Tag: kanglaonline

By Manas Maisnam
I came to know from a social networking site a few months back that every year, 13th of August is observed as “International Lefthanders Day”. Frankly speaking, I have heard of Valentine’s Day, Friendship Day, Youths’ Day etc.; but Lefthanders Day? Never had I heard or was aware about it. Being a left-handed person, I felt extremely delighted that one day in a year is designated by the left-handed community to highlight problems, inconveniences and sometimes prejudices, we encounter in a world which is predominantly comprised of right-handed populace. It is a well known fact that almost exactly 10 percent of the world’s population is left-handed and why left-handed persons are in such minority is still an unsolved mystery.

Till date, there has been no satisfactory explanation on why the right hand became the dominant hand for majority of mankind, or how a person becomes either right-handed or left-handed. Many interesting and thought-provoking theories have been postulated by experts, but none of them are able to give a conclusive proof/ reason to why humans are predominantly right-handed. Whatever may be the reasons, it is accepted that being either right-handed or left-handed also largely depend on the surrounding environment one grows up, apart from other factors like genetics, hereditary, birth defects etc.  As for example, my son, who is a normal right-handed boy has become a “lefty” as far as usage of computer mouse is concerned. Ever since he started using my laptop a few years ago, he didn’t change the side on which the mouse was kept (I keep it on the left side). Instead, he clicks the mouse with his left hand. Now, he is not conversant in using the mouse with his right hand. I even observe that he moves the mouse to left   side, if he happened to use someone else’s computer!

Out of the many tests used by experts, two simple tests will be helpful in ascertaining the handedness of a person. Firstly, a left-hander will tend to draw a side profile picture facing right, while a right handed-person will draw it facing left. Secondly, a left-hander will draw a circle in anticlockwise direction as compared to a right-handed person, who will draw it in clockwise direction.

The prejudice against the left-handers has been in existence throughout the history. Till not so long ago, left-handers were stigmatized and oppressed owing to socio-religious reasons. In ancient times, left-handers were denounced as servants of devils. Many negative aspects of human life were made to be associated with the left hand. In our country, the left hand is considered to be “impure” and one is not supposed to touch food, sacred objects with left hand. In some other parts of the world, women were not allowed to use their left hand during cooking, fearing the food might be poisoned by sorcery. Only a few decades ago, in Japan left-handedness in wife was enough ground for divorce! During Victorian period in England, left-handed students were forced to write with right-hand. Women, who are so called ‘weaker sex’ (though personally I don’t subscribe to this concept), are described in our own parlance as “Oigee Lamdang Oibee” and the males, who are supposed to be ‘superior’ are described as “Yetki Lamdang Oibaa”. At social or religious functions, the place for women is on the left side of their male counterparts. There is no need to elucidate on which hand is given more prominence vis-à-vis the preceding two phrases and description.

According to some study, forcefully changing the inborn left-handedness of a person due to societal prejudices might lead to depression, introversion etc. owing to overburdening of the non-dominant part of the brain as the dominant part of the brain remains unchanged even if the handedness is changed. But a voluntary change of handedness doesn’t appear to lead to such consequences. On National Geographic channel, I once saw a programme where a right-handed woman, who was a squash player, voluntarily participated in an experiment to study the effects of change in handedness. In the experiment she had to change herself to a left-handed woman within one month. Initially, she faced trouble performing daily activities or hitting the ball with squash racquet. But as time progressed, her capability to use left hand gradually improved. Even her reflex actions became oriented towards left hand. By the end of the month, left-handedness improved and could even play squash with her left hand. There were no negative impacts on her mental health owing to the changeover of the handedness from right to left.

My grandfather and his two brothers are left-handers. During my childhood, I heard stories about how their elders restrained their left hands and forced them to pick up morsels of food by right hand. Tearfully, they complied and thus, outwardly became right-handed persons, but their inherent left-handedness still remains for they use the left-hand while performing day to day works. Thankfully, for me there was no pressure to change the use of my hand and I eat, write and draw with my left hand. However, in deference to religious customs, I use my right hand while offering/ picking flowers or offering money at religious functions. I manage to do it somehow with some tacit support from my left hand!

A left-handed, or southpaw person has to face many a practical difficulties and inconveniences while performing day to day activities. This stems out from the fact that almost all the tools, machineries and gadgets used in our daily life or for educational purpose are manufactured to suit its usage by right-handers, who are 90 percent of the total global population. During my student life, using a burette in Chemistry laboratory was a bit problematic, because the tap was placed on the right side with the graduation marks facing the user. If I had to use the burette, controlling its tap with my left hand then, the burette had to be turned the other way round. In that case, the graduation mark was away from me and I had to look around to get the reading. Such problems occurred with a mini drafter too. In fact, during my college days, my mini-drafter was placed during drafting classes only for cosmetic purpose. I hardly used it. Even taking lecture notes in a classroom filled with writing pad chairs was also quite troublesome. As the pad was fixed on the right side of the chair, I had to drag in another empty chair and keep it at my left side to keep my notebook. But if the classroom happened to be fully occupied then I was left with no other option but to twist my torso and write on the notebook placed on the right side. There are many other tasks in everyday life which a southpaw person finds it hard to perform owing to the non-conformity of the tools with his handedness; for instance, pulling a generator’s cord. Most of the modern gadgets have their buttons and knobs on the right side and when used by a left-hander, it is bound to create some difficulty.

