Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra’s Concepts in Economics and Development.
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| SRI SRI THAKUR ANUKULCHANDRA Free picture downloaded from https://www.satsangassam.com/ |
It does not augur well for the country that every evaluation of economic programs for the improvement of the condition of countrymen is critical of achievements. In the transparency indexing of public works, the country is in a lowly position due to corrupt practices in its public service. Not a single sector of such service –be it education, law, and order, health, and hygiene, sanitation, communications, security, poverty eradication or public distribution service are away from the menace of great corruption.
It will be our motto to protect from money-drain by the implementers within the name of serving the people. We are clearly suffering from Dog’s Tail Syndrome, a condition in which so much maybe the effort, once the force (the key-implementers and money may be from outside the community) is withdrawn entire effect almost vanishes. So after six decades of planned development efforts, we need uncorrupt minds and hands to lead the development from concept, strategy to execution to improve our standing in Human Development Index.
Fiscal, administrative, production and financial policies in an economy must flow from the enlightened self-interest of man. At the time when a group, individual or a government deviates from this then distortions creep into the social organization. The consumption pattern which is dictated by unruled necessity and unchaste life and the production process which burns the being of the community engaged in it, cannot lay the foundation of a healthy economic system. An outrage means the attempts to earn money without a commitment, through the use of heartless intelligence.
Evaluation studies across India had been showing our failure with development again and again once we used different western models in several ways. The survey is hinting at villagers getting relegated to the status of mere beneficiaries and dole seekers, and a neo-rich population with a corrupt record vitiating development environment. Own participatory resources of villagers were neglected over decades, pushing them right down to a psychological state of non-worthiness and pauperism. Gradually corruption had been forcing them to believe that nothing happens with honesty and that they were sub-human.
Globalization and liberalization, while integrating the Indian economy to the dominant ideological camp of the world, the economy has been posing a great challenge to the policymakers in India to bridge the gap between the well-to-do and the poor. While consumerism and individualism have started governing the mindset of many, the poor are gradually sinking further down into squalor due to corruption, nepotism, and embezzlement of development funds by the so-called rich in different roles.
How the gap would be narrowed down when the fund for the uplift of the poor is increasingly being taken away to the largest extent by the educated Indians who constitute the country’s leadership in politics, administration, development, and industry? To run a country’s economy in its commercial, administrative, security and development aspects requires not only plans and programs or giving it a human face. It requires the really educated people as leaders and executives, whose patriotism and swa-hridaya (Love from the heart) with the community would stop him/her from embezzling any iota of the fund, and prompt to respect people’s own knowledge and practices. Unfortunately, our essentially Macaullian educational policies and look West economic policies have gelled together well over the last six decades to create this crisis. Still many are thinking that as our economy would plow ahead further in capitalist mode, it might create an opportunity for all. Jean Sismondi, an economist closely observing the industrial revolution in England more than 200 years back rightly condemned this notion. He observed that when extra money was available to business, jobs ended up being lost because the companies replaced their workers with machines. This ran against the traditional stance in conventional economics that said increased income would increase wages and job numbers.
A close look at the evolution of the industrial West also reveals the fallacy of the thinking. The basic principles of economics of liberalism such as private property rights, individual sovereignty, self-interest, rationality, and self- regulating the market are retorted as the foundation of the industrial West. Though 18th-century economist Adam Smith is hailed as the perspective builder for the industrial revolution, most powerful western states developed to a great extent by usurping others’ resources during the era of colonization and thrusting a product dependency on them then at the unethical profit-seeking regime.
As geopolitical scenario went a sea-change by the second half of 20th century AD, industrial West went for creating a psychological dependency by luring the so-called elite of de-colonized countries. Such elite, new to power was also in search of readymade solutions to develop their countries very fast. As most of them had an educational stint in the best of the universities of the colonizer countries, they were mesmerized by the show of superficial grandeur of the West. Even in a country like India, this elite was in a great belief that for rapid development, our own approach won’t do. They believed development as material gains (Artha) isolated from Dharma (ethical way of being and becoming of all individuals). Therefore, the economic concept of Mahatma Gandhi and R.N.Tagore’s rural reconstruction approach were only to be discarded by the leaders. As a result, the dominant paradigm ruled the mind of ruling, industrial, intellectual and bureaucratic elite. On the other hand Mahatma Gandhi and the author of Small is Beautiful, E.F. Schumacher tried, and Herman Daly is trying to move economic thought away from the dehumanized, mathematical, and amoral stance that has formed the basis of conventional economics since the Industrial Revolution. At the center of their discipline, more and more social or humanistic economists are placing human and more recently environmental welfare.
