When the world is facing the disastrous consequences of an unwarranted and unprovoked war with Ukraine by Russia at a time most of the countries are slowly emerging out of the tragedies caused by the pandemic, people ask the question why did Vladimir Putin choose to go for a war and inflict further pain on people. One of the answers could be that he lacks sensitivity, compassion, care and concern for other human beings. These qualities are generally considered as feminine and they are collectively named as feminine ethos. The leaders, both men and women, who have cultivated the feminine ethos in their personality, become gentle and humane but firm with regard to their core values and principles. Absence of feminine ethos can make a leader aggressive, authoritarian and dictatorial.

The history of the world is a witness to the fact that when a country has a leader with a humane heart and a broad and inclusive vision, not only that country but also the neighbouring countries enjoy peace and prosperity. On the contrary, when a country is led by a dictator, not only people of that country suffer, but also it becomes a threat to world peace. Russia by invading Ukraine on flimsy reasons has become a threat to the whole world mainly because of the arrogance and imperial ambition Vladimir Putin. He appears to take the role of Hitler in the Second World War. The world was pushed to the Second World War because of the imperial ambition of three dictators: Adolf Hitler of Germany, Benito Mussolini of Italy and Hirohito of Japan and all the three were fascists.

According to Wikipedia, “Fascism is a form of far-right authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and the economy that rose to prominence in the early 20th century in Europe”.

Fascists do not believe in democracy, although they take the democratic route to capture power. They try to mobilize society under a totalitarian one-party state under the pretext of making the nation strong both economically and militarily. They also make use of racist or religious ideology, targeting certain communities by portraying them as internal enemies, in the process of mobilizing society, besides projecting external enemies. Hitler projected Jews as internal enemies and massacred millions of them. Because of the dictators who were imbued with fascist ideologies the world had to face the terrible consequences of World War II.   

It is said that history repeats itself. Seven decades after the Second World War, the world is witnessing in different countries the emergence of popular leaders who behave like dictators. Some of them are Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, Recep Erdogan of Turkey, Abdul al-Sisi of Egypt, Viktor Orban of Hungary, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and Kim Jong-un of North Korea. Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China are planning to rule as long as they live. These dictators present themselves as strong or tough leaders who are capable of protecting their people both from external and internal enemies. In spite of serious governance failures, their popularity is not adversely affected. In a recent article titled, “who wants a tough leader” in The Indian Express, P Chidambaram, states that there are 52 countries whose governments can be described as dictatorships.

In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath of UP present themselves as strong leaders who are ready to destroy all “anti-nationals” (opponents of the government). Addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich on February 22, Modi said, “You can see how much turmoil there is in the world at this time. In such a situation, it is very important for India and the entire humanity to be strong today. Today your every vote will make India strong.”

The BJP has no hesitation to present Yogi Adityanath as “Bulldozer Baba”. Four bulldozers were lined up at an election rally of UP CM in Sultanpur district on February 25. It is nothing but a symbol of the cruel regime of Yogi during the last five years. The rule of Yogi has been characterized by policies and actions like using bulldozers to raze allegedly illegal buildings without taking recourse to legal process and getting court orders, jailing journalists like Siddique Kappan who went to Hathras to report the rape and murder case of a Dalit girl and encounter killing of hundreds of criminals without bringing them before a court of law.

History teaches the lesson that the so-called strong or tough leaders brought only destruction and death to humanity.  On the other hand, gentle leaders with inclusive vision have contributed to peace and prosperity. One excellent example is Nelson Mandela. In spite of the cruelties done to him by the apartheid white regimes in South Africa, when he became the president of South Africa he included the Whites in his Cabinet and invited F.W. de Klerk to be the Deputy President. His vision was an inclusive South Africa where the Blacks and Whites could live together and work together for the well-being of all.  In one of his speeches he said, the aims of his government were nothing less than “freedom from want, freedom from hunger, freedom deprivation, freedom from ignorance, freedom from suppression and freedom from fear.” He never thought or spoke about retaliating or taking revenge for the crimes committed by the Whites on the Blacks.

During the peak of the pandemic, the global media reported that women leaders could handle the pandemic better than the male leaders. The Times of India wrote an editorial on April 25, 2020 under the title, “Like a boss: Women have shown how to lead in a crisis.”

The editorial mentioned the names of the countries where women leaders are at the helm of affairs and managed well the Covid 19 crisis — Taiwan, New Zealand, Germany, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. The women leaders have been remarkably proactive – responding early, testing intensively, and communicating clearly. They took concrete action in terms of protective equipment and healthcare arrangements.

The editorial also highlighted the reason for women leaders behaving differently. It is mainly because their experience is different. Women leaders tend to have different priorities and they invest in public health and social infrastructure. “Showmanship, ego and bluster don’t work for women, while collaboration comes easier to them. In a pandemic, these qualities matter greatly.”

Sensitivity, compassion, care and concern for human beings, transparency, participation, consensus, free information flow, cooperation and collaboration are some aspects related to feminine ethos. In any emergency or disaster the governments show a tendency to assume more power over its citizens and restrict the freedom of the latter. Not only women but men also can imbibe feminine ethos and reflect them in their policies and actions. Unfortunately, strong or tough leaders often fail to integrate feminine ethos into their policies and actions.

The three-week lockdown imposed on the people of India and extended up to 40 days without announcing simultaneously the plan for seamless supply of essential items, measures to guarantee food and medical care to the poor, especially to those who lived on their daily earnings, is an example of lack of sensitivity, compassion and care.

Demonetization imposed on the people in November 2016 is another example of lack of sensitivity and concern for the people. It caused untold suffering to the people, particularly the poor and it did not serve any purpose. The government did not explain to the people how far demonetization could achieve its avowed objectives. On the other hand, many write-ups appeared in the media, explaining that it was a disaster for the economy and the people. Reluctance to accept failures is generally considered as a masculine character. Political parties and politicians are often reluctant to accept their failures.

Increased participation of women in governing structures can increase the quality of governance. Unfortunately, political parties in India have failed to come to a consensus on providing 33% reservation for women in Parliament and Assemblies. On the International Women’s Day celebration many political leaders paid glowing tributes to women and their contributions to society.  “On Women’s Day, I salute our Nari Shakti and their accomplishments in diverse fields. The Government of India will keep focusing on women empowerment through its various schemes with an emphasis on dignity as well as opportunity,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Without equal participation of women in the decision-making process women empowerment will remain incomplete.

Families play the most important role in grooming leaders with feminine ethos. If the parents do not pay attention to inculcate in their children the values of forgiveness, compassion, sensitivity and respect for human dignity and human rights, it will be difficult for their children to imbibe these values. The second most significant place from where the children absorb the noble values and qualities of leadership is educational institutions. Unfortunately educational institutions also often fail to focus on building leaders with character because of their overemphasis on academic aspects and students scoring highest grades in the public examinations.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin has resulted in “rivers of blood and tears in Ukraine,” as Pope Francis has described. It is a reminder to all people about the need for grooming leaders with feminine ethos.