17/10/2015
TOWARDS THE SEARCH FOR A VISIONARY LEADERSHIP.......... The literature on colonialism and nationalism talks of charismatic leadership and ignores leaders with vision. For IPMAN,it is difficult to say whether we had either in the past. They seemed to have eluded us. Our fate today is to consciously create a situation that can generate succession of visionary political leadership at all levels of our political life over a given period of time. Iam attracted by the concept of visionary leadership because the very essence of charismatic leadership,even though it possesses ingredients for mobilisational leadership,is itself not sufficient for the transformational process which IPMAN needs very bad in the near future. Today we commence the search for this new political order and to it we saw the emergence of the IPMAN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AWARENESS FORUM and its teeming compatriots as part of the strategy towards evolving a viable political order,the primary objective of which is to bequeath to posterity a new political order that can endure stresses as well as contain the competitive demands in IPMAN politics. In congratulating the forum over this befitting victory,I wish to emphasize that,the youths has complete confidence in your intellectual ability,wealth of experience and patriotism. We feel sure the forum will discharge this call to duty faithfully,forsaking all considerations but the future well being of our dear IPMAN. We all realize that the role of the forum is probably one of the most significant in our continuing effort to give IPMAN a viable place in history. There's no doubt that,the emergence of this forum will have a new dimension because it is a befitting opportunity for all of us to acquire a mood of optimism which should enliven our creative impulse to march IPMAN forward. Be that as it may,I want to warmly and affectionately assert that "we are all marching towards the search for a visionary leadership". It is gratifying to see a combination of vibrant personalities with IPMAN at heart,out with vigor to salvage the image of IPMAN from the shackles of its detractors. What I shall try to do today is to share with you the yearnings and prayers of the youths, perception of the nature of issues,optimal solutions and their dream of the future of our dear IPMAN. You will perhaps agree that the worst features in our attitude towards patriotism includes factionalism, disruptive competition,extreme greed,selfishness, indolence and abandonment of the pursuit of excellence,indeed a companion cult of mediocrity- deep and pervasive has developed and with it a continuos and,so to speak,"universal"search for excuses to avoid taking difficult decisions and confronting hard work,and a penchant for passing the buck. These evils have pervaded IPMAN,they constitute the essential marasmus with which in reality we have to contend. This forum is not dogmatic. We are not rigidly doctrinaire. We fully appreciate that " finality is not the language of politics". But we act according to certain principles,one of which was well enunciated by Mahatma Ghandhi,namely,that a policy is a temporary creed,liable to be changed,but while it holds good,it has to be pursued with an apostolic zeal. For all these and other reasons,this forum is unswervingly committed to the yearnings and aspirations of the youths and also the quest to move IPMAN to greater heights. Therefore,in order to brace up to the challenges before us,we must exclude the extremists,who are defined as being uncompromising,fanatical or immoderate in their views,who go beyond the limits of reason,necessity or propriety to advance their cause,or who exceed the ordinary,usual or expected limits of decency in doing that. The extremists do not bother to delineate where their own rights ends and those of others begin. They are not believers in the politics of equality and justice. They are not democratic in their approach. The question then is; where do we go from here?. I believe the answer is not far fetched. People may well wonder,with all the foregoing and all that appears on the horizon,how the journey will commence. Iam very optimistic that this forum is a great forum and even greater things lie ahead for us. The assertion of Karl Max that political power is merely an organized power of one class for oppressing another must by our actions be made to stand repudiated. It is only a matter of re-o reintation,awareness and dismal enlightenment towards the ethics and norms of democratization. Our youths should nurse the correct attitudes towards these ethics and norms as an antidote to negativism. I must emphasize that the critics of our present social order locate the ills from the drains of the mistakes some us made,particularly those who have had the opportunity to lead but some of whom have not utilized this opportunity to the interest of the generality of our youths. It is the actions of this class that have generated this mood of despair and the negative belief that we are not capable of ruling ourselves. It is their misdeeds that have caused the disdain for what is patriotic,and the clinging to rugged individualism. It is such actions that have brought about the hypertensive nerve-wrecking shenanigans. It is the totality of such consequences of misrule that has come to dwarf the creativity of so many youths. I make bold to state the above facts and to turn the search light on each and every one of us as a challenge in order to light the torch of creativity. I am sure that the generality of our youths,who are not opportune or placed by fate to govern,will continue to live in this mood of despair unless we change our gear to positive optimism. Unionism is indeed a contract,a partnership in everything,and a partnership which extends from generation to generation between the living and the dead,and between the living and those who are yet to be born,between the visible and the invisible,it is a magnificent charter for a society in perpetual succession. Any one of us can be a leader tomorrow. May I at this point call upon all men and women of good will to lend their support in this struggle towards the search for a visionary leadership?. I have no doubt we can do it because all of us living and participating in running the affairs of this great association at this time,must certainly have a date with history. Let's rise for a free,fair and credible election for sustainability and prospective future of our youths. IPMAN PROGRESS.
