आपातकाल के दौरान त्याग की दुहाई देने वाले नेता मुलायम सिंह यादव, लालू प्रसाद यादव  या नीतीश कुमार ने क्या लोकतंत्र में नैतिकता की मर्यादा की कसौटी पर खड़े  उतरने का प्रयास किया है ? या राजनीति  में रहकर सत्ता के सुख में ही उस तपस्या को अपनी कसौटी बना रखी है। आज अगर जय प्रकाश नारायण जीवित होते  तो इन राजनेताओं द्वारा लोकतंत्र की मर्यादा का हनन देखकर उन्हें बहुत ग्लानि  होती । आज बिहार और उत्तर प्रदेश में जिस प्रकार बाहुबलियों द्वारा लोकतंत्र की मर्यादा का अतिक्रमण किया गया है वह इन्ही राजनेताओं की देन  है। इनकी त्याग की भावना व्यक्त  करना अपने  आप में हास्यास्पद होगा।  लोकतंत्र के रक्षक नहीं भक्षक बनकर इन लोगो ने राजनीति  में रहकर सिर्फ निजी स्वार्थ और सत्ता के सुख का पोषण किया है। आज  बिहार और उत्तर प्रदेश में एक कुशल, कर्मठ, ईमानदार व्यक्तित्व  की जरुरत है जो इन राज्यों को विकास की और ले जाए  न की पुनः उसी जंगल राज की  ओर। आज बिहार बिकास  के पटल  पर पूरे भारत में सभी राज्यों से पीछे छूट गया  है।  उड़ीसा तथा छत्तीसगढ़ जैसे गरीब राज्य भी काफी तेजी से प्रगति कर रहे हैं। पर बिहार एक अच्छे नेतृत्व के अभाव में लगातार पिछड़ता जा रहा है। लोकतंत्र की जड़ें तभी मजबूत होंगी और बिहार जैसे अति पिछड़े राज्य का विकास तभी संभव है जब हम अपनी भावनाओं में बहकर मतदान नहीं करें बल्कि उसके महत्व का आंकलन करके, तार्किक आधार पर अपने मताधिकार का  प्रयोग करें। 

UNDEMOCRATIZATION OF UN :  misuse of veto power by China

Democratic way of life is the demand of 21^st century. Any blow on democracy would have a catastrophic effect on the whole world.  China’s decision to block the UN action against Pakistan for the release of 26/11 mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zakir-ur Rehman Lakhvi is shocking and it raises a question  mark on the efficiency and democracy of the security council. Decisions for global good are being vetoed for in invested interests of some. China is constantly misusing its permanent membership by vetoing decisions for the common good. 

Does the well being and security of the whole world depends on only a few permanent members which are not at all accountable to the world?  What type of democracy is functioning in UN?  Its necessary for democratization of UN at all levels otherwise China and some of its other allies will work only for their vested interests and will never work towards eradicating terrorism. Its high time that we  revitalize democratic principles at all level. This undemocratic functioning of UN cannot be tolerated at any cost. The main purpose for which UN was established to attain international peace and this cannot be compromised with. The time has gone where the world depend only on the mercy of a few superpowers. This is an age of interdependency and no crisis can be termed as only a regional crisis. If left to flourish then it will definitely cause unease and unrest in the whole world at some stage or the other. So China’s narrow minded approach towards such things cannot be ignored for long. Same goes for Pakistan. Unless it stops promoting terrorism there is no way it can be safeguarded from the impending apocalypse.

Emergency:  the black spot on Indian democracy and a sign of Authoritarian despotism

It was 40 years ago on June 25,1975 when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi asked Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad to sign the emergency proclamation. It really symbolises that ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’. The draconian measures taken by her gives a very important lesson to democracy. In the words of Alfred Emanuel Smith: ‘All the ills of democracy can be  cured by more democracy’. After the British era, declaring EMERGENCY was another such step to deprive the people of the basic fundamental rights.  

As said by Benjamin Disraeli that ‘change is inevitable in a progressive country. Change is constant.’ Change is continuously taking place in our society, in democracy and it is upto us to be on vigil and safeguard our inalienable rights. Its high time that we get a humane governance for upholding the democratic values. Only a humanist state can give a human touch to democracy. Government’s function should be like a ‘trustee’of power and it shoud be accountable to people rather than moving towards authoritarian despotism . For safeguarding democratic values its necessary that people should remain constantly vigilant so that this type of incident never repeats itself. Thus, only high moral character of the people as well as leaders can make a democracy successful. 

