PABBAJJA
Dr.U.N.Biswas
(Convener, Dharmachakra- An Effort to Spread the message of Dharmachakra in the National Flag of India.)
The world to day has far more people who have huge wealth than in the past, yet unhappiness has increased than the degree of increase of affluence. This fact has been well established by modern researchers. Not that we did not know earlier. We are living in a world of stiff competition to earn more money to enjoy. We are becoming avaricious, covetous and rapacious. The hunt for lust is tremendous. It is fast eroding the values that the mankind has realized throughout the ages. The seers of Ancient India realized the secret of true happiness. It is true that we need money to lead even a simple lifestyle. If people are not employed to earn basic needs, crime in the society will increase. The Ancient masters discovered the truth that material happiness and sensual indulgence are inferior happiness. Renunciation is superior.
The craving for lust, money and fame are now ominously strong and threatens the message of the Dharmachakra in our national flag of India. The tanha for material pleasure is deluding us to commit all kinds of misconducts which are destroying the values discovered by the sages of Ancient India, on which we laid the foundation in our constitution to build a society of equality, liberty and fraternity. Let me confess, i am far from a life of renunciation, therefore, who am i to retell Pabbajja? It is an exercise to remind me and tell others that how imperfect am i. At the same time, we all know that recent exposure of allegations of immorality against holy men in some states of India, point that all is not well among those who preach. This is a reality and the Buddha knew well the nature of mind and set rigorous discipline for those who renounce to become a Monk.
Concept of Human Nature in Buddhism
Once the Buddha, with Ananada set out to a village for alms. At the entrance of the village, some wicked persons abused the Buddha in filthiest of words. Ananda became upset and told the Buddha, ‘The people of this village are ill mannered, so let us go to another village.’ The Buddha replied, ‘Ananda there are such persons in that village too.’ Ananda said. ‘We will go to some other village.’ Then the Buddha observed, ‘ Ananda, you will find impure men in every where. Rarely, a person of purity is found.’ From Ancient saints of India to modern criminologists are of same view that people, by nature are not pure. Vices appear to be natural and spontaneous in us, while virtue is not so. Every one of us can attain absolute purity and it is a universal truth that deviance is latent in us. We need to work hard to attain purity of mind. We always have to remain mindful and watchful. It is a twenty-four-hours exercise of three hundred sixty five days of a year. We need to constantly keep switched on the cleansing process. Unmindful mind is a fertile ground for lust and covetousness.
Pabbajja: Tradition
The tradition of taking Pabbajja goes back to Ancient India. It was definitely prevalent when Siddhartha was born. The Paribrajakas, after attainment of wisdom, would return to the society, but not live with the family. They traveled from place to place and tell people how to lead a clean life. The kings and queen listened to them for guidance to govern and they held the Paribrajakas in high esteem. In other words, they were the conscience keepers of the society. The prince Siddhartha took Pabbajja in broad day light. It is not true that he left home without informing anybody in midnight when Yasodhara and Rahul lay asleep.
Pabbajja: Legal Definition
In India, we have a legal definition of Pabbajja. Renunciation is the closest word in English for Pabbajja. Pabbajja or renunciation is withdrawal, “from worldly interests in order to lead a spiritual life.” (Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, S.13 (vi). A Pbbajja is a person who has renounced the world, “by entering any religious order.” (S.13( vi) of Hindu Marriage Act 1955.)
Pabbajja in Buddhism
Pabbajja is ‘ The Going Forth’, ‘ The Going Forth from Home to Homeless life’ of monk(agariyam pabbajja) consists in severing all family- and social ties to live the pure life of monk, in order to realize the goal of final deliverance pointed out by the Enlightened One.” (Buddhist Dictionary, p.114) “Then I, monks, after a time… in the prime of life, in radiant youth, cut off my hair and beard, donned a dyed robe and went forth from to homelessness ( I renounced).” ( Ariya-parisena sutta, 26.6)
“Leaving home I gave up
All evil words and acts,
Pure was my livelihood.” { Pabbajja-sutta,sn.v.407}
Pabbajja has to severe all family and social ties. Secondly, he has to live a pure life of a monk. Thirdly, his goal should be to realize the goal of final deliverance shown by the Buddha. Fourthly, he gives up all evil words and acts. Fifthly, his livelihood is pure.
It is not easy to go forth from home to homelessness. To remain happy in homelessness is very hard.
