INDIA:
A CASE FOR UNITY AND HARMONY
By Swami Agnivesh
Perhaps
we got it wrong all along that unity and harmony are novelties
that we need to invent, rather than the given foundations of life,
which we have been systematically violating. Unity is basic to
life, and nature is a sphere of harmony. But it is possible to
see both in terms of conflict, as Darwin recommended, and we have
been doing for far too long.Take the Rigvedic account of the
creation of the human species. The gods created the Brahmin, the
Kshatriya, the Vaishya and the Shudra from the head, arms, thigh
and feet respectively of the cosmic being (purusha). As is
well known, this has been interpreted all along as the basis for
perpetuating caste distinctions in India. The mytho-poetic insight
in the scripture has been misconstrued, in other words, with disunity
as the shaping principle.
But
it is equally possible, and perhaps more valid, to interpret this
account within a framework of unity. The emphasis should be on
the fact that all the four castes had the same origin, namely
purusha. Surely, all that had the same origin should also have
the same worth, even if they all do not seem carbon copies of
each other. Had the four castes been ascribed generically
different sources by the Vedas, they could have claimed different
worths. That is simply not the case. The Vedic account of the
creation of the human species is a profound statement on unity
within diversity in the logic of creation. This is true of creation
as a whole.
From
a superficial point of view, however, diversity may seem contrary
to unity. This is mainly a Western prejudice that betrays the
philosophical shallowness of the age of science and technology.
For all its impressive achievements in the field of human welfare
and the mastery of the world around us, the secular-scientific
outlook is out of its depth when it comes to grappling with the
paradoxical nature of life and reality. It has a tendency to reduce
everything to monolithic principles. So it is either 'unity' or
'diversity'. This has never been the case with the Indian philosophical
traditions. Especially with respect to the dynamic of life and
nature, it is not "either, or", but "both". Life is not based
either on unity or on diversity, but on both. The denial of this
eternal truth has yielded enormous social violence and disruption
in our context.
It
is in this light that we need to see religious fundamentalism
of all kinds. What characterizes the fundamentalist advocacy is
the need to reduce everything to a simplistic interpretation.
What dictates this preference is the fact that religious fundamentalism
is, essentially, a quest for power rather than the deepening of
one's religiosity. Power is allergic to complexity; for simplicity
is the pre-condition for the exercise of power over others. This
is also why power contains the seed of its own corruption. All
religious traditions, especially of Indian origin, are informed
by the insight that creation at all levels involves a dynamic
balance between unity and diversity. As a matter of fact, unity
is meaningful only within diversity. But for diversity, unity
will cease to mean anything at all. It is a pity that in the Indian
context the best of our philosophical and spiritual insights have
been frustrated in the practical sphere by the caste system. Caste
is essentially a mechanism of disunity and alienation. It sees
society as a sphere of exclusion with a religious sanction. The
caste outlook recognizes diversity, but rejects the value of diversity
and so becomes allergic to comprehensive unity. But unity is
the lifeline of society. So the caste formula for unity is
the absolute hegemony of a single caste over the rest. Unity is
thus secured through domination and suppression, similar to the
Roman approach to global peace known as Pax Romana which is also
the current American paradigm for peace.
But this is a mockery of unity. It is a mechanical approach
to unity that destroys the foundation for unity. It is a model
of unity from which harmony is utterly excluded. The recognition
of the diverse functions on the basis of the equal worth of all
parts is the bottom-line of harmony. While the Brahmins, Kshatriyas
etc may have different functions, they all have the same value
in the sight of God. All are equally the children of the Eternal
Spirit. As long as unequal worth is ascribed to different castes
and classes, social cohesion and political unity are impossible
in India, or anywhere in the world.
This
is a serious matter. Harmony is basic to efficiency. An engine
in which the constituent parts either do not relate to each other
smoothly, or are in a state of mutual friction cannot deliver
the goods. A social and metaphysical outlook based on inequality
and alienation has been the foremost cause of our political and
social disability for centuries. In contrast, the egalitarian
societies of the world have been showing commendable dynamism
and forward-looking enthusiasm in the modern age. They have done
well not because they had better natural resources than we have,
but because they had a social capital which we have failed to
develop.
No body in the Indian context disputes the value of unity and
harmony. But hardly anybody is willing to address the true
cause of disunity in our midst. It is as though we want to stand
on the foundation of disunity and create mansions of unity. This
just cannot be. Ironically, all such 'unity projects' serve only
to intensify alienation within our society. This is the truth
that stares us in the face vis-à-vis the Sangh Parivar initiative.
Their ostensible goal may not be dishonourable. But their motive
and their approach are both patently divisive. They seek to unite
sections of the Hindu society so as to oppress and exclude the
non-Hindus. But they see the Hindu society itself in terms
of caste alienation and exclusion! So, ultimately, it is to protect
disunity based on caste hegemony that they preach unity.
It
is time we faced the truth. The quest for unity and harmony in
the Indian context cannot make any headway unless we base it on
a commitment to social reform. Justice is the inalienable foundation
for unity. As long as we operate in terms of class and caste interests
and are allergic to the basic needs and rights of our fellow human
beings, untrammeled distinctions of religion and region, there
is no likelihood of our becoming united and dynamic.
But,
in global terms, we are already in a situation wherein our very
survival depends on our national unity. It is not only that
evident disunity, as in the case of the Balkans or West Asia,
will invite the infiltration of the sub-continent by the invasive
forces of the West. More importantly, a disunited nation cannot
cope with the merciless forces at play in the global arena.
Such a realization underlies the formation of the European Economic
Union and Euro as the common currency. If Europe needs to unite
to engage the forces of globalism to their advantage, it should
be obvious that we cannot afford to dissipate our national energies
by internal discord and alienation.
Diversity
is our blessing and our wealth. But if the basis of unity is missing,
our blessing will turn into our curse. And we shall be weakened
by our God-given strength. Let it not be so with us.
|