  We must induce democracy in our everyday lives and ensure democritization.  Democracy should be safe from the ill effects of demagogue. The recent activities of muslim personal law is the offshoot of such demagogue. We must ensure that democracy is safeguarded from such evils.

श्यामा प्रसाद मुख़र्जी  की पुण्यतिथि पर भावभीनी श्रद्धांजली  

श्यामा प्रसाद मुख़र्जी की पुण्यतिथि (२३ जून ) पर राष्ट्र उन्हें भावभीनी श्रद्धांजली  देता है। एक ऐसा  व्यक्तित्व  जिसने भारतीय संस्कृति को अपनी ढाल बनाया  और  राष्ट्र की चुनौतियों  से निरंतर लड़ते  रहे। उन्होंने शांति  और एकता का सूत्र देकर न सिर्फ एक ऐसे पार्टी को जन्म दिया बल्कि उसके ऊपर भारतीय संस्कृति को जीवित रखने की जिम्मेदारी भी सौंपी। श्यामा प्रसाद मुख़र्जी को सच्ची श्रद्धांजलि तभी होगी जब हम वैश्वीकरण  की इस हवा में अपनी सांस्कृतिक विरासत को न भूलें और अपने अंदर की उस सुषुप्त संस्कृति को फिर से जागृत  करने का प्रयास करें।  इसे अपनी कमजोरी न समझें  बल्कि अपनी ताकत बनायें।  जिस संस्कृति को हमने अचेत अवस्था में छोड़ दिया है उसे सचेत करने का समय आ गया है। सांस्कृतिक राष्ट्रवाद के अग्रदूत और परम राष्ट्रभक्त को कोटि कोटि नमन।

योग और हम 

ऋग्वेद का एक मंत्र है - ' मनुर्भव ' यानी कि   'मनुष्य बनो ' । योग एक ऐसी साधना है जो मनुष्य को मनुष्य बनाती है। योग के द्वारा मनुष्य के आंतरिक और बाहरी जगत में सामंजस्य स्थापित किया गया है। योग विद्या भारतीय संस्कृति की विश्व को  अनमोल देन  है। इसे किसी  मजहब की संकीर्णता से जोड़ना हमारी नासमझी होगी। आज विश्व जिस रफ़्तार से विकास की उचाईयो को छू  रहा है उतनी ही रफ़्तार से सामाजिक प्रदूषण भी बढे हैं , जिसने मनुष्य को उससे उसकी मनुष्यता  ही छीन ली है। योग हमें शारीरिक और मानसिक रूप से स्वस्थ बनाता है और मानसिक और शारीरिक शुद्धिकरण का काम भी करता है जो मानव को उसकी मानवीय गरिमा लौटाती है। अगर विश्व को विकास के संतुलन को कायम रखना है तो योग से जुड़ना होगा जिसमे भौतिकवाद के साथ साथ आध्यात्मिक विकास का भी संतुलन है और ये विकास चिरस्थाई है।

बिहार की राजनीतिक संस्कृति ने डॉक्टर श्री कृष्णसिंह  के पश्चात नयी करवट ली जिसनें  बिहार के विकास की दिशा  और दसा दोनों ही बदल डाली  और बिहार की विकास की गति  पूर्णतः विराम की ओर बढ़ने  लगी।  आज बिहार को फिर से डॉक्टर श्री कृष्ण सिंह जैसे कार्यकुशल व्यक्तित्व की जरूरत है जो पुनः बिहार को संजीवनी देने का कार्य करें ।
    डॉक्टर सिंह अपने जीवन के अंतिम चरण में कांग्रेस के कार्य संस्कृति से काफी दुःखी  रहा करते थे। उन्हें कोंग्रेस पार्टी में भाई भतीजावाद ,सत्ता की होड़ जैसी संकीर्ण भावना की बदबू आ रही थी।  उन्होँने कांग्रेस के विचारो से क्षुब्ध होकर कहा था की छोटी छोटी और तुच्छ बातो को लकेर हम किस प्रकार अपनी देश की एकता उसकी अखण्डता राष्ट्रीयता और अपने राष्ट्र के  ऊँचे आदर्श को भूल जा सकते सकते है उसका दुखद परिचय हमें मिलता है। उनका कहना था की प्रजातंत्र की सफलता प्रधानतः स्वस्थ और सुन्दर लोकमत पर निर्भर करती है। इस प्रकार के लोकमत के निर्माण के लिए सुन्दर विचारों का प्रसार अत्यंत आवस्यक है ।
                अब तय हमें करना है कि   बिहार में  अभी जो  गठबंधन हुए है उसमे क्या सुन्दर विचारो की खुशबू आ रही जो बिहार को पुनः नयी ऊर्जा दे या ये सिर्फ सत्ता में आने का  एक नया मिलन है। अब  जरूरत है हम अतीत से निकलकर वर्तमान की उज्जवल भविस्य में प्रवेश करे । 

