Living in hope

It’s better to keep the masses hopeful rather than fill them with despair.


In the last two years ever since the prices of essential commodities, especially of food grains, started their upward march, not a week passes without our prime minister or the finance minister telling the beleaguered common man that “prices will come down in a month.” But, we only see them spiral upward. Then why should our worthy PM or FM keep on making this statement at regular intervals? Do they want to fool people?

I presume it is not their intention. Are they wrong in their assessment? I don’t think they are so naïve either. Then why should they do it? The simple answer lies in their being equipped with the worldly wisdom that it is always better to keep the masses hopeful rather than fill them with despair. Afterall hope is the elixir of life!

Emily Dickinson wrote in a poem that “Hope is the thing with feathers/ That perches in the soul/ And sings the tune without the words/ And never stops/at all...” Napoleon had once remarked that even if you had lost everything but not the hope, you could change defeat into a victory.

I read a small story about a Brahmin who was falsely implicated by his foes and was awarded capital punishment. He was not the one to lose hope even in worst situations. On the appointed day when capital punishment was to be executed he was asked about his last wish.

He looked towards the king and said, “I wish I could teach his excellency’s horse to fly before leaving this world.”It did the trick. The king, keen to see his horse acquiring an unheard of skill, gave the Brahmin a year’s reprieve.
Relieved when he reached his home and narrated the story to his wife, the wife had mixed feelings, “My dear, I am very happy that you got the reprieve but worried how you’d accomplish what seems to be impossible.” Amused, the Brahmin replied “You are right my sweet heart, but anything which generates hope for the future should be done. One year is a long period. Many things can happen. King can change. He can die and even, who knows the horse may start flying.”

All I know from my experience of last six decades is that prices would never fall, but still if statements like the PM’s generates hope in the people there is nothing wrong. Afterall good leaders are those who keep people hopeful!

750 days leave to women employees for child care in Haryana

With this 750 days dole by Haryana Govt., a woman employee will be attending office on average for hardly 100 days in a year in 20 years service span when we take their other leaves and holidays in to consideration. In other words, teachers will teach only for 100 days in a year as majority of the female employees are teachers. No body should grudge if our government continues to be generous to govt. employees especially women but let the govt. put a condition that this facility is possible only if they send their children to the govt. schools so that this realization comes to them that what this feast of generosity mean to millions of poor who send their children to the govt. schools. At least our politicians who frame these rules seem to be not giving a thought to the flip side of such acts.



Last I want to remind Mr. Hooda that if there are 80000 female govt. employees in the state then there are another 5 lac female employees in the unorganized also and they have also children. This also answers why every day unemployed teachers are seen agitating on roads and why all recruitments see money bags exchanging hands. Last, creating this type of culture in the society where handful get money without actually working eventually leads to social unrest as can see in many parts of the country. People are becoming alive to this burgeoning inequality with awareness, access and aspirations. Prosperity that leads to inequality is fraught with dangerous implications.

Solution lies in changing our antique like laws (Ref- Release of 98 years old jail inmate )

I read with utmost dismay that the release of 98 years old convict from jail even after having completed his jail term long back became possible only when The Tribune highlighted the issue and a NGO and one noble soul Mr. S.P. Singh worked for his release. It is very clear that if no body is there to take up such cases, the convict even after completing his jail term will continue to languish. I think the solution lies in changing these antique like laws so that there is an automatic release after one has completed the term.

Vedic revelation

Pointing out to the lofty and sublime character of Vedic teachings in his book Ved Bhashya, Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati says that Vedas are not scripted by men but are the words of God.
After the creation of this universe God revealed the four Vedas Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva to four Rishis (sages) Agni, Vayu, Aditya and Angiras respectively.
That four Vedas are the creation of God is supported by the hymn in Rig Veda X48.4 and X48.5. In this hymn God says “I. O men lived before the whole universe came in to existence. I am the Lord of all. I am the source and giver of all wealth. Let all human being look up to me alone as children do to their parents. I am the revealer of Vedas which declare my true nature. It is through the Vedas I advance the knowledge of every thing for your happiness.”
Vedas are called Shrutis; that which is heard implying again that the rishis did not create Vedas out of their minds. The Rishis to whom Vedas were revealed were pious, highly realised and enlightened who had direct intuitive perception of God. To say that what is contained in Vedas were the spiritual discoveries of their divine thoughts will not be wrong.
The four Vedas are repository of knowledge having germs of all sciences in eleven hundred and eighty recensions contained in these and are absolutely free of error.
Nature and properties of matter and the soul are propounded in just accordance with what they really are. Only Divine creation could meet such lofty character. Vedas are eternal and do not owe their authority to any one.
Dwelling on why God revealed Vedas, Dayanand Saraswati says infinitely merciful God is like unto parents. As the parents are kind to their children and wish their welfare, so is supreme power. Out of kindness to all men He revealed Vedas by whose study men are freed from ignorance and error.

Sage who dispelled ignorance

“Dispel ignorance and spread knowledge.” That was the call given by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, a sage, social reformer, thinker and erudite scholar of Vedas.
Swami Dayanand, whose birth anniversary falls today, had launched a relentless crusade against against beliefs which were opposed to Vedic teachings and were primarily responsible for India’s decantation. This created many enemies, and repeated attacks were done on his life .
It was the fifth time when he was poisoned. Though, Dayanand had come to realise that his end was near, he was at peace with himself and did not betray any feeling of anguish or agony.
He did not anoint any successor because he did not want that any sect started in his name and people start worshipping him. A true yogi, he had the power to time his death. On Diwali day, he gave up his mortal body.
His devotees assembled at different places.
Knowing that the Maharishi’s mission was to remove ignorance, superstitious beliefs and other social evils, a decision was taken to establish schools in all parts of the country to impart education by upholding the values and teachings of the Vedas.
While Lala Lajpat Rai, Lala Hans Raj and Guru Datt Vidyarthi planted the seeds of Dayanand Anglo Vedic( DAV) institutions, others like Swami Shardhand initiated work for setting up of Gurukuls and Arya schools, both for girls and boys.
Today, there are about 2000 DAV and Arya institutions in the country where millions of boys and girls are taking education with a tinge of Vedic values. This is a true tribute to this selfless Sanyasi about whom Rishi Aurbindo had said, “I see many great men sitting on various mountains of the Himalyas, but the mountain on which Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati is sitting is the highest.”
A befitting tribute to a man who led the Indian renaissance!