Ruing the loss of ethos and basic humane values, former CJI NV Ramana, on Tuesday, stated that man no longer views himself as part of the global family. “We are faced with the most vehement divisions. Society is no more a cohesive whole,” as he put it.
He was speaking at “Vicharan Day: Celebrating Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s Spiritual Travels” at the celebrations of the birth centenary of former chief of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), Pramukh Swami, in Ahmedabad.
Talking about the life of Pramukh Swami, Ramana said: “Celebrating the birth and life of such an enlightened soul is appropriate and necessary, particularly in the world we are living today. We are living in a period when development has paced but thousands of divisions have crept in.”
Attributing a reason, the former CJI said, “People are no longer viewing themselves as part of an organic whole, part of one community, one humanity. This needs to change.”
He also urged the media to report responsibly: “As a society, we need to move away from those who attempt to create disharmony in society and broaden divisions in the name of specific identities. The media has a role to play in this endeavour. They need to report responsibly and not sensationalise news to gain attention and viewers.”
Adding that during the Independence movement, it was on December 27 that the Indian National Anthem was sung for the first time in the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress in 1911, Ramana noted: “It is an anthem about the unity of India, about the oneness of the people of this great country. The feeling of being part of a broader society is something that we Indians and many other Asian societies feel proud of.”
Referring to emergencies, including the Covid pandemic, the former CJI said that the necessity of service mentality becomes more relevant during emergencies. “When the state infrastructure was overwhelmed, civil society, NGOs and organisations such as BAPS rose to fill the gaps,” he added.
Advising that children should be brought up in an environment where they can see their parents and guardians practise a service-oriented mindset, Ramana said, “Unless there is peace and harmony in society, we cannot make the best use of our wealth and assets, both individual and national.”
Among other dignitaries present were Piyush Goyal (Union minister of business and commerce), RS Sodhi (MD, Amul), Meenesh Shah (chairman, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Swami Ramdev Maharaj, former Union minister Praful Patel, former Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala, MLA and chief whip of BJP Gujarat, Balkrishna Shukla.
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