POLITICAL CULTURE: AS VISUALISED BY GURUJI (MADHAV SADASHIV GOLWALKAR)

According to MADHAV SADASHIV GOLWALKAR an ardent believer in ‘dharma’, the one and only priority of a polity should be that politics and culture should not be separated. It should have a connection with ‘dharma’ which will sustain the righteous element in polity and decline of dharma would be the ascendency of unrighteous conduct in polity. According to Guruji, our political culture and our philosophy has pictured the highest state of society and has offered an explanation for it too.  He visualised an ideal state where the whole society and the polity was regulated by dharma.  All protected one another by virtue of dharma. Dharma is the universal code of right conduct that awakens the common inner bond, restrains selfishness, and keeps the people together in that harmonious state even without any external authority. There will be no selfishness, no hoarding, no corruption and no lust for power if we live in accordance with his philosophy.

It is dharma only that is the distinguishing feature of human life not food or sleep. Treachery, materialistic lust are common to both animal and man but the special attribute of man is dharma; without it he/she is no better than an animal. It should never be forgotten that this the land of sacrifice and bravery. We should feel proud of our land where the national song ‘vande matram’ and the precious words of ‘Bhagvad gita’ always inspire us to induce dharma in our culture and strive towards the betterment of this country.

 It is beyond doubt that the decline of ‘dharma’ is the root cause of the blot on the contemporary political culture of our country. It is high time that we rejuvenate the glorious thoughts and philosophy of Guruji to curb the separation of Indian political culture from dharma which will be the greatest tribute to Golwalkar. This the only way by which India can regain its lost sheen and glory.

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION : A GRAVE CONCERN

On 5^th June every year we observe World Environment Day. In the present age we are better equipped with scientific advancements to tackle and sustain natural gifts than to destroy it. But it has always been seen that science without ethics is a mere hollow sphere. This type of scientific advancement will only lead to self destruction. We are rapidly depleting natural resources without realising its far reaching side effects. The more the countries are developing rapidly the more rapidly they are destroying natural gifts. Its all due to lack of moral will.

  Immanuel Kant who divided the world of things into two- as they appear to us to be (phenomenal) and as they are really in themselves (noumenal) . We gain knowledge about this in three ways-    (i)through the senses

(iI) through the intellect and

(iii) through the moral will.

The knowledge which we gain through the senses and the intellect is the knowledge of the world of the things as they appear to us to be. It can never be the knowledge of the world of things as they are for the reason that in seeking knowledge through senses and the intellect we necessarily impose upon the things themselves forms of intuition (space and time) categorises ‘such as quality, quantity, substance and casuality’ which exists not in the things themselves, but in our own minds.

Nature can only answer the questions which we put to it and its answers must conform to the way in which we frame the questions, There is one way and one way only that we can have contact with the world as it really is and this is through our moral will. In a way Kant brings science and ethics closer by telling us that while the former deals with the phenomenal world, noumenal world is the concern of the later.

 Thus its clear that Kant’s emphasis on bringing science and ethics closer is the one and only solution for  sustaining nature and natural resources. The Hindu culture always emphasises on friendly attitude and harmony with nature. Sustainable development, instead of being a mere slogan, should be part and parcel of our everyday lives. Our Common Future, known as the Brundtland Report, states that sustainable development is development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising with the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. It shouldn’t be viewed only as a report but should be practically implemented in all countries- developing or developed. This is only possible if we have the moral will to do so. E.F. Schumacher’s  ‘Small is Beautiful’ is a remarkable work on this topic. It gives us various lessons on the symbiotic association with nature and its advantages as opposed to indiscriminate exploitation of the gifts of nature for our materialistic leisure. Seeing the massive destruction of nature it now becomes mandatory for every global citizen to awaken his/her conscience and strive towards creating a sustainable global village where every living entity has a say and people are responsible enough not think only about the present but also have a vision for the future.

The rise of humans as the masters of this planet has made us believe that this earth is for our benefit only and we have the sole right to exploit it upto the highest limit. In the name of development we are causing a great disaster : GLOBAL WARMING wich is just like a time bomb waiting to explode.   The global warming has become a major environmental issue thanks our indiscriminate use of fossil fuels and some other chemicals. The carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other gases trap heat in atmosphere as they are transparent to incoming sunlight but opaque to the outgoing reflected infra red radiati. Fuel combustion in various forms is biggest man-made source of carbon-dioxide and nitrous oxide. Decomposition of organic waste is a major source of methane. The basic reason for such degradation is the industrial evolution. It has been estimated that if temperature were to rise by 2.5 degree Celsius in the next century, there will be- irreversible expansion of deserts leading to large scale desertification and large scale climate changes, badly affecting productivity and development.