The Buddha states two kinds of happiness: happiness of life of laity and happiness of Pabbajja, a happiness of sensual indulgence and happiness of renunciation. To the master, happiness of Pabbajja- going forth and that of renunciation are superior.
According to The Buddha there are two distinct ways of life, one that leads to worldly gains and the other that leads to Nibbana. A Pabbajja- a Monk, says, the Buddha, has to realize this truth and should not take delight in worldly gain and honour, he should live a life of solitude, detachment and realization of Nibbana.
“There are two kinds of happiness, that of a lay life (ghisukham) and that of “going forth” (pabbajja sukham) : that of sensual indulgence (kama sukham) and that of renunciation (nekkhamma sukham). Of these, monks, the happiness of “going forth” and of renunciation are superior.” ( A.i.80.)
We may deal desire to earn fame and honour. This is also tanha and this tanha can be so intense that it can lead to mass killing, destruction of country, criminal misconducts to women and various other crimes. On individual plane, a person, be that he a Monk or laity, if he is blown away by greed for fame, he can stoop to any level to do any illegal acts. Which is why, the Buddha tells the Monks not to be thirsty for fame
“The thirst for fame, power and domination has brought untold agony to mankind. If a man makes no effort to check the longings that are ever ready to away his mind, he will become a slave to that mind.” ( Thera,Piyadassi, The Buddha’s Ancient Path,U.K, 1964, p.166.)
The Buddha, while explaining to live a right livelihood, refers to some aspects of human behavior which are extremely important from criminological point of view, so far the life of Monks are concerned. Merely one is a Monk, which does not necessarily follow that he is pure and holy.
“Monks whatsoever monks are cheats, stubborn, babblers, cunning, passionate, proud, uncalmed – such monks are no followers of mine. They have fallen away from Dhamma-vinaya ( Doctrine and Discipline), nor do they grow, increase and prosper in this Dhamma-vinaya .” ( A.ii.26, sutta 25.)
The seven impurities that are mentioned need very deep analysis to understand their significance. Sections 415-420 of Indian Penal Code deal Cheating. Cheating does not mean merely the acts of commission pertaining to material objects, it also means, damage in mind or reputation. ( S.W. Palantikar V State of Bihar 2002 SCC (Cri) 129.) Cheats, stubborn, babblers, cunning, passionate, proud and uncalmed are disqualified to become the followers of The Buddha.
The Master, again and again warns the Monks not to cheat people. The holy life of a Monk is not for cheating, scheming, profit making, hankering after favour and honour, gossiping etc. The holy life of a Monk is lived with restraint and sacrifice.
“Monks, this holy life (brahmacariyam) is lived neither to cheat people nor for scheming, nor for profit and favour, nor for the sake of honour, It is not for gossiping so-and-so.” ‘But, monks, this holy life is lived for the sake of restraint, for abandoning, for dissipation, for cessation.’ ( A. ii.26, sutta 26.)
Craving for honour, reward, award, fame and felicitation is dangerous. When we accept an award or reward, there is strong likelihood of craving taking root in our sub-conscious mind. If something nests in the sub-conscious, it becomes extremely difficult to erase that. With some experience of the investigation of the sub-conscious, I can say with all humility and some degree of accuracy, those who want to purify mind by the way of the Buddha, may shy away from reward and felicitation. Beware of praise!
A monk has to be calm in body, mind and speech. He is well composed. The Buddha lays emphasis on restraint and control. A Monk is restrained in eye, ear, nose, tongue, speech, body, restrained everywhere. He is controlled in hand, foot, speech and head. The Monk who is arrogant and not gentle in action and speech is not follower of the Buddha.
A true Buddhist Monk is an ideal person to be followed by the laity. He has overcome greed, hatred and delusion. He remains in sublime state of mind of Metta, Karuna, Mudita and Upekkha. Personally, I am far away from this. I am still struggling to overcome anger, greed and lack of equanimity. I have, however, no doubt that a true Pabbajja has cleansed karmically unwholesome roots and is firmly rooted in alobha, adosa and amoha. His mind is sublime and that sublimity radiates among his followers.
U.N.Biswas
15 September 2008.
Salt Water Lake, Calcutta, West Bengal, India.