Acknowledging these practical difficulties faced by the southpaw community, a shop at London is selling products designed especially for left-handers. They range from scissors to cameras. Even the clock on sale in the shop moves in anticlockwise direction with the hourly markings as mirror image of the conventional clock!

In conclusion, we the left-handed community should not feel inferior to others or embarrassed on account of our handedness. Nature has meant us to be left-handed and we should respect it. Parents should not try to force their left-handed children to change the handedness.  Despite all odds and challenges, we should look at life through a positive prism and try to get maximum advantage from it.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2011/08/a-lefthanders-musing/

By Priyadarshni M. Gangte,
“Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding”
                – Albert Einstein.
The word “Peace” means freedom from cessation of war, i.e. peace with honour, peace at any price (J.B. Sykes (ed) : The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English (7th Edition), Oxford University Press, 1987, p.753). Leiren (Dr. L. Leiren’s Article, “Peace Education in the 21st Century.” Imphal Free Press, 1st Sept., 2006) has elegantly contended that “peace” as a comprehensive enterprise that requires a transformation in our thinking sense of valued wills, resources and solidarity of all. Thus, it is a way of life in which one experiences inner tranquility, harmonious relationships and an interconnectedness with the world. Moreover, the term connotes in the real sense a state of Being (Net). It is about honouring and nurturing our spiritual side.

As our topic concentrates solely around “Peace”, it is pertinent to have some more definition of the same (Net):

“Peace is associated with clarity, and with an inner stillness that often gives rise to playfulness and inspired activity. So, while peace does come from non-resistance and acceptance of what is, it is not necessarily a state of passivity; rather it gives rise to choices that are free from automatic resistance …”

“… peace means being at peace with whatever is going on, so that any individual is aware of her or his inner reactions and can respond from a place of compassion and understanding …”

“… an inner state in which we are calmly impervious to whatever comes into our awareness of a distressing or inharmonious nature …”

“… peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all these things and still be calm in our heart. That is the real meaning of peace”, and,

* Presented in the 2-Day State Level Seminar on Kabow Valley and How To Bring Peace In Manipur, organised by Dr. Suresh; Centre for Foreign Studies And Placement in association with Cultural and Historical Research Trust, Manipur at the Central Library Hall, Imphal on 30-31st July, 2011.

“Peace means a quite stillness within oneself …, a completeness and a knowingness that everything is as it should be. A stillness so deep, that we know that each moment, each hour, each tomorrow is in this stillness waiting to blossom. Within this stillness there is no judgement, hatred, anger only a perfect stillness … a swelling of love …”

Before the advent of British rule in India, it was, of course, of varieties of small and big kingdoms, since the inception of sixteen Mahajanapadas with which led to the emergence of Maurya Empire in BC’s and still carrying her legacy upto the Mughal Empire. Such phenomenon have had not been witnessed or noticed by the North-eastern India, however in different ways of uniqueness these regions have their respective own histories. It will not wrong to say that independent India abruptly adopted democracy, without any having any taste and feel of the same. Further, after six decades and more being a democratic country masses in general and elite and other sections/groups in particular do not understand the actual meaning of democracy yet.

It is pathetic that the Indian State has not toed the democratic norms. Rather, on security point of view, the Indian state either simply copied the draconian laws of the colonial as referred by Baxi (Upendra Baxi : The Crises of the Indian Legal System, Delhi Law Review, 1982; p.43) and even made new extraordinary and harsher laws in maintaining law and order and tackling insurgency movements in the country. Some of these laws that have been quite abusively used – Punjab Security of State Act, 1953, The Assam Maintenance of Public Order (Autonomous Districts) Act, 1958, The Terrorist And Disruptive (Prevention) Act, 1987, The Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO), 2001, repealed etc, etc. It has been experienced oft and again that these extraordinary laws do not solve the problems of people’s dissent and insurgency movements. Instead the common people have been the victims of the atrocious laws. While the Terrorist and Disruptive (Prevention) Act, 1987 has lapsed after wide protests, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is still being promulgated in various states, particularly, the North East India. Sharmila has been undergoing fast unto death for complete removal of the Act. Scores of concerned civil society organisations including Sharmila Kanba Lup and the intelligentsia among others have been launching movements against any further promulgation of such Act, the authority has ever been arrogant. In fact the Act does not tune with the social reality (B.B. Pandey, Right To Life On Death ? : For Bharat Both Cannot Be ‘Right’, Supreme Court Cases, Delhi Law Review, 1994, 4(SS(J); p.24). Thus, we experienced gross violation of human rights of the common peoples (Prakash Louis and R. Vashum : Extraordinary Laws In India, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi, 2004, p.9). Sanajaoba (Keynote address by Prof. N. Sanajaoba “Human Rights Standard- Setting, Constitutionalism And Repressive Laws in Armed Conflict Situation” in the Seminar-cum-Workshop on Human Rights And Repressive Laws at L. M. S. Law College, Imphal, Manipur with the Initiative from the Centre for Humanitarian Law Studies and Research, Law Faculty, Guwahati University, organized by the college on 28-29 October, 2004) observed “subjugation has become the political culture”.

