Speaking Tree - Justice and Civil Society nurture each other

Speaking Tree - Justice and Civil Society nurture each other:

In a world where voices are getting ‘shriekier’, each trying to shut the other out, where narratives thrive on combativeness on our daily TV screen, the light of civil society grows dimmer by the day. What are we to do? They asked the wise Loqman, this cultivated man of unusual civility and character, from whom he had learnt ‘adab’, civility?  He said, from the ‘be-adabaan’,  the uncivil; whatever seemed ‘naa-pasand’, reprehensible, i refrained from doing.  Uncivil means distasteful, rude, abusive, intrusive, disruptive, inconsiderate.

  Civility by extension implies maintaining one’s poise, control of rough emotions and reactivity in inappropriate settings.

Another meaning of adab is breeding, so baa-adab is well-bred and be-adab is ill-bred. Which brings us to what Seneca says: no man is good by accident, virtue has to be learnt. We need then to look at modern day family settings and popular TV serials to see from where the next generation is picking up its civility – or lack of it.  An old saying goes: If a way to be Better there be; it exacts a full look at the Worst.

In other words, it is also helpful to look at anti-role models, as examples of what not to do. Seneca again: “If you wish to be stripped of your vices you must get right away from the examples others set of them. ” If you notice others’ errors and these serve to wake you to your own, everybody becomes a teacher to you, and the whole life becomes your classroom.  We speak of ‘civil society’ as if it will come into being by itself, forgetting it is the deliberately chosen, collective behaviour of each citizen that creates it.

  In such a society, both leaders and other citizens do not go in for only sensational declarations and gestures, but demonstrate their intentions in a thousand considerate small daily acts -- in driving they signal their turn, they give pedestrians a chance to walk across, request rather than demand, talk with dignity with their juniors, are inclusive and respectful. The list is long but the values are simple to follow.  To unpack the word ‘civility’ or ‘civil’ we need to know that it is much deeper than the surface observances of etiquette and codes of politeness; it is all about genuine concern and a wider perspective.

It calls for sensitivity and compassionate attentiveness to the next person, whoever that might be.  Civil society is marked by the degree of the core values of consideration and compassion. An unjust society, where each cell thinks of itself and forgets the well-being of the whole organism, cannot boast of being a civil society. The unethical, adharmic behaviour here means ‘only to think of oneself. ’ This gradually weakens and negates the rule of law, allowing more injustice to emerge.

What happens next is inequality, de-humanisation and other indignities; social injustice on a large scale. Justice and civil society nurture and strengthen each other.  In the light of declining standards of social interaction, and of graciousness being in such a short supply, the fueling of disharmonious acts should not be treated as peripheral or fringe issues. Incremental uncivil acts gnaw away at the roots of a civil society and can create irreversible damage. Each one needs to exercise affectionate solidarity not by sloganeering but by example.

Civility brings decency, consideration, respect, kindness to the canvas of a civil society.