Can India be Vishwa Guru again

I sometimes wonder why India was considered as Vishwa Guru and why are we in such a degenerated state now.

I realized Indians used to think for the whole world or universe. I felt so because of some of the mantras/ prayers we hear.

Eg-

ॐ द्यौः शान्तिरन्तरिक्षं शान्तिः 

  पृथिवी शान्तिरापः शान्तिरोषधयः शान्तिः ।

वनस्पतयः शान्तिर्विश्वेदेवाः शान्तिर्ब्रह्म शान्तिः

सर्वं शान्तिः शान्तिरेव शान्तिः सा मा शान्तिरेधि ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Meaning: Om, Peace be in Sky; Peace be in Space. Peace be in Earth; Peace be in Water; Peace be in Plants; Peace be in Trees; Peace be in Gods (presiding over the various elements of Nature); Peace be in Brahman (Absolute Consciousness); May Peace pervadeg everywhere; Peace alone (which is outside) is in Peace (which is inside); May we be (established in) that Peace (and make your life fulfilled); Om, Peace, Peace, Peace.

This mantra shows we thought for the whole universe, for all living and non-living organisms. 

Another one-

संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं सं वो मनांसि जानताम्

देवा भागं यथा पूर्वे सञ्जानाना उपासते ||

समानी व आकूति: समाना हृदयानि व: | समानमस्तु वो मनो यथा व: सुसहासति ||

Meaning- May we move in harmony, speak in one voice; let our minds be in agreement; just as the ancient gods shared their portion of sacrifice. May our intentions and aspirations be alike, so that a common objective unifies us all.

Our education system in those days taught to broaden our horizon of thinking. Their psychic pabulum was big and they were involved more in psychic and spiritual progress along with physical progress. We wanted to progress together in every field without neglecting anyone.

Our current situation has changed and we have become more self-centered and materialistic. We have forgotten increasing our psychic pabulum (shram- श्रम) while remaining occupied in physical labor (parishram - परिश्रम) This will be possible only when minimum physical requirement of food, shelter, clothing, education and medicine is met. Without fulfilling that, it’s not possible to move towards enhancing psychic pabulum.

Corona Virus has taught us few important things.

Migration of labors mostly from west part of India towards East shows us how much disparity is there in East side. People are forced to leave their families in search of jobs. Now they are migrating back leaving their dreams behind in starve of hunger and poverty. They prefer ending their life with their family. Everyone needs compassion of his or her family members in such crisis.

They are not earning sufficient to have reserve for even 1 month. It’s not that there can’t be jobs in east part. God has endowed us with plenty of resources but we are not managing it properly. One of the great philosophers Shri Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, propounder of PROUT philosophy had once said- If we utilize resources in 56 districts of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chattisgarh and Orissa properly, it will be sufficient to fulfill minimum requirements for whole India.

Is there really food shortage or is it created because of our food habits and mismanagement of resources? Some examples of mismanagement of resources –using land to grow carnation instead of food first. We are growing grains, rearing animals to feed them, and finally killing them to satisfy our tongue. Many people are wasting food in marriage lavishness.

As per one of articles in Moneycontrol, there are around 11.09 million (1.1 crore) houses are vacant. Even 1.64 lakhs low cost houses are vacant. Still there are many people who are not able to live in houses. Is it not wastage of resources? This is also because of uneven wealth distribution, as many people can’t afford to buy them. Many people have invested their black money in real estate and others can’t afford it.

There are many abundant resources but we are unable to utilize them properly because of individual ownership and defective social system. 

Things have slightly changed with corona pandemic. We have seen doctors, healthcare professionals, policemen and others are risking their lives to save people. People are distributing food and money to needy who can’t afford it but still our resources and reach are limited. We had forgotten all our enmities between religions, castes in these difficult times. All narrow sentiments that divide us should disappear. Most of us have feeling of sympathy for others who are unable to make living in these arduous times. Countries have been helping each other as almost every country is suffering from this pandemic. We had exploited nature badly and now it has rejuvenated itself when we gave it some break. Animals are also feeling free to roam and are enjoying god’s beautiful world.

We never realized that our true nature is love and compassion for everyone be it humans, animals or other flora and fauna. People need to understand we need to accept everyone and everything whole-heartedly as part of our family. Every existential living or non-living creature has existential value and we can survive without ruthlessly exploiting it. We are one family and we need to re- design our economic system such that nobody has to depend on others and they can have decent money reserves in case of natural calamities. Everyone can fulfil their minimum requirements and animals can have separate space. Scientific developments should be utilized for whole humanity and not just for few rich people. Our collective thought needs to change to preserve humanity and with one social outlook towards all animate and inanimate creation of God. People will have to understand this universe is common property of every humans and animals and we need to enjoy it rationally. 