As far as to bring peace in Manipur is concerned, we need to trace back the past historical event, that is, of course, the causes and consequences of what we are facing to-day. Moreover, deprivation of justices, particularly political, economic, social, etc. were on the high. It is an empirical fact, that Manipuris have been protesting against even the British regime, can be clearly known from events, the First and Second Nupilals, Anglo-Manipuri War, Anglo-Kuki War, Irawat’s and Zeliangrong movements. Despite this situation, Merger of Manipur to the Indian Dominion and placed as part C state also had added fuel to the fire. As a setback there came up the secessionist movements. Manipur being very aloof from others was also a economic backward state (Ksh. Bimola; while delivering speech on the subject “Political Movements in Manipur” in the Refresher course Programme of History Department, Manipur University conducted by the Department of History with sponsorship of U.G.C. on 7/3/2005).

What intelligentsia and policy of our areas especially Manipur, popularly believe the future prospects of development and political stability of our regions lie in the Look East Policy, is, however, Roy (The Future of North-East –Need to Look East or Look All Around, an article by Prof. J.J.Roy Burman published in the Sangai Express, Nov. 19, 2010) has flatly refuted that it cannot be a panacea to the lingering problem of North-East, apart from the pangs of formation of an arbitrarily created nation – State with artificial borders, lies in the imposition of a system of parliamentary democracy based on the colonial legacy of constituency formation that hinges on the population logic.

Moreover, absence of a smooth transition and the non-existence of a just outcome at the end of the tunnel have made our youths absolutely restless and prone to addiction to drugs (Amar Yumnam’s view in the Imphal Free Press titled Youths, Drugs and Justice : Absence of Smooth Transition, Sunday April 24, 2011) concentrating only on bringing to book the addicted youths through the strong hand of the law enforcing agencies would amount to addressing the substantive grievances without ever bothering at the root cause of the issues involved (Ibid). And obvious response of the UG ‘taxation’ to the present strategy of the Manipur Police would for it to go further underground (Culture of corruption and extortion – Hindrance to Social Progress – Paper presented by Pradip Phanjoubam in the Seminar-cum-Workshop on Human Rights and Repressive Laws, Initiated by CHLS&R Law Faculty, Gauhati University, organised by the college on 28-29 October, 2004).

Likewise, women related institutions starting from prostitution, extortions, trafficking of women to other states, involving in transporting arms and ammunition are the social menace of today’s society. It is pertinent to look into the cause of such activities and try to solve by the authority instead blaming or otherwise such as “selfish claiming”.

Human Right awareness is of course the need of the hour, every individual should be given the education of Human Right. State forces as well as the state actors are the one in their attitude towards masses. Thus Human Right should be incorporated in the text, curriculum, syllabus starting right from the grass-root level so that any discrepancy would not take place, any more by forces of different “departments” of “groups” (groups).

Apart from the death, the most hated Human Rights abuses committed by the security forces are the so-called “Punishment attacks” when people suspected of “antisocial behaviour” (usually young male) are shot or beaten, usually in or on the hand, kneecaps or ankles, ‘Third-degree torture’ methods are subjected to.

In relation to a number of high profile deaths, the government has reached very slowly to calls for public inquiries to determine whether there is any collusion. Thus, State forces should have a Serious Crime Review Team looking at unsolved killing and occasionally of course, the “Police Ombudsman”, may (better than the CBI) can help if new evidence to such deaths comes to light.

The Manipur Human Right Commission is urged to do the utmost to persuade and the state actors, the political parties and the community and voluntary sectors to its proposal for a Bill of Rights for Manipuris. Meanwhile, the commission should endeavour to urge still improvements in a variety of more specific content such as mental care and human rights education (edited by R.Kumar, A. Puri, S. Naithani : What Makes A Peace Process Irreversible – A Delhi Policy Group Publication – Delhi, 3, 2005, p.63).

