Introduction
True social service is a noble endeavor, requiring selflessness, empathy, and genuine concern for society at large, including the underprivileged. It is often equated with serving a higher purpose, as the saying goes, “Serving hands are better than praying lips.”
However, the rise of activism driven by the desire for instant fame and recognition poses a significant challenge to the authenticity of social efforts.
Key Differences
Motivation: Genuine Social Service: Driven by altruism and compassion for those in need.
Activism for Recognition: Motivated by personal gain, fame, or societal acknowledgment. Prioritizes self-promotion over meaningful impact. Often results in superficial efforts with limited impact.
Intent :
Genuine Social Service: Focuses on addressing community needs and creating sustainable change. Leads to long-term, transformative change in society.
Challenges
Distinguishing Genuine Efforts:
Identifying whether an individual’s or organization’s actions are genuinely altruistic or self-serving can be difficult.
Role of Social Media:
Platforms like Instagram and TikTok amplify self-serving activism, making it appear more prevalent than authentic service.
Conclusion
True social service requires a genuine heart, empathy, and dedication to helping others without expecting recognition or reward. While activism for recognition may garner attention, it lacks the depth needed to address systemic issues effectively. Supporting genuine efforts and being cautious of superficial activism is crucial for fostering meaningful societal change.
Putting this in context for Kodagu – the need of the hour is quiet, self-effacing leadership – of the kind that set in motion the gears for the Kodavaame Balo Nadp. The octogenarian occupiers of Chairs in perpetuity should give way to nurturing the youth, who are the future.
Similarly, various organisations should coalesce and create a common platform based on collective and inclusive wisdom. One Man Bands, need to be dispensed with and teams of selfless service resources are the need of the hour.
Jammada Ganesh Ayanna
Treasurer, JABHOOMI CHARITABLE TRUST
Chief Advisor, Mysore Kodava Samaja
Reading Ganesh’s message, I am reminded of something I read to differentiate academic knowledge from practical experience.
What Is Intelligence, Anyway? (Extract)
By Isaac Asimov.
When I was in the army, I received the kind of aptitude test that all soldiers took and, against a normal of 100, scored 160.
No one at the base had ever seen a figure like that, and for two hours they made a big fuss over me.
(It didn’t mean anything. The next day I was still a buck private with KP – kitchen police – as my highest duty.)
All my life I’ve been registering scores like that, so that I have the complacent feeling that I’m highly intelligent, and I expect other people to think so too.
Actually, though, don’t such scores simply mean that I am very good at answering the type of academic questions that are considered worthy of answers by people who make up the intelligence tests – people with intellectual bents similar to mine?
For instance, I had an auto-repair man once, who, on these intelligence tests, could not possibly have scored more than 80, by my estimate.
I always took it for granted that I was far more intelligent than he was.
Yet, when anything went wrong with my car I hastened to him with it, watched him anxiously as he explored its vitals, and listened to his pronouncements as though they were divine oracles – and he always fixed my car.
Well, then, suppose my auto-repair man devised questions for an intelligence test.
Or suppose a carpenter did, or a farmer, or, indeed, almost anyone but an academician. By every one of those tests, I’d prove myself a moron, and I’d be a moron, too.
In a world where I could not use my academic training and my verbal talents but had to do something intricate or hard, working with my hands, I would do poorly.
My intelligence, then, is not absolute but is a function of the society I live in and of the fact that a small subsection of that society has managed to foist itself on the rest as an arbiter of such matters.
“Why is that?”
I asked. “Because you’re so goddamned educated, doc, I knew you couldn’t be very smart.”
And I have an uneasy feeling he had something there.
SO VERY TRUE……………
Food for thought – our ancestors didn’t have any great deal of formal education but possessed relevant knowledge on agriculture and community living. This is so badly the need of the hour – brilliant minds made up of formal education combined with down-to-earth relevant and rational thinking. Definitely no need of self-styled leaders with outpouring of self-determined gyan of non-value adding consequence.
Extremely powerful articulation of a disease that is spreading amongst self-styled leaders. As you have rightly pointed out, the need of the hour in Kodagu is the erstwhile Thakkamme where people were chosen on merit to discharge their duties starting with the Okka, Ur, Keri, Naad and culminating with a proper platform based action/execution at Akhila Kodava Samaja.
There are many Okkas that run exceptionally well by these principles where decisions are taken collectively and the Thakka plays his role in encouraging teamwork. Two good examples are the outstanding conduct of the Kundyolanda Family Hockey Namme and the manner in which Aaraayiranad Poomale Mandh at Virajpet functions. Previous longstanding President Chendanda Ponnu Ajja is a mentor to a young and enthusiastic Ajjinkanda Sudhir Subbaiah. There is wholesome cooperation in this community which spills over to the manner in which the Chembebeloor Bode Namme is conducted – a much needed purposefully inclusive community event.
The bottom line is that when we put our minds to it, we can deliver a strong community driven ethos sans politics and self-aggrandising wannabe leaders. More power to the real spirit in which Kodavaame Balo took place and let more committed work start from the grassroots level.
Felt like sharing this message I got on WhatsApp this morning:
There must be leadership in this outwardly chaotic looking phenomena. Apparently, leadership keeps changing during the course of the flight and it is remarkable that year after year these migratory birds fly thousands of miles on their chosen path.
Lesson from Mother Nature on Leadership – perhaps 🤔
– birds of a feather flock together – Kodavas and Kodava Bashikas!!
– leaders give way to others to stay the course and they must be strong
– clarity of purpose is required to achieve one’s goals
– nurture the next generation
Dear Ganeshanna,
For the first time in my Kodava social life, I come across your article ” Social activism Vs . …social recognition”., clearly identifying the conundrum. My sincere appreciation for your effort in bringing out the real issue. I desire every Kodava must go thru your write up. Unfortunately the recognition lot is overtaking pure service oriented lot. Kodavaame will flourish only if the number of selfless service individuals grow .
Continue with your social work. A large fan following is behind you, and I am one amongst them.
All that you have written is so right in the context of many self styled leaders who have emerged on the horizon. They take credit for what they have not done with such terrifying ease and worse have a gullible fan following.
The REAL LEADERS tend to remain silent and give credit to the team who actually perform. Take for example the great Kodavaame Balo Nadp – it was the people of Kodagu who made it happen with spontaneity, passion and commitment that brought even people in wheelchairs and nonagenarians joining the March with pride. Yes – surely there must be people who made it happen – silently and in a committed manner – but they did not raise their hands to say – look at me, I did it !
Even the President of Akhila Kodava Samaja, perhaps the only one chosen to deliver the key address and read the memorandum handed over to the District Administration did his job with quiet humility and dignity. It was the perfect way to behave, instead of gun-toting, shouting aggressively and denying the participants a most deserving closure to an incredible peaceful and disciplined movement which drew the praise of everyone, including the Police Officials.
This is indeed the need of the hour – quiet, selfless service leadership. More power to the likes of the silent leaders who bring out positive and inclusive change for the well-being of Kodagu.