Universal wellbeing is key to Ram Rajya
We all know that India attained its political independence on August 15, 1947. During the period of struggle for independence, the toiling masses of India bared their chests to the volleys of bullets and shed their blood and sacrificed their property and family-life for the emancipation of Mother India. Many mothers lost their sons and many wives lost their husbands.
In fact, it was all a tale of tears on a long and torturous journey to freedom. And yet there was so much enthusiasm and so high was the spirit of people, for all believed that, with the dawn of independence, the days of national humiliation, abject poverty and enormous suffering, caused by foreign domination, would be over and there would ensue an era of human dignity, social and economic justice, self-rule and self-reliance.
Almost all had then the vision of a united, strong, dynamic and prosperous India, which because of its great cultural heritage, would again rise to a place of high esteem among the comity of nations. Ultimately, this strong aspiration for a free India was fulfilled on the midnight of August 15, 1947 but, alas, it was accompanied with the national trauma of partition and the subsequent mass-migrations, communal riots and gory bloodshed.
However, the people thought that this man-made calamity would soon be over and then would usher in the era of Ram Rajya. But, not even a full year had passed by when Bapu Gandhi, the father of the nation, the proponent of Ram Rajya, was hit fatally by an assassin’s bullet. However, the people did not lose their fond hope; they thought that there were other leaders who, year after year had been swearing by the name of Bapu Gandhi, would fulfill the cherished dream of Ram Rajya.
Also, they thought that, since the country had given to itself a Constitution and a system of democratic elections, they would now have a government of the people, by the people and for the people and, so, the days of misery caused by a foreign government would be over. But, it is now being felt by all that such a vision was a mere mirage with there being no real water to quench people’s thirst for love, unity, peace and plenty. They felt that the system does not ensure a government for the people and, perhaps, there would be no end to their long travails and tribulations.
Now, it is upon the leaders of today’s generation to fulfill their promises. All will give the leaders best wishes for their successes and would give them full co-operation for ending rampant corruption, crime, killings and fissiparous tendencies. But, let everyone of the leaders and the motley crowd read these writings on the wall that firstly, without universal love, feeling of brotherhood, compassion for the deprived and the weaker sections, integrity and purity of mind, nothing can be done for the wellbeing of the people.
Secondly, for cultivating all these qualities, universal spiritual knowledge and meditation are essential. Thirdly, that this is, perhaps, the last chance. If nothing practical is done to raise the moral standard of society even now, then there will really be a deluge — a deluge of tears of the poor and the suffering millions, mixed with bloodshed by fanatics, criminals, communalists and grossly body-conscious people!
Hence, it is high time that we take these lessons, do some heart-searching, throw off the yoke of vices, and change for the better.
(The author is a spiritual educator.)