INDIA, O INDIA

'Men, men, these are wanted, everything else will be ready'...these were the inspired words with which Swamiji charged us to take up the cause of national reconstruction. Indeed, a century and more have elapsed since the day the leonine Swami uttered these electrifying words and yet we see that there is an abject deficiency of men of character in our national scene, those who we may admire and emulate and rightfully follow as we tread the path of nation-building. It is an utter hollowness that we find everywhere and this lack of leadership cannot but be a great demotivating factor for the young and the aspiring as they launch their youthful careers rudderless and bereft of direction. A defective system of education is behind all this, a university education replete with cartloads of sterile information without any invigorating life-giving philosophy or principle to enliven the youthful minds who digest it as their curriculum. A sense of national identification at a depth is totally missing from the youth of India for a cowardly representation of national history and gross distortions about the freedom movement to suit the house in power at New Delhi from 1947 cannot but be counter-productive in terms of generation of real patriotism and the spirit of sacrifice for the Motherland. Shallow sentimentality for the nation abounds today masquerading as love of the Motherland but real, genuine, sincere, all-sacrificing spirit for the nation is progressively on the decline as capitalistic inroads further enfeeeble the moral character of a country that is fast losing its traditional moorings in the mire of materialistic mirages fostered by the foul forces of market economy. Whatever be the economic system to which we as Indians choose to subscribe, there can be no compromise on national ideals if we are to survive as a nation and as a people with a hoary spiritual heritage. Our martyrs' deaths must be avenged and what better way to do so than to lay down our lives as well to build Swamiji's fabled national bridge of human bodies lying prostrate over which shall walk India's vast populace enroute to the summit of national glory. Dear brothers, such a spirit of pure love for the nation is called for today if we wish to avert a great national disaster and utter ruin of our people for only love of the Motherland may yet raise a hundred thousand heroes who shall, to quote Swamiji, 'go over the length and breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the gospel of help, the gospel of social raising-up---the gospel of equality.' I earnestly hope that my feeble words may enkindle some inspiration in some such recipient soul and usher in brighter days for our benighted Motherland. Jai Hind!