Monday, December 27, 2010
KARMAYOGI
Karmayogi
U.N.Biswas
(Some of the members ‘Karmayogi- Asocial Service Unit’ of Nimta, 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India; called on me to invite to a Mass Marriage Ceremony to be held on December 11, 2010 at 71.S.B.Roychowdhury Road, Kolkata-700083. I regretted the invitation for my engagement on this date and the following to run a human resource development course. During the discussion, I told them that I would send them a mail on Karmayogi. I feel necessary to post this in my Blog for wider public view.)
When the country is reeling under unprecedented wave of corruption; it is really refreshing to know that a group of people are working together for the good of the society in an organization, the name of which is Karmayogi. This compound Karmayogi (Karma + Yogi) straight way links us to our Ancient Indian heritage of work in equanimity without attachment. Karma means both physical and mental. “Everything we do, physical or mental, is Karma, and it leaves its mark on us.”(Swamiji: Karma-Yoga;The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda’ Vo.I, Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, Twenty-second Impression, 1998, p.29.) Yoga has been defined by Patanjali: Yogachittavrittinirodha. “Yoga is restraining the mind-stuff (Chitta) from taking various forms (Vrittis).” (ibid, p.200.) Karmayogi is the person who works in equanimity and non-attachment. He not only remains free from evil but also fights evil. He is a person of purity without the greed for the results. He does good because it is good to do good. It is a good work without any motive. A Karmayogi works not for fame or power but for doing good to society. It is so appropriate to say that ‘Karmaygoi’(the name of the organization under reference) is, “A Social Welfare Unit.”
Let me say with emphasis, if you are Karmayogi, you are not only honest but you also fight corruption. You, under no circumstances, under no compulsions can associate with the persons who have a notoriety of corruption.
Swamiji mentions a person who prctised the principle of Karmayoga. “That man is Buddha. He is the one man who ever carried this into perfect practice. All the prophets of the world, except Buddha, had external motives to move them to unselfish action.”(ibid, p.117.)
A Karmayogi necessarily need not believe in God. The Buddha says Swamiji; “is the only prophet who said, “I do not care to know various theories about God. What is the use of discussing all the subtle doctrines about soul? Do good and be good. And this will take you to freedom and to whatever truth there is.”
“… He is the ideal Karmayogi, acting entirely without motive, and the history of humanity shows to him have been the greatest man ever born; beyond compare the greatest combination of heart and brain that ever existed… He is the first great reformer the world has seen.” (ibid. p.117.)
U.N.Biswas
U.N.Biswas
(Some of the members ‘Karmayogi- Asocial Service Unit’ of Nimta, 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India; called on me to invite to a Mass Marriage Ceremony to be held on December 11, 2010 at 71.S.B.Roychowdhury Road, Kolkata-700083. I regretted the invitation for my engagement on this date and the following to run a human resource development course. During the discussion, I told them that I would send them a mail on Karmayogi. I feel necessary to post this in my Blog for wider public view.)
When the country is reeling under unprecedented wave of corruption; it is really refreshing to know that a group of people are working together for the good of the society in an organization, the name of which is Karmayogi. This compound Karmayogi (Karma + Yogi) straight way links us to our Ancient Indian heritage of work in equanimity without attachment. Karma means both physical and mental. “Everything we do, physical or mental, is Karma, and it leaves its mark on us.”(Swamiji: Karma-Yoga;The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda’ Vo.I, Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, Twenty-second Impression, 1998, p.29.) Yoga has been defined by Patanjali: Yogachittavrittinirodha. “Yoga is restraining the mind-stuff (Chitta) from taking various forms (Vrittis).” (ibid, p.200.) Karmayogi is the person who works in equanimity and non-attachment. He not only remains free from evil but also fights evil. He is a person of purity without the greed for the results. He does good because it is good to do good. It is a good work without any motive. A Karmayogi works not for fame or power but for doing good to society. It is so appropriate to say that ‘Karmaygoi’(the name of the organization under reference) is, “A Social Welfare Unit.”
Let me say with emphasis, if you are Karmayogi, you are not only honest but you also fight corruption. You, under no circumstances, under no compulsions can associate with the persons who have a notoriety of corruption.
Swamiji mentions a person who prctised the principle of Karmayoga. “That man is Buddha. He is the one man who ever carried this into perfect practice. All the prophets of the world, except Buddha, had external motives to move them to unselfish action.”(ibid, p.117.)