Peace will prevail in Manipur when, inter alia, females are also honoured as ‘Devis’ (Goddesses) as apostles of peace and any attempt to touch them with carnal, pernicious, lusty, adulterous desire to enjoy with her body and spoil her sanctity and image, including dowry deaths and torture, domestic violence, mental harassment and all sorts of discrimination specially the abduction and kidnapping of women – extreme violation of human rights considered as the greatest sin (The International Journal of Peace Studies – edited by Paitoon Patyaiying, Charernpradit, Muang, Pattani 94000, Thailand, Vol.2, No.2, Dec. 1999; p.22).

Manipur is passing through one of the most critical periods in its long history, and as is usual with all transitional phases, is full of stress and uncertainty. what she needs today as never before in its history is intellectual, moral and spiritual guidance if it is to survive its own destruction. “Ethnic brotherhood concept” should be applied to all fields of human activity – politics, economics, sociology, science, education, etc, and then peace and prosperity will ultimately prevail. Every individual is a unity in the make up of family, societies, communities and nations, having being inspired and implemented their ideal into practical lives – resorted to a profound effect on the society, community and nation. Thus peace cannot be brought at all without individual peace.

Basic needs are the basic things required to living human beings, in particular of course, animals, plants and trees and environmental consequences and biodiversity in general. Let us observe what have eminent scholars opined : According to Baxi (Upendra Baxi’s article “Social Change, Criminality And Social Control in India, in the Essays on Crime And Development, ed by Ugljesa Zvekic, United Nation Interregional Crime Justice Research Institute, Rome, 1990, p.44) “basic needs” are the human rights, if not deemed by the State, then brings “consequent anarchy”, so the first and foremost duty of the authority is to consider “human rights” (K. Ponnuswami (ed) : Right To Basic Necessities Of Life, Delhi Law Review, Vol.10-11, 1981-82, Delhi University Press, Delhi – 7, 1983; p.3). Ibohal (Human Rights And Repressive Laws presented in the Seminar-cum-Workshop at L. M. S. Law College, Imphal organised by the College with the initiation from the centre for Humanitarian Law Studies and Research, Law Faculty, Gauhati
University on 28-29th October, 2004) also contended

“If a government violates and suppresses basic human rights and fundamental freedom people have a legitimate right to rebellion against such a government”.

Pande (B.B. Pandey, Professor of Law, Delhi University, while delivering his speech on Basic Needs on 8/4/1995, at Law Faculty Conference Hall, Campus Centre, Delhi University) has maintained that an individual’s basic need is his or her scheme of life. Basic needs must be treated as fundamental right. Whereas Karl Marx contended that the primary basic need is to have companion to perform productive work. And some of the recent writings, have focused on social needs in equality basis with full access to justice. Also, Amartya Sen, prefers and stresses to add another tier which describes as a meta right making possible to achieve the right. (Dworkien’s Theory of Background Rights and Institutional Rights – Website).

Moreover, in prioritizing human needs, the united nations has identified the following list of basic needs :- (i) Nutrition (ii) Shelter, (iii)health, (iv) education, (v) Leisure, (vi) Security (Physical safety and economic security and (vii) environment. And, of course, right to self-determination for “right” and basic needs are complimentary or obligatory to each other subject to unfulfilments of all the need, necessities of life by the authority. However, Conrad; while in his discourses clearly asserted that fulfillment. (K. Ponnuswami : (ibid)) by other social welfare countries like (Germany) / unfulfilment (India) of basic needs as guaranteed by the State is not in itself sufficient or likely to produce lasting social peace. It may be mentioned here, India having not ratified the entire covenant as yet has to explain its position on the matter to the effect that the reference to right of self-determination in Article of the International Covenant on, Economic, Social And Cultural Rights applied only to people under foreign domination, not to independent sovereign states or part of a people or nation. Moreover, in its report of 1991, India was to explain violation of Human Right due to enforcement of AFSPA in North-East of India particularly in Manipur though at present partly removed and Nagaland indicates that India has violated Article 1 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and so also the provisions of optional protocol. India needs to sign and ratify the protocol Additional I and II to Geneva Conventions, 1949, and 1988 Rome Treaty maintained by Pramod in his paper presented in the One-Day Workshop on International Humanitarian Law, Organised by the Royal Academy of Law, Oinam, Manipur with initiated by the Centre for Humanitarian Law Studies and Research Law Faculty, Gauhati University on 12th June, 2005. In the like manner, some groups of our “freedom fighter”, insurgents, etc, etc. Have also violates human rights. Apart from these, we being the citizen should also know our fundamental duties.

As far as justice is concerned, we have noticed and have a smell of it in different ways as propounded by authorities in eminence.

