Societal Analysis

Eventification - Oct 2023

Society holds many Events to mark certain moments. Some Events are at the beginning of something important. Others are to mark the end. But the Event is not important. What it marks is what is important.

A wedding is an Event to mark the beginning of two people together starting a family life. Some years back, weddings were personal affairs held in the village, in front of their house. Elders who were related to and concerned about the bride and bridegroom attended.

These Elders took responsibility for the couple to overcome many difficulties that young coupled faced in the early years of their marriage. They advised them when husband and wife had adjustment difficulties. They scolded and warned young husbands who behaved badly. They helped them find houses and get jobs.

Today, marriages have become Events held in strange places, with thousands of guests. Most of these guests have never before met the couple. And the couple does not recognise most of them. After the wedding is over, all that these thousands of guests do is talk about how much was spent or not spent on the grand wedding. Marriages have become Events that no longer mark the beginning of something.

17 years back, in 2006, when NREGA was launched, it was a simple Inauguration Prārambhōtsavaṁ. Detailed information was circulated to each and every Gram Panchayat so that the public may know the details. Detailed instructions were given to officials on how they should implement the guarantee.

Another good example is the Golden Quadrilateral project to build highways in India which was started in 2001. Nearly 6,000 kms have already been built and more are underway.

Immediately after Inauguration Prārambhōtsavaṁ, the focus should be only on efficient implementation Amalu. Implementation means actually doing everything that the scheme or plan promises. The budget money must be spent only on doing these things. Not on Event Management and propaganda Pracāraṁ. After that, there should be continuous monitoring to keep track of what has been done, and how much is done. Criticism Vimarśa must be invited through social audits, mistakes identified and continuously corrected. Inviting criticism, listening to questions, accepting mistakes and continuous course correction are the most important aspects of implementation.

Every criticism is not motivated Prērēpita or mischievous koṇṭe question. Rulers should not dismiss every question as a threat to their authority, and therefore anti-national. Good Implementation Amalu needs constant correction.

Events are not Inaugurations Prārambhōtsavaṁ. They are propaganda. Events are just grand celebrations aimed at publicity, spending crores of rupees on chest thumping. Inaugurations announce the start of actual work and give budget and implementation details.

This is not happening in recent years. Grand schemes and plans are announced, one after the other. Inaugurations have stopped. Event management has taken over. They are soon forgotten when they move on to another spectacular Event.

But a careful examination of all recent Events and Inaugurations, we find something very interesting. Spectacular Events happen when ambitious schemes with heavy investments claim to benefit the population in general, and especially poor people. Afterwards, they are partially implemented Amalu cēśāru and quickly forgotten.

Inaugurations of expensive investments that benefit the upper middle class and rich are seen through and fully implemented. Elaborate Event management seem to take place only to give the appearance that something spectacular is being done for ordinary people.