Brij Mohan Sharma
There can be no two opinions about the fact that our governments in power after independence have made tremendous efforts to raise the country. But, all along some how or other, raising the country meant to our leaders, raising only the economic standards of our people. The core factor of ‘raising the man’ himself who is the basic constituent of our national life, seems to have failed to receive the attention it deserved.
The result of this grave negligence is now coming to the fore in the shape of gruesome happenings of rapes, gang-rapes, murders, scams, etc… There hardly passes a day when we do not have reports of these dastardly crimes flashed by our vigilant media. It also makes our heads hang in shame when we learn that many of our neo-turned politicians and legislators are also partakers of such misdemeanours.
However, we take this opportunity to pay our respectful homage to the young 23-year old girl who has woken up a sleeping nation out of its slumber and shaken its conscience by sacrificing her life at the altar of most beastly and degrading act of moral turpitude. We also owe our gratitude to the citizens of Delhi who, by their continuous day and night protests, have evoked a sense of responsibility in our men towards their women folk.
It is for us now to ensure that the sacrifice made by this courageous girl does not go in vain. We, as citizens of this largest democracy of the world, irrespective of caste, creed or gender, must pledge ourselves to the task of restoring the honour, dignity and constitutional rights of our women who comprise half of our population. In no case should we shirk from our responsibility even if it means many more sacrifices.
Meanwhile, it is heartening to note that the demand of the prople to amend the relevant provisions of law pertaining to sexual assault, prescription of harsher punishments and speedy deliverance of justice is gaining ground in the corridors of power. One or two commissions have already been set up to look into these demands and make their recommendations.
While it cannot be denied that promulgation of harsher laws and exemplary punishments will go a long way in curbing the menace of such heinous crimes, yet me cannot call them permanent or long-term solutions. As the saying goes, we cannot make a man virtuous by an Act of Parliament. We can make him virtuous only be spiritual education and a congenital family environment which go to the root of and deal with the essentials of his conduct.
To our misfortune, we find that our spiritual leaders have become lifeless and, most probably, think it below their dignity to come out of the cosy precincts of their celestial Ashrams to guide humanity in this hour of crisis.
Gone are the days when spiritual giants like Buddha, Shankara, Guru Nanak Devji, Vivekananda, Mahatama Gandhi and many of their ilk used to visit each and every remote corner of the country to teach propel moral and ethical values of life. Perhaps it is time that our swamis and savants, instead of turning their ashrams into big business houses, come out of the confines of their abodes and perform their legitimate responsibility towards humanity.
So, in case we really want to get rid of the evils prevailing in our society, we need to focus on the character of man, which is the aggregate of his tendencies, the sum total of his bent of mind. In the words of Swami Vivekananda, “If good impressions prevail, the character becomes good; if bad, it becomes bad. If a man continuously hears bad words, thinks bad thoughts, does bad actions, his mind will be full of bad impressions; and they will influence his thought and work without his being conscious of the fact. In fact, these bad impressions are always working, and their resultant must be evil, and that man will be a bad man, he cannot help it.
The sum total of these impressions in him will create the strong motive power for doing bad actions.
We will be like a machine in the hands of his impressions, and they will force him to do evil. Similarly, if a man thinks good thoughts and does good works, the sum total of these impressions will be good, and they, in a similar manner, will force him to do good…… even if he wishes to do evil; his mind, as the sum total of his tendencies, will not allow him to do so…. When such is the case, a man’s good character is said to be established.”
A great responsibility, therefore, devolves on our parents also. They should deep a vigilant eye on the ongoing in the family and do everything possible to create an atmosphere which could inspire and motivate our youngsters to be men of high character and integrity. Once these divine attributes take root in their mind, no evil force on earth can influence their character or mindset.
And, last but not the least, we need to reform our system of education. Education is not merely imparting knowledge to children about the three Rs, but helping them to get over ignorance and imperfections which can be achieved only imparting moral, ethical and spiritual ideals. Unfortunately our present system of education has no such provision.
Even through various commissions and committees are set up now and then to reorganize the system, all of them concentrate on the curriculum and no one discusses the character-building, man-making ideas. Our Government needs to pay immediate attention to this important aspect of education.
Meanwhile, let every boy and girl promise to himself or herself that from this day he or she will strive his or her best for creating an atmosphere congenial for the development of his or her character, for improving the prospects of their career and for the upliftment of our country.
(The writer is the former Additional Secretary to Government)
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