Sustainable Development: The Four-fold Path to Governance

Good governance is central to sustainable development. As the age-old maxim goes, As the King, so are the subjects. Demonstrated commitment and integrity on the part of the governing bodies in villages, towns, cities, provinces and countries, is a sine qua non, if the subjects/citizens/denizens need to be motivated to cooperate in the pursuit of sustainable development. The governing bodies, needless to say, cannot adopt a one-size-fits-all approach while dealing with human beings who have elected them to power.

This article seeks inspiration from ancient Indian history. To be more specific, from the treatise – Arthashastra (Statecraft, in Sanskrit) written by Chanakya, the adviser to the first Maurya Emperor Chandragupta who reigned between 340 BC and 293 BC. The four-fold path suggested includes Saam (gentle exhortation), Daam (providing incentives), Dand (penalizing, levying fines) and Bhed (discriminating and imposing sanctions), in that order of preference.