Embodiment of Impartiality

Incidentally, when we discussed how leaders must practice empathy towards their rivals and especially their families, the Indian Armed Forces put the quality on display for the whole world to witness. While the Indian Air Force was precise in their attack on terrorists and air bases in Pakistan in Operation Sindoor, they took utmost care to ensure there was minimal harm to any civilian property. Even though Pakistan continued to try to launch drone attacks on our civilian space, including temples and gurudwaras, such restraint was indeed magnanimity and fine leadership on India’s part.Moving on, Narad Muni gently asks Raja Yudhishthir, ‘O lord of the earth, do the people of all the worlds consider you an embodiment of impartiality? Can they come to you fearlessly as if you are their mother and father?’ It seems obvious that any king or leader should function without any bias, but it is such an underrated and rare quality to find amongst the CEOs, politicians or other administrators today.We could probably take a leaf out of the life of a great Chola king, Ellalan, who lived between 205 to 161 BCE in modern-day Tamil Nadu. According to legend, as recounted in Silapathikaram and Periya Puranam, the Chola king had a bell installed outside his palace. Anyone seeking justice could ring the bell, and the king would personally hear the grievance. One day, a cow rang the bell, and the king came out to investigate. He learned that his son had accidentally killed the cow’s calf while riding his chariot.Upholding his principle that justice must be equal for all, the king made the painful decision to punish his son in the same manner—by killing him with a chariot. To provide justice to the cow, Ellalan killed his own son, Veedhividangan, under the chariot as punishment i.e. Ellalan made himself suffer as much as the cow. This act of supreme justice earned him eternal fame and the title ‘Manu Neethi Cholan’, meaning ‘the Chola who followed Manu’s laws’. Moved by his commitment to justice and impartial rule, it is said that Lord Shiva blessed the king and brought both the calf and the prince back to life.In an age, where we see nepotism ruling in every field- be it arts, cinema, politics, business or sports- the question of impartial decision-making becomes pertinent. While a Manu Neethi Cholan may not be walking in our midst, how can a leader ensure that he or she is seen as impartial and as an altruist?Whenever we find ourselves in a position of power, we have to consistently make decisions that lead to a larger good. This principle has to be followed even if one’s personal interests are at stake. At a micro level, when it comes to assessing a team’s performance, we must not have any favourites. When it comes to resolving a conflict at home, we must be able to hear both sides patiently and do what is right. This is possible only if we detach ourselves from the narrow identity as someone’s brother, sister, friend, parent, spouse, etc. While this may be really difficult, it may be an easier practice to see ourselves as someone else’s brother, sister, parent or friend to understand what troubles they might be facing. From such a detached and objective perspective, weighing the pros and cons, it will always be easy to follow the dharma of that role. We have seen repeated examples of this from the scriptures (Ram, Krishna, Prahlad and Nachiket) and also from history (Ubhaya Bharati, Rani Ahilyabai Holkar and Shivaji Maharaj) where the person in question willingly sacrificed the lower for the higher. Only such a leader can provide a just and impartial rule, who can be approached akin to one’s own mother or father.