The nation which makes the best use of the sword will always subjugate the nation which has more gold and less courage.
~ Voltaire
India was known as the 'golden bird', 'land of milk and honey' and thousand other glorious names, because it was so prosperous.
Prosperity bestows comfort. Excess comfort brings laziness which unfortunately erodes courage. This attracts predators. Predators bring destruction. This has been the story of India.
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India was the most advanced civilisation of its time for thousands of years, yet it was unable to repel Muslim and Christian invaders and their subsequent occupation for a thousand years. Why?
The invaders possessed the following traits that assured certain victory to them.
- A cunning and ruthless disposition.
- They entered into agreements and signed treaties which they almost always dishonoured
- Political sanction was granted by the rulers of the invaders and invasions and forced conversions were mandated by the highest of their religious authorities.
- They possessed superior weapons and perfected the art of destruction and conquest.
- No regard for established protocols of conflict resolution, and rules of war.
- Deliberate destruction of the social structure, and economy of India.
- The invaders displayed total disregard for civilians and places of worship
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Whatever damage could be inflicted and destruction that India had to sadly endure in the past cannot be undone. We can look back and go on moaning and wringing our hands or we can learn from the mistakes and resolve to make a better, safer world and future for our children.
We Indians intellectually harp too much on the past, while ignoring the present and remain mostly clueless on how to embrace and influence the future.
The easiest way to show concern and demonstrate wisdom is to complain and keep on highlighting problems, without offering any solutions nor doing anything about them. Nothing will change if no one does anything about problems and challenges, particularly the individuals affected.
I can only speak for myself. I will support any initiative which focuses on the following for a better India and world.
- Learning to learn is the greatest education we can provide
- Facilitate spiritual awakening. A strong spirit can easily cope with adversity.
- Learning and practising true respect for nature, life, people and cultures.
- Promote sport, art, literature and cultural enrichment.
- Promote healthy diets and healthcare (minimising need for illness care)
- Maximise self dependence of people, organisations, communities and nation.
- Deploy Indian thoughts to develop Indian science and technologies to produce indigenously, goods and services to find and implement Indian solutions to India's needs.
- Always be prepared for invasion and aggression by others.
Undue dependence on imported philosophy, management, education, technology, equipment and defence armament is akin to borrowing a sword and using someone else's brains, to defend ourselves.
We must remember that not all aggressions are military in nature. We are under siege by cultural, religious, political and economic invasions. However defeat is certain when we are divided by bickering, are complacent and tolerant of harmful /destructive behaviour by individuals, groups or governments.
History bears testimony that aggression by others is natural and inevitable.
We Indians belonging to a multitude of religions and cultures with varying philosophies, enjoy liberty, safety, and the fruits of India's progress. We are duty bound to defend India and all her people from enemies within and without.
We Indians belonging to a multitude of religions and cultures with varying philosophies, enjoy liberty, safety, and the fruits of India's progress. We are duty bound to defend India and all her people from enemies within and without.
Others always remind us of our rights, but almost never about our responsibilities. How can we demand rights from our country without fulfilling our duties to her and her people?
India has much to offer the world. Let us expand rather than shrivel our minds and spirit. The wonder of India has been her ability to absorb and assimilate all forms of invasions. However going by present trends unless we change our approach this capacity may not last much longer.
My sincere complements to the author of this extremely analytical study.
ReplyDeleteIt has been an ad nauseum and oft repeated claim that we have willingly absorbed and assimilated every invasion, religion and culture that has entered our land. This is like saying that when a week and helpless owner of a property suffers forceful and illegal encroachment and occupation of his home, by physically more powerful intruders and strangers, he then, to satisfy his concience, declares to the world, that he has only been generous and hospitable and accomodating.
I must say that it was only that very wise man called M.K.Gandhi, who realised and understood how to harness and utilise our abject weaknesses into a potent weapon through the strategy of "Non-violent Civil disobedience. Keep on receiving lathis and blows but do not retaliate--finally the oppressors themselves will get tired of beating you and will give up. I dare say that this strategy did work to a very large extent, but it left us continuing to behave like cowards, which we as a nation are.
Another historical fact that shapes our national character is that even before we were forceably enslaved over the last ten centuries, first by the barbaric, unlettered and marauding muslim hoards from Central Asia and then by the wily Europeans,we were always exploited by fudal and largely despotic kings and chieftains. The concepts of democracy and self rule were alien to us. Thus we have an ingrained legacy and behaviour pattern of slavery flowing through through our veins. It is this "Slave Mentality", which results in the current evidence of a lack of true self pride, sense of nationhood, unity and common purpose. It will probably take many more generations to be born in our unfortunate country in freedom in order to purge this poisonous virus of slavery from our system. Only then will we become morally and physically strong and self reliant.
I was constrained to post my last comment as "anonymous", because of the complicated filtering system. Please also pardon a few typographical errors in the text. I am identifying myself as---CAPTAIN Vijay Prasada I.N. (Retd) E.Id. vijay.prasada@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteCapt. Prasada,
ReplyDeleteMy thanks to you for a powerful and useful analysis, which I agree to almost completely.
I have a few questions. Do you believe that we have the luxury of several generations? Do you also believe that with the current trajectory of our social, political , economic and spiritual growth /decline, the situation will improve in several generations?
Gurvinder Singh