The Hindutva concepts of namaste, yoga and Ayurveda can form the bedrock on which the post-Covid order can build and strengthen
Representational image. News18
We can no longer live in the silos of our individualistic existence, but we should realise the importance of our collective existence. Individual well-being should give way to collective well-being. The Western society and civilisation, which is more individualistic in its outlook and approach, should shun its individual-centric approach to a more collectivist approach as is the case in Bharat. It is imperative for nations, especially the developed nations, to realise the inter-dependence and interlinked nature of our human existence. This has been brought to the forefront with the spread of Covid-19 across the globe.
Today we cannot say that if any other country is affected by COVID-19, it won’t affect our own country. The spread of ‘Omicron’ in South Africa has the whole world worried. All countries stand at the same pedestal. Each nation needs to be sensitive towards the adversity of the other. Each nation needs to extend a helping hand in whatever way possible to improve the plight of a suffering nation.
Today, the world needs to be together like one big family, which we refer to as ‘parivar’ in Hindutva. Even at the individual level, our lives can no longer be individualistic in approach. Our health and well-being depend on the health and well-being of others. The class, race and caste divide is no longer there in the picture. The well-being of the rich and strong depends on the well-being of the poor and weak. The well-being of the society lies at the well-being of all individuals in it.
It is imperative to treat all its members as members of a ‘parivar’. Help and care need to be extended to all sections of the society like members of a family. The future lies in collectivism and treating the world as one big family. We need to imbibe the Vedantic philosophy, which forms the bedrock of Hindutva, of ‘the oneness of existence‘ to understand the post-COVID order. Swami Vivekanand said, “The one theme of the Vedanta philosophy is the search after unity.” It is this unity of existence that will shape the post-COVID order.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while uniting the nation in the fight against COVID-19, stated: “Utsaho balavanarya nastyutsahat param balam | Utsaharambhamatrena jayante sarvasampadah (There is no force greater than our enthusiasm and spirit in this world).” His words stressed the collective effort of humans to overcome the most difficult of times. The strength of the post COVID world lies in the collective strength of all. The developed, developing and the underdeveloped world needs to come together for the collective well-being of all.
RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat while explaining Hindutva said, “Hindutva is a holistic approach. This is unity in diversity and is marked by emotional integrity.“. Though the remark was with reference to nationhood, emotional integrity is the need of the world order. Unity in diversity should form the essential of the post-COVID world order. Our differences in caste, colour, creed and race shouldn’t deter our will and spirit to find the pandemic and let the global humanity stand on its feet in the post COVID world.
Universal acceptability and a spirit of belongingness and care should be the pivotal drivers of our existence. We should exist in the world as part of one big family, as key members of one big ‘parivar’. The sooner we realise our interdependence, the better will be the prospects of a brighter tomorrow. The Hindutva philosophy of life and our mutual existence should be the guiding light in shaping the new world order. The archaic concepts of individualistic society should now give way to a more united world of mutual care and respect. Such care and respect like we share as integral members of a family.
Apart from the pandemic, today we face many other challenges like climate change, global migration, famines and poverty. A concerted approach is the need of the hour in order to face the challenges that confront us in the near and distant futures. For a concerted approach we need to plan globally and act locally. Individualistic societies and governments will not be able to deal with the imminent crisis facing us. Our response to global challenges lies in our collective strength. The strength lies in unity. The strength lies in mutual care and respect. The strength lies in the universality of our goals. The strength lies in treating everyone as members of one big family.
The eternal principles of Hindutva shine before us as guiding light for shaping the new world order. The Hindutva concepts of namaste, yoga and Ayurveda can form the bedrock on which the post-COVID order can build and strengthen. The Hindutva societal structure of ‘parivar’ should be an essential structure for the post-COVID world. Care and well-being of each member of this ‘parivar’ should be the end goal we should strive for in the new global order. Collective effort and response should be made not just against deliberate weaponisation of pathogens but also against all the imminent dangers that we face.
Part 1: COVID-19: The pandemic that taught world the Hindutva way of life
The writer is advisor, VESIM Literati Festival, Mumbai, Khajuraho Literature Festival and Prabuddha Bharat, Belagavi. Views expressed are personal.
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