Stone (Julius Stone’s article “Justice and Not Equality” in Hastings Law Journal, 1978, Vol. 29.5; p.995) in his introduction, has maintained that one related tendency of social, political and jurisprudential theorists in the present century has been to seek criteria of justice of vastly simplified indeterminacy or ambiguity, such as ‘fairness’ and ‘equality’ in the hope of escaping the admitted perplexities involved in grappling directly with question of justice and peace.

Whereas, Rawls (John Rawls : A Theory of Justice, Oxford University Press; London, 1972; p.3) opined “Justice” as the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought. A theory however, elegant and economical must be rejected or revised if it is untrue; likewise laws and institutions no matter how efficient and well arranged must be reformed or abolished if they are unjust. Each person possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a whole cannot override.

Indian legal system is based on colonial idea is, of course, an offshoot of the British India Legal System, how laws being received and the very reception of the same is termed as Top Down Models of the British Indian Legal System by Baxi (Upendra Baxi: (Ibid)). Thus reception of law and endeavouring to modernize the same will not go with the every aspects of day to day life in this present society particularly that of Manipur. Even the 14th Report of the Law Commission of India way back was in 1958, emphatically stated and urged the authority to reform the existing law that should not lie in the abandonment and replacing it by another. The real need of the hour is the inculcation of a higher sense of duty, a greater regard for public convenience, greater efficiency in all those concerned in the administration of justice. Yet, in this 2011’s, we still need the updation of law, i.e. an alternative law (laws) to go with the social reality in India in general however very specifically in states like Manipur.

Law and order operations considered essential for development and nation building also shelter a whole variety of legal and extra legal police and para-military violence (Ugljesa Zvekic (ed): (Ibid pp. 228-229). Progressive criminality of this nature is to be sure, a notoriously global phenomenon, and the use of fatal force by security forces in India, especially through “encounters” in term of art describing civilian casualties in dealing with dacoits, extremists, militants and now terrorists is alarming on the rise. Standard-less use of force by the very custodians of peoples security and well being seems in India justified as an aspect of development, here conceived in terms of reasons of state as reinforcing national unity and integration (Ibid : p.229).

In Europe, more autonomy is given to publics patients have the right to die, the system goes with globalisation, whereas, in India we have only the right to life (only in name sake). There is no crime in suiciding, in Switzerland, people who have been suffering from a boring prefer to die, state authorizes to end their lives, (B.B. Pande : Ibid.). In fact, there is no fantasy it is reality, for the right to die is a basic need for them.

The role of privileged class is very important though the nature and dimension of them is for deviance. How, identifying the “Privileged Class” as the elite class (on the basis of super qualities) or the ruling class (on the basis of ownership of means of production by the traditional and non traditional thinkers (K.S. Shukla (ed) : Other side of Development: Social-Psychological Implications, Sage Publications, N. Delhi, 1987; p.138). In general the term relates to the section or strata of the society who enjoy some kind of position of power or advantage over the rest of population. This group advocates even the laws are selfishly codified without slightest concern of the masses particularly the poorest of the poor and weaker sections of society including women – Super-discrimination. Hence, the law is repressive and negative aspect of the entire positive, civilizing activity undertaken by the State (Antonio Gramsci: State and Civil Society – Website). Also while dealing with cases, the courts maintain the domination of the ruling class by the law strictly. It is particularly high in the exceptional state because of the role of social forces which the supporting classes often play in particular the petty bourgeoisie (Nicos Paulantzas : The Exceptional State – Website).

Dr. Irengbam Mohendra Singh (calling Time on the most unsafe state in India – Manipur on a Swiss Model and article by Dr. I. M. Singh published in the Sangai Express on 24/4/2011) has suggested very apparently the political legitimacy is indeed central to the sustenance of Manipur identity. The existence of secessionist movements reflects a lack of legitimacy. The lack of state legitimacy relates to the rise of ethnic conflict and competing ethno-nationalism. Repressive policies to deal with ethnic dissent are counter-productive.

Like Switzerland, Manipur needs to transform itself into a multi-ethnic state with a sense of collective national identity, each community taking part in common institutions and practices, separated from a ‘culturalist’ and ethnic perspective (Ibid). Such a circle should devise how to build a composite Manipuri identity based on equality or autonomy within the framework of the existing state of Manipur Politicians with such broader aims in their manifestoes should be chosen to form a ‘unitary’ democratic government in Imphal subject to change the capital in the hill areas from time to time so that balancing the whole state regularly takes place in the widest social inclusiveness i.e. “equality indication”. Manipuri’s need a think tank or a policy institute i.e. a non-profit organisation that conducts research and engage in advocacy in areas such as economy, social policy or political strategy that will be fair to all ethnic groups, big or small. There must be ‘give and take’ approach rather than ‘take and give’ policy (Ibid).

