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Loyalty in the Official System:

Some Random Thoughts

'Loyalty' is a confusing and misleading word. It is a word that definitely needs a following referent – 'loyalty' to 'what', to 'whom' and 'for' what.

If I were to become loyal, I would prefer to be loyal to values, rather than human beings. In the official set up, one is required to be loyal to the chair. Whosoever occupies the chair deserves loyalty. Within the system, people become loyal to caste, region, a particular group or cult. This kind of loyalty is harmful to the system. If we become loyal to honesty, goodness, hard work etc, the system will benefit. But if we become loyal to a person, however corrupt or dirty he may be, we are actually harming ourselves and others. There is nothing noble in this kind of loyalty.
 
I think Bhisma Pitamah would have done better, had he revised his concept to loyalty. He sided with the evil simply because he had taken an oath. On the other hand, Lord Krishna shows tremendous dynamism, pragmatism and modernity by constantly revising his strategies. Right through the battle, He sided with goodness. His methods might have changed but his intentions never wavered. Lord Krishna should be our role model in this modern world.
 
In a system, be it a university or otherwise, people cling to each other out of sheer complexes as well as selfishness. They form a chain. One supports the other and in this way their small petty ends are met. There is tremendous fear and sense of insecurity among people in a system. 'If something bad happens to me, who will come to my aid', this is the syndrome. They pass all their lives in this fear. If we are loyal to values, no harm can actually come to us. 

Dharmam Rakhshati Rakhshatah:
- Jo Dharm Ki Rakhsa Karte Hain, Dharm Unki Raksha Karta Hai


'Dharma' here does not mean any religion; it means life values. If we follow the values, we will be protected. Those who protect 'dharma' (values), 'dharma' protects them. It is a mutual, reciprocal relationship. If  we are good, 'good' will happen to us. If our thinking is noble, only noble things will happen to us.
 
Most of the time, we cynically believe and say that we do not deserve what we have received. Most of us nurture sentiments of being unjustly treated by destiny. This is actually the key to sorrow and unhappiness. 'I don't deserve the job I have', 'I don't deserve the spouse I have', 'I deserved better treatment' and so on and so forth. This thinking takes away the joy of living.

We live but we don't enjoy living.

Our nice homes, appliances, children, Jobs – nothing seems to soothe us because deep down our psyche we nurture sentiments of being unjustly treated by destiny. Most of the times, these deep rooted convictions are wrong. So many people, better than us in many ways, have less than what we have. But a minister wants to be a Prime Minister; a billionaire wants to be a trillionire and so on. A man with a car cries because he doesn’t have two cars or he doesn’t have a Rolls Royce. Thus the pleasure of having a car goes off. He remains a hungry soul ever.
 
Coming back to the point, let us start being loyal to values rather than to human beings or to absurd concepts like caste or region. Every caste has good and bad people in it and so has every region or religion. We can contribute to the system only by being loyal to noble concepts.
 

More By  :  Prof. Shubha Tiwari

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