THE BABA LAND

What makes India a fertile place for pseudo Holy Men?

Abraham Maslow might have an answer 

Religion is an indispensable part of our country’s moral and cultural fabric. For many rich, it is an easy way to purge themselves of the vices rationalized as essential to survive and prosper in the material world.  It isn’t uncommon to see some of the most corrupt politicians and unscrupulous businessmen making generous donations, perform elaborate yagnas and bend beyond their back, sometimes quite literally, for the blessings of almighty.  Besides public posturing, it’s also the lingering fear that stems from consciousness of their deeds that drives them to the sanctum sanctorum of god and its self- proclaimed agents.
Deal making is a way of life for them and that’s what they try to make with the god as well, in exchange of a tiny bit of their wealth and a few moments of humility.

However,  for the vast majority of Indians, the bottom 50% with only 10% of the country’s resources - as pointed out by Thomas Pikkety - religion delivers at a far more elementary level.
Failed by the apathetic administration and opportunistic Politicians, it becomes their principal provider of hope.

When governments fail, middlemen prosper. That’s where some Spiritual gurus find their sweet spot. These agents of hope are lurking around in every nook and corner of the country, peddling their new-fangled theories that promise divine grace in this life and beyond.
In a recent article titled ‘Godmen-theirs and ours, Pakistani sociologist, Pervez hodbhoy mentioned “India and Pakistan have more influential holy men per square mile than anyone has ever counted.”
They are rich, powerful and dangerously influential. In some cases, their writ runs larger than the system.  The most commonly brandished rationale behind their incredible popularity is the gullibility of the uneducated and superstitious masses.  While true to an extent, it doesn’t add up to the obsession, that borders madness, of followers willing to shed their blood and lives for their Guru
For a well- rounded perspective, one needs a more nuanced understanding of the operating models of these babas. They make enormous amount of investments, of money and skill, towards making a larger than life image for themselves.
 
Wittingly or unwittingly, they exhibit a great understanding of the Human behavior, appealing to the different level of human motivations, as prescribed by Abraham Maslow in the hierarchy of human needs.
Although the initiation happens through the pitch to the highest order motivation of self-Transcendence,  the relationship is nourished and sustained through more fundamental offerings

Anyone who has ever visited the Ashrams and deras, some even more modestly called Kutiyas(HUTS) -euphemisms for the mini kingdoms built over many acres -  can vouch for the divine abundance that flows in the form of food. In a country with more than 194 Million undernourished people, highest in the world, two square meal is a huge incentive.   They provide means of living to thousands of unemployed ‘volunteers’

Some of India’s biggest hospitals and education institutions are run under the patronage of these babas, offering subsidized education, quality affordable healthcare to the large section of deprived population. 
These centers in turn feed in to the image of benevolence. Every child that passes out of these schools is positively disposed, if not already indoctrinated.
Many such pseudo holy men are renegades of organized religions.  Besides being less regimented and ritualistic, they also appear to be more egalitarian than otherwise upper caste dominated dispensations.
 Their sects develop into a microcosm of society, with its unique ecosystem.  Bonded by the common love of ‘the Guru’, followers have a deep sense of belonging and communion among them.  They forge new ties, make friends and in some cases find their life partners from the community.  The Shared sense of Sect identity takes precedence over the common religious identity.
Not just identity, the followers also derive pride and self-esteem from the stature of ‘the Guru’, who in turn draws it from his powerful audiences. This is where the Guru also turns from a benefactor to a beneficiary. The more the asset base of followers the spiritual lords can parade, the longer is the march of political and other heavyweights genuflecting at their doorsteps. As the showcase of celebrities gets bigger, so does the perceived strength of their divine power.

Touching their lives at so many levels, association with these sects becomes more than just a matter of faith. It starts defining their place in the social order and in many cases, a support system for everyday existence.

And when their Guru is under fire, it is seen as a challenge to the entire ecosystem that runs under his patronage.  Illusory or real, their sense of safety, security, identity and place in the order is threatened. The desperation to hold on to it overshadows their judgment. So much so that they are willing to take on the might of the establishment.

Given how strongly our beliefs and value systems are conjoined at the roots with divinity, God Men are here to stay. They have played an important role in the building of a moral, tenacious, righteous and progressive society. But as long as our governments leave a void, black sheeps like Ram Rahim’s and Ram pals will keep finding the green patches to feed on.
As Nicolas Taleb mentions in his best seller ‘The Black Swan’,  ‘It’s not possible to stop charlatans from existing, but you can definitely prevent them from duping’

Outsider's edge - Is Unfamiliarity a new asset?