 India ranks fifth in the list of world polluters with the United States of America at the top of the list. There is no doubt that the developed nations are more responsible than the developing nations  for the Greenhouse effect as they have initiated the spur of industrial development. But still there is no point in blaming each other for the environmental degradation as  all the countries have contributed to it in varying proportions not to exclude developing countries like China and other Asian countries which are fast catching up with their western counterparts.

In India land has been degraded by many factors including  deforestation, faulty irrigation and drainage practices, soil erosion by wind and water, inadequate soil conservation measures, steep mountain slopes and overgrazing by livestock. Intensive agriculture based on chemical fertilizers and pesticides has diminished the health of soils in parts of the country. As per the 1995 assessment of forest cover by the Forest survey of India, about 64 million hectares or 19.5 per cent of India’s land area is under forest. The main cause of deforestation in India have been:

(i)                  Conversion of forest land into agriculture land: Between 1951 and 1972, 2.433 million hectares of forest land was converted for cultivation

(ii)                 River valley projects,

(iii)                Industries like railways, paper, pulp and poly fibres

(iv)              Roads and communication

(v)                 Overgrazing by livestock

(vi)               The requirement of fuel, wood, charcoal and timber by the rural and urban people.

(vii)             The dams like Bhakra, Tehri and Sardar Sarovar submerge not only the forests but also displace thousands of inhabitants in addition to submerging the cultivated lands, thus increasing the pressure on the remaining forest areas.

 It has been estimated that within the short span of seven years between 1975 and 1982 the country lost 1.3 million hectares of natural forest per year. Commercial plantations has also contributed in deforestation. The commercial plantations are increasing at the expense of natural forests. The commercial exploitation of forests dates from the British period who established total control over the forests. This resulted in a series of tribal uprisings who traditionally were the users of th forests while at the same time protecting them from  degradation. The British policy was followed by the free Indian government but the destruction of the forests continued unabated. As a result, there were popular movements like Chipko movement in Garwhal and Silent Valley struggle in Kerala in 1970s and later on movement against Sardar Sarovar project in Narmada river and Tehri Dam in Uttaraanchal. The Chipko movement succeeded in changing the official strategy regarding forests.  Greenhouse gases are responsible for changing the earth’s climate. Reservoirs emit greenhouse gases due to the rotting of flooded vegetation and soils and of organic matter flowing into the reservoir from its catchment.

The World Commission on Dams (WCD) quotes an estimate: perhaps between 1 to 28 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions comes from reservoirs. In some cases emissions from a reservoir can be equal to or a greater than those from a coal or gas fired powered station. Emissions are highest in shallow, tropical reservoirs. Energy conservation should be also taken seriously. These all maladies could be cured only if we think and act morally and judiciously towards nature.

REFERENCE:

PRATIYOGITA DARPAN , extra issue POL science, series -22

All that glitters is not gold. The intentional blunder done by Nestle is a grave concern for us.  Its not only the question of nestle but many Global conglomerates are very keen in areas which give them quick returns and high profit within a short span of time. They don’t care whether they flourish by hook or by crook. They lack social responsibilities and as a result, are not guided by any moral standards . Their spirit is nurtured in the atmosphere of ‘survival of the fittest’ and ‘might is right’ so blindly allowing multinational companies to capture our market and misusing our market potential without judging them by any ethical standards  is our fault. It shows our passiveness towards our consumer rights. Mere slogan ‘jago grahak jago’ cannot be helpful unless and until we practically implement on it. Culprits should be punished and any moral and ethical violation especially on the on grounds of health shouldn’t be taken lightly.

KABIR : AN APOSTLE OF LOVE AND COMPASSION

India is the sacred land of sadhus and sants who have preached the doctrine of peace, harmony,  compassion and kindness. Their sacrifice and devotion teaches us to hold the foundations of our matribhoomi- ‘dharma’ which nourishes it. Kabir was one of those sants who left the most valuable asset of love and peace for us, the coming generation and we have to sustain it. On the occasion of Kabir Jayanti we should once again pledge to live with love and peace to strengthen our nation.

