CAN INDIA INC PRACTICE GANDHIGIRI?

By Ruma Dubey

2nd October for many Indians means a lot of things – a holiday to laze and relax, the day the sale begins at Khadi Bhandar,  a day when TV channels get patriotic and show ‘desh bhakti’ movies and radio stations play a few ‘desh’ songs and for many, it is woefully a dry day!  Children know it is Gandhi Jayanti, Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.  But like children, most Indians though knowing it is Gandhi Jayanti, have forgotten the relevance of this day and the man.

Gandhiji has today become a mere face on the currency notes we spend faster than we earn and most of his ideologies have been buried deep, saying that they have become irrelevant in today’s changing and modern times.  And the very political party which was started on the principles of Gandhiji is today not even a rough caricature of all that which the Mahatma stood for.

For India Inc, Gandhiji and his principles do not seem to hold any significance. Vijay Mallya showed his love for the country and the Mahatma by buying some auctioned memorabilia of Gandhiji, which included his iconic round-rimmed spectacles, for Rs.9.3 crore. Yet buying his spectacles has not opened Mallya’s eyes to honesty and simplicity, the hallmark of Gandhiji. Well, Gandhiji had said, “alcohol is not the answer to all questions” and Mallya has been quoted quipping, “ Alcohol is not the answer to all questions  but if you do not get the answer, it helps you forget the questions.”  Therein lies all the difference.

Honesty, integrity, simplicity and non-violence, irrespective of the changing times can never go out of fashion. Nothing is constant; all things change but not these principles.  And in true sense, if India Inc scours the principles and life of the Mahatma, there are innumerable lessons which can be learnt and incorporated for better and effective leadership. Just as the Bhagwad Gita is stated to be the book of life, many ideologies of the Mahatma are adapted from the Gita and thus can never become irrelevant.

Irrespective of whether his stand on Kashmir was right or wrong, honestly, have we ever had another leader like him who could bring the entire country together and start a revolution to get people their right? Let us not mix up Anna Hazare and his brief stint here as they are two completely different issues. Yes, Hazare struck a chord because he followed Ganhiji’s method of fasting to get attention and make a change but the similarity ends there, at least for now.

Gandhiji was not for industrialization as he felt it would have a negative impact on the society. He was more of a socialist and Indian Inc is necessarily a capitalist; so how do both concur? Taking care of stakeholders, till some time ago was considered to be socialist but today, putting shareholders interest first is significant for capitalism to succeed. Or for that matter, consider corporate governance. In simple parlance it is about being completely honest and transparent. Thus there is a convergence though all of Gandhiji’s principles might not be adaptable for India Inc.  But his leadership style is the best - of motivating all to one cause, which is what companies strive to achieve – getting employees objective aligned to that of the company.

Gandhiji held firm to his values even in times of pressure and this is something which companies can try and imbibe. To constantly learn and grow was another aspect – Gandhiji learnt and read when in prison, using the time to grow rather than waste it on mere contemplation.  More importantly, he could take criticism positively and used it to correct himself wherever necessary. Can companies do the same?

All companies strive to satisfy the customer and therein lay the crux as stated by Gandhiji, “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.”  Do any of us today feel that companies treat us well? Maybe India Inc should begin by first adopting this plain truth of the Mahatma; rest all will automatically fall in place.

Last but not the least, size does not matter what matters is conviction. Gandhiji was frail and old, used a walking stick but his conviction in his cause was enough to send shivers down the mighty British. Yes indeed, “ bande mein than dum, vande mataram”