As geopolitical scenario went a sea-change by the second half of 20th century AD, industrial West went for creating a psychological dependency by luring the so-called elite of de-colonized countries. Such elite, new to power was also in search of readymade solutions to develop their countries very fast. As most of them had an educational stint in the best of the universities of the colonizer countries, they were mesmerized by the show of superficial grandeur of the West. Even in a country like India, this elite was in a great belief that for rapid development, our own approach won’t do. They believed development as material gains (Artha) isolated from Dharma (ethical way of being and becoming of all individuals). Therefore, the economic concept of Mahatma Gandhi and R.N.Tagore’s rural reconstruction approach were only to be discarded by the leaders. As a result, the dominant paradigm ruled the mind of ruling, industrial, intellectual and bureaucratic elite. On the other hand Mahatma Gandhi and the author of Small is Beautiful, E.F. Schumacher tried, and Herman Daly is trying to move economic thought away from the dehumanized, mathematical, and amoral stance that has formed the basis of conventional economics since the Industrial Revolution. At the center of their discipline, more and more social or humanistic economists are placing human and more recently environmental welfare.
With the gradually increasing importance of information as the sixth resource (gaining currency from the 1990s with fast-paced new media development) for economy and development (additionally to water, and mineral, land, air, sky, and energy), the First-World countries changed the policies to keep their economy ahead. They institutionalized the mechanism of pressing for liberalizing other country’s rules and globalizing in the form of the World Trade Organization to open others’ markets and production more and more. It implies that despite industrialization and its consequent urban consumerist aspirations causing havoc effect on the ecosystem. The same basic principles of economics of liberalism are to guide the next growth to save the world from the havoc to nature and trans-generational human existence
Needless to say, economics as the handmaiden of man that deals with the production of produces and goods, the wealth creation, human resource utilization, trade and exchange of material objects, etc, has been important in every civilization. The ill-effect of unbridled capitalist expansion and the increasing corrupt economic practices raise the question of how far the economics of liberalism would do well for the countries at large. Do we really need to beat the industrial West on their terms or develop our own approach to economy and development which would guide our policies and plans and enable us to have ecologically-trans-generational sustainable inclusive development? Is it right for contemporary leaders of a civilization people of at least five thousand years of historically proven socio-cultural and physical continuity to ape the spirit of others which had so much of breaks even in recent few hundred years? Can’t we reflect upon our own approaches and methods to ensure that economic development is subservient and serving the cause of existence and growth of the civilization people in all-inclusiveness?
Such a task won't be dared by many others. Over thousands of years, the activities of many sages and seers (to them the practice of Dharma is the reply of being and becoming of every human being for realizing the potential we are endowed with) and our empirical experiences during the last century qualifies us as people for the task. Can we script the solution to the system whose driving force is greed and profit mongering? Can we affect the bloodless revolution which ensures that at every depression, capitalists are not to be saved by money from people’s exchequers so that the exploitation continues in the interest of the few? Can we save the situation where wars are fought for economic domination and in the course create immense destruction of property and lives for the common man? Consider our ancient civilization value –wars were fought but seldom common people’s property and occupational practices were disturbed, seldom people were barred from traveling to a place of interest in another kingdom for the rationale of war.
It may appear to be too determined. But why not we talk about, inform and provide the ancient reality as the new vision to the world? Gandhi made use of our civilization practices in his concept and experiment of Gram-Swaraj. His model of development could not get the favor of leaders of free India. R.N.Tagore’s Sriniketan, experiment on holistic rural development, was a good demonstration of what villagers’ could do to get better their lot if they get an inspiring mentor.
During the same period Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra, through his ‘Labour for Love 'movement and creating the principle of Swastayani and Istavrity, turned lakhs of persons into practitioners of an individual economy which made them ideal-centered servants of the society. Now around five crore practitioners are into it. His discourses spread over half a century (1915 to 1969), both with his disciples and visitors from the country and abroad, dealing with definitions, methods, process, practice, and perspectives in the economy and development of the human progeny. Much of the ills of economy and development that we face as human beings and citizens for the last six decades were foreseen by him and solutions are given.
Importance of Istavrity:
27/5/1953
Sri Sri Thakur with his disciples came and sat under a peepul tree. He spontaneously told from his own – “It is a duty to do the Istavriti every day by which man becomes concentric. If a man doesn’t become concentric, he will not be a man of growing will- power. It is our duty to make our sons and daughters habitual with “Pitrivriti” and “Matrivriti” A father can encourage his children to provide things to their mother and mother can insist to provide to their father. It is not right that attraction can grow if anything is received from anyone but the affection can grow it upon one to whom is given.” (Alochana Prasange, Vol – XXII,p-55.Conversation with Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra, Pub-Sri Anindadyuti Chakraborty, Satsangh Publishing House, Deoghar, Jharkhand, 1st edition April 2002.)