Conclusion:

This could be cosmic play to bring humans closer to each other in terms of humanity and give up our parochial views. All fundamentalist’s religious activities have shut down with this cosmic drama. All countries need to unite to create better-integrated world rather than countries trying to become superpower and exploit others. This cosmic flow is to uplift our social outlook and increase our psychic pabula from being self-centered to collective living. It is teaching us -fate of humanity is tied to one single thread and all humans are beads of same garland.

Why Economic Democracy

Why Economic Democracy?

Ever wondered why the people in places with rich natural resources the poorest or are engaged in some conflict? Why the people of states like Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand in India are working as wage labors outside their states even though they are so rich in natural resources? Why are African countries in conflict even though they have so much vast resources? Why are Gulf countries in conflict even though they have huge reserves of oil? Why Ukraine is in conflict? Why Qatar was blamed as supporter of terrorism when natural gas reserves were found with them? Is there really a conflict of religion or is it more about grabbing natural resources? 

Countries pioneer in industrialization understood they need more and more natural resources to earn more profit. More profit leads to more accumulation of wealth and more objects of physical enjoyment. And from thereon colonialism started to grab these resources. Be it through hook or crook, they ensured to collude with power in different countries and capture their resources at cheapest price, process them at their factories and sell back to these people at higher rates. This way they made profit. With this capitalistic system, it became a system that government will have right on all natural resources.

Now in capitalistic system, big industrialists or riches made politicians to dance on their whims based on power of money. Capitalists fund these politicians to win elections by hook or crook. Whatever it takes, whether by threatening media and other protestors, or buying the people, manipulating them or getting the protestors killed. These capitalists like to place politicians at the helm who gives them maximum benefit. These crony capitalists captured the resources in name of license fee. In turn, people were displaced from their homes or paid a paltry amount to give up their land.  

Nature has been kind enough and has given natural resources in most of the places so that humans can make their living. But it is human’s greed that we are trying to capture everyone’s resource without caring about the people there. They are allowed to exploit the nature as much as possible for their profit and now people are seeing impact of it in global warming, ecological imbalance and other health hazards.   

In communist system, everything belongs to State and they use it as per their whims. It is state which takes all decisions and individual liberty is minimal. People are badly oppressed. In one of the communist country, their own people are not living good life but that country is giving loans to other countries and trapping them in debt to rule over them so that it can get their natural resources. 

What should be done to address this?

That’s where Economic Democracy is important. People need to have their rights on natural resources for the areas they belong to. They should have usufructuary rights over resources like forest, minerals, mines and ores etc and it should not be partitioned to be sold. They should collectively decide how to make finished products of it and then they can export it or consume it. It has to be done in controlled manner to preserve balance with nature and government should be helping them in setting these industries. Economic decisions for resource utilization rights should be with local people rather than government giving rights over resources to their pet friends/ industrialists / financers. There has to be standardized system to curb misuse of the system.

With current political system in India, taxpayers’ money is wasted at whims of government. They introduce various schemes in name of pro-poor. Most of these are to make money for themselves, generate fund for their party or to win seats in next elections. Someone promises that he will bring all black money stashed in foreign banks and wins elections but after winning election, nothing is done as they receive funding for party. Some will announce lucrative schemes like free travel for women. Someone announces free monthly basic income for poor. Do we really need such schemes?  Are we looking for free things or better quality of life? Shouldn’t we aim that everyone gets sufficient opportunity to make their own living instead of living on government doles? People are dreaming that present political class will do good for them. In today’s world, this is not going to happen as there is party pressure to bring funds for party and fill their own pockets. People will have to shun this “expectation from political government” mentality and take collective decisions for their benefit.

In today’s scenario, first contract is given to construct new road by breaking old road which still has some decent life available. Once the road is constructed, it will again be broken to construct drinking water pipeline. Again the road is repaired and it will be broken to put drainage system. It is just loot of public money to fulfill their own pocket by receiving kickbacks for every contract. These kind of decisions should be at the lowest level planning body and it should be very transparent mechanism.  Technology has evolved a lot and transparency is not difficult if one wishes. People can vote for economic decisions in their area. Technology can play big role here.   

Comprehensive solution for Economic Democracy 

PROUT (Progressive Utilization theory), propounded by Shri PR Sarkar is a socio-economic theory which explains how economic democracy is important and will give more employment to local people based on decentralized economy. It discusses about planning at lowest level for development. In today’s world plans come from top but the problems of various areas are different. Government tries to force one plan for every state. There are some areas which have problem of flooding, some areas are hilly and hence don’t have sufficient water being stored.

People with common economic problems and cultures need to be united. Proper plan should be chalked out by the intellectuals (social workers, academicians,  having good knwoledge of flora and fauna) amongst them to uplift their condition rather than depending on corrupt politicians. 

This issue is vast and will try to cover bit by bit in other posts to help develop a comprehensive understanding of the subject.