‘Fidayeen’
attacks getting out of hand
Tales of Travesty
By Dr.
Jitendra Singh
The
emergence of Fidayeen "Suicide
squads" on the Kashmir scene is a
rather recent phenomenon. The
"suicide" bombers or the
"suicide" attackers, as the
name indicates, invariably end up getting
killed on each occasion but before that
they succeed in causing enough damage and
loss of lives to attract worldwide media
attention as also to cause embarrassment
to the Govt of India.
On the one
hand, there appears a visible change in
the strategy of Pakistan ISI sponsored
militancy in Kashmir. On the other hand,
there appears a visible inadequacy on the
part of the Indian Security apparatus to
meet the challenge.
A
number of questions need to be addressed
urgently if there is any serious will to
avert a future catastrophe of a bigger
magnitude. First, why is it that the
authorities have taken so long to respond
inspite of the fact that as early as
almost two years ago newspapers had
published reports to forewarn that
Islamabad was working on an altered plan
whereby suicide squads would be pushed
into the Indian territory with specific
directions to target the Indian VIPs and
the Indians defence installations?
Second, have the Indian Intelligence
agencies not learnt enough lessons from
their historic lapse over Kargil? Third,
are the Indian security forces lacking
sufficient information about the movement
of various militant groups even around
their own vital head-quarters and
establishments? Fourth, is this simply a
case of complacence on the part of Indian
security machinery or are there certain
other factors involved like, for example,
lack of training or pecuniary
considerations including bribery and
corruption at different levels?
While
New Delhi has indeed gained considerable
diplomatic mileage among the
international community through
Vajpayee's unilateral cease-fire
initiative, it is difficult to turn a
blind eye to the recurrent loss of
valuable lives incurred by the Indian
forces as killings of Jawans and officers
alike has become a routine affair. Since
it is difficult to deter a suicide
attacker from accomplishing his mission
because he has no care for his life, the
only other way to thwart his plan is to
reach out to him and apprehend him in a
pre-emptive strike. But, is this possible
when the security forces are under the
orders to observe cease-fire?
There is
also a section of opinion which argues
that the Indian security forces require
to undergo an elaborate orientation cum
training exercise to save themselves from
becoming a helpless victim to dare-devil
aggression from "Fidayeen"
groups. The massive recruitment drive in
the State Police force also runs the risk
of compromising quality training for
sheer numbers while long uninterrupted
hours of duty tend to leave the police
personnel fatigued, weary and unalert.
All said
and done, the scenario is quite
demoralising for the security forces.
And, the only way to redeem it is through
absolute professionalism unintimidated by
political considerations or bureaucratic
hassles.
It is a
war-like situation calling for a war-like
response. Or else, if even the senior
Army officers are not safe, what about
the common man? If one goes through the
daily newspaper headlines, it is either
the night of bereavement or the day of
condolence. Umapathy's predicament
is summed up in Late Jan Nisar Akhtar's
verse "Subah Ke Dard Ko, Raaton
Ki Jalan Ko Bhoolen?----"
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Derailed
colleges
Academic pulse
By Prof S K
Bhalla
The dust
appears to have finally settled down for
the time being I mean to say all the
ruckus of preceding few days of
unprecedented unwholesome unrest among
the students of Jammu city taking its
toll in the form of disturbed academic
environment. There is absolutely no fun
in blaming anyone at this juncture as
academic peace has been restored. Our
class rooms will no longer be visited by
ghosts. Class-rooms now shall be
rehabilitated and the process must be
further fortified with walking an extra
mile (doing a little more) in a spirit of
goodwill and service to society. A word
of caution. People at certain levels are
requested to desist from certain
unhealthy pastimes in future though it is
a remote possibility.
