HOW SHOULD LEADERS COMMUNICATE DURING A CRISIS

In the event of the onset of  a crisis like Coronavirus pandemic or a major war or natural calamities out of the blue, two questions arise.

How should leaders communicate during a crisis?

How should leaders give people a sense of security in the present and hope for the future?

Preaching the virtues of their plans and prosecuting alternative proposals could reduce uncertainty. 

Making a political case might rally the base around shared goals.

But the most instructive example had come in 1932 from the Governor of New York, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

In an early speech in the spring, as his state and the nation faced an unprecedented crisis - the country was reeling from the Great Depression - he announced, "It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try a different method. But above all try something."

He delivered his "try something" message in the commencement speech at a small University in Georgia when unemployment was very high. It was the great depression. In the most memorable line from the speech, FDR argued that "the country demands bold, persistent experimentation."

One of the Governor's own advisers described the speech as an act of political stupidity.

The New York Times eviscerated the Governor's speech with the comment "something unspecified is no better than nothing."  Trashing the speech, it stated that the Governor was "indefinite, abstract, irresolute" whereas other leaders were "precise, concrete, positive"

It is easy to see the appeal of a confident leader who offers a clear vision, a strong plan and a definitive forecast for the future. 

But in times of crisis as well as times of prosperity, what we need is a leader who accepts uncertainty, acknowledges mistakes, learns from others and restructures plans. FDR was offering exactly that. The critics were wrong about how his proposed approach would unfold. He wasn't preaching, prosecuting or appealing to politics. He was speaking with a confident humility

FDR's principle became a touchstone of his leadership. 

Although economists still debate which of the resulting reforms lifted the country out of the historic depression, FDR's trial and error method of formulating policy was indeed popular. 

The Americans elected him President four times.

Adam Grant
Think Again

GANDHIJI, SATYAGRAHA, ROWLATT ACT, DALIT REPRESENTATION - PRECURSOR TO RESERVATIONS FOR SCs/STs IN INDEPENDENT INDIA

 While we were in school, we had a subject, 'Social,Studies.' It was a compendium of History, Geography, Economics and whatever the compilers of the Text Books deemed fit to be placed there. It was an Avial or a Masala. We had no idea what it was all about. Nor did the teachers. They did real teaching. They would read out page by page. I guess no one understood anything. Come exam time, we would mug up whatever was possible and threw up all that into the answer sheets. Curiosity had no place here. Those who memorised best and had the ability to put it on the answer sheets verbatim went places. Pity the rest. They were the majority. They were declared unworthy to go further up.

Gandhiji, Satyagraha and Rowlatt Act had mystified us. Another was the division of Bengal in 1905 that was later annulled

The Times of India of 14 August 2026 gave me a real insight into Gandhiji, Satyagraha, Rowlatt Act and Dalit reservation - the Precursor to Reservation for SCs and STs in independent India for the first time. The writer, Alok Sharma,  had exercised great pain in sifting through the volminous data available at the TOI Archives.

Satyagraha

Gandhiji had been in South Africa for twenty one years. He employed Satyagraha as a method of resistance repeatedly to draw attention to the discriminatory laws against Indians. On his return to India he deployed his most potent weapon 'Satyagraha' aginst the British. 

It was Satyagraha that finally drove the British exit India

Rowlatt Act

The Rowlatt Act classified Dalits as a minority, whose representatives  would be elected only by Dalit voters, just as Muslims, Christians and Sikhs would elect their own representatives. Gandhiji believed this would divide the Hindu society. B.R.Ambedkar supported it as a safe guard for Dalit representation. Opposing a separate electorate for Dalits, proposed under the Communal Award of August 1932, Gandhiji announced a fast unto death from Pune's Yerwada Jail on September 13 through a letter to the British Prime Minister. It had truly altered the course of India's political history. He was already under  imprisonment at the Jail for partaking in  the Civil Disobedience Movement. The fast was set to begin on Sept 20.

His week long fast led to the Poona pact. It was  negotiated by Madan Moham Malaviya and Ambedkar.  Gandhiji accepted it.

The pact abandoned a separate electorate but reserved seats for Dalits within the general electorate. 

It  became a milestone in Dalit representation.

It was the precursor to reservations for SCs and STs in independent India.

The explanation is clear. No one would ever miss the truth. Only hitch is, it took 60-65 years to reach us, the weaklings. 

Learning never ceases.

Live Sisyphus And Not Abyss Of Absurd

Vijay Hashia discusses 'Surrender to the Absurd' in The Times of India of 26 August 2026:

Live Sisyphus And Not Abyss Of Absurd

He begins by referring to the recent tragedy involving 18 year old Kunal Murlidhar Chandvade, triggered by his stubborn demand for an Apple phone. His father could not reportedly afford it, It led to the fatal  fall from the cliff where the whole family lost their lives. They were attempting to save one another.

