Good Governance Equals God
The future of India has never looked brighter. Many changes are takes place which will be of long term benefit to all thanks to the efforts of our Honorable Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi. In a large and diverse democracy such as ours, steering it in the right direction takes time and effort. A large ship such as an ocean going oil tanker cannot be turned around easily. It requires a lot of space, it must be done slowly and with great skill. A democracy is like a large ship. A small boat can be turned very quickly with minimal effort. In a democracy, every citizen is a potential source of power. In a dictatorship, which can be compared to a small boat, which power is concentrated in one person’s hands. Everyone has to come on board in some shape or form before large changes are made in a democracy like ours.
Since our Independence in 1947, there have been many important milestones achieved, but this is a major watershed moment for our country. We have a strong workforce, global standing as a major power and all the ingenuity a country needs to succeed. Just as when the master switch is turned on electricity runs through all the wiring that is attached to it, the leader of a democracy states his vision and that message reaches every citizen. How we use or interpret that message is upto us. Just as need two legs to walk, for a country to succeed every citizen should have one eye on the greater good of the country and the other eye on their individual welfare. Just as our two eyes work in sync and show us a unified picture, both individual success and the nation’s success will become unified as a goal in our every action when we think of both.
In the human body, there are many organs with differing functions. One organ cannot run the body. They need to cooperate and work harmoniously under the same skin. Similarly, each of us has individual talents and capabilities. The country cannot depend on one individual, but it can thrive on its population when everyone comes together as one. Outside our homes, we share common roads, but inside our individual dwellings we can create whatever living spaces we desire. But if each one wants to build a road in his or her own way, road connectivity will be non existent and unusable. Similarly, we may have differing ideas and thoughts on what ought to be done and how, but when it comes to steering the country, common goals are required.
All this starts in how we manage and distribute existing resources. Firstly, laws of the land have to change specifically related to how they are applied to people of different religions. Swamiji feels that the uniform civil code will be implemented which in essence means one law for all, just as there is one God for all.
Money is an important tool of life. But has become the “weapon” of choice. There is an “arms race” going on about who can amass the most wealth. Swamiji feels that wealth is a very important aspect of life and it becomes a beneficial aid to us when its source and destination becomes transparent. To this effect, putting a ceiling on cash transactions at let’s say 1 crore would go a long way. Anything above that will have to be in a monetary instrument other than cash. This would make it trackable and everyone would be held accountable. If we don’t pay our fair share in tax, how can we expect first world living conditions such as fine roads and other infrastructure?
Connecting all major rivers and using them as a mode of transportation is an old concept and Swamiji feels it would be revived and implemented. The population of our country is immense and moving people from one part to another is a monumental undertaking. Planes and roads may not be enough. Harnessing rivers will greatly help. Moreover, it would show people an aspect of the country never before seen. Places along the way will develop, most major modern or ancient cities have been built on the banks of a river.
Currently, state and central government work in silos and don’t work as one unit. Swamiji feels that there will be a time when meritocracy will reign and government workers will be able to smoothly transition from the state to the center and vice versa. This will greatly help in cross pollination of ideas and expertise. Furthermore, it will decrease the scope for graft.
There is a lot of infighting amongst lawmakers, the police force and politicians. There is no healthy separation amongst the three. There has been an unhealthy trend of those implementing, making and enforcing laws becoming the biggest law breakers. What sort of example would this set for future citizens of the country who are in primary school?
Property values in cities are sky high, not because of the skyscrapers we now see mushrooming all over, but because everyone wants to move to the cities. The trend is the reverse in many industrialized countries. Once road and rail connectivity is fully established and every village has all the facilities needed for a comfortable existence, the charm and allure of a rustic life will surely come back. When population is more uniformly distributed, overall growth will be accelerated.
There was a time when India was the leading economy of the world, and much sought after destination by the likes of Christopher Columbus and Vasco Da Gama. The latter made it to India and the former to the Americas. Both India and America have a lot to offer to one another, not just people, IT expertise, planes and advanced machinery. If those two giant democratic “hands” of the world join, then spiritual and material prosperity will be assured for all citizens of the world.
Since our Independence in 1947, there have been many important milestones achieved, but this is a major watershed moment for our country. We have a strong workforce, global standing as a major power and all the ingenuity a country needs to succeed. Just as when the master switch is turned on electricity runs through all the wiring that is attached to it, the leader of a democracy states his vision and that message reaches every citizen. How we use or interpret that message is upto us. Just as need two legs to walk, for a country to succeed every citizen should have one eye on the greater good of the country and the other eye on their individual welfare. Just as our two eyes work in sync and show us a unified picture, both individual success and the nation’s success will become unified as a goal in our every action when we think of both.
In the human body, there are many organs with differing functions. One organ cannot run the body. They need to cooperate and work harmoniously under the same skin. Similarly, each of us has individual talents and capabilities. The country cannot depend on one individual, but it can thrive on its population when everyone comes together as one. Outside our homes, we share common roads, but inside our individual dwellings we can create whatever living spaces we desire. But if each one wants to build a road in his or her own way, road connectivity will be non existent and unusable. Similarly, we may have differing ideas and thoughts on what ought to be done and how, but when it comes to steering the country, common goals are required.
All this starts in how we manage and distribute existing resources. Firstly, laws of the land have to change specifically related to how they are applied to people of different religions. Swamiji feels that the uniform civil code will be implemented which in essence means one law for all, just as there is one God for all.
Money is an important tool of life. But has become the “weapon” of choice. There is an “arms race” going on about who can amass the most wealth. Swamiji feels that wealth is a very important aspect of life and it becomes a beneficial aid to us when its source and destination becomes transparent. To this effect, putting a ceiling on cash transactions at let’s say 1 crore would go a long way. Anything above that will have to be in a monetary instrument other than cash. This would make it trackable and everyone would be held accountable. If we don’t pay our fair share in tax, how can we expect first world living conditions such as fine roads and other infrastructure?
Connecting all major rivers and using them as a mode of transportation is an old concept and Swamiji feels it would be revived and implemented. The population of our country is immense and moving people from one part to another is a monumental undertaking. Planes and roads may not be enough. Harnessing rivers will greatly help. Moreover, it would show people an aspect of the country never before seen. Places along the way will develop, most major modern or ancient cities have been built on the banks of a river.
Currently, state and central government work in silos and don’t work as one unit. Swamiji feels that there will be a time when meritocracy will reign and government workers will be able to smoothly transition from the state to the center and vice versa. This will greatly help in cross pollination of ideas and expertise. Furthermore, it will decrease the scope for graft.
There is a lot of infighting amongst lawmakers, the police force and politicians. There is no healthy separation amongst the three. There has been an unhealthy trend of those implementing, making and enforcing laws becoming the biggest law breakers. What sort of example would this set for future citizens of the country who are in primary school?
Property values in cities are sky high, not because of the skyscrapers we now see mushrooming all over, but because everyone wants to move to the cities. The trend is the reverse in many industrialized countries. Once road and rail connectivity is fully established and every village has all the facilities needed for a comfortable existence, the charm and allure of a rustic life will surely come back. When population is more uniformly distributed, overall growth will be accelerated.
There was a time when India was the leading economy of the world, and much sought after destination by the likes of Christopher Columbus and Vasco Da Gama. The latter made it to India and the former to the Americas. Both India and America have a lot to offer to one another, not just people, IT expertise, planes and advanced machinery. If those two giant democratic “hands” of the world join, then spiritual and material prosperity will be assured for all citizens of the world.
