In Conversation with Chetan Bhagat

How Can We Change?

Yes, honesty pays but only if all of society is honest. If only you are honest, but everyone else is not, you will suffer. This is the bottleneck obstructing change in India today. We all want to be honest, but we don’t want to be the only one honest, for then we will suffer. This paradox prevents change.

For example, suppose that a crowd of people is waiting for a bus at a stop. When the bus arrives, everybody pushes and shoves to get in. It makes life difficult for everyone. The solution to this daily misery would be everyone queueing up to get in. However, everyone needs to come on board with the queuing system. If you are the only one queuing up, while the others continue to rush in, you will be left behind.

Thus, transformation will come about only if everyone decides to change together. A majority of Indians have to accept what we do is wrong and be ready to change for a better future.

Society needs to reset and inculcate good values. Right now, we don’t even have a clear set of Indian values. We need to create them. How will all this happen and that too at the same time? Well, this is where leaders come in.

A leader is a human being who can reach a large part of the population. If the leader is charismatic and influential, they can create a lot of positive change in people’s thinking. If we are lucky enough to have good leaders at the top, change will happen quickly. Unfortunately, we don’t. Given how divided India is, how corruption is accepted and how we lack good values, it is impossible for us to choose a good leader at this point.

Deep down we are all sceptical and ashamed of ourselves. Thus, anyone who even tries to change India for the better is seen with cynical eyes. We know we are all tarnished, so we doubt everyone else too. It is a sad situation, where we need a leader but cannot really trust anyone.

Anti-corruption protestors are often doubted. I can bet some people reading this will be asking— what is Chetan’s agenda? What is he trying to achieve? Who is he trying to please? What does he want? In fact, a leader would be left explaining himself or herself rather than doing any work.

In this chaos, I feel there is a role for artists. What we lack in leaders can be made up to a certain extent by art and artists. Movies, books, music—popular art forms can inject people with modern messages and a new set of Indian values. As a writer with reach, I can at least attempt to present an alternative way of thinking. Sure, I have no authority as a leader or as much power as an official head. Yet, I have some qualities today what even a senior politician may not have. I have the benefit of being neutral. I am not aligned to any political party, therefore, the cynicism is also reduced.