Every segment of society should work to fulfil the expectations of other segments

We all dream of a better world where there is peace, happiness and harmony, don't we? No one would like degradation of the environment, loss of human lives due to wars and murders, corrosion of human spirit by crime and corruption, dehumanisation through poverty and troublesome social, economic and political conditions, embroiled with high tension and turmoil that drain human energy and make life miserable. On the contrary, all would like life to be characterised by harmony and health, well being and wealth and heavenly happiness and purity.

But the question is, what are those values and how can such a socio-politico-economic system be established which has those values and which will enhance human experience and enable men and women to have such lifestyle as can make such a society viable? If we conduct a survey among various groups of people, we will find that their opinion would most probably crystalise around 10 or 15 major points. They would say that a better world is one in which the following exist only in milder forms or to a lesser degree than we have in the present-day world.

These major problems or causes of sufferings are wars, violence and cruelty in any form --- poverty, unemployment and social, economic and political injustice, environmental pollution and ecological imbalance, corruption, crime, indiscipline and obscenity, disease, infirmity and high mortality rate, slavery, lack of freedom or deprivation of human rights, hunger, malnutrition or starvation, wrong attitudes towards the other sex and abuse of children, addictions, intoxications, tensions and lack of happiness, hatred, suspicion, fear, cut-throat competition, rivalry and absence or lack of love and co-operation at various levels of society.

Post this survey, if we conduct another kind of survey, asking every segment of society about what efforts or improvements they expect from the other segments so that we may have a better world order, a fair enough consensus on the following lines would emerge. People would say that they want: Scientists to have an orientation of spirituality, religious leaders to have scientific temper, doctors to treat not only the body but also the mind or the soul, education to have spiritual and moral development also among its aims, women to be given proper social status and man's attitude and outlook towards them to be more spiritualised. The youth and the children should be given more love and they should give more regard and service to the elders. The society should have a balance of love and law and it should be based on the principles of justice, fair play and equality of opportunity.

Now these and such other aims can be fulfilled if every segment of society works for the fulfilment of what other segments expect of it. Each individual also has to contribute of his or her talent or time to work towards raising awareness of the people so as to realise the above goals. For this global task, global cooperation is required. Hence, a new kind of bank to which each individual or institution can offer its contributions so as to build a better world is the need of the hour.

(The writer is a spiritual educator & popular columnist; views personal.)