Bringing peace in Manipur deals with the following perspectives :
1) Student power -Proper education – education does not mean degrees only – it means a transformation of mind in understanding issues at hand – the comely is facing. Education stabilizes roots of planning and achieving a sense of progress and development.
2) The idea of corruption – must cease, the Government must adopt ‘Zero Tolerance’ of corruption committed by officers, ministers and other sections in the socio-economic and political sectors. Rampant corruption must go.
3) Judicial system must be revamped.
4) Money meant for social development must be utilized for the same.
5) Opening up of economic sector.
6) Trade & commerce – employment generation and the urge of the youth to each a livelihood of dignity must be encouraged.
7) Manipur suffers from ‘indignity’ and callous approach of the authorities that be. It is a beautiful region with lots of potentialities these must be proved, planned and encouraged especially in the sector of tourism.
8) Ethnic clashes should give way to ethnic cooperation and a progress based upon mutual trust and dignified living.
9) The need for the armed forces will go once the various communities start living together without being afraid of each other.
10) Intermarriages should be encouraged.

Conclusion : Peace is not cessation of war; it is a noble way of understanding the impact of wars and the way of avoiding it. Peace is a perception of avoidance of conflict. It is a way of live – Living with inconsistencies and yet not opting for violent means which normally should be the last option.

If Egypt can change and bring about a political peace why can’t Manipur let the youth will it and peace shall prevail.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2011/08/peace-in-manipur-its-different-dimensions-a-discourse/

By: – G.S.Oinam
“Many people tell me what I ought to do and just how I ought to do it, but few have made me want to do something….”   – Mary Parker Follett, the New State (p. 230)

Mary Parker Follett’s words, written some seven decades ago, seize our attention today as though she was speaking with us personally about our most contemporary concerns.  Sometimes they dangle tantalizingly ahead, pointing toward a yet-to-be experienced tomorrow.  “Who was Follett?” first-time readers ask, “and why have I not heard of her earlier?”  The natural inclination is to find a professional tag to hang upon her.  “Was she a management consultant?  A political scientist?  A historian?  A philosopher?” and so forth.  She was each of these, and more.  She avoided all such labels, however, and out of respect for the universal nature of her thinking, we must as well. Yet, credit to this woman generously was not given by male dominated world.

In 1925, Mary Parker Follett, an American intellectual, social worker, management consultant and pioneer of organizational theory/behaviour, presented a paper entitled “Constructive Conflict”— that conflict, as a natural and inevitable part of life, does not necessarily have to lead to deleterious outcomes. Rather, if approached with the right analytical and imaginative tools a conflict can present an opportunity for positive or constructive development (hence the title of paper). Ms Follett’s definition of conflict as difference is a bit too parsimonious – difference, in itself, does not make a conflict – but this is unimportant as it doesn’t detract from her main insights. According to Ms Follett, there are three ways to respond to conflict— Dominance, Compromise and Integration. Dominance means victory of one side over the other. This works in the short term, but is unproductive in the long run (to make her point Follett presciently alludes to the results of “The War” (WWI). Compromise means each party having to give up something for the sake of a meaningful reduction of friction. Far form ideal, compromise often leaves parties unsatisfied – having given up something of value. Finally, integration, the option championed by Follett, means creatively incorporating the parties’ fundamental desires/interests into the solution.

Integration in this context means the creation of a novel solution that penalizes no one and that becomes the only sure base for progress toward an ideal democracy. If integration is to be achieved, various forms of coordination must be introduced as fundamental principles of organization: (1) direct contact between the responsible people who have to carry out policies, rather than hierarchical control; (2) early contact between these responsible people, so that policy may be created by them, rather than later meetings that can only try to resolve differences between policies already evolved by isolated groups; (3) the reciprocal relating of all factors in a situation, that is, equal attention to all the variables in the social system.

Coordination in these various forms is a continuing process, since in any complex social environment there exist many points of creativity, and established policies can never be executed as designed but must constantly be reformed in consonance with basic goals.

Follett did not appreciate the role of institutional structures, bureaucracy, or force. She firmly rejected Durkheim’s proposition that social facts may be conceived of as “things,” and her approach to the concept of the state was unsophisticated. She never mentioned the existence of legitimate power or the prevalence of legitimized and idealized peace that has its source in bloody conquest.

Ms Follett writes…….One advantage of integration over compromise I have not yet mentioned. If we get only compromise, the conflict will come up again and again in some other form, for in compromise we give up part of our desire, and because we shall not be content to rest there, sometime we shall try to get the whole of our desire. Watch industrial controversy, watch international controversy, and see how often this occurs. Only integration really stabilizes. But the stabilization I do not mean anything stationary. Nothing ever stays put. I mean only that that particular conflict is settled and the next occurs on a higher level.