Importance of Swastyani:
25/06/1940
In the very morning, Sri Sri Thakur sat in a small room and told-“ Istavrity was before, I have accumulated the principles of swastyani -I have the form of Swastyani,………………The sense of Istacentric, behavior, and inspiration involve us in the work of supreme. It flows in this way.”
(AlochanaPrasange, Vol–I,p-42.Conversation with Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra, Pub-Sri Anindadyuti Chakraborty, Satsangh Publishing House, Deoghar, Jharkhand, 8th edition, Dec. 2001.)
Importance of Sadachar:
27/11/1941
Sri Sri Thakur- “Three things are needed. First need ‘Diksha’to the principle and next ‘Sadacharparayanata’- physical, mental, spiritual…………, then to be cruel to being.”
(AlochanaPrasange, Vol–I,p-124.Conversation with Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra, Pub-Sri Anindadyuti Chakraborty, Satsangh Publishing House, Deoghar, Jharkhand, 8th edition, Dec. 2001).
27/12/1945
Sri Sri Thakur- “………….it would not be only maintaining sadachar; but you have to follow all principles of protection for health. …………………….if there are no coordinations, the week sides try to scatter positive sides…………………………”
AlochonaPrasange–VOL-VII, p-4, conversation with Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra, Compiled by SriPrafulla Kr. Das, Published by-SriAmarendra Nath Chakraborty, Satsang publishing house, Satsang, Deoghar, 3rd edition 1st Pause 1396(Bengali year).
The country is now in search of better alternatives for changes in planning for development. So, the Planning Commission of India has widened its consultation framework for the 12th five-year plan. However, development planning can’t differ from the essential premise of economic principles followed by the country. Therefore, at this juncture, in search of our own alternative from within in economy and development, it’s also important to trace why people with education and responsibility to serve the political economy for improvement of people’s condition and world standing of the country are highly amenable to corrupt practices because it’s devouring our precious resources. Acceptance of greed and corruption of people as a fait accompli in the process of economic governance and development only demonstrates increasing moral bankruptcy of contemporary social, economic and political thinking. More such assumptions seep into planning, higher allocations of resources for gradually decreasing development benefit to the people would be rationalized. Already in many sectors and lots of provinces, welfare and development administration is reaching such a condition that allocation for real development work is difficult to be obtained. Salary payment and debt repayment with or without Interest are two concerns there. The rational, administrative and psychological solution to these interrelated menaces need to be part of our plan prescriptions. Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra mentioned two indicators and one attribute of sound economic and development practices “Adept in earning, cost-effective in work, grace in completion of the work- observing these ones can assess how much a person is efficient".
Thakur's Concept Towards Humanizing Economics:
Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra didn't settle for a categorization between the individual and collective rationality nor between economic and non-economic interests. Thakur believed that man should always act in a very manner that helps the method of his being and turning into. Hopes, desires, and aspirations of people square measure necessary motivations for the sleek functioning of the social structure, however, there needs to be a sublimation of human passions. Once this happens, self-interest cannot be seen as a single from community interest. And if the people act among this framework, victimization the “man standard” as hostile the “money standard”, the apparent contradictions created by the choices supported fragmented self-interests and short non-public gains would tend to disappear.
The combination of economic and non-economic welfare provides the bottom for an integrated philosophy of life that should coordinate the thought, speech, and action of someone. This may alter the harmonization of discrepancies between personal goals and collective goals and build a scheme allowing enlightened fulfillment and promoting, at constant time, growth and stability within the economy.
Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra believed that the creation of this scheme and its functioning are often expedited through the utilization of cash. However, the latter should, in no case, be allowed to see the essential orientation of the structure or its priorities. The enlightened self-interest of man needs to be unbroken within the center of this structure as a result of, as Thakur noted, ultimately, “people square measure your own”- whereas cash belongs to the “others” class. The social cloth should, therefore, be engineered around the interest of man, cash enjoying solely a facilitating role. It's the failure of this socio-political system to see the directions of development supported the “man standard”, obtained through the sublimation of human passions, which is chargeable for the varied issues with that society is confronted nowadays.
Thakur's Concept of Practicing Living Ideal Centric Individual Economics:
Thakur advocated a life and bread and butter of compassionate service. He believed that a society with well-defined category classes (that don't coincide with financial gain categories) will organize its production method in a very manner that elates and activates labors and alternative factors of production if the members of the society settle for the “man standard”. Such a corporation, by its terrible definition, precludes the exploitation of man by man and additionally of nature by man.
