SPEECH OF HON’BLE GOVERNOR PUNJAB AND ADMINISTRATOR, UT CHANDIGARH, SHRI BANWARILAL PUROHIT ON THE OCCASION OF SEMINAR ON VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKAM AT AMRITSAR AS PART OF G20 PROGRAMME AT AMRITSAR ON APRIL 17, 2023
- PRB
- 2023-04-17 14:30
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me immense pleasure to participate in this prestigious event, forming part of a chain of events being organised under our country’s G20 Presidency.
The G20, was constituted more than two decades back to discuss global economic and financial issues. Over the years, it has very meaningfully evolved from trade focused organisation to the one that exemplifies holistic values and places humanistic leadership at the forefront of development.
It is indeed a moment of pride that Bharatavarsha, which has been the cradle of the most ancient value systems, has been bestowed with honour of guiding the world with the Presidency of the G20. The nation has graciously embraced this responsibility by placing its ancient customs, practices and learnings at the service of the world, to inspire peace among nations, inclusivity in growth, and sustainability in development as the pillars of a connected global future.
All the efforts towards this end are being undertaken under the able leadership of our Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, who has very aptly chosen the theme for India’s Presidency as "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”; "One Earth, One Family, One Future”.
C20 India 2023, which is one of the official Engagement Groups of the G20 provides a platform for Civil Society Organizations (CSO) around the world to voice people’s aspirations to the world leaders in G20. It gives CSOs a forum to reflect the primary and common concerns affecting the people of the world, and to promote social and economic development with the vision of leaving no one behind.
The logo of C20 India 2023 depicts a beam of light, symbolizing the flame of hope, self-motivation, and selfless service. Its tagline #YouAreTheLight is a call to every member of civil society to come together, make their own path, find solutions and resolve issues through collective effort.
Civil Society Culture in India has been shaped by illustrious figures such as Mahatma Basaveshwara, Dayanand Saraswati, Ramkrishna Paramahansa, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Mahatma Phule, Lokmanya Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. These figures have laid a foundation of self-motivated efforts to provide solutions to social problems.
Continuing this tradition in post-independence India, Vinoba Bhave, Maharshi Karve, Baba Amte, and Sundarlal Bahuguna ensured that the spirit of volunteerism manifested in multiple ways.
We hope this ethos to permeate this year’s C20 activities and to shift the dynamics between state, society, family and individual from conflict and contradiction to co-operation, collaboration and compassionate assistance.
I deem it an honour to be a part of this Conference, being hosted under the Working Group, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, by Chinmaya Mission, under the co-ordinatorship of Swami Mitrananda.
It is also very heartening to note that the Working Group will deliberate and discuss the application of oneness and explore paradigms of spiritualism, culture, regenerative development, minimalism, conflict avoidance, and environmental consciousness through nine sub-themes at many such conferences being conducted in different parts of the country.
The phrase ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ is made up by three Sanskrit worlds Vasudhaa (earth/world), iva (like) and kutumbakam (large/extended family). The verse finds mention in Maha Upanishad (Chapter VI verse 72); and is further referred to in the Hitopadesha and other literary works of India.
I must share, this verse is also inscribed in the entry room of the Indian Parliament.
The Verse is:
अयं बन्धुरयं नेति गणना लघुचेतसां उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकं
Ayam bandhurayam neti ganana laghuchetasam udaracharitanam tu vasudhaiva kutumbakam
It means:
“Only small minded men or people with petty outlook discriminate saying: This one is my relative and the other is not. For those who live magnanimously, the noble-minded people, the entire world constitutes but a family.”
The idea of oneness or Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is also reflected in the Vedic saying – “yatra vishwam bhavati eka needam,” (यत्र विश्वम् भवति एक नीडम) or, “the world makes its home in a single nest”.
The philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam seeks to overcome the ‘us-Versus-them’ mentality, which is at the root of conflict and violence. This philosophy is deeply ingrained in the Indian psyche.
Despite being the world's largest democracy and the second most populous country, the ability of India's cultural fabric to flourish, nourish, and assimilate different kinds of diversity is testimony to the skill and ability of the Indian people to peacefully govern themselves and secure fundamental freedoms of life for all its citizens.
Indian philosophic thought underscores the concept of unity or oneness in the creation. The universe is diverse but there is interconnectedness and harmony in it. The idea of interconnectedness is now being accepted. The concept of global commons underlines the interconnected relationship of man with nature and among natural systems.
Being an idea that unites, rather than divides, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam can serve as the basis of discussions regarding global cooperation for resolving global problems. The imposition of uniformity brings strife, clashes and bloodshed. A related concept in Vedic philosophy is “ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti” (एकं सत विप्राः बहुधा वदन्ति:), which means “Truth is one, the wise call it differently”. The idea that there are many paths to the one truth is deeply satisfying as it brings in the concept of inclusion in diversity. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam does not impose uniformity. It accepts diversity. That is why it is so relevant today.
