Human emotions get whipped up on witnessing acts against humanity, even if the acts carried out by the government are in line with the law of the land. Unfortunately, no such thing happens over civic services and amenities falling short, posing problems for the citizens, except one fundamental emotion that is generated – anger. But that isn’t enough, as is evident in most of our urban settings.
Over the last month, Bengaluru witnessed two events that left hundreds of families affected – eviction of about 160 families in Kogilu in north Bengaluru on December 20 by Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited, and demolition of 60 houses built over 22 allegedly illegal constructions at Thanisandra (also in north Bengaluru) by Bangalore Development Authority, on January 8. They are government agencies who did their duty to reclaim their lands.
Although their actions are said to be legal, they evoked emotions among people who were quick to question the seemingly inhuman operations. That was empathy in action among the people.
Emotions are generated through empathy, which is a complex mix of understanding and feelings – cognitive and affective processes. The Greater Good Magazine: Science-based Insights for a Meaningful Life explains that “empathy” describes a range of experiences. It is the ability to sense others’ emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling as a reaction to a particular situation.
While it was empathy that evoked emotions among people towards those affected by eviction and demolition, that very empathy has been largely absent in the political-bureaucratic set-up to understand the needs of citizens and deliver quality civic amenities for their convenience – even amenities like proper footpaths and roads in our cities, much needed for easy mobility.
For the government officials, alacrity seems to be limited to clearing their own lands through evictions and demolitions, not when it comes to delivering high quality civic amenities for the citizens. Lack of alacrity is generally the case where empathy is in short supply.
Evictions and demolitions present families out in the cold; little children crying; old men and women looking lost; young, helpless mothers holding their babies close to their bosoms; whole families huddled and staring into a bleak future. Social media goes into overdrive, making good pictures, copies and videos. People are touched, overwhelmed. Emotions spill over. Politics feasts on people’s emotions.
The issues get blown out of proportion as politics activates itself over the issue. The ruling and the opposition bay for each other’s blood over the “inhuman act” smacking of “authoritarianism”, each promising or questioning alternative housing, depending on whether those evicted or deprived of shelter are “outsiders” or citizens. It’s the stuff for debates and arguments peppered with views and opinions to justify their respective ideologies – all with an eye on winning people’s hearts for the next polls. Basically, that’s how politics and politicians work.
Citizens’ protests demanding better civic amenities mostly fall on deaf ears. There are no empathetic receiver antennas. Citizens’ anger alone is not enough to budge the political-bureaucratic establishment. What is needed is empathy from that very establishment, and not with an eye on votes, but on meeting the civic requirements of the citizens for the convenience of all.
Simple fact: Services delivered to the citizens based on empathy yield better poll results than delivering them with one eye on political mileage. That is called eyewash – like the pothole filling exercise across Bengaluru, wherein by definition their numbers may have declined, but in their place we are left with rough roads that leave motorists wondering when their wheels turned square.
Civic amenities include the entire gamut of goods and services that are fundamental and crucial to a better quality of life for the citizens. But a 360-degree look at Namma Bengaluru, for instance, would reveal how little is empathetically delivered with a duty-bound working conscience by the civic agencies.
The Karnataka High Court has directed that civic polls under Greater Bengaluru Authority be conducted in all its five corporations by June. The would-be corporators (seeing them after a gap of about half-a-decade) may do well to remember that delivering and maintaining high quality civic services and amenities is a significant part of good governance.
It involves public institutions conducting themselves effectively, ethically and inclusively. It enables meeting societal needs while upholding human rights and the rule of law with transparency, accountability, participation and responsiveness to build trust and foster sustainable development. It must involve citizens in decision-making, reduce corruption and empower all members, especially the vulnerable.
And that needs empathy from the politicians and a clinical and empathetic approach in delivering the services by the bureaucracy. Nothing less.
Nirad Mudur
Deputy Resident Editor, Karnataka
niradgmudur@newindianexpress.com