Blaming is that fine art of simply escaping from accountability and shifting the responsibility of one’s own actions on someone else. And today the society seems to be completely okay with this behavior. After all, the blame game is so easy. Why take responsibility for the situation when you can blame it on others? Unfortunately, this whole idea of blaming others has become so much part of the culture today that one can find it everywhere- not just in individuals and families but businesses and government at large.
Throwing light on the same issue, Suhel Seth, a well-known columnist and the founder and managing partner of the consultancy firm Counselage India spoke about how the present society today has become habitual of blaming the government for their woes. News channels on TV and social media are awash with stories on how the government is the main target for all the social problems and how people feel they can’t help it. He referred to today’s generation as the ‘Republic of Whiners’ who blame every issue, be it the everyday traffic jams, the high electricity bills, or the slowdown in the economy, on the government. He also said that ‘it is these people only who try to evade the laws and misuse the benefits provided to them’.
According to Seth, one of the main issues that is hampering India’s economic growth today is that people blame the democracy when things go wrong. Time and again, the democracy is manipulated and made an excuse for the lack of good governance whenever things don’t go the way they should. And then there are big culprits and economic offenders who escape the scrutiny just because they are acquaintances with people in power. These culprits have no fear of breaking the law or going to prison. While it in no way means that the judiciary is not robust, it does raise the question about whether it is good enough to send such defaulters to jail?
Suhel believes that things have started changing with the Modi government in power. He also agrees to the fact that drastic behavioral and material changes cannot be expected in a few years when regression and deprivation was allowed to continue for over 70 years. Today, the bureaucrats and promoters are afraid of losing their empires and work towards building a clean reputation. There was a time when dynasty politics used to be the justification for all the wrongdoings but today patronage is being replaced by the performance because the ministers know that if they are proved guilty, they will not be forgiven.
The leading columnist is of the opinion that the economy hasn’t slowed down but has undergone a course of correction. He believes that it can only be strengthened by bracing the changes and bearing the short-term pains with a grin. He believes in the notion of democracy which is dictated by the people and for the people. By being accountable for one’s actions, the economy can be made more robust in the years to come.