Decay of Spiritual Values in India

Spiritual heritage of India is all well known in the whole world. India is still respected for its spiritual achievements. Two ancient religions of the world, Hinduism and Buddhism, have their origins in India. Yoga and ayurveda are two major disciplines of health and hygiene with wide following throughout the world and they have their practices lined with spiritualism. Let us not mistake spiritualism for religion. Spiritualism is universal and religion is specific. Religion is the outcome of spiritualism. We know of many spiritualists who are non-believers. Atheism is accepted as a part of many religions including Hinduism. In fact it helps to start as a believer to become an agnostic. Agnostics are in a way spiritual. Ethics, etiquettes and values were all formulated out of some kind of spiritualism.   

 

But in modern India, the tradition of spiritual thinking is severely endangered. It is very painful to see that all the non-believers have joined together as a group of pseudo secularists and with other so-called-secular politicians and intellectuals, they act against the whole dharmic fabric of India. There is no surprise that their first targets are the ethics and values of Hindus, the majority community of India. We may notice the glee in their eyes, while they celebrate any discomfiture undergone by majority Hindu community. This trend has lead to the decay of spiritual values, which eventually leads to all kinds of extremisms, including Islamic and naxalite terrorisms. It appears that our Dharma, and in fact, the whole aanmik (spiritual) values are in grave danger. Not only Hindus, even other aanmik movements including Islam, Christianity and Budhhism should take grave note of this trend. Even though these nastik forces may now appear to appease other religions, it is high time the leaders of other religions realize that these forces are against all aanmik convictions including Islam and Christianity. Many political parties in India and especially in Tamil Nadu are in the same anti-aanmik mood. This spells danger for the entire civilization of the world including India.

Here comes my humble appeal to leaders of all major communities in India, be they Mullahs, be they Sanakaracharyas or be they Arch Bishops. To save India from these non-aanmik forces, these community leaders should start a new movement which should totally partake in open political activity by supporting those who believe in dharmic values. I even have thought of a name for this movement – Anmika Mamandram. In the next elections, be it for Assemblies or Loksabha, this Anmika Mamandram (shortly AANMA), should support candidates with dharmic values. AANMA may include dharmic people from all communities including Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and other minority communities. AANMA should give strong and open support to dalits and backward communities. This is the only way to keep other anti-social and political exploiters, away from these vulnerable communities.

L V Nagarajan

7th Oct 2008