportunity.

But we are happy and content, just remaining busy.

"Potential" is a dirty word

I get irritated when potential is talked about as if giving credit to the organization, place, city, state or nation. Is Madhya Pradesh great because it has tremendous tourism potential and does it give it any credit? Rightfully it should not. Realization of that immense potential is what should give credit and convey a positive impression.
Why do people say that India has tremendous potential and therefore should be regarded as great? Nobody ever talks about the potential of the United States or Britain. The difference is that while we have carefully preserved our potential, others, mostly the developed world has realized it.
Potential is therefore directly linked to deliverance, inversely proportional to be exact. We have done nothing and therefore we have tons of potential and those from the developed world have delivered and have therefore consumed their potential.
Consuming the potential is therefore what matters.
In tourism, the example of Kerala is worthy of emulation. A state known more for its militant trade unions gradually started first appreciating and then consuming its potential in the tourism sector. The state looked around and then realized that its backwaters, the tradition of ayurveda and the coconut lagoons can attract people and the famous Amitabh Kant took no time in consuming the potential of the state. On the contrary, states like the Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Orissa always took pride in the unlimited tourism potential that they ever had, with the difference that current Govt of Madhya Pradesh decided to do something positive about it. And the state surged forward in all spheres, especially tourism.
Let us all abandon the sense of pride that we Indians have started taking in the word "potential". Let the nation, state, city or organization be judged not by the potential they posess, but by what they have done to eradicate the potential.