Rickshaw type governance

TRUE STORY:

“Aasan Grahan Kijye” [Please have a Seat] is a very polite and honorable manner of establishing warmth when one meets someone. However when the context is one that of meeting a stranger and even stranger than that being a Mumbai Autorickshaw guy saying this to a passenger. Suddenly the context makes this simple statement so impactful and so special.

Sun had taken a position at perpendicular to the flat on which I was standing in Sher-E-Punjab, Andheri East, Mumbai. I entered the Auto. The next 30 minutes were Lessons in Excellence.

Ravi Kadam is a 57 year young smile. He started the episode by putting me in the hot seat of Kaun Banega Crorepati “Who wants to be a Millionaire?”. 10 Questions…extremely profound questions…

1.       ”What was Delhi called in ancient times and Why” [Answer is Dehleej..."doors to""]
2.       When was Gravity mentioned for the first time on this Planet? [Answer is
Surya Sidhantha, 400 AD ]
3.       ….

Unlike the televised show, I got the opportunity to ask a lot of questions. I learnt that at one point of his life, he had a couple of houses in Mumbai with a family comprising wife and kid. And then a mad meteor hit his beautiful planet. His wife suddenly vanished with his daughter and all the money- jewelry. He learnt later that the house was sold too.

Upon asked as to how did he handle this catastrope, he refered to “Svaniyantran” [Self-regulation]. He reached a crossroad where one road could take him to addiction and destruction and the other could be the discretion to make him live meaningfully ahead. He chose the later.  He then opened the chapter of Self-Regulation being his biggest strength. He had been practicing some interesting workouts since a long time:

1.       Everso enter into half day to a day fasting
2.       For a period of time, give up the most favorite food
3.       Everso gift his favorite material to any of his friends.
4.       Satsang with Friends from all religion
5.       Many times bath with hot water in summer and cold water in winter
6.       Daily Some physical activity

We inferred that the like the three wheels of Rickshaw [Mind, Body, Soul] if are regulated properly then the rickshaw will move smoothly and if any of the wheels are overlooked, then a wrong tend or accident is possible.

….......................

Its divine (Sanskrit Daiva or Science would say the Synchronicity Probability) that I met this guy just a few days back and almost at same time had a discussion with a scholar about the work of Dr Richard Davidson [Wisconsin University] and Dr Lis Nielson [National Institute of Health, USA]. Both of them have come out with solid scientific data linking “Self-Regulation” to “Happiness, Health and Better Chance of Prosperity”.

Even ancient routine of Ashtanga Yoga have Yama & Niyama that essentially trains in Self-Regulation.

Michael Shermer [World’s Leading Sceptic] says that the Collective Morality suffers from the problem of Free Rider. Free Rider being the one who rides with sub-optimal effort, laziness and yet claims and perhaps manages rewards in the collective. Hence the collective human cameras are required to everso monitor the “untutored-in-self-regulation”

In my meeting with Tarun Chauhan, Fmr Managing Partner-JWT, couple of days back, he established an extremely powerful linkage around laziness and non-fitness leading people to short-cuts and arbitrage (one of which is corruption). Because Mind-Body-Soul fitness discipline would instill “never give up” and “honorable pursuit” spirit.

Corporate Sector has reached a point where few new structures and tools  are being created for sobriety: “CSR”, ‘Marry Social Purpose with Economic Purpose” and “Conscious Capitalism”.

Self-Regulation or Self-Governance will have to precede Collective Governance. Its time the co-passengers of the Spaceship called Human Life, enroll in Self-Regulation & Self-Governance across Age Groups …benefits being cited by Dr Nielson as to how teaching children & youngsters “Self-Regulation” could help advance Amartya Sen’s “Advancing Justice in Society” in future, How “Self-Regulation” or “Self Governance” will ensure Youngster’s Long Term Health and Productivity, and How Senior Citizens can benefit from this and have better chances of staying away from disease like Alzheimers and Stress-Related Pandora.

Finally reminded of what Gandhiji professed that the nature has a bounty for everybody’s need but not for everybody’s greed.

Daily Tiny Workouts like Ravi Kadam’s simple ways could become your long term mantra. Your Rickshaw can have your Way…all the way.