According to Crime records Bureau, annual suicide rate in India is 12.2 to 12.3 per 100000 with young adults aged 15-30 at high risk. The reasons include academic stress, a traumatic and negative familial environment, conflicts, depression and anxiety disorders among others.

This is the abyss of the 'absurd.'  In his philosophical essay, 'The Myth of Sisyphus,' Albert Camus calls suicide a surrender to the 'absurd.' It occurs when the mind develops  the notion i that life is not worth living. The surrender then is meek.. He asserts why we must continue struggling like Sisyphus pushing his boulder endlessly uphill, without promise that the struggle  will ever reward or resolve anything and without losing life's hope.

The boulder remains unmovable for Sisyphus and his pushing it is a resolute act against the absurdity of existence. 

Retreating and withdrawing from pushing the boulder, he says, is succumbing. And there is one act of dignity left, and that is to continue struggling resolutely even beyond limits of endurance.

Allowing an 'absurd' moment to dictate life's value and meaning is yielding, he says. 

A targedy of misfortune ought to have an explanation. A devastating loss ought to contain some rationale. We instinctively  search for  justification, responsibility, fate or circumstance and we ask why that happened and where the fault lies.

But the world is not irrational nor is the human being incapable of reason. The 'absurd' emerges from the collision between our insatiable desire to understand and the world that does not respond to it. We demand absolute meaning. Existence gives us only contingency, uncertainty and death. 

For Camus, faith is consolation disguised as a deep philosohical choice, giving up on reason. He admires boldness to face life honestly without building philosophical theories around it.  For Soren Kierkeggaard and Lev Shestov, when logic fails to explain suffering, one turns to faith  rather than explanation. Nietzche accepts life's cruely but advocates embracing it fully

No faith, theory or doctrine of fate can make any such tragedy suddenly occur.

Gita, Chapter 2, says, from contemplation on sensory objects arises attachment, from attachment arises desire, from desire arises anger, from anger arises delusion, from delusion arises loss of memory and destruction of intellect and finally the ruin. Upanishads counsel us to enjoy life and the world through detachment and renunciation without greed.

Today thought patterns have shifted towards acquiring material possessions, social media, brand consciousness, self centredness, manufactured personality traits for approval and a craving for social acceptance has engulfed young minds.

The remedy begins at home, where children are allowed to speak early and vent small frustrations.  The role of the  elders is not to enforce order through writs. The development of the psyche of the children become wholesome when they consent to accept advice when in need and without compulsion.

Nothing is worth losing a life. 

It must be lived on, endured through any eventuality and carried forward with resilience and courage.

DOLLY PARTON SIGNS OFF

The Times of India on 26 August 2026;

Dolly Parton, queen of country music whose songs spoke to millions dies at 80

Dolly Parton had been the country music icon to the legion of her followers. Her soaring vibrato vocals, poignant songwriting and sparkling costumes had defined her. The rise from her log cabin in the Tennessee mountains to the  pinnacle of stardom and acclaim was an unbelievable journey of grit. . 

Known for her curvy physique, massive blonde wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self deprecating wit, she was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond - the rare celebrity  whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.

She wrote hundreds of songs. They included classics like 'Jolene' (1973), 'Coat of Many Colours' (1970 - written on the back of  a dry cleaning receipt in 1969),  'I Will Always Love You' (1974) and 'Here You Come Again' (1979). Her songs sold more than 100 million worldwide. It generated more than 1 billion online streams. Dolly Parton, who plucked bejewelled banjos, guitar and dulcimers with her long fingernails during performances was  a generous philanthropist. In addition she was a successful businesswoman. Among her projects, there was a theme park in the Smoky Mountain foothills near her birthplace.

Her career was forever influenced by her upbringing. She was one of the 12 children born into what she called a 'dirt poor' Tennessee family. 

Her first musical performances were in a church. Her grandfather was a preacher there.

When she was ten years of age she was learning Guitar and singing on local TV shows.

After graduation from her school, she followed her uncle, Bill Owens, a song writer to Nashville, with a suitcase of songs. 

Fred Foster, who produced Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson and more saw her potential and got her songs cut by other artists. 

Her partnership with Porter Wagoner, a pencil thin pompadoured star with flashy rhinestone outfits, was key to her career. She honed her acting skills on his syndicated TV show. He advocated for her to get a record deal at RCA. 

She got her first No.1 solo single  with 'Jolene'. She reached the Top 5 with the ballad "Coat of Many Colours".It narrated how her mother sewed together scraps of clothes to make a coat she wore 'so proudly.' Her peers mocked her all along for being poor.

The song, with its biblical references and ode to maternal love, was made into a children's book and TV movie.

In 1973, she had the hit, 'Jolene.' The song skyrocketed her to fame. It was the familiar country music, standard with its steady churning. As she sang,'Jolene,' with the repeated delivery of the title where she pleaded to the woman not to steal her man, the song took wings taking her to the top of the country charts.  It was later released on the international platform. Jolene opened up new audiences for her. 

