As the nation joins in the grandeur and revelry of our fiftieth anniversary celebrations and at the same time observes the auspicious period of Ganesh Utsov, it is a most significant time to ponder upon the relevance of independence to our own journey towards freedom and self development. The celebration of this auspicious eleven-day period every year, is a powerful reminder of the significance of the Ganesh principle, the power of discrimination, in measuring true wisdom and lasting success to us, as individuals and as a nation. It is the pointed needle in the scale that is used to demarcate the real from the unreal, the right from wrong and the permanent from the transient.
The power of “vivek” or discrimination is a key element in judging the footprints we have made as we journeyed through half century of independence, the kind of nurturing that has been fed to its offspring of responsibility, development, maturity and spiritual affluence and the expanse of unity that has been developed amidst the diversity. Reflection over the last fifty years has shown, no doubt, that we have advanced materially. Majestic strides have been recorded in the technical, technological and industrial areas of development. Even our education, health and housing systems have facilitated improved living conditions and social mobility. But what of our lifestyle?
Have we as a nation complemented our material endowments with contentment? As we raced up the economic ladder, did we convert our material wealth to spiritual? Has the quality of our life improved by the religious, cultural and social influences around us? Have our ethical standards and values been enhanced through maintenance and practice? Is the emphasis today more on entitlement rather than service? What of the leadership style? Do we see in our leaders personifications of humanitarianism, selflessness, justice and harmony?
The worship of Shri Ganesh, which should be a daily practice, reminds us of the power we wield over our own lives in attaining the state of true independence. When we weigh our choices on the scales of “vivek”, and ensure that there is no disconnect between the spiritual and material components , only then are we assured of a unifying network that controls all the systems of our lives. Only then can we overcome the daily obstacles and challenges that keep us stuck in the well of the “kanchukas”, of limitations. Only then can we acknowledge the fact that selflessness should triumph over self interest. The true wealth of independence, of tranquility, serenity, control of the senses, faith and endurance can then be ours. Only then can we experience empowerment and freedom. Only then can we experience the truth of the maxim: “Eshwar ans jeev avinaashi’ – we are all part and parcel of the one Divinity, God Himself.
I express the hope that, as a nation, we may be blessed with vivek and wisdom so that we reach beyond ourselves and harmonise our lives with the cosmos, with Divinity. In so doing, may we as individuals and as a people, attain to the heights of allround excellence.