A Karmayogi necessarily need not believe in God. The Buddha says Swamiji; “is the only prophet who said, “I do not care to know various theories about God. What is the use of discussing all the subtle doctrines about soul? Do good and be good. And this will take you to freedom and to whatever truth there is.”
“… He is the ideal Karmayogi, acting entirely without motive, and the history of humanity shows to him have been the greatest man ever born; beyond compare the greatest combination of heart and brain that ever existed… He is the first great reformer the world has seen.” (ibid. p.117.)
U.N.Biswas
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Dr.Radhakrishnan-The Teacher
Dr.Radhakhrishnan
-The Teacher.
U.N.Biswas*
(The Constituent Assembly adopted the National Flag of India on 22 July 1947. This paper draws attention to a few points of the address of Dr. Radhakrishnan on this momentous occasion.)
Dharma
Philosopher Dr.Radhakrishnan, in his speech, emphasized virtue. Purity and goal of truth cannot be achieved without recourse to virtue. “The Asoka’s wheel represents to us the wheel of the Law, , the wheel of Dharma. Truth can be gained only by the pursuit of the path of Dharma, by the practice of virtue, Truth,- Satya, Dharma, Virtue, these ought to be the controlling principles of all those who work under this Flag.”
Dynamism
Dr.Radhakrishanan, then dwells on the dynamic character of The Wheel of law. The country suffered due to our resistance to change.“It also tells that that the Dharma is something which is perpetually moving.”
Challenges
Thereafter he mentions the challenges before the nation and especially points out caste and untouchability. “There are ever so many institutions which are worked into our social fabric like caste and untouchability. Unless these are scrapped, we cannot say that we either seek truth or practice virtue. This wheel is a rotating thing, which is a perpetually revolving thing, indicates to us that there is death in stagnation. There is life in movement.”
Saffron
Saffron symbolizes the spirit of renunciation. “Sarve tyga rajadhrmesu drasta. All forms of renunciation are to be embodied in Raja Dharma, Philosophers must be kings. They must be dedicated spirits. They must be people who are imbued with the spirit of renunciation which that saffron color has transmitted to us from the beginning of our history. That stands for the fact the World belongs not to the wealthy, not to the prosperous but to the meek and humble, the dedicated and the detached. … If we are not imbued with the spirit of renunciation in these difficult days, we will again go under.”
The demolition squad of the media has been abusing the word saffron for than two decades. ‘Saffron brigade’ and ‘saffronization’ are now commonly used. The political dramatis personae were not far behind. Now they are in the fray to institutionalize it to include in the lexicon with pejorative connotation.
In a three-day conference of Police chiefs of India on August 26, 2010, Home Minister P.Chidabaram said, “There is no let-up in attempts to radicalize young men and women in India. Besides, there is the recently uncovered phenomenon of saffron terrorism that has been implicated in many bomb blasts of the past." Congress party distances itself and raped P. Chidabaram on ‘saffron terror’. Janarddhan Diwivedi, Congress General Secretary and head of media department of the party, said, “Saffron or bhagwa or kesariya(Hindi equivalents of saffron)is not the issue here. The issue is terrorism. Terrorism does not have any colour other than black.” The party disapproved the controversial formulation and Dwivedi added that terrorism could not be associated with any colour, “be it saffron, green or red. Terrorism is terrorism and should be opposed in whatever form it comes. … “Saffron colour has been part of our ancient tradition and is associated with our freedom struggle.” (August27, 2010)
Congress leader Digvijay Singh too objected to the use of the phrase ‘saffron terror’. “I have objection to the use of the use of caste, colour and religion to describe terror.” He however mentioned ‘Hindu fundamentalists.’ Singh added, “Terrorism in the country arises from fundamentalists among Hindus and Muslims.” In reply to question on the comment of P. Chidabaram; Singh said, “ he should come out with the name of the patent holder.” The Home Minister shot back, “These are religious fundamentalist groups. The message ought not be lost in the phrases and perhaps the phrase has brought the message home. So the purpose has been served.” The Minister referred the debate in the parliament in the past on ‘saffronization of education’ and said, “A number of others have used the phrase. I have told that a number of my colleagues in the UPA have used the phrase in the past. So I can’t claim patent over the phrase.” So ‘saffron terrorism’ stands. A student to day will perceive it to condemn. What an irony! We, either my wife or I daily hoist the National Flag at our home and see the saffron to go first in the sky. I feel proud to be an idiot to do this exercise three hundred sixty-five days in a year and feel sad when saffron is under assault.
