Passion Trumps Technology

TRIM Quarterly ….. A Showcase of Industrial India, July 2010

It was a pleasant evening in Delhi, unlike the excessive, record breaking summer heat this year. The event, Bharat Shiromani Awards, organised by The Shiromani Institute. The venue, a five star hotel in the heart of the capital.  Guests had arrived and the hall was fully packed.

The list of awardees was a who’s who of celebrities from diverse fields like sports, music, dance, politics, films, medicine, technology ….. Guests of Honour were Orissa Governor Mr.Bhandare, Arunachal Pradesh Governor General J.J.Singh, Chairman Law Commission Justice Laxmanan and Member of Parliament Mr.Tarlochan Singh. Some of the recipients who were present were, General J.J.Singh (also as Guest of Honour), Abhinav Bindra, Daler Mehndi, Mohd. Azharuddin, Jaya Prada ….. among other illustrious personalities.

The Master of Ceremonies requested everyone to take seats as the evening’s proceedings were to start. Two screens on either side of the stage lit up and the Tri-Colour fluttered on them. Everyone stood up for the National Anthem. The much cliched, ‘technical snag’ developed at that very moment and there was no sound from the audio system. Seconds flowed in silence as the two screens continued to show the Tri-Colour. The audio had failed. Another attempt was made by the technicians, but still no sound.

A meek voice, from one side of the hall started ‘Jana Gana Mana …..’ and stopped. From another side, another person began to sing ‘Jana Gana Mana …..’ and like the first one, finding herself to be the lone voice,also stopped. Someone else attempted again ….. and then, I guess, the earlier ones joined in and one by one the crescendo built up ….. everyone joined in ….. all awardees, guests of honour on stage and everyone in the hall was singing !! The entire National Anthem was sung completely by all present !! And then, as if nothing had gone wrong, the proceedings carried on after The National Anthem ….. !!

I am sure each one present there, had goose pimples, as did I. It was an amazing experience and feeling, as if some super power had charged everyone in the hall with the same energy ….. A Passion for India !! It was unsaid, unrehearsed, unprepared, but to an outsider it would have appeared as if there was a tremendous level of bonding and understanding and that a lot of preparation had gone in.

Jai Ho !!

I said to myself, “In India’s race into the future, Technology will play the role of an accelerator for sure; but what will POWER it, is The Soul Stirring Passion I experienced first hand that day” !! Passion is the energy that ‘fires’ organisational and societal engines to run faster and more effectively and efficiently, technology at best being an enabler, a catalyst, an accelerator. Passion is the ‘Extra Premium Fuel’ that is at a premium. It runs through the soul of Indians truly, I realised !!

We see examples in sports, in corporate performances, in concerts and in various other fields, where similar magic is created, going beyond the limits of technology. There are organisations where use of the best technology fails to bring about results and then there are operations like the Mumbai Dibbawallas, who are so tuned in, passionately, efficiently, effectively and accurately carrying out their work day in day out, rain or no rain, that they TRUMP Six Sigma processes without any technological gadgets !! One wonders what kind of a spirit is alive, spreading homogeneously like a cloud, encompassing all the constituents with A Divine Energy …..

How is it that certain teams achieve extraordinary excellence, day after day, year after year and manage to stay committed to each other, their customers and their organization’s mission ? What explains the romance of synchronised rowing by boatmen in Kerala !! Or what explains the Olympic Margins of Victory ….. fractions of seconds !!

Why is it that all teams are groups but not all groups are teams ?? Passion resides in each individual as a nucleus of energy and also pervades all across the team, as if there were multiple bodies but one soul. Behaving very much in the manner of wave-particle duality in quantum mechanics. Each one may ignite and vibrate separately, but with the same frequency. The resonance creates an energy, which individually and collectively can trump any obstacle and lead to great achievements. That, like my experience on hearing The National Anthem being sung by everyone together, can unleash The Energy of Collective Passion ….. creating A Harmonious Soulful Symphony.

“An ignited mind is the most powerful resource on the earth, above the earth and under the earth ….. Creativity and imagination of the human mind would always be superior to any computer” ….. APJ Abdul Kalam

J.P.Singh

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