CHARACTER MUST BE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE OF THE POLITY, NOT COMMERCE

CHARACTER MUST BE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE OF THE POLITY, NOT COMMERCE

A few fiery personalities are necessary today who can ignite the imagination of the masses with idealism well lived in their own lives.

Purity that is cold and commercially sold is no purity at all. It is a titular holding of an attribute by dint of institutional affiliation and apparel but is powerless to move the masses along lines of 'renunciation and service' as enjoined upon us as our twin national ideals by Swamiji.

The commercial connection of even religious organisations is ruining the original ideals of the Avatar and his Apostles and fuelling speculation whether Lazarus has been buried beyond hope of resurrection after all.

It is a sad plight to behold the utter ruination of character, courtesy corrosive commercialisation of the polity. Men of idealism are few and far between and there are far too many apologists for crass consumerist culture and capitalism that is feeding on human greed and consequent exploitation of the masses.

What we need is simplicity of living, lofty thinking, great purity of body, mind and soul, and an abiding love for our motherland.

What disgusts one most is to see how well-provided people have shamelessly compromised with lowly commercial interest in the name of necessity when those that are truly in need of provisions for bare survival mutely bear the injustices of life. Irony indeed and hypocrisy at its horrendous worst! But hope lingers there as well as the silver lining of the norwester cloud, for the masses are suffering but are yet alive and can yet forge revolutionary changes in our society if led by luminous leaders along the spiritual lines laid down by our Rishis, ancient and modern.

Written by Sugata Bose