FOR A SOCIAL REVOLUTION

FOR A SOCIAL REVOLUTION

The attainment of independence and establishment of a democratic set up provisioned by a lofty constitution is not the final destination of human achievement. What we need is radical changes at the grass root level, by which all the knowledge, wisdom and good sense can be materialised into the establishment of an enlightened, rational and ethical society, where there is virtue, affluence and growth, with lesser levels of poverty and crime.

We had had enough of ‘isms’. Socialism, communism, capitalism, nationalism and now the beleivedly least maleovalent democracy. But each one of these succeeded only partly, trying to solve problems of humanity and make a better governed, happier society. They saw the things from their own ‘perspectives’, which was never all encompassing, striking at only part of the problem, or sometimes they turned out to be better theories rather than having any significant practical impact.

What is needed in reality is a society which is highly matured, sensitive, non-violent and happy. We need many many of these things together in an amalgamated manner, as an effective hotchpotch to cure and elevate the society. We need more and more Hindu/Muslim/Christian (etc.) sermons, to change the lives of people, but only to an extent by which they make people virtuous and not dogmatic. We need more and more lectures and influence of science and astronomy, so that people become rational, broadminded and realistic.

There should be a genuine government of the people, by the people and for the people. However that means at times going against the wishes of the majority. Ocassionally, mobocracy gets camaflouged in democracy, and hence people can not think correctly, objectively what is good for themselves and the community. A relevant example is events of major communal riots in India and ethnic and race tensions in the West.

We need a society which is deeply embeded in secularism and one which has the resources and the will to provide all the social security measures to the disadvantaged and affected groups. A stronger and more effective society would ideally ultimately mean lesser government. Religion is a matter of personal chioce. However religion - the first intellectual pursuit of man - would occupy a very prominent position in the lives of individuals. There must be strong laws against troublemakers, law breakers. However sense of discrimination should be applied in sentences to criminals, depending on their motive, intention, provocation, etc. We also need a strong pro-environmental policy to rebuild our strong relationship with nature, environment, etc.

What we see in the west is mostly materialistic wealth. Intellectual wisdom has not percolated down to the ‘lower’ levels there. Rights without duties, wealth without virtue, body without mind and actions without thinking about their consequences is not the way we can establish a healthy society.

We need a concerted action by the policymakers and all other active builders of society. They should have a vision to change the world. Man’s cultural evolution is on, it is for us to give it a definitive, appropriate direction. A society which is virtually based on religion, intellectually disposed towards science, committed to the cause of weak and the common man AND beleives in free creation of wealth through eneterprise and innovation is the need of our times. We need a framework of time over which to achieve these changes. It may take 100 or 200 years. But we have to make them happen.

Our society should have maximum middle class, many scientists/technocrats, large number of monks/sages/seers, judicious blend of tradition and modernity, of science and spirituality. We also need utmost environmental friendliness and association with our cultures. The civil society and the intellectual class should have the maximum influence. That is what we need. That is Ram Rajya in modern context.

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THE LONG AWAITED MUSLIM REVOLUTION

THE LONG AWAITED MUSLIM REVOLUTION

"….from the seed which we sow today there may spring up a mighty tree, whose branches, like those of the banyan of the soil shall in their turn strike firm roots into the earth , and themselves sent forth new and vigorous saplings; that this College may expand into a University, whose sons shall go forth throughout the length and breadth of the land to preach the gospel of free inquiry , of large-hearted toleration, and of pure morality."

                                                                       (Sir Sayyad Ahmed Khan, the progressive Indian muslim leader)

 

A revolution within the muslim community is long overdue - a sea of massive movement led by the intellectuals and supported by many ‘seekers of change’ which is determined to redefine community lifestyles and their social values, giving a massive blow to blind dogmas, fundamentalism, polygamy, talaq system - thereby creating a society which is comparitively less obsessed with religion and that provides more equality to women.

Change is the only constant. In this context, nothing could be more meaninful than the change modern times have heralded in the lives of men and women of all classes, regions and nations. Industrial revolution which was born in England, the French revolution and the American revolution are the three greatest landmark events in the development of the hardware and software of modern civilization.

These have democratised technology and created a revolution in man’s thinking and activities. We now have the sublime ideals of equality of all citizens, freedom of speech expression and religion, the marvel of democracy - a government which is of the people, by the people and for the people ; and the universalisation and paramouncy of a welfare state as the goal of all national governments, whether democractic or non-democractic.

While these changes are happening the world over, large sections of muslim community seems to be living in a state of aloofness, despair and with a sense of hostility towards these new changes which it perceives as "unislamic, unholy and satanic". It is a grossly misperceived notion. Freedom and progressiveness can not be anti-religious, on the contrary they serve the very purpose of religion by making people better minded and ensuring them a more rational minded lives.

The reasons for this ‘closeness’ are not far to seek. A society that is historically strongly controlled and restricted by the Ulemas (Muslim clergy), with massive levels of illiteracy, a religion which inherits the legacy of one of the most ‘vigorous and strongly enforced’ traditions from it’s birthplace - Saudi Arabia. The past baggage continues to weigh down ‘the muslims’.

But the things need to change now. The advent of globalisation, the spread of liberalism, slow but gradual universalisation of modern education are the catalysts of this change. As the world grows, as the time goes, muslims are bound to change, it is inevitable and perhaps imminent.

There are several events which clearly indicate that, the falling birthrate of muslims across the world, the rise of liberal muslim organisations and NGOs in various regions of the world, the pan Arab revolution which is largely for democracy and clean systems with little or no emphasis on religion, and increasing interactions of muslims with non-muslims especially westerners.

While a few fundamentalists may continue to exist which may influence large sections in muslim countries, but their’s will be a temporary phase. But the need of time is something more radical. A massive revolution across different muslim countries, that tends to destroy or at least lessen injustices meted out towards liberals/non-muslims/women, redefine the islamic laws to suit the modern and rational times and to eventually minimise control of religion over society.

Europe had to fight for three four centuries to free itself from strong and repressive control of clergy. Let’s hope crescentdom (the Islamic World) doesn’t take that long.

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