"Mera Bharat Mahan" will simply saying so do
Question:
Hi everybody!!!
Many of us say that "I LOVE INDIA".. just let us spare a minute on this 'statement'.
Let's suppose a boy says to a girl "I Love You".. It means, as we all know , that the present youth is even ready to die for her.. But somebody says "I Love India" is their any hope that he strives for the development of this great motherland?.. I feel no(may be very few people feel to help it), but almost everybody just says "I Love India"..do they mean it?
If there is any body who doesn't think of developing INDIA(our motherland) please think twice before you say you are an INDIAN... This is not to accuse somebody but just an effort to create conciousness among a few people that only for the sake of earning, many intellectuals(IITians,NITians,MBAs and many more) are leaving this great mother land!!! Is this what they mean by "I love my India?"
My Reply:
What you said about the attitude of most Indians to just say “I love India” and do nothing for its improvement is very true. This is what I call “Independence day Patriotism”… on some Independence day or Republic day, we see the some patriotic movie, listen to some patriotic songs and will be filled with that feeling, as talk big. But the next day, it is business as usual, buying goods and avoiding bill to save Rs. 1.
It is same story in all fields. But it will be a very immature to brand it as hypocrisy and hurl abuses at that guy (the way commies do). What we have to note here is that there is some element of patriotism in that person, but it is not big enough to overcome the selfishness. No good comes out by just branding individuals as stupids, instead effort must be made to understand the behavior from a the ideas point of view. We have to learn to analyze people as set of ideas instead. The fact that he feels motivated on some days or that he proudly says “I love India” implies that he does have some seeds of patriotism in him. But the idea of self-interest also is there in him, and this proves stronger than the instinct to be a good citizen.
If we understand things from this perspective, we no longer individuals as hypocrites- saying that the love India and doing noting for it, but see them as a complex set of conflicting ideas of self-interest and patriotism. Have thus understanding the root of the problem, we can handle it much better.
People often complaint that Indians are selfish are thus we do not have much development. It is not really true. Selfishness is a basic human instinct and I don’t think that Indians are more selfish than Europeans or Americans. Where we fail is not at selfishness, but in realizing that our self-interest is best served by the serving the common good.
This fact is most apparent in US. They are probably some of the most self-centered individuals. But they realize that their self-interest is in better position when they act together as a nation- as America than as an individual.
This is what we should make people realize- that their help themselves better by helping the nation. By doing so we are transforming a weakness into a strength. Actually I feel that there is nothing called weakness (don’t ask me why, this conviction is based on Vedanta). A weakness is just a strength inappropriately applied, hence instead of wasting time in endless criticism, give just change the orientation of that weakness and it becomes a strength.
Our one more failure is in bridging the gap between idealism and practicality. A great ideal if it is not practical is as good as nothing. Practicality which does not aim at idealism is just blind and equivalent to anarchy.
Most people think of some big big things when one talks about serving the country. Some try for it and fail, some do not even try as it sounds too big for them and then just leave it and pursue their own goals. Instead the approach should be that we should try to find ways about how one can help the nation being in his place, than expect him to come here and help as we think is correct manner. If you want to go to US, very good go ahead, but this and this is the way you can help India by pursuing your goal. If you want to start a business, again this and this is the way you can help India. If you just want to sit in home, ok this is the way you can help India by just sitting in home (the concept of “svalapapmasya dharmacha..” in Gita)
Also, lets realize that no work in inferior. To join DRDO is not default greater wa to serve India than to join say GE. It depends on your attitude and your willingness to serve. I am reminded of an anecdote: once Kennedy visits NASA station. He sees a guy standing there, appearently very proud about what he does. Kennedy asks this guy what he does, he replied “I help in sending US satellites into space”. Kennedy taken aback by the answer enquires what exactly his contribution is. This guy tells that he is the sweeper there and his duty is to clean the place. Greatness does not lie in doing big things… any fool may happen to do them. Greatness lies in doing even the smallest of the work with greatest dedication.
We Indians have all he potential. What we require is a change in attitude. To quote Sister Nivedita, “Instead of passivity, activity; for the standard of weakness, the standard of strength; in place of a steadily yielding defense, the ringing cheer of the invading host. Merely to change the attitude of the mind in this way is already to accomplish a revolution… We no longer dream of submission, because struggle itself has become only the first step towards a distant victory to be won”.
Hi everybody!!!
Many of us say that "I LOVE INDIA".. just let us spare a minute on this 'statement'.
