The real meaning of the much used and abused ‘system’

A few days back, Rahul Gandhi, while speaking to Arnab Goswami on Times Now used the word ‘System’ 73 times. Here is an excerpt:

“I saw people I love destroyed by the system. I am blind because the system everyday is unfair to our people, I am sure that you also in your work feel the unfairness of the system. The system everyday-everyday hurts people and I have felt the pain that the system can cause……and the thing that I see is that the system in this country needs to change, I don’t see anything else and I am blind to everything else.”

Around fifteen years back, a top BJP leader who was in Chandigarh to attend a seminar asked, “What is this system;Why don’t academicians explain it?”

Oct 2012 - Kejriwal was agitating on the streets of Delhi against the corrupt system.

Sh. Pawan Bansal Minister- responded to a question by a reporter- Who is kejriwal? What is wrong with the system which has worked well for last 65 years?

What is this animal called system which -

·         BJP leader wanted to understand it

·         And Pawan Bansal feels happy with it

·         Rahul uses it in every other sentence

·         Kejriwal wants to Change it

Being a student and teacher of systems I felt I should respond on the nature and dynamics of systems. I am sharing with you the response I sent to Sh. Pawan Bansal ( Then Minister in Central Govt).

 Let us understand - What is indeed a System

Systems behave in a certain manner depending on the relationships between different parts of the system. Parts continuously exchange information and energy. System’s growth, maturity, decline or death depends on this Exchange. {Energy is resources of the Nation, like Land, Water, Mines, Trees, 2G, and 3G}

A system is always composed of parts, like govt. and people make a system. When one part of the system tries to become independent of the other taking more power than required, then it loses the listening part and communication remains one way. When someone tries to communicate with the powerful part he is seen with a suspicion as a threat to the survival of the status quo, it further loses communication. Then all actors of the powerful part unite to defend the status quo leading to further alienation.

Communication, flow of Energy and sycophants’

Earlier the communication link was because of grass root workers and opposition. Slowly opposition also found it beneficial to be on the side of powerful part and started sucking the part of energy which was supposed to go to people. As the opposition became a part of the powerful, it led to alienation of the grass root workers thus cutting the second channel of communication also. Now, the powerful part wants to listen only to its Echo, giving space to the sycophants who will only say what you want to listen, thus making the isolation complete.

Kejriwal is a response of the system which is losing the purpose for which it was created, thus filling the communication gap.

What Is Corruption

When a system or machine or biological entity does not perform its function for which it is created or becomes destructive of its own aims and objects - it is called a corrupt system. This is the definition of corruption.  It does not always mean money but when a machine starts working against its own program, it is termed corruption. In robots and machines, the machines have to be destroyed if they cannot be remedied.  In human affairs too, it ends in something like that but it is attained after much human suffering. In human affairs the lesson can be learned unlike machines and robots which do not, once their circuitry is damaged or short circuited. 

Regards

Prof. K KGarg                              15-10-12