The political and intellectual discourse during the last two months have been veering around youth unrest, drawing uninterrupted media attention. It began with the suicide of a Dalit scholar at Hyderabad, and took a bizarre turn, when a few youngsters allegedly shouted anti-India slogans in JNU last month.
The developments thereafter don’t deserve any elaboration as things are already in public domain. The issue is being hotly debated in every house now. What is baffling every conscientious mind is that how come a section of our youths could dare think of anti-India tiradeIJ So far, the political functionaries and the media houses in their judgmental mode have been viewing the issue the way it suits them. If one side has been taking moralistic stand and putting the errant students on the dock, the other side has been trying to pin holes.
But instead of sitting on judgment, it is time to reflect as to where we went wrong in shaping our future generation that some of our educated youth could even think of taking anti-India standIJ Remember, human mind is driven by a sense of duality, whereby one would interpret something either way, often taking extreme views. Second, our impressionable mind could be taken for a ride by some scheming minds. The youths, known for living in their fanciful dream world, but actually lacking in maturity, remain susceptible to such mental vagaries more than others.
Acknowledging this very human vulnerability, our ancient learned masters were conscious about shaping our future generations well in time, so that they do not go astray. The Vedic view on the subject calling for a step-by-step building up a being has been spelled out in the following verse: “Janmana jayate shudraha; samskarata dwija uchayete, vedpathi bhaveta vipraha, brahmajanati brahmanaha.”
It means: By birth we are all ignorant calling for shaping each mind in time so that one could steer life with ease and comfort, the right way. In that spirit, one is supposed to be given a lesson in “the art of living”, which is tantamount to being born the second time. The art of living implies acquiring in the first place, lessons in civic rules. Second, the budding child is supposed to be given exposure to the fundamentals of life, vital to smooth run of life, individually and collectively. That included awareness about the need to remain conscious about our collective obligations as much as our individualistic aspirations. Finally, inducing a value system based on the above mentioned concerns for a qualitative existence, again individually and collectively.
Towards the third step, a being is supposed to be subjected to formal learning process, which qualified one to become knowledgeable. But that again would not suffice. For, knowledge could be partial, subject specific. Now, given the sense of duality driving human mind, the knowledge acquired remains open to its use or misuse. The final step was directed towards holistic understanding of the dynamics of life, which qualified one to be termed as wise, worth leading others towards the right course due.
The irony of the whole situation in this materialistic age is that we seem to have lost sight of our age old vision. Of late, the focus has shifted to prepare grounds for securing high earning rather than trying to make a good human being. In the process, the need to impart value system has taken a back stage. Now devoid of a balanced and a reasoned mind, any empowerment tool such as knowledge power that one acquires, remains vulnerable to become a double-edged weapon. The sense of ego that knowledge often breeds in brings in a feel of all knowing, whereby one is tempted to passionately pursue one’s individualistic interpretation. That may take either turn depending on individualistic orientation of mind, often ignoring even collective concerns.
What has compounded the problem further is the digital speed that modern minds have acquired. As a consequence, one lacks the patience necessary to invoke one’s faculty of discriminate intelligence for due diligence. Following which, one would be tempted to impulsively react or respond on instinctive judgment. That may not allow reach out the root of the problems, but for which one may continue circuiting on periphery in a bid to look for quick-fix solution.
Now, the question before all conscientious minds now is: Can untamed mind be brought to reasons by the force of law aloneIJ Would not sending the ignorant youths to jail turn them into a permanent rebelIJ We need to resolve this issue before it becomes too late.
The writer is an astrologer, vastu consultant and spiritual counsellor. Write to him at G-5, Basement, Jungpura Extension, New Delhi 14
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