An archaic world in need of creative recipe

Nilratan Halder Evolution of human society is a wonderful process where new ideas come along but only in a great while. Ideas or knowledge has catapulted human civilisation on to higher planes and the process continues. Where will man's cognitive power prove it is the journey's end or, will it ever do so? If man accepts the fact that he has nowhere to go, nothing to think about, society - let alone civilisation - will stumble on its own feet. With the cave man acquiring the knowledge to light a fire, civilisation made the first breakthrough and then there was a long wait for the Industrial Revolution and consequent scientific discoveries. But in the meantime, pockets of civilisation flourished where poetry, dramas, epics, art, philosophy etc. scaled great heights of human imagination but hardly were there any scientific and technological achievements to match those. Today, the picture has almost reversed with the creative faculties of science and technology taking over those of art and philosophy. Meanwhile, the change in lifestyle marked by consumerism and wealth acquiring has prompted a completely different endeavour. Management of economy and promotion of service as against pure economics and equitable distribution of wealth have become the latest craze. The challenge is no longer to be creative but to be crafty and shrewd. Imagination and intelligence may not be enough to compete with the cunning and guile of the mediocre who feel no qualms about playing the role of Shylock. The effort is expended more to exploiting business opportunities rather than dedicating to the collective well-being of society. Imagine the destructive use of phenomenal inventions and discoveries of scientists. Had the massive expenditure on weapons of mass destruction been diverted to poverty eradication and healthcare all across the world, human society would have been far better off, almost to the extent where no one on the planet would have to die of hunger and without proper medical attention. Medicine used to treat AIDS patients is costly but the total cost involved to administer it to all the patients the world over is unlikely to be even a fraction of the colossal sum of money spent on a fleet of aircraft carriers by Russia or America. Studies in nano-science and nano-technology could revolutionise medical treatment but money allocated for purposes like this too is hard to come by and the commercial interests of private pharmaceutical companies intervene in any such positive endeavour. Creativity is indeed taking a back seat courtesy of the businesspeople's manoeuvring to their advantage. Sure enough, scientists, doctors, writers, artists, sports personalities and even political theoreticians are now on their purchase list. Not all science and technology-savvy people are Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Paul Allen. People like them are not only a happy mix of acute business sense and inventiveness of mind but also great at heart. Bill Gates and Melinda Foundation are doing more than any government has so far done for the ailing humanity in Africa and elsewhere. What individual enterprise and entrepreneurship at their best can do is illustrated by such initiatives. The fact that Warren Buffet and Bill Gates initiated a move to bring together the richest people in America - and if possible beyond - to donate the major part of their wealth in an effort to build a fund for the world's poor is not merely an off-beat incident out of this world, it really has the potential to force the accumulators of wealth to have a second look at their possessive habit. Rational distribution of wealth matters. Making each individual happy and wealthy is surely a utopia but the world still has enough resources to provide for its population which is thought to have touched the seven billionth mark on October 31 last. A decent life can bring out the best in an individual in a society even if it is less than ideal. The unequal competition is what gives someone an unjustified advantage at the expense of interests of many. This discrimination has reached such a point where planning for people and their wherewithal now becomes the greatest challenge. This would have been otherwise if only the planet's resources could be used for positive purposes. In its absence, man's creativity becomes the first casualty. The leaders of the world now realise that human civilisation is sitting on a time bomb. This planet is no longer in a perfect shape to sustain a mammoth population size of seven billions. In the interest of all, there is a need to rein in the greed of nations and individuals. People like Bill Gates and Warren Buffets have shown the other side of corporate greed, now can nations take the war to poverty, ill health and illiteracy both within and beyond the borders? Creativity of a new form and substance in combination with the old value system is need of the time to address the problems facing us.