Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji asks people to inculcate a fresh and peaceful approach to resolving disputes in keeping with our spiritual heritage
In his recent address, on the eve of 71st Indian Republic day, the President of India highlighted, among other things, the need to ‘hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives’ (in the words of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar). He also spoke of following the life and values of our father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. He spoke at length about India’s health-care and educational sector progress and expressed how in both these sectors, we have come a long way in the last seven decades. He showered words of praise for our armed forces, paramilitary and internal security forces and thanked them for their sacrifices to preserve the integrity and unity of our country. At the end of his address, he said that “When fighting for a cause, people, particularly the youth, should not forget the gift of Ahimsa that Gandhi ji gave to humanity. Gandhi ji’s talisman for deciding whether an act is right or wrong also applies to the functioning of our democracy. Government and opposition both have important roles to play. While giving expression to their political ideas, both must move forward in tandem to ensure that development of the country and welfare of its people are promoted consistently.’
After such encouraging and motivational words by the President, what did we see the next day on our television sets? Does it require any detailing? The pride with which we all saluted the Tricolour in the morning, it was demolished by our own fellow citizens within a few hours. Should we not find out what made this happen? What independence is this in which man is slave to such negative tendencies? The question, therefore, is: can’t we have a system which reflects the will of the people for peace, prosperity and social justice and is also free from the aforesaid negativity?
On one hand, India is being revered by many nations for its large heartedness in times of the pandemic and many other calamities. And on the other hand, the whole world saw the disturbing scenes of what happened on January 26, 2021. There is nothing wrong with aspiring for social transformation. But ‘social transformation’ does not mean that we make progress only in terms of science and technology. If our ethical standards have fallen abysmally and the fissiparous forces are working to tear apart the society into bits and pieces, what kind of progress is it? and what kind of education are we giving? Where are love, unity, integrity, uprightness and sense of duty which are hallmarks of a really educated community? Let us, therefore, clearly define ‘social transformation’, supply the missing element in our education and gear up our universities so as to build up the national character as strong as rock.
In view of all this, one would like to know whether there is no peaceful method of resolving such disputes which cause great social upheavals and huge economic losses. It should, in this context, not be hard to appreciate that an emerging economy, like India, cannot afford to waste its energies on avoidable conflicts. Let us, therefore, have a fresh thought-process about all these national issues in the light of our ancient spiritual heritage. There, definitely, are solutions, provided we have not closed our minds and also have not built up walls of prejudices against the alternatives.