The psychiatrist tells his patient that he cannot help him unless he is honest in wanting his conflict to end. The “uncovering” who every book on psychology has rubbed into us from some years now as a process of the utmost importance for solving the conflicts, which the individual has within himself, is equally important for the relations between groups, classes, races, and nations. In business, the employer, in dealing either with his associates or his employees, has to get underneath all the camouflage, has to find the real demand as against the demand put forward, distinguish declared motive from real motive, alleged cause from real cause, and to remember that sometimes the underlying motive is deliberately concealed and that sometimes it exists unconsciously. The first rule, then, for obtaining integration is to put your cards on the table, face the real issue, uncover the conflict, bring the whole thing into the open….

This type of “uncovering”, in the context of conflict and productive negotiations, explained by Ms Follett often leads to a “revaluation” of one’s desires and interests. Another way of saying this is that uncovering leads people to move from position to interest-based thinking and negotiation. So if the first step is to illuminate the conflicted parties’ desires, the second and related step for Follett is to break up the demands of each party into its constituent parts. Breaking up wholes means paying special attention to the language used in the conflict. What is behind the words – is a desire to go to Europe, for example, really a desire to go to Paris or Barcelona or is it a reflection of a deep need to experience life anew and meet different people? If psychology, she writes:  there another way to fulfill this need? Once the whole is broken up it needs to be reconstructed anew – with a focus on the essential. One is reminded her of social psychologist Morton Deutsch’s Crude Law of Social Relations: “The characteristic processes and effects elicited by a given type of social relationship also tend to elicit that type of social relationship.”

Returning to the obstacles in the way of win-win outcomes, Follett explains that integrative bargaining entails intelligence (quick to learning) and imagination (something that is short supply in general, even more so during times of conflict). Second, our way of life has habituated us to take pleasure in domination. Finding an integrative solution pales in comparison to the excitement generated by fighting with and (trying to) dominate another. (This would have been an interesting place for Follett to give her critique a feminist flavor, but alas she did not). A third obstacle is that integrative analysis is usually confined to the world of theory. Fourth, Follett points to the way in which we communicate with one another. In conflict there is a strong tendency to attribute blame to the other. And finally, Follett thinks this is perhaps the greatest obstacle to integration, misguided education and lack of training.

She argued that democracy would work better if individuals organized themselves into neighborhood groups. She believed that community centers had an important place in democracy, as the place where people would meet, socialize, and discuss important topics of concern to them. As people from different cultural or social backgrounds met face-to-face, they would get to know each other. Follett believed that diversity was the key ingredient of successful community and democracy.

The individual is created by the social process and is daily nourished by that process. There is no such thing as a self-made man. What we possess as individuals is what is stored up from society, is the subsoil of social life…. Individuality is the capacity for union. The measure of individuality is the depth and breadth of true relation. I am an individual not as far as I am apart from, but as far as I am a part of other men. ( Follett 1918 p.62).

Follett thus encouraged people to participate in group and community activities and be active as citizens. She believed that through community activities people learn about democracy. In The New State she wrote, “No one can give us democracy, we must learn democracy.”

Furthermore, the training for the new democracy must be from the cradle – through nursery, school and play, and on and on through every activity of our life. Citizenship is not to be learned in good government classes or current events courses or lessons in civics. It is to be acquired only through those modes of living and acting which shall teach us how to grow the social consciousness. This should be the object of all day school education, of all night school education, of all our supervised recreation, of all our family life, of our club life, of our civic life. (Follett 1918 p.363) In the ideal democracy, therefore, integration of the individual personality and the society is so complete that no conflict, either psychological or social, is conceivable. “Democracy does not register various opinions; it is an attempt to create unity” (1918, p. 209).

The training for democracy can never cease while we exercise democracy. We older ones need it exactly as much as the younger ones. That education is a continuous process is a truism. It does not end with graduation day; it does not end when ‘life’ begins. Life and education must never be separated. We must have more life in our universities, more education in our life… We need education all the time and we all need education. (1918: 369)

Neighborhood education was, thus, one of the key areas for social intervention, and the group a central vehicle. Her own experience in Roxbury and elsewhere had taught her that it was possible for workers to become involved in local groups and networks and to enhance their capacity for action and for improving the quality of life of their members. Group process could be learned and developed by practice. As Konopka (1958; 29) again notes, she ‘realized the dual aspect of the group, that it was a union of individuals but it also presented an individual in a larger union’. She argued that progressives and reformers had been wrong in not using the group process. 

Group organization, she argued, not only helps society in general, but also helps individuals to improve their lives. Groups provide enhanced power in society to voice individual opinion and improve the quality of life of group members.

She believed that her insights from her work on community organizing could be applied to management of organizations. She suggested that through direct interaction with each other to achieve their common goals, the members of an organization could fulfill    themselves through the process of the organization’s development. Follett developed the circular theory of power. She recognized the holistic nature of community and advanced the idea of “reciprocal relationships” in understanding the dynamic aspects of the individual in relationship to others.

