Imbibing the ideals of Bharat aka India – Learnings from Gandhiji

Has India turned into an ‘irreligious’ country? Father of our nation Gandhiji had expressed concern that we’re turning away from God; away from our spiritual USP. He had likened modem civilization to a ‘mouse’ ‘gnawing’ our people while apparently ‘soothing them’! Similarly, Vivekananda, our National Youth icon had said that our twin national ideals are ‘tyaga and seva’, and only if we imbibe these ideals will we be on the right track. Of course, we’ve paid no heed to their guidance. Should we be worried or happy with modern systems, focus of education and the way politics and religions are dividing societies?

Religion and Democracy have Polarized and Divided us instead of Uniting us! The Polarization is between the spiritual values, ideals, role models of Bharat and the modern ideas that India is borrowing from Western cultures. Our failure is perhaps to harmonize the best of Bharat with the best of Western cultures.

The Solution to make India once again a leader in world affairs, as we were throughout history, is to look back once again to our spiritual wisdom and specific advice given be Gandhiji:

i) If we (individuals) became free, India would be free. But he cautions, it is swaraj (only!) when we learn to ‘rule ourselves’ (Inner Governance; Self-development practices). Freedom would have to be sought after and experienced by each one of us.

ii) There is a symbiotic relationship between swaraj as ‘self-rule’ of individual Indians and swaraj as the home-rule or self- government for the Indian people.

iii) Home-rule for Indians would be true only to extent they are ‘self-ruling’ individuals (are our educated, politicians, administrators, trained to be such?).

iv) Basic aim of education should be to bring our senses under our control and to help imbibe ethical behaviour in our life (Is our schooling, Government focused on it?)

v) He asserts that our seers and sages laid the foundation of our national unity and Indian nationhood by establishing centers of pilgrimage on the four corners of India.

vi) People of different religions would continue to constitute one nation on the principle of non-interference in one another’s religion.

vii) Ancient Indian civilization is our role model (‘Our-story’, i.e. history of wisdom of Bharat is depicted in our Upanishads, Epics like Ramayana, Mahabharat, and now expressed in modern language by Vivekananda, Aurobindo, Gandhiji, etc. and must be taught as a compulsory part of history for all citizens.)
viii) ‘True civilization’ he defines as that ‘mode of conduct which points out to man the path of duty’.

ix) He adds that moral behaviour is nothing but attaining ‘mastery over one’s mind’ (so as to know the higher purpose of work and life and strive to build the strength to walk-the-talk).

x) He identifies our core national values as: –

· limits to self-indulgence in terms of luxuries and pleasures (simple living, high thinking)

· emphasis on ancestral profession (Vocation similarly means work within our character and competence, a calling based on our inherent tendencies, skills, etc., doing which we refine our samskaras, not pollute them further; Swadharma)

· focus on rural life

· moral control of ‘sages’ over the ‘kings’ (‘Wisdom’ as guide to ‘authority’; Those in power to have Vivek to know & Will to do right)

· curb on unnecessary competitiveness (Democracy polarizes; we want Not Opposition Parties but Cooperation Parties in politics)
· preference for small scale technologies and decentralized polity

· He admits that at present modern India is moving away from these old values

Isn’t it true that India has turned away from its Bhartiya roots? Can mere learning of various subjects make us good? Committed to duties? How about building character? We must realize that changing our values, habits, characteristics is a life-long struggle; and values and ideals can be imbibed only thru’ daily routine of self-study, prayers, worship, meditations, etc. in accordance with our respective religion and faiths. Mere becoming literate and educated is meaningless unless education inspires us to be good and to do good, and we learn to live and grow together towards higher dimensions of work and life. It is time we add Bharat’s spiritual orientation to the ‘false education’ of Macaulay!

Education must teach all citizens our worldview of whole world as our family; ideal of work as worship, Karma-yoga, etc. in the mainstream education. Bharat’s ideal as expressed by Vivekananda at the world Parliament of religion must be taught to all citizens in mainstream schooling. We must be convinced that all religions sincerely practiced lead us towards the highest human goal. Of course, we must have conviction in our religion but that should not mean intolerance towards others; if a spirit of cooperation and harmony of religions is not taught to all citizens it would allow a worldview of ‘separateness’ to grow and religions, politics and democracies will continue to remain divisive forces.

Conclusion: Gandhiji pins his hope in the rural people residing in hinterland who continue to persist in its hoary tradition. As to who would perform all these onerous tasks, he reposes his faith in the new band of satyagrahis, Shrestha. He talks of the need for a new educational and legal system, relationship between the ‘means and the end’, and ‘duties and rights’. Can Education focus on creating the Shrestha?

Our Role now? Our political parties and our Western educated elite have so far miserably failed to fructify Gandhiji’s idea of Hind Swaraj. Are Hindutva forces better equipped to transform Gandhiji’s dream into reality? Do they have the interest? Do opposition parties have the wisdom to accept this challenge of Cooperation? Do our political leaders have the wisdom to come together to fulfil Gandhiji’s vision? Whether ‘they’ do or not, I must resolve to strive to build powers of mind to become good, better, best by working for good of society.