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End Justifies The Means

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by HariLakhera, Feb 26, 2023.

  1. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera IL Hall of Fame

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    Sat, 25 Feb at 6:47 pm

    “End justifies the Means”
    The old, yet evergreen, dictum is “end justifies the means” and it has been debated since eternity.

    The question, therefore, arises what is wrong with polarizing voters on religion or caste issues and winning elections and fulfilling the party’s agenda? At the national level, Congress and BJP do it and at the state level, regional parties do it. The objective is to come into power and implement the agenda.

    Or

    Seeking money from any source as political donations? All political parties do it. That is the reason they are one on this issue. Running a political party needs money and it hardly matters where it comes from.

    Or

    Supporting an entrepreneur in developing the country’s infrastructure, without bothering his source of funds? There are business lobbies to influence government policies and if that brings in development, it serves the nation. In return, there will be some political gains regarding donations, but that is okay.

    Or

    For that matter, is anyone doing anything as long as it is good for him and his family? There has never been a widely accepted definition of right and wrong, not in the context of self or family welfare, so why worry?

    Gandhi ji said-

    “For me, it is enough to know the means. Means and ends are convertible terms in my philosophy of life. We have always control over the means but not over the end. I feel that our progress towards the goal will be in exact proportion to the purity of our means. They say 'means are after all means'. I would say 'means are after all everything'. As the means so the end.”

    I think, as long as the means are within the framework of existing laws and rules, there should be no problem.

    The laws and rules were formed after lengthy discussions and amended with changing times.

    At the same time, these laws and rules have been broken also.

    What do you think?
     
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  2. godsgp

    godsgp Silver IL'ite

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    I have thought so much about it all my life.
    And this is what I have concluded.
    The society doesn't care.
    It looks at the "ends" and not the "means" and even defends that person with wrong means and better ends if it suits their needs.
    For me it is a call to be made at a personal level.Whether the result/end or the allegiance with the person with such means/end equations hurt my principles and mental health.Does it send me into volleys of never-ending over thoughts.
    I choose to stay away/removed/neutral and engrossed with other undisturbing things.
    There is no means that are clean if you are talking about political parties in particular.
    Its a tough choice.
     
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  3. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera IL Hall of Fame

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    If we look back, we will realize that means adopted by us for achieving our ends were not always good. The very definition of good is variable. We have used shortcuts and when we use shortcuts, there is no morality.
    On political and business fields, the less said the better. In fact, it is just not practical.
     
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  4. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    There are two means -- effective and ineffective. If we , If effective means cross the thin lin dividing the ethical from unethical but ineggective means don't m It would be foolish to use ineffective means for the simple reason that they don't bear fruits, As long as your means don't steamroller over the interests of large majority of people , any mneans are okay if they don't break the law
     
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  5. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Hari Sir,

    MSDhoni, the former captain of the Indian Cricket Team used to say that the processes are important as long as a good effort is made in the processes, the results will take care of itself. I couldn't agree more with that view. Purity of the intention, how we use the opportunities with right attitude, when we convert those opportunities, if things don't work, refining that to make it work, are all important.

    Isn't it true Lord Krishna taught Arjuna that if the intention is to defeat the unrighteousness, there is nothing wrong in using devious means? Ultimately, the intention that matters. When common benefit of the people is in view in our intentions, even if drifting away into everything you mentioned can be accepted. But when it is executed for a personal benefit, then, it becomes unsustainable.
     
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  6. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Shri Viswa,
    Both Mahabharata and Rama-Ravana wars were for the victory of truth over untruth or right over wrong. Every effort was made to avoid the war. But once it became inevitable, the rules of wars took over. These days, we say, everything is fair in love and war. But back then, everything was not fair in war. The wars started at sunrise and ended at sunset. No one was stabbed in the back. No one was hounded once the war ended.
    There were some manipulations in Mahabharata but all justified by Lord Krishna.
    This only proves that not only the end but the means too have to be justified.
    But as I said, it is not practical for mortal humans with so many pressures of livelihood.
     
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  7. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    Very true. Hindu temple funds are siphoned out to cater to the needs of so called minorities commercial activities in southern states of India. There are advise galore to devotees not to drop cash and valuables in temple Hundis as funds misappropriated or and used not for temple development. Temple huge tanks are taken over by minority for construction of edifice for their religion’s huge public prayer hall.
     
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  8. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera IL Hall of Fame

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    But temple Hundies are opened in the presence of authorized persons, and priests and the account is kept accordingly.
    There is no doubt that temple money is misused.
     
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  9. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    True in respect of huge temples. But the funds from hundi is misused by the government for purposes other than temple . Like robbing Peter to pay PAUL.
     
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  10. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera IL Hall of Fame

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    In our village, we have a small temple. Except on some special occasions, not many devotees visit the temple. However, the pujari was expected to visit and do daily puja and collect offerings in cash or kind, if any. He was paid a monthly salary. He was accused of not reporting all offerings correctly. A locked hundi was kept to be opened by the pujari, village pradhan, and one more person. The three were accused of not reporting correctly and sharing the offerings. The Hundi now is lying in a corner. Now one person from every family accompanies the pujari to the temple by rotation and collect the offerings and handover to the village pradhan. Here again, there are allegations of misappropriation.
    There appears to be no foolproof method, except the Hindi system.
     
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