This is a follow-up to the article ‘The Nature of Conflicts’ (O Heraldo, November 2). We commented that “If we were to look at the human situation, given the ‘polycrisis’ we are facing with the advancing spectre of the Anthropocene, one must ask “Is there a dharmic answer?” one can consider. There is one, and it has three pillars: Firstly, healing individual victimhood and trauma (whatever its origins). All narratives justifying violence use the victim narrative. Remove the hook for this.
Secondly, stop becoming part of a herd. Anonymity unleashes the shadow, baying for blood. Thirdly, call out all ideologies with ‘othering’ at its core. This can be religious or political.
Let us begin by defining Dharma. Dharma is our actions to enliven the ‘Self’, enliven the ‘Other’ and the ‘Context’ simultaneously. In this interpretation, Dharma is associated with ethical actions and behaviours that contribute to the well-being and harmony of oneself, others, and the overall context of society. If actions are contrary to this principle, it is Adharma. In other words, Adharma represents unethical or harmful actions that disrupt the well-being and harmony of oneself, others, or the broader context.
Towards a Dharmic Response: A dharmic response to conflict is rooted in the principles of Dharma. It incorporates truth and honesty (Satya), non-violence (Ahimsa), fairness and justice (Danda), compassion (Karuna), self-reflection (Swadhyaya), respect for others (Paropakara), negotiation and dialogue (Samvada), avoiding harm (Abhaya) and moderation (Mitra).
Let us elaborate on the three areas we referred to and how we resolve violence:
Remove the Victimhood Phenomenon: This refers to avoiding adopting a victim mentality, which involves seeing oneself as a perpetual victim of circumstances or the actions of others. It encourages taking responsibility for one’s actions and well-being. Each person must take responsibility for dissolving his own ‘victimhood’ narrative. This is quite difficult to do. Unfortunately, only much later in life does one access and become aware of one’s victimhood and how one has suffered. Acceptance of the trauma is necessary, or else we will end up remaining violent and bitter inside. Often, this trauma is not only ‘what happened to you’ or ‘what remained within you”. In some cases, we may hold notions about being strongly victimised by some group, sometimes, the experience is borrowed on behalf of the family and its history. The consequent feeling of rage may not be mine but a selective response, deeply patterned, conditioned and encoded within me.
Unresolved victimhood leads to violence against oneself and others. The victim narrative goes like this “Poor me! I am helpless and powerless! He/she/it/they made me this way! I am not to blame for the way I am. Someone else is”. This very widespread human propensity is exploited to the hilt by every ‘ism’ and every advertisement.
The process of ‘letting go’ is quite a struggle. As Adharma is required to help in the healing. There are several practices in Indic tradition to support deep healing. One can only free oneself by doing the work; otherwise, you fight, flee, freeze, or fawn. One must heal slowly and gradually – one Ravana head after the other.
Stop hiding behind Anonymity: This statement encourages one to ‘be truthful to, take ownership of their actions, and be accountable. Very easily, we can all slip into the tendency to become part of a herd. Our human need for ‘belongingness’ to a clan for warmth, protection, love and safety makes one suppress one’s nature and compromise one’s independence. Being part of a herd opens the possibility of becoming anonymous, allowing one’s shadows to play up. Shadows are often energised by envy, vengefulness, greed and so on. Clever and self-centered ‘leaders’ exploit this too.
When one is part of the herd and the self is dissolved in anonymity, the shadows get a license to act up. The individuation gives way to collective will, and the disowned parts of the self get unleashed. Thus, when someone else comes along, the disowned in us is projected onto the other and justifies the violence inflicted by the cohort on the other. The book/movie ‘Lord of the Flies’ brings this point up beautifully.
Call out ideologies that are essentially ‘othering’: The term ‘othering’ refers to the tendency to perceive and treat individuals from different groups or backgrounds as fundamentally different from oneself, often leading to prejudice or discrimination. This statement encourages people to avoid harmful attitudes and behaviours and promotes inclusivity and empathy. With in-group formation, there is a set of beliefs about ‘who we are and how we do things’. Unfortunately, all ‘isms’ are built upon a core idea of exclusivity and othering. The imperatives that humans face is common and universal, but how societies respond to them is cultural. So, for example, if one society views itself as ‘We are the chosen ones. Our God is the only true God. We are assured of heaven. Others will go to hell.’ It furthers exclusivity. The ‘isms’ are not only religious, Communism and Capitalism have their own gods and devils, and even Scientism is not exempt from this.
In the current Israel-Palestine conflict, you will see all the above three fuelling the flames of hatred. For every voice that calls out to the 75 years of oppression of the Palestinians, there is many a voice reminding us of 2000 years of anti-Semitism. Israel was bestowed to the Jews by Zionist leaders of the ‘free world’! Both Hamas and Israel are pointing to the ‘other’ as the oppressor, the danger to the world because of this ‘evil’ and setting themselves up as ‘The Saviour’. How well this narrative has served violent ends for millennia!!
The question is not, ‘can we end the victim-oppressor saviour narrative?’ The question is, ‘Can we afford not to do our best to end this madness?’ Will this happen any time soon on a large scale? We don’t think so. Do we want to act in any other way? An emphatic ‘No’! We want to be part of the solution and not be part of the problem, however small that effort might be.
(Steve Correa is an Executive Coach and Author of The Indian Boss at Work, Thinking Global, Acting Indian
Raghu Ananthanarayanan is a behavioural scientist, yoga teacher and an author of several books.)