    

What was religion actually for Kabir? Neither creeds nor dogmas , no pseudosecular artificiality. He was himself a religion. Religion for him was only love, peace and kindness. It is due to his strong spiritual power that even Sikandar Lodi could not harm him. Although he did not have a horde of degrees  still he was a man of great wisdom. He had no material affluence, only inner skill and it was due to this inner skill that he was able to realise his inner self. In the process he won over himself and become the most contented man on this earth. His contentment was the lesson to be learnt.

What is the strength of multiculturalism of this land? No better example than the teachings of Kabir

who preached the the lesson of love in this land and we are in dire need of those teachings.His faith  and inner love for Lord Ram was so deep that it can cross any obstacles of life . He realised that his mental contact  with Ram was bliss and separation curse as well as unbearable agony: hari bin rahai na sake mera jiva. Thus his religion is only purity of self what we all need today and forever. Thus  even millions of Sikandar Lodis cannot damage this land as one Kabir is enough to protect our motherland through his spiritual strength.

Some of Kabir's renowned dohas  which inspired people to live a life of love and compassion are :

   

गुरु गोविंद दोऊ खड़े काके लागू पाएं।

बलिहारी गुरु आपनो ,जिन गोविन्द दियौ बताए। 

जब मैं था तब हरि नहीं ,आब हरी हैं मैं नाहि। 

प्रेम  गली अति साँकरी , तामो दो  न समाहि। 

कांकर पाथर  जोरि कै ,मसजिद लई बनाए। 

ता चढ़ि मुल्ला बांग दे ,क्या बहरा हुआ खुदाय। 

पाहन पूजे हरि मिले ,तो  मै पूंजू पहार। 

ताते ये चाकी भली ,पीस खाय संसार। 

सात समंद की मसि करौ ,लेखनि सब बनराय। 

सब धरती कागद करौ ,हरि गुन लिखा न जाय। 

PREVENTING  CHILD  ABUSE : shouldn’t  it  be  our first  priority  ?

We celebrate CHILD SAFETY DAY on 1st June every year. Today, let us see and understand the different forms and causes of child abuse so that we are better equipped to fight this growing evil. 

Child is the precious gift of mankind. Bright future of child is the bright future of family, society, nation and the human race on the whole. Family, society and, nation’s first priority should be to nourishing every child in a healthy atmosphere and they should get all possible and necessary opportunities to enhance their holistic development. They are the future of our country and will give direction to it in the future so the proper grooming and nourishing of children is all the more important. Scientific, moral and spiritual growth of a child all are equally relevant in shaping up a child’s life.

  The growing concern is that Child Abuse is rapidly growing throughout world  and India also does not lag behind. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines abuse as a recent act or failure to act that results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual harm; involves a child; and is carried out by a parent or caregiver who is responsible for the child’s welfare. CAPTA also includes ‘neglection’ within the definition. No doubt, the centre has made laws restricting child abuse but their implementation is proving to be a Herculean task. This makes it all the more important for states to come forward and take proactive steps to make sure that India becomes devoid of the evil of child abuse which is not only hindering its progress but also maligning its impression worldwide.

Child abuse is a very broad term and encompasses within itself various common evils such as torture in any form – mental or physical as well as compromising with the basic needs of a child. It also includes some seemingly different aspects like foeticide and malnourishment which are as much prevalent in our society .

Risk factors for abuse can be categorised as caregiver, child, and family or environmental factors. There are four main types of child abuse: neglect and emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Medically each is approached differently, but all require that the physician reports suspicions to appropriate authorities and involve other members of the health care community.

 Neglect is the most common (60 percent of cases) form of reported abuse and is the most common cause of death in abused children. It is defined by the Office on Child Abuse and Neglect as failure to provide for a child’s basic physical, emotional, educational, cognitive or medical needs.

Physical neglect involves the failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, hygiene, protection, or supervision. Emotional neglect is the failure to provide love, security, affection, emotional support, or psychological care when needed. Educational or cognitive neglect involves the lack of proper enrolment in school attendance, or failure to meet essential educational needs. Medical neglect is the delay in our refusal to seek medical care, resulting in damage to the child’s well-being.  

 Multidisciplinary approach is required to curb child abuse visa-vis  social ,political and cultural management is necessary to evaluate the reason behind child abuse in the form of child labour, child

trafficking, sexual abuse , mental and emotional torture and by not giving adequate opportunities to grow. Each child abuse is blot on our country’s image. It should be given first priority otherwise it would be an apocalypse for the whole social system . On this child protection day let us take a pledge that everyone of us will do as much as we can for the cause of all children who are victims of child abuse.

REFERENCE:

Asian Journal of Paediatric Practice : volume18   number1