They say what is there in a color! It can be red now and green tomorrow. The poster boys of one color become the commanders of the guerrilla bands of another color. They are honourable wise men. They can read the seeds of time and change faster than mind.
Renunciation &Immorality
Renunciation is taking Sanyas. It is Pabbajja- going forth, going forth from home to homeless life. This life is completely severed from family and social life to realize the supreme truth of deliverance. A monk has nothing except a begging bowl. This is poignantly depicted in an Ajanta painting. The Buddha, after his enlightenment visited Kapilavastu. Ysodhara asked, ‘What has he brought for his son Rahula?’ ‘I have only a begging bowl’ replied the Buddha. The public servants are not expected to be a Pabbajja, but the spirit of renunciation has to be his principle to lead a public life.
The criminal syndicates influence every aspect of governance. The apex court dealt the extent of corruption in the system and refereed a report of the State. “It has said that the network of the mafia is virtually running a parallel government pushing the State in to irrelevance.”
“ These syndicates have acquired substantial financial and muscle power and social respectability and have successfully corrupted the Government machinery in all levels and yield influence to make the task of Investigating and prosecuting agencies extremely difficult ; even members of the judicial system have not escaped the embrace of the Mafia.” (Vineet Narain & Ors.v.Union of India &Anr., 1998(1) SCC 226.)
Since then things have not have improved; on the contrary it has gone further down. We have now a ‘Corruption Carnival’ in the name of festival of games, an IPL that swindled a few billions. A gentle and popular minister once told me, ‘Can you look in to the case of a man who has employed a few hundred young men and women in our State? If he goes to jail, these young people will be thrown out of employment. The development of our State will be affected.” Don’t you know he has cheated more than a hundred crore?’ I replied. ‘I know that; still, I make a request.’ ‘Then why not invite D Company who will invest a billion? The minister did not request me again.
Another known fraudster of national notoriety made his foray in the developmental override of a State. I thought it was my moral but not legal duty to inform the State. I passed on the information to the person who was on a roll to industrialize the State in break-neck speed. He never came back to me. The member of the Mafia was welcome to the State and as usual, within a couple of months, he started his operations which became public.
Our hope lies in the basic structure of our Constitution. No one change it. All public servants are duty bound to be selfless in public life. To pay homage to Dr. Radhakrishan is to follow the spirit of renunciation. Renunciation symbolizes the Civilization of India from early period.
Education
Whose education are we talking of in West Bengal? Seventy percent people of West Bengal are directly and indirectly engaged in agriculture. And this agrarian economy is sustained by about a hundred million agricultural labourers ( 73,62,957 in 2001 Census) mostly belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe and Muslim communities. They contribute 76.46% of agricultural labour force in West Bengal. This 53.7% people are economically, socially and educationally most backward in West Bengal. It reminds me of Asok Mitra who said, “… there is nothing like illiteracy to keep the lowest of the socially low always under your heels, reduced to a permanent reserve pool of labour at below subsistence cost.” ( Mitra, Asok: Caste and Class in Indian Society, The Asiatic Society, 1995, p.25.) The presence of boys and girls from these communities in IT hub of sector V of Salt Lake City is awfully insignificant. However, they have been the captive vote banks of the ruling parties.
Growth is not development. Higher GDP and Multidimensional Poverty Index are often found inversely related.(UNDP:2010.) Appropriately educate the Third Estate, you will see the results! Will the political leadership in West that invariably comes from the upper crust of social hierarchy do it? “A Bengali takes great pride in claiming that caste plays no role in politics. Indeed so absolute is the ascendency of the top castes in Bengal that the subordinate castes take their status as a divine compensation.” (Mitra, Asok:1995) Can we come out from this caste syndrome! I have no answer, but if we do not, we will go under as Dr. Radhakrishan said. How long the economically and socially will remain silent? Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India, warned, “How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue it for long, we will do so only putting our political democracy in peril. We must remove this contradiction at the earliest possible moment or else those who suffer from inequality will blow up the structure of political democracy which this Assembly has so laboriously built up.” (Address of Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly, November, 25, 1949.)