Dolly Parton was considered a feminist role model for holding the reins of her own career, writing her own songs, owning her her content and looking after her finances in an entertainment world dominated by men. 

She married Carl Dean, an asphalt paving contractor, in the mid 1960s. They were together until he died in 2025 at the age of 82.

In her first major film role, she played alongside Fonda and Tomlin as office workers who were rebelling against their tyrannical boss in '9 to 5'. 

Critic Roger Ebert called her a "natural born movie star'. The title song '9 to 5'  earned her two grammy awards. 

With 55 Grammy nominations and 11 wins, Dolly Parton is the third  most nominated woman in Grammy history, only behind Beyonce and Taylor Swift

The Malayala Manorama on 28 August 2026 reveals, she was under treatment for cancer.

At 80, she has succumbed to the ailment that plagued her.

When we had been young, her songs had memerised us. We had no TV. It was the Radio. .

Sad she is gone. 

Grateful to Dolly Parton for making our lives livelier as we struggled to make a living.

She gave us hope.

THE MIGHTY DOLLAR

 The Mighty Dollar

America's most powerful weapon is its currency that it deploys in every major conflict

What missiles, bombs and a naval blockade couldn't do in six months, US now hopes to achieve with tougher sanctions on Iran. It's described "Operation Economic Outcast'  as the "single greatest financial offensive ever."  Leave aside the hyperbole, what it really means is that US will go after everyone having any financial dealings with Iran. The idea is to financially starve Iran into submission. Will it work? That's debatable, but the fact that "economic warfare' has become US's "nuclear option" in every conflict, from Cuba to Russia, is a testament to dollar's continuing strength 82 years after Bretton Woods.

It was in 1944 that 44 Allied nations agreed to peg their currencies to dollar, which was pegged to gold at the time. And the system continued, rather expanded, even after US dumped the gold standard in 1971. In fact, it's become so big that it's considered too big to fail. and that implied sense of safety makes it even more indispensable in difficult times, although enough central bankers would relish it supplanted. 

So, how big is dollar? In 2016, 65.4% of forex reserves were held in it globally. Euro, the second biggest reserve currency, had 19.1% share. By 2025, dollar's share had slipped to 57,7%, and euro's had risen to 20.1%, but in absolute terms, dollar holdings globally grew from $5.5tn to $6.7tn in the same 10-year period. More importantly, around 90% of global forex transactions still occur in dollar. Commodities like oil, gold and coffee are all priced in dollar. And most dollar transactions are routed through American banks which is why America can weaponise dollar so effectively. It can stall payments, and freeze assets, like it did with over $300bn worth of Russian central bank assets in 2022.  And that's what it 's threatening to do to Iran's financial partners.

America's action against Russia had rattled central banks, and there had been many discussions to devise alternatives over four years, but there is no immediate threat to dollar's dominance. Simply because no country other than US, offers the scale of economic, political and financial stability, as well as openness of financial markets and currency convertibility. Dollar is simply the most efficient way to deal financially, outside your own country's borders. Euro or some other candidate might become world's preferred reserve currency one day, but that day is probably decades away.

The editorial in The Times of India 26 August 2026

TRUE SPORTSMANSHIP

 

To train and perform at  your best is not the only task in sports or in any other job. 

To  retire with grace, courage and hope is also a part of true sportsmanship

It applies everywhere else too.

P.H. KURIAN IAS PASSES AWAY

P.H.Kurian, IAS, former Additional Secretary, Kerala passed away on 26 August 2026. 

He was 67.

The 1986 - batch civil servant belonged to an agrarian family in Kottayam.

He had always employed power for people's welfare. The instinct to put people ahead of procedure ran throughout his career.  As Revenue Secretary, he led relief efforts during 2018 floods. As IT Secretary, he laid foundations of Kerala's startup ecosystem and drove investments to the state.

Dr. V. Venu, former Chief Secretary and longtime colleague writes:

"He was the textbook example of how an IAS officer ought to perform his duties. He was thorough with the rules and always interpreted them in a way that benefitted the common man."

"He was open and transparent with everyone, from commoners to coworkers and businessmen. That gave him an insight other officers rarely get."

PH Kurian's most defining moment came in 2012 when he served as the Controller General of Patents, Government of India.

Bayer, the German Pharmaceutical giant was selling its cancer drug Nexavar at over  Rs.2.80 lakhs for a month's dose. The medicine was out of reach for a majority of patients.

It was then that Natco Pharma sought a compulsory licence for Nexavar's generic version. It offered to sell the drug at Rs.8800.00 a month. After an 18-hour hearing over three days, Kurian wrote a 62 page order in Natco's favour. It became India's first compulsory licence that drew global attention. 

Irked, US had placed India on its Priority Watch List over the ruling

The irony is, it was Cancer that took him away.

Excerpts:
'From pharma fiat to leading '18 relief ops, Kurian was 'textbook' bureaucrat'
M.S.Vidyanandan, The New Indian Express, 28.08.2026