It’s incredible how robes have swayed their way into the boardrooms dominated by slick suits and are now sweeping the stakes off the table.

Who would have thought that the complete outsiders to the world of business, ominously high on the abstracts of metaphysics and religion can pose a serious threat to the champions of P&Ls, armed with real world theories of Adam Smith and Philip Kotler.

Infact a whole new breed of new age entrepreneurs in their jeans and chappals are pulling the rug from under the oxfords.

If corporates in India are facing heat from unexpected quarters, far in the west, outsiders from the boardroom have stormed into the elusive corridors of politics, trampling many a career politicians on the way. While trump is arguably the most powerful outsider in the white house today, France has just witnessed, what many political commentators have termed as the unprecedented battle between the two ‘rookies’ for entry in the Elsee Palace.

Around the world, in the range of fields, from business to literature, increasingly, the old bastions are being broken into by the un-experts and the un-initiated.

Chetan Bhagat, an investment banker, famously changed the course of English fiction writing in India, much to the chagrin of many a reputable authors.

Air BNB, The most valuable hospitality brand in the world today is the brain child of three youngsters for whom the only experience with commercial hospitality was as guests.

And both Garret Camp and Travis Kalanick don’t claim any training in the world of transportation before Uber.
The course for next big thing in the automotive industry is being driven by the internet giant, Google, with their driver-less cars.

Although a lot can be attributed to the success of these proverbial outsiders, one is particularly compelling; Today’s world order that is at the cusp of extremities; Economically, Politically, environmentally, and most importantly technologically.

These extremities have led human race to be far more receptive to lateral changes in their lives, mostly either out of urgency or aspirations. 

We've become far more flirtatious as consumers and increasingly less loyal with our political affiliations.

It is reflected in our choice of Governments, and how readily we are embracing new products and technology.

Tesla is borne out of the urgency caused by the rising threat of Climate change, whereas the attempt at the first civilian flight to space is sign of our aspirations, backed by enormous wealth, shooting through the sky, quite literally
Political commentators aver that the lack of trust and frustration with traditional politicians had reached the tipping point, resulting in the rise of Donald Trump.

As the new world order sets in, there are extremely important lessons for the custodians of businesses and brands.

1) Disruption is the new constant in these extraordinary times.
When world around us is moving exponentially, incremental improvements are not enough.
A better mobile handset with larger screen and a bigger pixel camera might not help Samsung continue its dominance for long.  But introducing a new operating system before an outsider breaks the monopoly of Android and iOS could set the stage for the bigger things.
We’ve witnessed how  legacy brands like Nokia and more recently, the struggling Indian IT outsourcing industry have been struggling to hold their ground against ‘outsiders’.

2) A healthy pipeline of new ideas
This holds as much significance for a services company as much for a product. As we run full throttle into a hurricane of uncertainties, a solid bench strength of ideas, informed by ground realities of consumer needs and aspirations is fundamental to survival.
Google and Apple are leading examples of the organizations on the constant look out for the next breakthrough. Whilst brands do undertake annual brand health surveys to take stock of present, an annual internal audit of the innovations pipeline should be commissioned to understand the preparedness to take on the future

3)  Let ideas dictate expertise. Not the other way round.
When the pace of change is as rapid and in an unforeseen way, unfamiliarity can be the new asset, devoid of ‘expertise biases.  It can help you think using the first Principles, what Elon Musk describes as the ability to boil things down to their most fundamental truth and reason up from there. Rama Bijapurkar defines this as finding the ‘Next Best Practice’.
A lot of organizations have identified the importance of the new skills and are hiring people from outside their industry to being in the new perspective and usher in the next best practice. In 2015, Amazon has reportedly hired automotive engineers to work on its spaceship programs. Advertising industry is aggressively hiring people from diverse backgrounds and skills to bring on the table new perspectives, ideas and inclinations for their client.

4)  Go beyond solutions and create new possibilities. When brands show the world what is possible, they are truly loved. Steve jobs, created possibilities in the world of music and communication. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are creating new possibilities in the Astrophysics.

Back home, Fab India Showed how we can look cool and chic in Indian ethnic wear

In nutshell, brands will need to look at the consumers and their lives from ground up. To continue challenging their own models, notwithstanding its success.

To live up to all of this, organization will need to occupy a place on the doors of their Comfort Zones, keep their ears to the ground, sniff out the opportunities and remain an outsider,  permanently.