In the killing fields of West Bengal socially, educationally and economically backward kill or killed. Nine out of 13 people killed and identified in Nandigram Carnage of March 14, 2007 were persons belonging Scheduled Caste although the percentage of Scheduled Caste population in Nandigram is not high. At Singur the girl raped and burnt alive belonged to Scheduled Caste. Why? Is it all unrelated and isolated incidents that keep on happening? Or is it the result of an engineering of vicious stranglehold of social control set in motion by the invaders in the long past who thrust it upon the indigenous people of Ancient Bengal? Impartial history of indigenous people of Bengal has not yet been written. (The Asiatic Society: 2005.)
They are bought and sold to kill or to become cannon fodders. Who make these transactions? They are people, larger than life size. Do they have the DNA of the Prince of Machiavelli or Hitler! Could be, who knows. Sure it is; they can control the mind of people. Who will identify their gene? Microbiologists! How long will it continue! Let those who rule or lead answer.
Education & Media
Media plays a vital role in mass education. Not only that; media brings well researched knowledge. The web to day is really a knowledge box to those who can wisely use it. Coverage in important dailies are so vast that there this nothing that is left of the previous day. Democracy is meaningless unless people are informed in all aspects of life. The press empowers us with information. There is a section of media which is not always without blemish. “ One -sided information, disinformation, misinformation, and non –information all equally create an uninformed citizenry which makes democracy a farce when medium of information is monopolized either by a partisan central authority or private individuals or oligarchic organizations.” (Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India and Ors.v.Cricket Association of Bengal and Ors.[1995(2)SCC 161] Can we say all media channels are impartial? Is it not a fact that some channels are the subsidiaries of political parties? Are these unbiased?
When media commits defamation under section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, is it so easy to get relief? If the relief comes at all to a victim after long delay, the reputation of the person concerned is already harmed. Reputation is considered by many as ‘immortal part’ of their being. What remains without that is ‘bestial’. Since I have gone to Cassio of the Bard, let me conclude with Iago.
“Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls.
Who steals my purse steals trash; ‘tis something, nothing;
‘Twas mine, ‘tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs of me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.”
September 5, 20190.
CG 22 Sector II, Salt Lake City, Kolkata-700091.
*Director, Research, Bhavana,HRD Centre of NCMB Memorial Trust, Calcutta.
E-mail id: dhammachakra2@gmail.com
Blog: http://dhammachakra.blogspot.com
This address was delivered by Dr.UNBiswas on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Dr. Radhakrishnan at Number 9 Ward, ABAC Park, Salt Lake City, Kolkata-700064 in a function hosted by Mr. Aninda Chattaopadhaya, Concillor, Ward 9.
-The Teacher.
U.N.Biswas*
(The Constituent Assembly adopted the National Flag of India on 22 July 1947. This paper draws attention to a few points of the address of Dr. Radhakrishnan on this momentous occasion.)
Dharma
Philosopher Dr.Radhakrishnan, in his speech, emphasized virtue. Purity and goal of truth cannot be achieved without recourse to virtue. “The Asoka’s wheel represents to us the wheel of the Law, , the wheel of Dharma. Truth can be gained only by the pursuit of the path of Dharma, by the practice of virtue, Truth,- Satya, Dharma, Virtue, these ought to be the controlling principles of all those who work under this Flag.”
Dynamism
Dr.Radhakrishanan, then dwells on the dynamic character of The Wheel of law. The country suffered due to our resistance to change.“It also tells that that the Dharma is something which is perpetually moving.”
Challenges
Thereafter he mentions the challenges before the nation and especially points out caste and untouchability. “There are ever so many institutions which are worked into our social fabric like caste and untouchability. Unless these are scrapped, we cannot say that we either seek truth or practice virtue. This wheel is a rotating thing, which is a perpetually revolving thing, indicates to us that there is death in stagnation. There is life in movement.”
Saffron
Saffron symbolizes the spirit of renunciation. “Sarve tyga rajadhrmesu drasta. All forms of renunciation are to be embodied in Raja Dharma, Philosophers must be kings. They must be dedicated spirits. They must be people who are imbued with the spirit of renunciation which that saffron color has transmitted to us from the beginning of our history. That stands for the fact the World belongs not to the wealthy, not to the prosperous but to the meek and humble, the dedicated and the detached. … If we are not imbued with the spirit of renunciation in these difficult days, we will again go under.”
The demolition squad of the media has been abusing the word saffron for than two decades. ‘Saffron brigade’ and ‘saffronization’ are now commonly used. The political dramatis personae were not far behind. Now they are in the fray to institutionalize it to include in the lexicon with pejorative connotation.
