We live in a contradictory world where on the one hand some people show a lot of interest in building a value-based society and they talk of strengthening the value system as all of them realise that the present malaise is due to deterioration in the moral standards of society. So, there is a section of people who talk of moral development or what is called human resource development. On the other hand, some people talk of scientific and technological development, economic development or rural development.
The paradigm that these people have is more or less often in serious contradiction to the norms of moral development. Not only that, scientific and technological development or economic and industrial development is often in conflict with other parameters of development. For example, industrial development aims at producing and marketing more and more cars, scooters, jeeps, trucks, etc and such other things without caring as to what effect it will have on the environment, the health of the people and their habits and lifestyles, etc.
They don’t realise that a large addition of motor vehicles every year would also add to the smoke that is hazardous for the people and it would badly affect the health of the people. So, this kind of development is, in fact, inimical to the interest of the people. We should hence think of another model of development in which people may be able to travel at a speed and with convenience but the environment also is not spoiled. Similarly, those people who are concerned with social welfare, open more charitable hospitals and add more beds without caring as to why more and more diseases are spreading and the number of patients visiting hospitals is increasing. Instead of addressing the root causes of illness such as poor nutrition, pollution, mental stress, and unhealthy lifestyles — we are merely expanding treatment facilities. If preventive healthcare and awareness campaigns were given as much priority as medical infrastructure, we could significantly reduce the burden on hospitals.
But unfortunately, modern society often treats the symptoms rather than curing the disease at its source. Again, the cities are now expanding and the villages are being transformed into cities. As a result, the agricultural fields are being converted into residential, commercial or industrial buildings. This also is called development. But people do not realise that this raises many problems. Those who migrate to megacities or metropolia or satellite cities from small towns for jobs, travel daily over long distances by rail or road to earn their livelihood.
Most of them leave their houses early in the morning and reach there late in the evening. Not only does this cause many problems at home and in the family but also the Government has to arrange for extra trains and buses, etc as a result of which a lot of energy, time and money of the people are lost in daily travelling and the Government also has to spend a lot on providing the required means of transport. Also, all this causes grave noise pollution and tensions. If, instead of this, there were self-sufficient cities/villages of moderate size, that would have been better but nowadays people feel proud of high-rise buildings and great cities, for these are considered as signs of development.
Not many realise the fact that the majority of our problems come from the high growth rate of the population as well. Because as the population goes on increasing enormously, more and more vehicles for transport, houses for residential accommodation, hospitals for treatment, etc. are required. This nullifies all development. People think that a country that has many hospitals, doctors, courts, judges, etc. is a developed country. But, they hardly realise that a developed country in real terms, is one where people commit very little or no crime and where a very large number of people are healthy.
So, there is a need for a proper paradigm in which the constituting elements are not in conflict with one another. Presently, society is based on a paradigm that reeks of inner contradiction. Hence, humankind now needs a model that is simple, inspiring, uplifting, natural, and without any inner conflicts or contradictions. It is the model of a value-based society in which all kinds of development are at their peak and are in harmony with the development of other aspects.
(The writer is a spiritual educator and popular columnist. Views are personal)