On each individual, Thakur Anukulchandra maintained rests the responsibility of the well-being of not solely him however additionally of his family, community, nation and therefore the entire humankind. The self- interest of the person should be thus enlarged that the doable conflicts between the welfare at completely different levels of his “self” square measure consonant. If a person fails in caring for his higher “self” and therefore the surroundings, he won't be able to sustain even his restricted self-interest within the long-standing time.
Thakur stressed the inseparability of individual interest from that of society and this constitutes the idea of his “integral philosophy of life” and provides a special perspective on human behavior. it's inspiriting that of late, many eminent economists have come back to grasp the requirement to enlarge very cheap of self-interest –to embrace the priority of cluster, commune or nation-which alone will cause social optimality through individual selections.
Thakur's Concept of Greening of Economics:
It's argued that the lust of man for material wealth is forcing the assembly activities in many spheres to be carried on the far side safe limits, inflicting serious environmental issues. The standard of the framework of economic science, with solely peripheral concern for ecology, will hardly give solutions to those issues. It is, therefore, determined that unless the framework of research is swollen to incorporate several of those crucial environmental parameters, the unbound pursuit of fabric well-being within the short-run would result in a complete disaster for humankind.
Such a crisis, however, wouldn't arise if a person is ruled by the integral philosophy of life. Thakur believed that man and nature square measure two indivisible entities. He couldn't, therefore, imagine the prosperity of individuals or society being achieved through the destruction of the equilibrium in nature. Solely a cheerful combination of natural bounties with qualities and capabilities in folks will result in the best utilization of the resources of the planet that, in turn, would pave the means for the fast development of each nation.
Greening of economic science for Thakur Anukulchandra would, therefore, not be merely together with sure further environmental parameters among the standard economic analysis however developing a replacement paradigm of development on the idea of the enlightened self-interest of man. This means not a shot to preserve nature whereas promoting human welfare however to humanize economic science itself.
Brief Sketch of Sri Sri Thakur's Life:
Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra was born into the Brahmin family of Sri Shiva Chandra Chakraborty and Srimati Manomohini Devi on the 14th of September 1988 at Himaitpur of Pabna district, presently in Bangladesh.
He was regarded by his devotees as a Yuga Purushottama, his life, a divine manifestation. His charisma, deep love and compassion inspired those around him. He was endowed with a strong insight into human and external nature and is claimed to possess gone frequently into a state of bhav-samadhi of spiritual trance. Miracles are reported to have occurred in the lives of devotees, though he performed none.
He advocated the entire involvement of the self within the service of the Guru with constant practice of the mantra imparted by the Guru to make sure success in life. Discipline in his view consisted of voluntary regulation of one’s thoughts, speech, and actions in accordance with the Guru’s wish. His all fulfilling love transformed the lives of the many anti-social elements.
He advocated the entire involvement of the self within the service of the Guru with constant practice of the mantra imparted by the Guru to make sure success in life. Discipline in his view consisted of voluntary regulation of one’s thoughts, speech, and actions in accordance with the Guru’s wish. His all fulfilling love transformed the lives of the many anti-social elements.
He brought the sublime into daily life approaching life’s problems in a balanced, dynamic, rationalistic way. A qualified physician from the National Medical School of Calcutta, he believed that ‘Death was a curable disease’. He imbued His message with the eternal principle of ‘Being and Becoming’. His interest ranged from education to herbal medicine, science to philosophy, literature to politics, and economics to development.
Mahatma Gandhi, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Subhas Chandra Bose, Eugene Exman, Fazul Haque, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Swami Abhedananda, Shree Ma Anandamayee, Acharya Tulsi were among the eminent people who met him.
His Ashram at Himaitpur, Pabna developed into a sprawling complex, a big blend of the spiritual and material worlds, housing a sciences laboratory, a tutorial institute, a charitable hospital, a printing, and publishing unit, a community kitchen, and an administrative block. On 2nd September 1946, Sri Sri Thakur moved to Deoghar (Bihar) where he stayed on and similar network institutions were developed here. Sri Sri Thakur left his mortal frame on 27th January 1969.
Mahatma Gandhi, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Subhas Chandra Bose, Eugene Exman, Fazul Haque, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Swami Abhedananda, Shree Ma Anandamayee, Acharya Tulsi were among the eminent people who met him.
His Ashram at Himaitpur, Pabna developed into a sprawling complex, a big blend of the spiritual and material worlds, housing a sciences laboratory, a tutorial institute, a charitable hospital, a printing, and publishing unit, a community kitchen, and an administrative block. On 2nd September 1946, Sri Sri Thakur moved to Deoghar (Bihar) where he stayed on and similar network institutions were developed here. Sri Sri Thakur left his mortal frame on 27th January 1969.
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