Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj Ji contemplates whether we have attained independence or not
Last week, India and Indians celebrated the platinum jubilee (75 years) of the country’s Independence in various ways and with various feelings. Leaders, thinkers and writers gave their variegated assessment and analysis of the achievements and failures of the country during the last seven and a half decades. While some had words of admiration for attaining self-sufficiency concerning food and for becoming a considerable economic and technological power, others spoke of its miserable failure in its efforts to bring down the rate of population growth, achieving the goal of mass-literacy and to bring some economic benefits to the poor.
On this day of great national importance, some senior-most statesmen and freedom fighters gave the eye-witness account of what happened on that historic night when stalwarts such as Dr Rajendra Prasad and Dr Radha Krishnan spoke at midnight and Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru gave his famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech when the whole world slept and India awoke to freedom, “to redeem its pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially”. They also spoke of the pledge taken by all the members of the Constituent Assembly, present at that moment, “which comes but rarely in history”, saying loudly with one voice that they dedicated themselves in all humility to the service of India and her people to the end so that the country could “attain her rightful place in the world and could make her willing contribution to the promotion of world peace and the welfare of mankind”. Others were heavy with sorrow and spoke of incalculable sacrifices made by innumerable persons for achieving independence, which was accompanied by the great tragedy and horrors of partition and the barbarity and bloodshed of and by thousands of people on both sides of the border. One thing that was admitted by all the leaders and common men was that the country has not yet been able to “wipe every tear from every eye” as Bapu Gandhi had deeply aspired nor has it been able to have the ‘swaraj’ he had envisioned. All spoke with one voice that the country had failed to provide effective social and economic justice to the backward and poor classes, that almost half of the population does not feel any worthwhile benefit of Independence. We tend to forget that independence is not only living freely but also allowing others to live freely.
The majority of us do not realise the fact that all our problems have arisen from an identity crisis, i.e the deep ignorance of our real identity which is that of a soul and not the body. Hence the discrimination based on the accident of birth as well as issues of communalism, casteism, violence and disgraceful attitude towards the tribal and the backward classes will all go away if we realised that each one of us is a soul. There would have been no massacre in 1947 or even partitioning of the sub-continent if people had the awareness that they are souls. Also, there would be no injustice of any kind or corruption of any brand or gender bias if people become soul-conscious. We must thus remember that our spirituality and spiritual response will arise from our soul-consciousness and from that would come real swa-raj i.e rule of the self or soul.
The day is not far when we will see a world centred around the purity of character and values, where every being is divine and would co-exist in harmony with nature. There will be no form of violence, be it physical, mental or emotional. Every person will be an embodiment of truth and divine virtues. Pure love and respect will form the basis of relationships. They will be completely ignorant of evil, vices and suffering. Materially, they will be living in opulence and abundance. Science will be used for creating perfect technology and comforts that are a necessity. People will enjoy perfect health, natural beauty and a long lifespan free from sickness and untimely death. Everybody will be happy and content. There will be lightness, innocence, purity and joy in every action. Don’t ever think that this is all but a myth. No! It’s indeed a reality that’s as close as tomorrow.