Articles, Papers and Thought Leadership

Plural-Legitimate Mediation Competence

Insights from the Bhagavad-Gītā Using the HEART Model

This academic article presents a traceable qualitative method for deriving mediation competence constructs from a bounded Bhagavad-Gītā corpus and translating them into secular professional language with plural-legitimacy safeguards.

It addresses two practical challenges in contemporary mediation. First, mediation is often rich in technique but weaker on the mediator's inner discipline under pressure. Second, cultural and scriptural resources must be used responsibly through a secular, inclusive, consent-based approach that avoids imposition and preserves voluntariness in plural settings.

The article synthesises the derived constructs into the HEART Model as a governance-aware competence architecture.

The Enduring Spirit of Mediation

A Scholarly Case for the HEART Model and the Indian Mediation Imperative

This article argues that India's justice crisis is not merely a crisis of case pendency. It is a deeper crisis in the way conflict is processed, escalated, prolonged, and socially absorbed.

The article proposes that India requires the institutionalisation of an enduring spirit of mediation: a culturally legitimate, ethically safeguarded, professionally rigorous practice that treats dispute resolution as civic repair rather than procedural disposal.

Key themes include India's conflict-processing crisis, mediation beyond disposal, the HEART Model as civic and professional architecture, meaningful dialogue, meaningful resolution, and mediation as social repair.

The Call for Inspired Leadership

Mediation, Civic Culture and the Future of Conflict Resolution in India

This article argues that mediation reform in India requires leadership as much as legislation. The Mediation Act, 2023, judicial decisions, and training frameworks have created a foundation for mediation. But mediation cannot become a national culture through law alone. It requires inspired leaders who can make mediation visible, credible, and socially meaningful.

The article develops mediation as a civic vocation and calls upon judges, lawyers, academics, trainers, community leaders, media, youth, institutions, and public actors to carry mediation into social life.

Operationalising Krishna Wisdom

The Bhagavad-Gītā, the HEART Model and the Mediation Imperative for Social Repair in India

This article argues that the Bhagavad-Gītā should be read not only as a spiritual or philosophical text, but also as a profound resource for mediation, conflict transformation, and social repair.

It proposes that Krishna wisdom must be operationalised through secular, plural, consent-based, and professionally accountable mediator competencies. The HEART Model provides the framework for this translation.

The article examines Krishna wisdom as conflict intelligence and develops themes such as guidance without coercion, samatva, buddhi, niṣkāma karma, speech ethics, and social repair.