The worst
sufferers during all this turmoil have
been students from remote villages, poor
sections of society, below average middle
class folk and above all those who cannot
meet the post-budget-2001 revised as per
cost of living index exorbitant monthly
tuition bill. It is only these who appear
to be genuinely worried while the sleek
fed have already completed or on the
verge of completion of their course of
study by engaging the benign services of
a parallel system of education called
Underground Guidance Corps (UGC)
flourishing like the private practice of
doctors. The Nation salutes these
teachers and doctors for rending yeomanry
service.
Can we
afford to waste our time now as within a
brief span of time a lot more has to be
achieved in the field of academics and
allied areas? The attention of students
should now not be drawn towards other
diversionary and recreational activities
though facilities for the same exist in a
few colleges. Our educational leaders of
colleges especially in Women Colleges are
not likely to pay heed to all this, I am
sure. They are waiting for an opportune
time to stage a cultural
bonanza/extravaganza as per past practice
to steal the limelight of local media and
be a party to the wastage of time of
students. This does not mean that such
activities have no place in the academic
life of an institution. But these
activities appear proper when the
institutions operate smoothly throughout
the session and that has been the
casualty for the last three sessions.
Here it
shall not be improper to remind the
readers that Colleges closed for winter
break w.e.f. Dec. 21, 2000 to Jan. 3,
2001. Class were conducted for a weeks
time and then from Jan. 11 to March 3,
2001 no formal academic activity was
undertaken. The rest is known to all
except the politics discussed with a
great gusto. We at times criticize others
for organising an At-Home or something
like that when an earth-quake of a very
high magnitude hit Gujarat this year only
but at our turn do not lag behind for it
is a question of showman-ship. Our
colleges are not to be like a celebration
camp where we all have nothing but great
fun.
We must
promote a genuine brand of education and
a lot more is expected from the brand
ambassadors. Who are they? All the
teachers know well. To quote Indira
Dharchaudhri" The person at the helm
of an organisation is like a compass.
Every employee looks upto him for
guidance and leadership." Such a
leader sets the tone. We have yet to
locate such a leader.
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Corporate
role to grow by end of decade
By Anil Shastri
In view of the
fast changing economic, social and political
scenario in the country, it is a little too early
to say what the corporate scenario would be in
2010. I can perhaps restrict myself to those
trends, which are already visible and likely to
play a more dominant role in the future.
The slowdown in
the population growth rate in India will continue
but the number of younger persons in the age
group below 25 is going to form more than 50% of
our population. While the poverty level may be
down, we will still be nowhere near the per
capita levels of even South East Asian neighbours
like Singapore, Malaysia and Korea. Hopefully by
then our literacy level will be more respectable.
I do not foresee
any major change in the distribution of income,
though on the upside, the middle class, in terms
of purchasing price parity, is among the biggest
in the world. There will be better awareness
among all sections of society about availability
of products and services resulting in great
expectation from producers.
The aspirations,
particularly among the younger generation and the
middle class, will be largely a reflection of
those in the developed countries. There will be
thus a convergence in the expectation of people
for products and services all over the world. But
due to income disparities, the fulfilment of
these expectations will vary widely, particularly
in countries like India. Unless these
expectations are bridged, conflict can arise
between those who are able to satisfy their
aspirations and those who are unable to do so.
As the role of
Government will increasingly be concentrated on
social sectors, the corporations will have to
play a significant role in averting this
conflict. Here I would like to make a reference
to the recent speech by Prof Prahlad on the
occasion of the first Lal Bahadur Shastri Award
for excellence in Management Sciences Prof
Prahlad rightly drew the attention of companies
to the need for providing products and services
innovatively to the largely untapped bottom of
the income pyramid; wherein lies the vast
majority of our population.
I envisage that
the Government's role both at the Centre and in
States will be limited to providing educational
facilities at the school level, medical
facilities to the ore depressed classes and
providing the right climate for investment,
particularly in infrastructure.
Corporate sector
of 2010 will not be in a position to blame
politicians for the State of economy. Instead it
will have to play the dominant role in shaping
the economy. This is not possible unless there is
a radical change in the present corporate
mindset. The corporations of 2010 will have to be
much more socially aware and responsible than
they are today.
