India has been a rich country for thousands of years. It was rich in money, philosophy, science, and many other parameters, but ancient philosophy about human life is unique to India. Therefore, the philosophy and philosophy engraved culture has an essential role in shaping the psychological behavior of Indians as an individual and as a country.
Any philosophy beholds its key to how the user uses it and what purpose. Because of several reasons, our philosophy is muddled and has become confusing in a certain way and harming us. It is a time that we should talk about it and debate to get through this challenging phase of our struggle to become a developed country. This will help us at large to set the mindset of the country. The whole world might be confused about our philosophy of life, but we need to be absolutely clear about it.
Indian being a developing nation for too long, it has to be a developed country at a certain point. It can't be a lifelong process. Poverty, women's safety, work culture are a few of the many problems we currently have. We might blame previous governments and leaders, be it political or religious leaders. There are many reasons why we are still a developing country. Still, the wrong notion of our own great ancient philosophy is the major part of it, let me explain how it is? The small statements people say every day make a significant impact on young minds and so on the country. Let's consider a few of them.
"Being rich is bad"
This is one of the most fraudulent statements I have been listening since my childhood and thinks to left, communist, socialist ideologies for that. Socialist-inspired authors and leaders made India sick by inculcating this idea of rich and poor in this country. Socialists always have been portraying a rich guy as a villain or bad person, and it was easy to do so as the majority was already weak. It is confusing for a young mind to approach money-earning people. In fact, India has witnessed many corruptions and corrupt people being rich. India saw the leaders and their families getting rich, and poor people became more miserable. But the problem lies when it was given the support of ancient philosophy, saying money is not considered necessary in life. Communists and socialists utilized this to infuse their ideas coated with half philosophy. Money is not everything, so do not focus on money, and you can live life without it. This kind of philosophy of 'Being rich is not the aim' is nice to say only when you have fulfilled your stomach. But when people are sleeping an empty stomach and giving up on their lives, you can't tell them money is not the goal. It might give solace to many who do not want work or when they suffered a lot, but it had a very wrong impact on the economy.
In fact, "Artha" money was one of the four pillars of human life and never considered as a bad thing in Indian philosophy, but rather without "Artha," life is incomplete. But to this philosophy, many people added their own amendments like being rich is evil, and communists added fuel to that. It went so far that people started claiming the hard-earned wealth of others. So as a country and every individual have to change the narrative of "being rich is bad" to earning money through legal means and hard work, and being wealthy or successful is one of life's goals.
"Getting settled"
It's not very unusual for most of us that we were told by parents or relatives that you have to study well to get Sarkari Naukri (Gov. job) and 'get settled.' Because Sarkari Naukri had become a symbol of getting guaranteed money (sometimes more through corruption) for working less or not doing the job. Aspiring for a particular career, even to go for a Gov job, is not a wrong thing at all. It becomes a problem when the youth in large numbers spends most of their productive age, that is, 22 to 32 in writing competitive exams. It starts just after finishing high school, from Medical entrance to state service or UPSC exams right from the clerk to class A posts like IAS IPS. This is where bright Indian youth spends much time when there are limited positions in Gov jobs. Instead, these youths can be channelized into various sectors where India lacks a skilled workforce.
And what's their aim? Most of them have an objective is to get government jobs and 'get settled.' Of course, there is some passionate youth who also aspires for it. But the desperation for the Gov job is very evident. Basically, most of them study hard before the exam so that they don't have to work hard throughout their life. This mindset has to change. We, as a country, need to look into different opportunities and channel our energies in exploration than getting settled.
"Working culture and corruption"
The culture which worshiped work as God has already been polluted. Krmayog is one of the ways to enlightenment. But what we have now is inherited our workforce culture (with salve mindset) and our bureaucracy, police, and judiciary from the British. Corruption had become a very regular trend in many government offices. And the culture of public servants thinking that they are lords was inherited from the British. India is still waiting for a major upgrade for the training of babus and judiciary. Major blame goes to our education system and training institutes.
"Chalta hai" culture has engraved in the mindset which has to change. Overall, society strives for jugad rather than completeness or perfection, which costs a country in the long term. We all as a country need to think about timeliness, Work-life balance, more organized work culture than we have right now.
"Everything in God's hand"
Finally, after blaming everyone, if nothing is left to blame, people will look up or down wherever their God is and say everything is in God's hand. This western/ alien idea of making god responsible for your doings has affected India. This culture was a godless culture; the philosophy of god, who sits in heaven, controlling our fate, is very foreign to our philosophy. But in the last thousand years, it has become part of the mindset which has to be removed actively. And the philosophy of 'karma' which blames or praises your acts, makes you more responsible and owner of it rather than giving it to the so-called 'god.' We need to be a culture where individuals are more accountable and more answerable to themselves for their karmas.
Like this, there are many small narratives we need to fight to change the mindset of this country from fake narratives. If we aspire to become a great country again, we have to change the narrative and bring competence to our population, if not competitiveness.
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