AMARESH RAI
“Politics and ethics are two wheels of a chariot."
The practice of politics not only can but must be reconciled with the imperatives of honesty. The question that continuously peeps in the mind of a youth who has desires to change the politics of India is - "is it possible to imagine a politics without corruption and dishonesty?” Amaresh Rai - a leading Egalitarian, Strategist and Political Coach firmly believes that the answer to this question is a Big "YES". 'It demands your ambition to inquire how to become a political leader,' he says.
Why the Politics?
It is a common adage that politics lacks in "honest people" and it is a hard nut to crack for common people to mark their presence in politics as they lack in terms of knowledge, skills, links with politicians, money, influence etc. However, the truth is common youth are more successful in bringing change into politics as they are more aware of the grassroot problems because they have been the victims of the same. The common people have to go through a series of miseries every day. They face challenges in getting their ration card and obtaining ration from the shop. They study in government schools where for most of the days in the month teachers remain absent. When they go to the police to report the injustice happened to them, police personal most of the time do not register their case. Public hospitals refuse to admit them.
Ethical Politics
Being unethical to be an effective politician is the norm in India. Politicians are amongst some of the most corrupts in the world. But who is responsible for this ‘Dirty Politics’?
We, the people, are responsible. Majority of voters cast votes on the grounds of caste, creed, greed, personal relations etc. We support the influential and rich to become leaders; instead, people should vote to those who desire to serve their motherland. These nation lovers may not have enough money to counter the rich and influential. But people are also responsible to see who is good for them. Lack in the finance must never be the criteria. Although the trend is changing now, miles still to cover to make its politics ethical.
How to become a Politician?
There is a strong reason to believe that majority of problems in the political system stem from an individual's ethics rather than the political system we have. Gone are the days when politics used to be the luxury of the rich. The world has witnessed a list of successful leaders who came from humble backgrounds and marked their strong presence in bringing change to society.
The most prominent names in the world are Former US President, Barrack Obama; Former US President, Martin Luther King (Jr); Former Indian PM, Lal Bahadur Shastri; Indian PM, Narendra Modi; Bangladesh PM, Sheikh Hasina; the ex-President of Uruguay, José Mujica; Former Nepal Prime Minister, Sushil Koirala; Pope Francis, Finland’s Prime Minister, Sanna Marin; Nelson Mandela, Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, etc.
Political Lessons
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri - the second Prime Minister of India, popularly known as 'Shastri Ji', has been an epitome of simplicity and the best idol for the current and upcoming politicians. He taught us that a person can be at the pinnacle in politics as well as in life without compromising his principles and dignity. In the book 'Politics and Beyond’ - the author Sandeep Shastri has shared several examples which make us believe that honesty is the most powerful tool to change the politics & the country.
The Coach
Amaresh strongly believes -
"Be what you want your society to be"
Adversity teaches you the most valuable lessons of life that top schools or university campuses can't. The life of Amaresh Rai exemplifies that. At the age of 10, he used to walk around 6 kilometres to attend his classes. Amaresh used to live in an underdeveloped D-grade area in Kolkata. His parents had a tough time arranging for even basic amenities at home such as drinking water. Amaresh had to stand in long queues every day so that he can get sufficient drinking water. The area Amaresh lived in had people from diverse backgrounds that taught him the significance of embarrassing diversity. Spending almost one-third of his life in a non-fancy area made the Allahabad University Scholar compassionate towards the problems faced by the people today. It also filled his heart with anger that politicians make captivating promises before elections but fails to fulfil them later.
© AMARESHRAI.