[Prev][Next][Index]
Pay Respect to the Dignity of Mother India (2/2)
(Presidential address after Shri Sudershanji's speech on the
eleventh anniversary of VIGIL, a public opinion forum based
in Madras. Sri Nikhil Chakravarthy is an eminent journalist.)
**************************************************
Pay respect to the dignity of Mother India (2/2)
By Sri Nikhil Chakravarthy
***************************************************
Now why is it insulting? Because of the pride we have in our
own industry. In the days of our youth if we used foreign
soaps, we were looked down upon. So we used our own soaps. Even
though it did generate lather. This is the psychology of
Swadeshi.
This is the attitude. A pride was generated in the stength and
greatness of this country. We might have been in chains at that
time. But a chained lion is still a lion. This is the point one
has to keep in mind, this approach which is coming up now after 40
years of Independence. The Swadeshi movement is the reflection
of the manner in which you have used or misused our resources
both material and human in the last 40 years.
Not that there have not been many achievments. Certainly we
have improved. We used to have famine in some part of the country or
other every year. Now there is hardly any famine. But side by side so-
ciety has been fragmented.
The rich have become super rich, the poor have not got their
share. The poor are the majority in this country. The majority,
in a democracy, should be the ruler. So we have meted out a raw
deal to the poor.
Sudershanji has given some undestanding about the type or
model we have to follow. We are not for remaining in the primi-
tive state. We are not saying that technology should not be used.
Technology should be harnessed. We should become masters of tech-
nology. Technology should not be our God, that you have to wor-
ship. What happened in the West? The man who invented the Hydro-
gen bomb did not want to explode it. The person who first tested
the atom bomb, quoted the Gita. The great minds of the world be-
long to same commonwealth, and we have contributed a large number
of great minds to this world.
The guilty West
When one country started producing nuclear weapons the other
side also started producing them. Look at the madness. How much
money has been wasted. How much labour recklessly wasted. They
could have made a society of happiness and not a society of ri-
ots. Madness has overtaken very advanced cities. (Referring to
the Los Angeles riots) It is a matter of shame for the entire
humanity. The same country which has wasted so much of money in
producing the bomb is facing this problem now. Technology in the
West has become self-destructive. The nuclear cloud would destroy
the entire humanity The western countries come and lecture to us
that you must give an assurance. What is the necessity? We will
give that assurance, when you destroy all your bombs. The last
bomb having been destroyed by the big powers, you can get the as-
surance. In the only case where an atom Bomb has been dropped who
is the guilty partner? The West. They cannot be the judges.
The World Bank terms are quite clear. To help in the promo-
tion of free enterprise. So what are you entering into? You be-
come a bonded labour. A country like India to be kept as bonded
labour? The people who make such offers should be put in prison.
This country is prepared to starve than-to bend. This is the
mood of the country. This mood has been generated over the last
100 years in the fight against the British. We will not allow the
country to become bonded labour to the international moneylender.
Those who cannot put their own houses in order talk about the new
order. This is the humiliation.
Our leaders who started all this, never realised this
nemesis. They may have done it in all good faith. They are equal-
ly patriotic. But if what they tried turns out to be wrong, for
heavens sake, let us change it. Let us recapture our
Swadeshispirit.
That is all Swadeshi is about -It is Swadeshias you under-
stand it. Now this will be attacked as something primitive. No,
it is not primitive. It is the revival of the spirit of
regeneration of this country.
The Swadeshi movement has to be taken as a reminder to our-
selves of our self-confidence. Once you can generate that feeling
you can rouse the whole country. This is the great country which
can shake the whole world. We have a responsibility towards the
entire Third World for if we take a stand, the others will also
have the courage to take that stand.
The message
We have to now tell our leaders: "Wake up and realise, you
are representing millions of people. You have to have self
respect. This is what Swadeshiis about. You must pay respect to
the dignity of Mother India. If you cannot save us from poverty,
atleast don't allow the country to become a bonded labour."
This is the message.
--
Courtesy: VIGIL, Madras
--