Instead of
share-holder value, the corporate houses will
have to enhance stake-holder value, which will be
a reflection of their contribution to society.
Transparency in transactions affecting minority
shareholders, the customers, the employees and
the society will be essential for their survival.
Although present
day corporations in India have started talking of
meeting customer expections, these are more
reactive in nature. Total Customer Orientation is
still far off, more so, for companies have for
long, been used to a sheltered market. As I have
said earlier, the customer of 2010 will be fully
aware of products and services all over the world
and in all probability will be able to access
them from anywhere in the world.
Only those
corporations, which will be able to provide
customers better value for their money, will
survive. Anticipating customer needs and
continuous customer delight will be the marketing
mantra for 2010. For Indian corporations, it may
be too late, if they do not start moving in this
direction immediately.
Customer delight
is possible only if corporations innovate
constantly. Unfortunately we in India lag badly
in this regard. Innovation needs a mindset, which
questions traditional thinking - and working. The
Younger generation will have to provide the lead.
Our corporate
houses will not only have to professionalise but
also democratize their working. New ideas can
also come from the lowest levels. How many of
Indian corporations are will to listen to their
level employees? However, I am still hopeful.
Silicon Valley culture has to be imbided in all
sectors of ecomony. If our software people can do
so, why not others.
India with its
rich human capital, which hopefully by 2010 will
be richer, can play a significant role in
innovating products and processes. Already many
multinationals are thinking of expanding their
R&D bases in India. Many others are setting
up such bases. Corporations, to survive till
2010, will have to invest significantly in these
areas, not only for developing new products but
also new ways of doing things.
Innovation process
is uncertain and knowledge intensive. Uncertainty
is going to be the norm is future. 2010
corporations have to develop capabilities that
enable them to adjust to the changing
circumstances. They have to move fast, change
course to take advantage of an opportunity or be
able to ward off a threat. They have to be
versatile and flexible.
The ability to do
different things at a fast pace requires
organisational structure which are flexible,
decentralised with a high level of empowerment
and able to take advantage of fast changing
technology, partiucarly the information
technology.
Software services
have emerged as one of the significant foreign
earners and have changed the image of India as
one of brains rather than snakes. However, this
export is only making our overseas competitors
more competitive. Indians have to take advantage
of this knowledge pool and invest significantly
in IT to be able to survive and become world
class players.
Information and
communication technologies are also helping India
to enter markets, which are service oriented. If
a high quality of services is provided, I foresee
India becoming a major player in this field. But
again only those corporations can take advantage
which are prepared to embrace the latest
technology and are customer -- oriented.
Small and medium
organisations have always played a prominent role
in the Indian economy. These organisations even
though largely entrepreneur - driven, have been
more flexible than the large business houses. I
am sure that in spite of WTO and liberalisation,
our small and medium companies will be better
able to meet the challenges of this decade.
I cannot make any
predictions on how many present day corporations
will be existing in 2010. But I am sure not all
will survive. Only those will survive, which
constantly monitor the changing, scenario and
would themselves into fast changing nimble
organisations. - CNF
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Simply
smoking
By Joginder Singh
One of the
favourite ploy of any Commission or Committee,
set up by the Government, to took into any
problem, is to recommended the creation of more
posts, especially at higher levels. Even when the
work, for which a job is created, is over, no job
has ever been abolished. It is because, of the
fact, that at no time, a comprehensive survey has
ever been done, to abolish the redundant jobs.
With the onset of liberalisation, there should
have been excising of certain departments, like
the Customs, Excise or the Chief Controllers of
Imports and Exports. But nothing of the kind has
happened. Instead, nomenclatures are changed, to
give an impression that a new role, has been
assigned to the same people, who already have a
fixed mind set on the issues and problems, they
are expected to solve.