In a three-day conference of Police chiefs of India on August 26, 2010, Home Minister P.Chidabaram said, “There is no let-up in attempts to radicalize young men and women in India. Besides, there is the recently uncovered phenomenon of saffron terrorism that has been implicated in many bomb blasts of the past." Congress party distances itself and raped P. Chidabaram on ‘saffron terror’. Janarddhan Diwivedi, Congress General Secretary and head of media department of the party, said, “Saffron or bhagwa or kesariya(Hindi equivalents of saffron)is not the issue here. The issue is terrorism. Terrorism does not have any colour other than black.” The party disapproved the controversial formulation and Dwivedi added that terrorism could not be associated with any colour, “be it saffron, green or red. Terrorism is terrorism and should be opposed in whatever form it comes. … “Saffron colour has been part of our ancient tradition and is associated with our freedom struggle.” (August27, 2010)
Congress leader Digvijay Singh too objected to the use of the phrase ‘saffron terror’. “I have objection to the use of the use of caste, colour and religion to describe terror.” He however mentioned ‘Hindu fundamentalists.’ Singh added, “Terrorism in the country arises from fundamentalists among Hindus and Muslims.” In reply to question on the comment of P. Chidabaram; Singh said, “ he should come out with the name of the patent holder.” The Home Minister shot back, “These are religious fundamentalist groups. The message ought not be lost in the phrases and perhaps the phrase has brought the message home. So the purpose has been served.” The Minister referred the debate in the parliament in the past on ‘saffronization of education’ and said, “A number of others have used the phrase. I have told that a number of my colleagues in the UPA have used the phrase in the past. So I can’t claim patent over the phrase.” So ‘saffron terrorism’ stands. A student to day will perceive it to condemn. What an irony! We, either my wife or I daily hoist the National Flag at our home and see the saffron to go first in the sky. I feel proud to be an idiot to do this exercise three hundred sixty-five days in a year and feel sad when saffron is under assault.
They say what is there in a color! It can be red now and green tomorrow. The poster boys of one color become the commanders of the guerrilla bands of another color. They are honourable wise men. They can read the seeds of time and change faster than mind.
Renunciation &Immorality
Renunciation is taking Sanyas. It is Pabbajja- going forth, going forth from home to homeless life. This life is completely severed from family and social life to realize the supreme truth of deliverance. A monk has nothing except a begging bowl. This is poignantly depicted in an Ajanta painting. The Buddha, after his enlightenment visited Kapilavastu. Ysodhara asked, ‘What has he brought for his son Rahula?’ ‘I have only a begging bowl’ replied the Buddha. The public servants are not expected to be a Pabbajja, but the spirit of renunciation has to be his principle to lead a public life.
The criminal syndicates influence every aspect of governance. The apex court dealt the extent of corruption in the system and refereed a report of the State. “It has said that the network of the mafia is virtually running a parallel government pushing the State in to irrelevance.”
“ These syndicates have acquired substantial financial and muscle power and social respectability and have successfully corrupted the Government machinery in all levels and yield influence to make the task of Investigating and prosecuting agencies extremely difficult ; even members of the judicial system have not escaped the embrace of the Mafia.” (Vineet Narain & Ors.v.Union of India &Anr., 1998(1) SCC 226.)
Since then things have not have improved; on the contrary it has gone further down. We have now a ‘Corruption Carnival’ in the name of festival of games, an IPL that swindled a few billions. A gentle and popular minister once told me, ‘Can you look in to the case of a man who has employed a few hundred young men and women in our State? If he goes to jail, these young people will be thrown out of employment. The development of our State will be affected.” Don’t you know he has cheated more than a hundred crore?’ I replied. ‘I know that; still, I make a request.’ ‘Then why not invite D Company who will invest a billion? The minister did not request me again.
Another known fraudster of national notoriety made his foray in the developmental override of a State. I thought it was my moral but not legal duty to inform the State. I passed on the information to the person who was on a roll to industrialize the State in break-neck speed. He never came back to me. The member of the Mafia was welcome to the State and as usual, within a couple of months, he started his operations which became public.
Our hope lies in the basic structure of our Constitution. No one change it. All public servants are duty bound to be selfless in public life. To pay homage to Dr. Radhakrishan is to follow the spirit of renunciation. Renunciation symbolizes the Civilization of India from early period.
