Are we non violent ?

It is often said that India is a non violent and peaceful nation. This is in backdrop of leaders like Gandhi, Buddha, Mahavir and Nanak who preached universal brotherhood and peace. Many of our leaders proclaim day and night that there is no room for violence in a democracy.

However, a recent survey on global peace index has characterized India as most violent state. Even Pakistan and Afghanistan are considered less violent. But this survey cannot be taken at face value. First, India is highest populated country. The absolute figures of violence are misleading. Number of any type of incidents in a larger or more populated nation will be more than in a smaller one. So, if  the figures were related to size of population, it would make no sense. The violence incidents per capita would be more meaningful.

Let us ignore the cross border terrorist attacks as these do not reflect the normal activities of citizens. The Maoist are also considered as outside the main stream. So we may ignore the violence arising from Maoist as well.

We should be more concerned with violence and lawless activities of so called main stream politicians. The terrorists will use weapons to create terror. The Maoist will also use gun as according to them 'Power flows from barrel of gun'.  But the role of main stream politicians is more astonishing. They formed private army in Maoist controlled region to fight the Maoist. I wonder how the private army like salwa Judam differ from Maoist. It is okay for state to use armed police to fight the insurgents. But the idea of private army to fight the Maoist is indeed disgusting. I wonder whether the main stream politicians also believe in Maoist doctrine- "Power flows from barrel of gun."

Even if we ignore the activities of private armies like Salwa Judam to fight the Maoists, what to say about the violence by main stream politicians to win in elections by hook or crook. They employ musclemen to capture booths and manipulate votes. Government has to use armed police and army to conduct the elections in peaceful way.  Maoist at least honestly believe in 'bullet'  and they  reject 'ballot'. But these opportunist main stream politicians believe in 'ballot through bullet'. Private armies like 'ranveer Sena' are formed for winning ballot through ballot.

Apart from violence in election process, our social life is also unjust and full of violence. Killing of brides for dowry, so called 'honor killing'  in some regions for love marriages, caste violence are indeed a matter of shame for society.  Women especially the low caste are victim of rape and harassment in villages. There are innumerable cases of  sexual assaults and harassment.

Last but not the least, gender based violence begins at birth itself. Even the educated upper class citizens indulge in sex determination and killing of  baby child even before birth.

It is more important to check the social and gender based violence. As regards political violence, there is greater need to look at conduct of the so called main stream political parties.  

Traffic congestion and citizens

There is no doubt that explosion in population and increased commercial activities have increased the traffic on roads manifold during the last decade. Hence there is disorder, chaos and congestion on roads. Whenever there is greater demand than the facilities available, this happens. Needless to say, our population increased manifold since independence. The economic, educational and social activities also increased many times.  But the basic resource Land is fixed.  There is a limit to construction of over bridges, widening of roads, increase in train services.

No doubt, the government and authorities are alive to the needs and they do their best. What is more important to discuss is the role of citizens. when there is no shortage, there is no issue. But when the transport and infrastructure lag behind the ever increasing needs, it is citizen responsibility to maintain discipline on roads, observe traffic rules and form queue for getting in public buses and metro trains.

The commuters add to the bad traffic conditions by their indiscipline behavior. They do not form queue. They   rush into public buses like cattle. Senior citizens- men and women- find it difficult to enter the bus. The buses are so packed that it is difficult to get down at stoppage. Moreover, the two wheeler drivers, cyclists and others do not care how to cross other vehicles.  They would continue moving from the direction the bus passengers get down. According to traffic rules, one should cross the stationary and slow moving vehicle from the right and not the left.  Such utter disregard of traffic sense is sure to cause accident.

Citizens can improve traffic system by following the traffic rules and caring for other road users.    

immoral religion

It goes without saying that morality essentially implies adherence to certain values and life style that is consistent with good of all human beings. Various religions proclaim themselves as champion of ethics and morality. How true is their claim?

Religion teaches the disciples to abstain from material objects, be unselfish and pray to God. Spirituality as against materialism is professed. It is funny how people are motivated. They are lured with seat in paradise that is rich with all pleasures of life- milk, honey, damsels, wine etc. Is it not a paradox that people are asked to abstain in this life from material pleasures that they are promised in afterlife. Secondly, people are threatened with torture in hell if they do not conform to religious sermons. Thus greed and fear are the basis of religious sermons. Anything based on greed and fear cannot be everlasting.

It is not surprising that modern generation is turning against religious discipline based on greed and fear. Is it not a paradox that religion sermons against greed and fear ? The concept of God has been created with a view to frighten people. God gas been devised as an instrument of fear as well as a divine judicial authority who will reward the believers and punish the non believers. Religion being based on untruth, greed and fear cannot bring in moral values and discipline in human life.

We need to free ourselves from bondage of religion and independently work out the norms of behavior and ethics based on common good of the entire humanity. Man is social. Human activities are collective. The entire human race is one team functioning for common goal of happiness, prosperity and peace. It is just understanding this fact that will form basis for morality based on truth, pragmatism and love for entire human race. As we act as a team consisting of the entire human race, individualism is disastrous. Individualism is responsible for corruption, fraud, decay in moral standards. We need to redefine individual freedom and social responsibility. No doubt, every individual has some liberty of his own but this is not unrestrained. He is bound by family, social, national and global ties. It is necessary to strike a balance between individual liberties and social liabilities. Here lies the basis for morality. This is morality based on love for entire mankind and mother Earth. This is morality based on truth, and love for entire mankind. This is true and real morality as against religious one based on untruth, fear and greed.

The whole truth

Human civilization is marked by sharp ideological differences reflected in various ideologies seemingly contradicting each other. There is capitalism versus communism, nationalism versus internationalism, theism versus atheism and so on.

Are these ideologies false or some of these are true. It appears that none is wholly true and none wholly false. In this connection, there is a short story of blind men and elephant. One who touched tail told that elephant is like a rope. another said elephant is like a tree trunk. All were correct according to their perception. But none was wholly true because the whole body of elephant could not be experienced. Same is true of different ideologues.

The nationalists emphasize ancient traditions and cultural values and ignore physical needs of people. the communists and Marxists overstress physical needs and class conflicts ignoring other human needs and unity of purpose between different classes. There is not only class war but also class cooperation, which is ignored by the Marxists. The spiritualists and religious saints overemphasize the after death world, which is hypothetical and preach to ignore the worldly realities. The individualists stress individual liberty and ignore social responsibility of individual.

Thus all are right and all are wrong. We are all like blind men who see only part of the truth. We need to see the world as a whole and blend the different ideologies so that all aspects of life and all human needs are satisfied. This is a continuous process. Corrective action is needed whenever one aspect is overemphasized. Buddhism and Jainism emerged for correction of the ancient violent religious traditions like animal sacrifice. The excesses of Buddhism and Jainism resulted in cowardice and lethargy. Swami Vivekananda emerged for correction. The excesses of one ideology bring another for correction and so on. The correction goes on. The human race has to constantly move on and not cling to any system. The sole aim of all endeavors is to bring about a system catering to welfare of all, dignity to all and ensure individual liberty consistent with social responsibility