The erstwhile,
Chief Controller of Imports, and as an after
thought, of Exports has been renamed as Director
General of Foreign Trade. It is an anachronism,
as Director General of Foreign Trade does not do
any trading himself. He continues to a licensing
or at the best an authority to make new rules and
regulations, for trading with other countries.
Rarely any Committee or Commission has surveyed
the performance, of any existing institution and
suggested a remedy, which does not involve,
adding more numbers, to the already non-working
bureaucracy. It is so because all such
Commissions or Committee or Tribunals, are packed
with the people, who already have preconceived
notions, as to how things should be done. It is
the failed bureaucrats, who did not do a penny's
worth of work, while in active service, who are
asked to review the working of their erstwhile
departments and advise, as to how the system can
be improved. What has been forgotten, is the
basis axiom, that it is the man, who is important
and not the system. With the best of men, any
system will work. But with the worst and ill
motivated men, even the best system will be
reduced to a bush.
A task force on
Defence Management, has strongly recommended the
creation of the post of the Chief of Defence
Staff. He will be the seniormost single officer,
in the military hierarchy, who will represent all
the three services jointly, He will have under
him, the Vice-Chief of Defence Staff, who is
turn, will liaise and co-ordinate the activities
of the theatre commanders of the Navy, Army and
Air Force. The aim of the proposed arrangements
is to involve all three services for planning and
operations, at all levels, in an integrated
manner.
At present, there
is a Committee of three Service Chiefs and the
seniormost of them, chairs it. It is a sad
admission, if what the task force says, is true,
that the desired co-operation and co-ordination
has not been existing in the present set up. All
services are clannish-minded. There is a
tendency, to look down upon the other service or
services, as sometimes just to be tolerated, and
not exactly as an equal. It is no secret that at
middle level and lower level, the officers in all
three services, ignore the presence of other
defence services. The army would always lay claim
to the post, as it has the largest manpower,
followed by Air Force and then the Navy. The last
two services, are smaller than many State Police
Forces. All the Chief of Services, have the same
salary, same perks and same retirement age,
despite the huge difference in their size.
Conferring a
single higher rank on one person as the Chief of
Defence Staff, is not going to make him the real
Chief. It depends, as to how other services,
other than his own, view him. Moreover, each
service is a specialised job. It is doubtful, if
a naval or an Air Force officer, however
brilliant he may be, will have the requisite
knowledge of other services or their hundreds of
branches. Similarly, an Army officer, would not
know much about the flying or the type of
aircraft, or even know much about submarines or
other navel equipment. It the Chief of the
Defence Staff, is going to depend again, or other
services, as he must, then what is the moment it
is created and filed up. As it is, their is a lot
to be done for maintaining the present
wherewithal, at the peak efficiency level, by
each service. Each service, despite a huge number
or branches and officers, to look after its work,
is not able to discharge its duties properly.
Take for instance the huge fires in Arms and
Ammunition Depots. On a conservative estimate,
the armament worth over Rs. 15000 crore at the
current prices, has been destroyed in fires, in
the last ten years, latest being the one Bharat
Pur.
Except for a
cryptic announcement of a Court of Inquiry,
headed a General, nothing much is done, to
rectify the situation or show door to the guilty.
Why only pick on junior officers ? Why not hold
the Chief of the service, where such colossal
damage occurs, responsible and cashier him? Are
the Chief meant only for taking ceremonial
saluters or attending regimental or other
glamorous functions ? If somebody has been
equally guilty in the Secretariat, and acting as
a speed breaker, on sensible proposals for the
defence of the country, then the same treatment
deserves to be meted out to the Babu also.
Moreover, the principle of civil authority being
supreme would be given a total go by, if any
super Chief of Services is brought into being. As
it is, the moment, an official becomes Chief of a
Service, ends his interaction with the Defence
Secretary, as he considers himself to be a shade
above all the civilians, because of higher pay
and perks.