Let's suppose a boy says to a girl "I Love You".. It means, as we all know , that the present youth is even ready to die for her.. But somebody says "I Love India" is their any hope that he strives for the development of this great motherland?.. I feel no(may be very few people feel to help it), but almost everybody just says "I Love India"..do they mean it?
If there is any body who doesn't think of developing INDIA(our motherland) please think twice before you say you are an INDIAN... This is not to accuse somebody but just an effort to create conciousness among a few people that only for the sake of earning, many intellectuals(IITians,NITians,MBAs and many more) are leaving this great mother land!!! Is this what they mean by "I love my India?"
My Reply:
What you said about the attitude of most Indians to just say “I love India” and do nothing for its improvement is very true. This is what I call “Independence day Patriotism”… on some Independence day or Republic day, we see the some patriotic movie, listen to some patriotic songs and will be filled with that feeling, as talk big. But the next day, it is business as usual, buying goods and avoiding bill to save Rs. 1.
It is same story in all fields. But it will be a very immature to brand it as hypocrisy and hurl abuses at that guy (the way commies do). What we have to note here is that there is some element of patriotism in that person, but it is not big enough to overcome the selfishness. No good comes out by just branding individuals as stupids, instead effort must be made to understand the behavior from a the ideas point of view. We have to learn to analyze people as set of ideas instead. The fact that he feels motivated on some days or that he proudly says “I love India” implies that he does have some seeds of patriotism in him. But the idea of self-interest also is there in him, and this proves stronger than the instinct to be a good citizen.
If we understand things from this perspective, we no longer individuals as hypocrites- saying that the love India and doing noting for it, but see them as a complex set of conflicting ideas of self-interest and patriotism. Have thus understanding the root of the problem, we can handle it much better.
People often complaint that Indians are selfish are thus we do not have much development. It is not really true. Selfishness is a basic human instinct and I don’t think that Indians are more selfish than Europeans or Americans. Where we fail is not at selfishness, but in realizing that our self-interest is best served by the serving the common good.
This fact is most apparent in US. They are probably some of the most self-centered individuals. But they realize that their self-interest is in better position when they act together as a nation- as America than as an individual.
This is what we should make people realize- that their help themselves better by helping the nation. By doing so we are transforming a weakness into a strength. Actually I feel that there is nothing called weakness (don’t ask me why, this conviction is based on Vedanta). A weakness is just a strength inappropriately applied, hence instead of wasting time in endless criticism, give just change the orientation of that weakness and it becomes a strength.
Our one more failure is in bridging the gap between idealism and practicality. A great ideal if it is not practical is as good as nothing. Practicality which does not aim at idealism is just blind and equivalent to anarchy.
Most people think of some big big things when one talks about serving the country. Some try for it and fail, some do not even try as it sounds too big for them and then just leave it and pursue their own goals. Instead the approach should be that we should try to find ways about how one can help the nation being in his place, than expect him to come here and help as we think is correct manner. If you want to go to US, very good go ahead, but this and this is the way you can help India by pursuing your goal. If you want to start a business, again this and this is the way you can help India. If you just want to sit in home, ok this is the way you can help India by just sitting in home (the concept of “svalapapmasya dharmacha..” in Gita)
Also, lets realize that no work in inferior. To join DRDO is not default greater wa to serve India than to join say GE. It depends on your attitude and your willingness to serve. I am reminded of an anecdote: once Kennedy visits NASA station. He sees a guy standing there, appearently very proud about what he does. Kennedy asks this guy what he does, he replied “I help in sending US satellites into space”. Kennedy taken aback by the answer enquires what exactly his contribution is. This guy tells that he is the sweeper there and his duty is to clean the place. Greatness does not lie in doing big things… any fool may happen to do them. Greatness lies in doing even the smallest of the work with greatest dedication.
We Indians have all he potential. What we require is a change in attitude. To quote Sister Nivedita, “Instead of passivity, activity; for the standard of weakness, the standard of strength; in place of a steadily yielding defense, the ringing cheer of the invading host. Merely to change the attitude of the mind in this way is already to accomplish a revolution… We no longer dream of submission, because struggle itself has become only the first step towards a distant victory to be won”.
posted by S at 1:03 PM
3 Comments:
Excellent! Excellent! A very insightful post.
mera bharat mahan..
Coool Article..
We try to live by comparing the standard with others...
Be it at work,college,home or anywhere, our only goal is to be superior than the next immediate person...
The moment we think about ourselves, without comparing with others we would not only improve ourselves but will also think about the nation soon to a certain extent..
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