Education
Whose education are we talking of in West Bengal? Seventy percent people of West Bengal are directly and indirectly engaged in agriculture. And this agrarian economy is sustained by about a hundred million agricultural labourers ( 73,62,957 in 2001 Census) mostly belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe and Muslim communities. They contribute 76.46% of agricultural labour force in West Bengal. This 53.7% people are economically, socially and educationally most backward in West Bengal. It reminds me of Asok Mitra who said, “… there is nothing like illiteracy to keep the lowest of the socially low always under your heels, reduced to a permanent reserve pool of labour at below subsistence cost.” ( Mitra, Asok: Caste and Class in Indian Society, The Asiatic Society, 1995, p.25.) The presence of boys and girls from these communities in IT hub of sector V of Salt Lake City is awfully insignificant. However, they have been the captive vote banks of the ruling parties.
Growth is not development. Higher GDP and Multidimensional Poverty Index are often found inversely related.(UNDP:2010.) Appropriately educate the Third Estate, you will see the results! Will the political leadership in West that invariably comes from the upper crust of social hierarchy do it? “A Bengali takes great pride in claiming that caste plays no role in politics. Indeed so absolute is the ascendency of the top castes in Bengal that the subordinate castes take their status as a divine compensation.” (Mitra, Asok:1995) Can we come out from this caste syndrome! I have no answer, but if we do not, we will go under as Dr. Radhakrishan said. How long the economically and socially will remain silent? Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India, warned, “How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue it for long, we will do so only putting our political democracy in peril. We must remove this contradiction at the earliest possible moment or else those who suffer from inequality will blow up the structure of political democracy which this Assembly has so laboriously built up.” (Address of Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly, November, 25, 1949.)
In the killing fields of West Bengal socially, educationally and economically backward kill or killed. Nine out of 13 people killed and identified in Nandigram Carnage of March 14, 2007 were persons belonging Scheduled Caste although the percentage of Scheduled Caste population in Nandigram is not high. At Singur the girl raped and burnt alive belonged to Scheduled Caste. Why? Is it all unrelated and isolated incidents that keep on happening? Or is it the result of an engineering of vicious stranglehold of social control set in motion by the invaders in the long past who thrust it upon the indigenous people of Ancient Bengal? Impartial history of indigenous people of Bengal has not yet been written. (The Asiatic Society: 2005.)
They are bought and sold to kill or to become cannon fodders. Who make these transactions? They are people, larger than life size. Do they have the DNA of the Prince of Machiavelli or Hitler! Could be, who knows. Sure it is; they can control the mind of people. Who will identify their gene? Microbiologists! How long will it continue! Let those who rule or lead answer.
Education & Media
Media plays a vital role in mass education. Not only that; media brings well researched knowledge. The web to day is really a knowledge box to those who can wisely use it. Coverage in important dailies are so vast that there this nothing that is left of the previous day. Democracy is meaningless unless people are informed in all aspects of life. The press empowers us with information. There is a section of media which is not always without blemish. “ One -sided information, disinformation, misinformation, and non –information all equally create an uninformed citizenry which makes democracy a farce when medium of information is monopolized either by a partisan central authority or private individuals or oligarchic organizations.” (Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India and Ors.v.Cricket Association of Bengal and Ors.[1995(2)SCC 161] Can we say all media channels are impartial? Is it not a fact that some channels are the subsidiaries of political parties? Are these unbiased?
When media commits defamation under section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, is it so easy to get relief? If the relief comes at all to a victim after long delay, the reputation of the person concerned is already harmed. Reputation is considered by many as ‘immortal part’ of their being. What remains without that is ‘bestial’. Since I have gone to Cassio of the Bard, let me conclude with Iago.
“Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls.
Who steals my purse steals trash; ‘tis something, nothing;
‘Twas mine, ‘tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs of me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.”
September 5, 20190.
CG 22 Sector II, Salt Lake City, Kolkata-700091.
*Director, Research, Bhavana,HRD Centre of NCMB Memorial Trust, Calcutta.
E-mail id: dhammachakra2@gmail.com
Blog: http://dhammachakra.blogspot.com
This address was delivered by Dr.UNBiswas on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Dr. Radhakrishnan at Number 9 Ward, ABAC Park, Salt Lake City, Kolkata-700064 in a function hosted by Mr. Aninda Chattaopadhaya, Concillor, Ward 9.
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