The people in
uniform have both an overt an covert contempt of
the civilians in the Ministers, for not agreeing
to all they want to be agreed to. There is no
denying the fact, that sometimes, Babus show off
only by rejecting the proposals in the first
instance. But the solution lies in not creating
more problems, for already there too many people
doing too little in the Government.
It is not
necessary that everybody should be somebody's
subordinate, to protect the Nation's interests,
for there is no higher and sacred duty than to
protect the motherland. Creation of the post the
Chief of Defence Staff would create more
interservices problems. The Head or Chief of the
respective service would hardly permit anybody to
tread on his turf. The experiment of having the
only Field Marshal proved to be such a
non-starter and a damp squib that the Government
never thought of repeating it.
As it is there are
enough number of people already claiming to be
co-ordinating. The Defence Minister is a full
time co-ordinator. So are supposed to be his
Ministers of State and the Defence Secretary,
Cabinet Secretary, Joint Intelligence Committee,
and above all the committee of Chiefs of all
services. The proposal of having a Chief of
Defence Staff is not only misconceived, to say
the least, but is going to add to the already
existing astonishing confusion. Having a surfeit
of under worked co-ordinators, is no solution. It
is time, that even the flab of too many cooks
spoiling the broth is thrown over board. We
should not be, having too many people, doing
little. The Job of the co-ordination and keeping
equating, between the three services should be
left to the Defence Ministry, National Security
Board and other related agencies. Let us not
trust one man with all the wisdom. Colton said,
"Power will intoxicate the best heart, as
wine the wisest heads. No man is wise enough, nor
good enough to be trusted with unlimited
power."
PTI Features
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Common
postulates of great religions
By M S Rao
Religion, in the
widest sense of the word, is an attitude of life
and a code of conduct based upon a certain
conception of the origin and evolution of the
universe, the relation of man to the world he
lives in and the meaning and purpose of
existence. In this sense, it embraces the
objective rationalism of the scientist, the
secular humanism of the social reformer and even
the materialistic atheism of the ancient Charvaka
School, which did not accept any transcendental
experience or values.
But religion, in
the popular theistic sense, is rooted in a firm
faith in God the Supreme and Perfect Being-by
whatever name called-who, though unseen, is all
pervasive, all knowing, all-wise, all - powerful,
and all benevolent, controlling all things,
sentient and non-sentinet, and all activities in
creation. Religion, in essence, is a certain
concept of the inter relation between God (Isa),
Soul (Jiva) and Matter (Jada)- the three 'Eternal
Verities' and of the ultimate destiny of the
human soul.
These postulates
are common to all the great theistic religions
such as Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Every
religion has a philosophical base, an ethical or
social content (or Code of Conduct) and a
ritualistic aspect (a scheme of rites and
observances) which is intended as a symbolical
aid to meditation on God and to the cultivation
of devotion of Him. Religion is thus not only a
view of life, but also a way of life set in a
scheme of moral and philosophical values.
And last but not
the least, religion prescribes the means by which
the sincere beleiver can go through life,
performing his prescribed duties and taking all
things that come to him, with equanimity; and
after his tenure on earth, attain some kind of
blissful communion with God, freed forever from
all the sorrow and misery of earthly life (called
'Samsara).
Theistic religion,
being based on faith in the divine governance of
the world, recognizes the fundamental distinction
between the body and the soul (matter and
spirit), between material facts perceptible by
the senses and ultra-sensory experiences and
values, science being concerned with the former
and religion with the latter. The common saying
that 'man does not live by bread alone'' contains
a profound truth. The soul (or ego) is the centre
of all our conscious experience and it is the
soul that says ''I think- I feel- my body and my
house'; and it has its needs even as the body
has.
The instincts of
love and reverence are as universal and deep
rootes as hunger and thirst. Even beasts and
birds make sacrifices for the protection and
preservation of their young; and the greatest men
and women in history are those who sacrificed
their liberty, their life and all their worldly
goods for a principle, an ideal or a cause in
which they believed.
