HOW WE MAY BECOME A SPORTING POWER IN THE WORLD

HOW WE MAY BECOME A SPORTING POWER IN THE WORLD 

MARTIAL MENTALITY

We must improve our national concentration to be able to defeat the very best in the world at the #Olympics. Too much of 'businessbuddhi' (commercial instinct) in the nation. What is needed is martial discipline to arrive truly at the world sporting stage. Vaishyavritti (commercial culture) is paramount now. It must be replaced without kshatravirya (martial valour) and brahmatej (spiritual energy). Then we will perform as world-beaters. This crass commercial culture with profit earned by any means whatsoever must give way to a never-say-die martial mentality with vigour, valour and victory the trinity that should rule national consciousness. 

MASS EDUCATION

Right now we are going through shudra consciousness of passive living bearing the tyranny of the environment. Resistance en masse has not yet come whereby we may overcome the dreadful grip of external Nature over us. Mere commerce does not make a nation, neither profit-making conduce to mass happiness. The nation must be managed well, fed well, the masses educated, clothed, nursed unto vigorous living. Sporting achievements will follow suit. Patriotism cannot be unless mass consciousness is well catered to. Mere sloganeering will not do. Roguery of politicians cannot long resist the onward movement towards mass empowerment if education be afforded to the people. Then all healthful developments will take place.

THE RATIONALISATION OF CIVIC CONSCIOUSNESS 

Facilities are necessary, infrastructure. Then individuals will excel. To attain world standards we need world-level infrastructure for sports. Scientific development in the nation is the key to it and basic development of clear thinking. Confused emotions do not conduce to sustained mass sporting brilliance. Clear, cogent, rational thinking is necessary in the athletes. For that the national atmosphere must change. This song and dance culture of foolish commercial cinema must not dominate the public mind. There must be greater self-control in the realm of thinking, less of fruitless passion and more of clarity in conception of things in general. Emotional excitement at the drop of a hat has become a national disease. This must be checked and greater control practised over such ignorant exhibition. On a national basis calmness of the mind must be ensured. 

THE DEGRADING LEVITY OF CRASS COMMERCIAL CULTURE 

Levity has become an endemic disease in India. It is eating into the vitals of our national life. We are becoming a country of jokers if one is to make one's estimate of our national life from the quality and content of television advertisement to which our national 'icons', both from the film fraternity and from the sporting community, contribute heavily to bolster their personal income. That the rest of us tolerate such arrant nonsense and such blatant advertised lies for product-selling is proof of our debilitated social culture in one sense and a most pertinent sense at that. This must go if we are to seriously consider our sporting future. An irrational country with mass commercial culture fit for the cheapest jokers cannot aspire to be a powerful sporting nation, neither a scientifically developed one. Sports and science go hand in hand.

HONOUR THE SPORTING GREATS AND SEEK THEIR GUIDANCE 

The living greats of the sporting fraternity must be honoured and their services drawn into the national sports programme. There is such a rich pool of sporting resource to draw from, such a fund of experience and inspiration that it is a shame that such talent should go unutilised when our nation needs them so. Civic consciousness must grow. Public support must be forthcoming. Everything must not be left to government. The nation belongs to the people and they must in large numbers come forward to bring these greats of the past out of their cocoons into the broad daylight once more so that they may duly contribute to the sporting well-being of the nation. 

GUNA DYNAMICS

India is the land of the Sanatan Dharma. Here in ancient times were discovered the highest principles of philosophy, religion and psychology. The mental attributes threefold of sattva, rajas and tamas were the discoveries of our ancient seers of truth, the Rishis. These characteristics of the mind in varying combinations hold it and accordingly a person or a nation performs. Right now we are struggling through the phase of tamas. Hence, our defeat in international sporting meets like the Olympics despite our mass representation. This tamas (inertia/ignorance/chaos) has to be countered and replaced with rajas (activity/order/organisation/pride in performance/self-dignity/discipline/energy/ambition/aspiration). The transformation has to be fundamental in society itself for results to show up in the sporting arena. 

RELEASE HUMAN ENERGY THROUGH CONGENIAL ENVIRONMENT

A positive approach helps in life. And a positive national environment clinches the deal for mass excellence and glory at the global level in all endeavours. Sporting excellence necessarily follows where the nation tends to excel in all fields. To bring about this affirmative atmosphere we need to have real patriotism, deep feeling for the country, a consequential commitment to her cause and executing it out through hard labour in the laboratory of love and knowledge. Skill developed and honed to perfection through self-sacrifice and labour of love is bound to produce results at the international level. Each citizen has to play his positive part in transforming the environment to such a congenial one where excellence makes its abode. National solidarity, fellow-feeling and the will to combine effectively will produce wonders. We must be positive in our attitudes, approach to life, and we must encourage each other to keep the vitality flowing. Not a word of condemnation for any but encouragement for all. In this way the latent powers of our people will be roused into self-conscious action and expression. But we must not in so doing lower the standards of excellence. We must ever strive to be the best and must make perfection our perennial destination.

ACCEPT SWAMI VIVEKANANDA AS YOUTH ICON AND MOVE ON

Swami Vivekananda is the prophet of modern India. His fundamental work in his motherland was what he termed as 'man-making'. By 'man', of course, he meant 'human' and by 'man-making', the actualisation of human potential even unto the highest, that of Self-realisation. This upholding the personality of Swamiji is by no means an attempt to propagate religion but is by way of highlighting the fact --  what even the Government of India has recognised in declaring his birthday as the 'National Youth Day' -- that Swami Vivekananda is the ideal for our youth, their inspiration and guide, and embodies all that is best in youth culture from the physical to the spiritual. Such a range of attributes in perfection makes him the springboard for youthful endeavour and excellence. Hence, our sportspersons must be made aware of Swami Vivekananda's life, message and literature for them to gain inspiration.

Written by Sugata Bose