Let Ethics Prevail For Development

We have witnessed the advancement of civilisation and culture since its rudimentary forms appeared on this planet, and we have not yet adopted universal ethical principles in our attitudes and behaviour. Countless generations have passed since we expressed our desire for an ideal world. But the age-old principle of poetic justice does not seem to hold, as the virtuous are not always rewarded and the wicked are not always punished. Many dreams of making this planet a heavenly paradise have turned to ashes: the maxims of philosophers such as Plato and Marx, prophets such as Buddha, Christ, and Mohammad, and the humanists who believed in the supremacy of rationality, all seem to have failed to hold. The Irish poet W.B. Yeats (1919) anticipated the black cloud of anarchy loosed upon the earth when he penned “Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold” in his poem “The Second Coming.” 

Despite his hope for the redemption of humanity after the second coming of the almighty to keep things in order, that has never happened since he put forth his idea of God as the ultimate savior. If any of the above-mentioned states cannot come true as we expect, what can put things in true order so that humanity can continue as a beautiful bliss? One of the several things that reverberates in our ears is the reign of ethics. Unless it prevails, our planet cannot become a heavenly paradise where everyone is happy, and no one has to lead a miserable life. I wonder if this happens in this part of the world, notably in Nepal.

Work ethics

As we know, there are several forms of ethics, such as a work ethic, a professional ethic, a conservation ethic, a political ethic, a religious ethic, etc. All are important for life, as they are guiding principles, but some relate to development. Work ethic is a set of principles and values centered on the significance of work, a desire to work from the heart, and a sense of responsibility that drives work automatically, without any law or force imposed from outside. This is a strong determination not to avoid or evade assigned responsibilities under any pretext. This is an urge to work that comes from the inner heart, as a triggering force that rouses people to improve their private or public life. This set of ethical standards is characterised by dedication, honesty, punctuality, reliability, productivity, self-discipline, and cooperation among people at work.

What we direly need in Nepal in the present context are two types, namely the work ethic and the professional ethic. What has often been noted among the country's wise populace is that workers and professionals, especially those in the public sector, have not adhered to these principles, which has left us lagging behind. Examples of work ethic from many nations have shown that a sincere work ethic has accelerated the development process because workers are dedicated to assigned tasks, which in turn triggers rapid development. The Protestant work ethic in Christendom, as well as the entire Western world, was possibly the major accelerator of their development. Even in modern China, the communist work ethic, combined with the Confucian culture of work, has guided development more than anything else.

 In South Asia, too, most people are guided by an Oriental sense of work ethic, which has played a pivotal role in the development. Many people say professional ethics is another essential quality of workers and leaders. This term indicates that the professionals are entirely oriented towards the technical aspects of the tasks they are assigned, without being swayed by political or religious creed. They are not ideologically loaded while performing their tasks. 

This term is discussed in many nations today, although fewer people follow it properly in their professions. Until recently, even government employees were involved in partisan politics, let alone semi-governmental or non-government officials in Nepal. Even government employees are organised under the banner of their respective trade unions, but are often criticised for paying allegiance to certain political parties that play a crucial role in their appointments.  Let it not be true, but rumours on social media are often spread by people who insinuate that those recommended for executive positions were blessed by certain political parties for their appointments. If professionals are loyal to those who play crucial roles in their appointment, they cannot work impartially, while others expect them to be fair.  

Partisan debate

In the September uprising last year, such voices were raised by opposition parties, individuals, social groups, and the general public. They are disgruntled with the tasks performed by the executive officials assigned to do them. Less organised though they were, the voice of the dissidents was manifest in death and destruction, shouting slogans against the then rulers, and burning historical documents in iconic buildings. Two warring groups were involved in a fierce debate about whether an individual’s life or historic property was more important. Nothing could be more stupid than comparing equally precious things while making futile attempts to demean the other, without admitting that both were essential assets of the nation. Most astonishingly, even the incumbent officials were engaged in that partisan debate. Let such things not happen in days to come.

At this juncture, let us forget the days when we were engaged in debate about which political creed – capitalism or socialism, autocracy or democracy – was right or wrong. Let us forget the days when we quarreled over a political issue for no obvious cause. Let us forget the days when we were disgruntled over the facilities provided by the state. Let us forget party differences or the nuances of religious sects. Let us forget the racial/ethnic conflict, class struggle, or gender inequality and dedicate ourselves to the greater cause of national development so that the nation becomes stronger than ever before, making us all competent, honest, and hardworking, adhering to the ethical principles, which are above all else, at least for a time, until our nation stands as an independent and sovereign state. 

(The author is the chairman of Molung Foundation. bhupadhamala@gmail.com)