All this is
evidence of the reality of the soul and the true
function of religion is to provide sustenance to
the should and offer solutions its varied
problems and cures for its ailments. Even science
cannot deny the existence of human needs that
even its most marvellous achievemenets cannot
satisfy.
The unhappiness of
worldly-minded millionaires with all the comforts
and luxuries that science can provide, in
contrast to the deep contentment and peace
experienced by God minded men, in spite of all
privations of poverty, is a matter within the
experience of all us.
In the present
context, it would be fitting to deal with the
Hindu religion in greater details. As we all
know, it is founded on the four Vedas (Srutis)
sacred utterances heard and recorded by the great
seers of old; and the Brahma-Sutras of
Badarayana. These are accepted by all schools of
Hindus philosophy as the most authoritative guide
to the correct understanding of 'Vendanta' or the
concluding portions of the Vedas containing
speculations on the nature of 'Brahman' and
creation.
Based on the Vedas
are the four Dharmasastras containing elaborate
codes of conduct for the observance of all
classes of men at different stages of life. We
then have the two Great epics, the Ramayana and
the Mahabharata, as also the eighteen Puranas
(including Srimad Bhagavata) which are all
soul-stirring treatise on the manifold activities
of the Supreme God Vishnu in different yugas for
upholding 'Dharma' (moral order) and destroying
the forces militating against it. These
scriptures are intended for the guidance,
edification and solace of the common people,
amidst all the troubles and turmoils of life.
While all theistic
religions are agreed that the soul, unlike the
perishable body, is immortal, the doctrine of the
transmigration of souls is peculiar to Hinduism.
According to the Gita, death is only ' a change
of body' a 'change of clothing' for the soul, as
a declared in the celebrated verse'' etc. The
soul passes from one body to another carrying all
its tendencies vasnas), inherent and acquired,
with it, until it reaches the final destiny
appropriate to it under the direction of God.
Christianity and
Islam postulate, however, that there is only one
life on earth and that, after death, the soul is
destined for either eternal bliss or eternal
damnation. The Hindu view, it would seem, offers
a more satisfying explanation than the other, for
the puzzles and contradictions of life. Even
Buddhism, which does not accept God or Vedic
authority, recognizes that the soul would be
involved in the vicious circle of births, deaths
and rebirths, with all the sorrow and suffering
it entails, until it qualifies, by practising the
prescribed ethical code, for the final
deliverance on 'Nirvana'.
As stated earlier,
theistic religion centres round a Supreme Being
or spirit called God, controlling all things in
creation. To the argument of the rationalists and
materialists that the existence of God cannot be
accepted as a matter of faith or dogma, the
answer is that millions of people who have never
seen London must accept its existence only on the
authority of those who have seen and written
about; and if it is still contended that 'seeing
alone is believing', those who argue in this
fashion must be prepared to take the trouble of
travelling along the prescribed route leading to
London, instead expecting London to appear before
them and remove their doubts.
The same reasoning
applies to the direct proof of God's existence.
Great saints like Ramakrishna Paramhansa,
Kalidas, Prandaradas, Ramdas and Thyagaraja not
only 'felt' the presence of God always and
everywhere, but also had the 'Vision of God' in
their superconscious state, in the form that
appealed to their heart, as we can see from their
inspired composition; and it is by no means
irrational to accept the authority of our sages
and acharyas of unquestioned selfless,
intellectual power and integrity of those who
have affirmed, through the ages that God can be
realised by the sincere practice of the
prescribed 'sadhanas'.
The existence of
God can also be inferred from all the evidence of
a ''grand design''- a cosmic order that we see
around us in the movements of the planets, the
rotation of the seasons, in the unfailing
operation of natural laws, and the wonderful
corelation between structure and function both in
Man and in Nature, all of which point to an
all-pervasive Directing Intelligence at work.
