Ripples 47- Modernisation Without Westernisation III

Dattopant in his writings and addresses noted that western approach is compartmentalised and fragmentary too. He observed that after the Second World War it realised the utility of inter-discisplinary approach. Our world is interconnected and any one phenomenon that is dealt with too cannot be treated independent of other aspects of the social reality. Even any economic phenomenon cannot be analysed without acknowledging many other components to be able to comprehend it in the right perspective.

Western system considers the norms like annual consumption, production. But Buddhist economics aims to achieve 'a maximum human well-being with optimal pattern of consumption'.

A remark of Gurudev Tagore expresses a principle - " It is idle mendicancy to discard our own and beg for foreign".

Blind imitation of west was not supported by many great Indian thinkers. Many believed that progress is possible without westernisation too.

Of course, Dattopant never implied isolationism or irrational prejudice against the West. He stated in very clear terms that we are not inimical to West. There are many noble souls from west who supported our country in the trying period. Many of them strongly believed in the philosophy of Gandhi ji.

Westernism implies western culture,paradigm and a particular model of progress. The question is whether it is the only model of progress and development?

Hindu culture has never been exclusionist. It always integrated new ideas and structures from any quarter of the world. This is reflected in the writings of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore,Dr Radhakrishnan and many more. Our social order was ever changing,there always was synthesis. It always ensured co- existence of different schools of thought.

There has to be assimilation of thoughts, but not at loss of identity.

" Of what profit would it be, if you gain kingdom of earth, and, in the process, you lose your soul" - Lord Jesus