For an idea to be useful, it must have practical applications. In the sphere of international politics, we have to approach Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam with care as it encompasses the idea of tolerance. However, “tolerance of the intolerant can lead to the destruction of the tolerant”. We have to be aware of this paradox. Thus, for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam to be useful as a workable idea, it must be accepted by all and it should be based on reciprocity. One-sided implementation of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam will not work. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is not a pacifist concept. Tolerance does not mean inaction. Lord Krishna in the Gita tells Arjuna to fight as it is his duty to protect dharma. A recourse to use of force or even war is not ruled out. But, the war comes only after every effort to avoid it has failed.
In today’s world, peace is endangered. Anwarul Chaudhury, a Bangladeshi diplomat, observes, “…the Culture of Peace as a concept means that every one of us needs to consciously make peace and nonviolence a part of our daily existence. We should not isolate peace as something separate or distant. We should know how to relate to one another without being aggressive, without being violent, without being disrespectful, without neglect, without prejudice.” The idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam can strengthen the efforts to imbibe the culture of peace amongst people.
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is not a utopian ideal. It can be considered a universal maxim whose purpose is not an imposition but the evolution of human consciousness and society to bear.
Many cultures have espoused a similar ethical framework that has served as the underpinning of building inclusive and peaceful societies. The South Korean ideal of ‘hongik ingan’ (hong-ik ingan) – a guiding principle and vision of existence which advocates living ‘for the greater benefit of all mankind.
Malagasy world ‘Fihavanana’ encompasses the concept of kinship, friendship, goodwill between beings, both physical and spiritual. It comes from the belief that we are all one blood and that how we treat others will eventually be reflected back to us; and that we should be proactive about goodwill for the good of the world.
The Chinese expression is that "the heaven, the earth and all beings can be viewed as one entity".
The indigenous Ecuadorian Andean concept of ‘sumak kawsay’ that denotes interconnectivity between all dimensions of life and a shared sense of humanity.
All recognise that we, as human beings, share a common humanity.
Quantum physics declares essential singularity, evolutionary scientists speak of the theory of common descent. Environmentalists have discovered the network of mycelium which explains how the roots of trees stay intertwined to nourish each other - all these indicate that essential oneness is not a statement of Utopian wish-fulfilment, it is a matter of experiential fact. A single irrefutable truth finds expression in Multiple Languages and across Multiple Disciplines.
While diverse knowledge systems speak of the essential oneness of all entities, ironically, human beings and nations seem to be divided along political identities.
Our framework has now become “Self Vs the Others”. We are separated by our religion, our ideologies, our thoughts, wealth, class, race, caste, colour, gender, sex orientation and food preferences. Strangely, the human being appears to be the most intelligent and also the most unhappy species on this planet. This is because we continue to ignore the eternal truth that our universe is inherently interconnected and interdependent.
The time has come now for us to decide not to hand over a divided, disintegrated and dysfunctional world to our children.
Human society therefore needs to develop alternative approaches as a way out of this quagmire and align with the truth of oneness of existence, embodied in the principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ which resonates deeply within India’s multicultural and diverse society. The need of the hour is for humans to evolve from the status of ‘self-¬interest’ to protecting one’s nation and eventually protecting the universe, with the spirit of universal oneness.
One may argue that these are utopian ideas, bound to fail in a self-centred world driven by power, politics, and intense competition. This is a valid criticism that cannot be taken lightly. International politics is not about ideals, it is about power and hierarchy. But the point is that this kind of thinking has brought the world to the precipice. Humankind is facing existential threats like climate change, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, the paucity of resources and so on. The philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is an antidote to the self-centred and selfish thinking, the consequences of which are proving to be disastrous for mankind.
We Indians truly believe that the world is one family and we hope that every member of this family deserves the elixir of life, that is, happiness.
Friends,
India's call of universal oneness is rooted in practicing what it preaches. This echoes through the way her people greet each other, how they welcome their guests, how they pray, and how they think. Here, the creator and the created are both considered divine, and every object is believed to be a manifestation of the highest infinite consciousness. It is where chants of "Ek omkaar, sat naam", "vasudhaiva kutumbakam" and "tat tvam asi", ring loud and clear, and are not limited to an academic class of people.
It is not just a question of our saying ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, we actually mean what we say, and we have a practical way of demonstrating it.
“Vaccine Maitri”, supplying Covid Vaccines to nations in need, supplying foodgrains to war-torn nations, supplying human power to combat disasters - India has shown the way to defining Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
Friends,
We cannot pay adequate attention to development if there is tension. We must build an inclusive, harmonious world.
I call for ‘mental disarmament’ – disarming the mind from all kinds of poisonous defilement such as greed, hatred, jealousy and ego.
I believe, if we want world peace, we must transform individuals.
If each of us can think and act differently by keeping the ultimate objective of improving the quality of life on this planet, the world will get transformed. Which is why, Gandhiji also had said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
I am confident that the deliberations at these conferences will go a long way in spreading the invaluable message of universal brotherhood and voicing the concerns of the world population through the Civil Service Organizations to the world leaders at the G20.
I conclude my address with:
Sarve bhavantu sukhinah, sarve santu niramayah, sarve bhadrani pashyantu, ma kashchid dukhabhagbhavet (सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामया, सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद् दुख भागभवेत).
i.e. May everyone be happy, may every one be free from all diseases. may everyone see goodness and auspiciousness in everything, may none be unhappy or distressed.
Om Shanntih, Shaantih, Shanntih.
Thank you,
Jai Hind.