The fact that the
mightiest among us cannot make themselves
completely or permanently happy and are at the
mercy of events which they can neither forsee nor
control is also suggestive of a 'Higher Power'
ruling our destinies. And it is of great
significance that the Providence of God, which
endowing us with the capacity to think, remember,
feel and act (by means of the appropriate senses
or Indriyas) has, in its wisdom and mercy, denied
us the natural power of knowing our future and of
reading one another's thoughts, which would have
proved disastrous to the human race, individually
and collectively, with due respect to astrologers
and mind-readers, as 'scientific experts'. Thus,
all the Pramanas of sense perception, Inference
and Agama justify the belief in the existence and
supremacy of God.
Allied to the
Hindu doctrine of the transmigration of souls
(explained earlier) is the doctrine of 'Karma'
(Law of Causation), which is almost the
sheet-anchor of Hindu religion. The soul being
real 'doer' of all karma, good and bad, through
the instrumentality of body, it is bound to pass
through an almost endless series of lives on
earth (karma bhumi- as it is called) to enjoy or
suffer the fruits of its karma, which are
dispenses by God in His Omniscent wisdom with
justice tempered with mercy, and without caprice
or partiality, in accordance with His 'Dharma'.
Such being the
nature and scope of religion, and Hinduism in
particular-what is its practical value to us? It
has been said that life is what the 'liver' makes
of it; and any religion worth the name must be
lived, must permeate the whole of one's life and
thought and should not be confined to puja-room
or used as cloak to cover up one's sins or to
impress the public. Now we all wish to be as
happy as we can while on this earth; and
experience confirms the teaching of the
scriptures, that true happiness, in the final
analysis, is a state of mind depending not on
social status, wealth or fame but on a certain
attitude towards life and the world we live in,
over which we have little or no control.
Such an attitude
can best be inculcated and fostered by religion
which teaches us humility and self-restraint in
success and prosperity and gives us calmness,
courage and sense of proportion in adversity.
Religion also explains rationally disturbing
contradictions of life-such as the misfortune of
the good, the triumphs of the wicked, the
opulence of the uncultured and the proverbial
poverty of the learned.
Religion teaches
us (I) that the Universe is ruled by a God who
knows best what is good for us and who
administers the Law of Karma with justice and
benevolence and in such a manner as would aid our
spiritual evolution; (2) that the good and evil
that fall to our lot have no necessary connection
with our actual hopes and fears as we neither
know what we deserve or what lies in store for
us; (3) that remembering that every rose has its
thorn and every cloud its silver lining, we
should not get unduly elated by success or
depressed by failure but should take everything
that comes to us with equanimity and never serve
from the path of duty and righteousness (4) that
we should use the precious gift of 'free will'
that God has given us in accordance with the
teaching of our great saints and seers, so that
our conduct may attract the grace of the Lord;
and (5) that every honest effort we make in this
life to do right and resist the temptation to do
will add to our spiritual 'capital', make us
stronger and better in our next, and quicken our
progress towards the ultimate goal of all
spiritual endeavour. It is this attitude of mind
that will ensure for us peace, strength and
courage through all the trials and vicissitudes
of life.
Viewing the world
as whole, it is only the cultivation of the true
religious spirit that can promote goodwill among
men, without which there can be no peace on
earth. All the strife and misery in the world and
the growing sense of the security arising from
the ever- present danger of nuclear warfare, on a
global scale, in spite of the striking
technological and organisational advances in
tackling the problems of poverty, hunger and
disease, is chiefly due to science having been
perverted to ends opposed to the teachings of
religion and made to subserve not the good of
humanity but the interests of the unprincipled
nations or states submitting to no moral law,
human or divine.
Not all the modern
ideologies (or 'isms') such as nationalism,
internationalism, socialism, materialism can
offer us so sure and steady an incentive to right
thinking and right living as a deep and abiding
faith in the divine governance of the world,
which is the essence of religion, and which alone
can give us the 'will to good' and the
tranquility of spirit, no less necessary to us
than bread and butter.- CNF
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