English Vichar

India's Development is Possible Only Through Rural Development

The measure of economic planning and progress will not be determined by those who have reached the top of society’s ladder, but by those who are at its very bottom. Today, there are crores of people in our country who are deprived of even the most basic human rights. The rules and systems of governance, policies and schemes, and the behavior and attitude of administration do not encompass them; instead, they are often seen as obstacles in the path of development.

Our belief and principle are that these poor, unclean, illiterate, and seemingly ignorant people are our Narayan — our divine beings. We must revere them. This is our social and human duty. The day we provide them with permanent, beautiful, and clean homes; the day we impart education and life philosophy to their children and women; the day we heal the cracks and wounds on their hands and feet; and the day we train them in industries and trades to elevate their income — that will be the day when our feeling of brotherhood will be truly expressed.

In villages, where time seems to stand still, where parents are unable to shape a better future for their children — until we bring them the message of hope and hard work, we will not be able to awaken the true spirit of our nation. The center of our faith, our object of worship, the instrument of our valor and efforts, and the measure of our achievements must be that person who is, in the truest sense, shelterless and possessionless today.

— From the souvenir ‘Samagra Drishti’;
Published by Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Janmabhoomi Smarak Samiti, Nagla Chandrabhan; 8 January, 1991

Nationalism should not serve politics; rather, politics should serve to nurture nationalism. Any politics that weakens the nation is undesirable. This thought also clarifies the distinction between Surajya (good governance) and Swarajya (self-rule). Even if there is hardship in Swarajya, it is preferable to that Surajya which is foreign. There are three key aspects that define Swarajya.

First, the state must be governed by those who are integral parts of the nation.
Second, such a state must operate in the interest of the nation — that is, policies should be directed towards national welfare.
Third, the capacity to serve the national interest must be inherently one’s own — in other words, without self-reliance, the concept of Swarajya is flawed.

Even if the state is in the hands of its own people, if it becomes dependent on or submissive to another nation in matters of economy or foreign policy, then Swarajya becomes meaningless. If a state is not self-reliant in terms of security, independent in policymaking, and self-sufficient in economic planning, it is driven toward actions harmful to the nation. Such a dependent state becomes a cause of destruction.

Politics should not be for nationalism; rather, there should be politics to nourish nationalism. Any politics that weakens the nation is undesirable. This very principle clearly distinguishes between Surajya (good governance) and Swarajya (self-rule). Even if Swarajya brings hardship, it is preferable to a Surajya that is foreign. The concept of Swarajya rests on three fundamental principles.

The first is that the state must be governed by those who are integral parts of the nation. The second is that such a state should function in the interest of the nation—i.e., policies must be directed toward national interest. The third is that the power to safeguard national interests must come from within—that is, self-reliance is essential to the very idea of Swarajya.

Even if a state is governed by people of its own nation, if it becomes a follower or comes under the pressure of another nation in matters of economy or foreign affairs, then that Swarajya becomes meaningless. If the state is not self-reliant in terms of security, not independent in policymaking, and not complete in its economic planning, then it begins to act in ways that are harmful to the nation. Such a dependent state becomes a cause of destruction.

Direction of National Life, Deendayal Upadhyaya; Eds. Ramshankar Agnihotri, Bhanupratap Shukla; Lokhit Prakashan, Lucknow; 2008; pp. 40-41.

“One must remember that if we want to remove English, we must nurture a sense of national self-respect. Therefore, repeatedly praising the virtues and benefits of English is of no use. We could not have retained British rule, no matter what advantages it might have brought. In the early days of our freedom struggle, our common response to British sympathizers used to be that the thirst for Swarajya (self-rule) cannot be quenched by Surajya (good rule). Even today, the need for one’s own language (Swabhasha) cannot be fulfilled by a good or refined language (Subhasha).”

Political Diary; Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya; Suruchi Prakashan, New Delhi; 2012; p. 121

The imagination of a conflict between the individual (vyashti) and the collective (samashti), and the assumption of one as supreme and the ultimate goal of all actions, gave rise to numerous ideologies in the West. However, the visible individual also represents the invisible collective. Along with the ‘I’ (aham), the existence of ‘we’ (vayam) is also lived through each ‘I’. The nature of the community is reflected in each unit. Individuals are instruments of the collective—they are its threads of knowledge. The destruction or stagnation of the individual would cripple the collective. The individual is the medium and measure of the collective’s completeness. Yet, the spiritual pursuit of the individual cannot be separate from the worship of the collective. How can a limb be happy if the body is harmed? A flower’s existence lies in the beauty of its petals, and the meaning of their life is realized in being with the flower, shaping and enhancing its form. Individual freedom and the welfare of society are not contradictory.

— Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya: Vichar Darshan, Vol. 7, Vyakti-Darshan; Vishwanath Narayan Devdhar, Suruchi Prakashan, New Delhi; 2014; p. 75

With the objective of personal development and the welfare of society, the concept of the four Purusharthas—Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire), and Moksha (liberation)—was envisioned. Dharma, Artha, and Kama are complementary to one another. To consider only one as the source of human motivation and the measure of human action would be incomplete. Yet, the attainment of Dharma, Artha, and Kama is ultimately founded upon an intrinsic basis.

– Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya, Vichar Darshan, Vol. 7, Vyakti Darshan: Vishwanath Narayan Devdhar; Suruchi Prakashan, New Delhi; 2014; p. 76

We have considered not only the creation of the entire society but also a holistic and integrated view of an individual. Generally, a person is thought of only in terms of their body. Physical pleasure is considered to be happiness, but we know that if there is worry in the mind, the body cannot remain happy. Every person desires physical comfort. However, if someone is put in jail and given very good food, will they be happy? Will they feel joy?

There is an old example that when Lord Krishna went to the Kauravas for peace talks, Duryodhana invited him and said, “Maharaj! Please come and have a meal at our place.” Lord Krishna did not go to Duryodhana’s place for the meal but went to Vidura’s house. When he reached Vidura’s house, the situation was such that Vidura’s wife, out of great joy, peeled banana peels and threw them in front of Lord Krishna, while throwing the pulp aside. Lord Krishna happily ate even those peels. Therefore, people say — brother! If you get dryness along with happiness and respect, that is still very good; but if you get delicacies along with insult, it is better to leave it. Hence, one must consider the happiness of the mind as well.

Similarly, there is the happiness of the intellect. This happiness must also be considered because even if your mind is happy and you are treated with great love and given plenty to eat and drink, if there is confusion in your brain, then the situation becomes like that of a madman. What is a madman? He gets plenty to eat.