In her Creative Experience (1924) she wrote “Power begins with the organization of reflex arcs. Then these are organized into a system – more power. Then the organization of these systems comprises the organism—more power. On the level of personality one gains more and more control over me as one unites various tendencies. In social relations power is a centripetal self-developing. Power is the legitimate, the inevitable, outcome of the life-process. We can always test the validity of power by asking whether it is integral to the process of outside the process.”

Ms Follett distinguished between “power-over” and “power-with” (coercive vs. co-active power). She suggested that organizations function on the principle of “power-with” rather than “power-over.” For her, “power-with is what democracy should mean in politics or industry” (Follett 1924 p.187). She advocated the principle of integration and “power sharing.” Her ideas on negotiation, conflict resolution, power, and employee participation were influential in the development of organizational studies.

In this way Mary Parker Follett was able to advocate the fostering of a ‘self-governing principle’ that would facilitate ‘the growth of individuals and of the groups to which they belonged’. By directly interacting with one another to achieve their common goals, the members of a group ‘fulfilled themselves through the process of the group’s development’.   

What is the central problem of social relations? It is the question of power… But our task is not to learn where to place power; it is how to develop power. We frequently hear nowadays of ‘transferring power as the panacea for all our ills. Genuine power can only be grown; it will slip from every arbitrary hand that grasps it; for genuine power is not coercive control, but coactive control. Coercive power is the curse of the universe; coactive power, the enrichment and advancement of every human soul. (Follett, 1924: xii-xiii).

Boje and Rosile (2001) argue that she was ‘the first advocate of situation-search models of leadership and cooperation’. This was not to some surface activity: ‘the willingness to search for the real values involved on both sides and the ability to bring about an interpenetration of these values’ (Follett 1941: 181).

Her conception of the integrative dynamic of the social process led her to rethink the nature of power and leadership. She emphasized the critical importance of exercising power-with rather than power-over. Leaders needed to be collaborative participants in the creative exchange of ideas among organizational or community members. The rigidity of traditional hierarchical lines of authority needed to be erased to allow full scope to the creative interaction that led to progress.

Citizen-based community groups needed to be the foundation of a true democracy, organizing in regional and national groups to provide direction to government. She believed that the current political system used the idea of consent of the people as a means to limit the citizen role to voting and exclude the public from real influence in government decisions. She rejected schemes which postulate a dualism between the individual and society, as well as most other forms of causal interaction between these two entities, in favour of the notion of integration

She writes—The skillful leader…does not rely on personal force; he controls his group not by dominating but by expressing it. He stimulates what is best in us; he unifies and concentrates what we feel only gropingly and shatteringly, but he never gets away from the current of which we and he are both an integral part. He is a leader who gives form to the inchoate energy in every man. The person who influences me most is not he who does great deeds but he who makes me feel I can do great deeds…Who ever has struck fire out of me, aroused me to action which I should not otherwise have taken, he has been my leader.

That was Marry Follett way—engaging all she met in an exploration of ideas, always grounded in experience, but never tied to the old, always instead seeking to create the new.  She believed, “Experience may be hard, but we claim its gifts because they are real, even though our feet bleed on its stones” (Follett, 1924, p. 302).

On presaging President Kennedy’s famous inaugural address, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” Follett concluded that “The question which the state must always be trying to answer is how it can do more for its members at the same time that it is stimulating them to do more for themselves.” Midstream she corrects herself, adding, “No, more than this, its doing more for them must take the form of their doing more for themselves” (p. 237).

The key concepts that underpin Follett’s philosophy are:
· interrelatedness – ‘coactive’ as opposed to coercive
· power with an emphasis on ‘power-with’ rather than ‘power-over’ people; where the ‘situation’ will dictate the action that needs to be taken
· a community-based approach with the idea that natural leaders are born within the group
· the leader guides and in turn is guided by the group
· teaching is carried out by leading
· a skillful leader influences by stimulating others
· the idea of fluid leadership where leaders and followers are in a relationship and the role of leader flows to where it is needed – informal leadership is in the workplace.

Somebody strongly recommended Ms Follett’s philosophy and I believe her idea of conflict resolution by integration- may take time in Manipur but one of the finest and ever lasting one. Presently, in the state, dominating type of protest is followed by compromise (negotiation) to settle the conflict.

And, since conflict is inevitable part of our life, society and country- political leaders we called protectors of people in democracy, in case of India- must experience and resolve conflicts in time. A good politician is the person who is able to resolve conflicts by integrative relationship. Civil societies become active when political parties, elected representatives and state assembly does not work properly. Government messages dysfunctional and it has become a conflict message (speak one thing, do one thing and think another thing).

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2011/09/conflict-resolutiona-definition-of-mary-follett/