Sociology of Human Values and Rural Development
Dr. A. K. Jasu Dean
(Hon.) Faculty of IRTDM, RKMVU
In every society
and in all spheres of human activity, we require some guideline and convention
so that human existence can be peaceful, prosperous and progressive. Since the
diversity of human activities is so vast, some basic principles propounded and
practiced by the saints and apostles from the beginning of civilization are
adopted and often universalized. These principles through constant use in the
course of time become laws. When these laws become a part and parcel of the
identity of a race or nation, they take the form of values which are respected,
revered and conserved by that society. In the ages gone by when religious life
and the secular life were to a large extent inseparable, the values came from
religion and the followers adopted these in their religious and social
practices. Surprisingly, in spite of vast distances between the societies and
the races the fundamental values remained more or less similar in all the
social and religions of the world. For example, truth has been propagated as a
bedrock on which the structure and function of human society rests. Everyone
agrees that it is fundamental to all values. A society or system cannot survive
even for a short while. When all of its members tell lies for all the time, on
the other hand, the system survives since most of its members adhere to
truthfulness in greater parts of their life.So truth is a value universal. Sri
Ramakrishna has said that practice of truthfulness alone can take us across
this mundane world to the shores of eternity and declared that, ―Truthfulness
is the penance of Kaliyug‖.
Similarly,
love for the fellow being is another value preached and practiced by all
societies.
In fact love is
the one force which binds human being together: ―Love thy neighbor as Thyself‖
as preached by Christ. The Indian scriptures teach ―Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam‖. The
Holy Mother Sarada Devi has given ita universal shape by declaring- ―Make the
entire world your own‖. Love induces sacrifice and service and hence Sri
Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda have expanded this loving service providing
us opportunity for real worship. Faith is perhaps another value which societies
and religions all over the world cherish and practice. Faith in the Supreme
Being, and faith in oneself. is the foundation for learning and any meaningful
action. This ‗Shraddha‘ or faith and self-confidence helps in progressing
forward. It is faith also motivates us to stand upright against injustice and
cruel forces.
Compassion,
purity, self-control, charity, forgiveness, boldness, etc. are other values
cherished and .nurtured by every society. For any society to survive or
progress the majority of the people have to accept and follow these values
intrinsically. However when development work progresses without considering the
socio-religious realities, ways of life of the people, their culture and other
ground realities, there is a chance of chaos and failure of developmental
schemes and programmes. Since independence hundreds of schemes have failed due
to the neglect of realities of masses. Thereby the socio economic condition of
the rural people remains the same. Pumping in of resources without preparing
the human mind, from topmost rungs in administration to poor beneficiaries,
dazzles and confuses everyone in the chain, leading to disregard for law,
practicing of dishonest means etc. as natural corollaries.
When
we embark on any programme which affects human beings or human societies, one
cannot ignore that fact that the human beings are essentially creatures who are
not satisfied with more food, shelter and clothing. The inner nature always
aspires to go beyond these. It is the system of values which prevent him from
going into realms of destruction and perversion and helps him to more forward
towards the sublime. Even in the poverty ridden environments it is value system
which prevents people from going berserk. That is why we see that our people in
the villages, by and large even now, are much more honestand value conscious
than the urban folks who have taken to temporal pleasure at the cost of
everything. We need more food, more economic wealth, better facilities but
certainly not at the cost of erosion of human values. Therefore, after
experiments with purely materialistic ideas towards the development, the time
has come when methods of increasing food production, etc. have to be integrated
with the participation of people and give respect to their ground realities in
their pursuit for improvement in quality of life and not bringing about only
cosmetic development. Similarly, education has to ensure the awareness of this
real development. Management of finance has to imbibe these principles of
expenditure for creation of human assets and not for luxury with dazzling
gadgets. Swami Vivekananda, when he propounds rural development cautious us on
this score. Swamiji has said, ―The basis of all systems, social or political
rests upon the goodness of men. No nation is great or good because parliament
enacts this or that but because its people are great and good. Men are valuable
than all the wealth of the world‖. Our society, especially rural society has
innate spiritual culture, our task therefore is to give them support to
progress materially through increase in food production, education &
health, etc. without disturbing their value system. Let not consumerism,
selfishness, corruption, etc. creep into the rural society when we are trying
to do rural development. Rather through the ideals of our great sages,
strengthen their faith in the human values along with other development.
―The problems in India are more complicated, more
momentous, than the problems in any other country. Race, religion, language,
government — all these together make a nation The elements which compose the
nations of the world are indeed very few, taking race after race, compared to
this country. Here have been the Aryan, the Dravidian, the Tartar, the Turk,
the Mogul, the European — all the nations of the world, as it were, pouring
their blood into this land. Of languages the most wonderful conglomeration is
here; of manners and customs there is more difference between two Indian races
than between the European and the Eastern races.‖ – Swami Vivekananda
No comments:
Post a Comment