THE_FUTURE_OF_OUR_CIVILIZATION

Today when most of the world is affected by conflict and decline in ethical values, when terror organizations like the ISIS have unleashed horrifying bloodshed across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, when mass shootings and black versus white conflicts plague the U.S., when India sees deepening casteist divisions, I am reminded of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s short book – KALKI or The Future of Civilization (1929). A great teacher and philosopher, former Indian President, Dr. Radhakrishnan once lived in our very own Vizag as the Vice – Chancellor of Andhra University.

As per Hindu Puranas or ancient scriptures, Kalki is the name of the last avatar or incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Kalki, it is predicted, will rise in the Kali Yuga, the most sinful of all ages, the end of the world, defeat the evil doers, destroy the old order and establish a new order. Dr. Radhakrishnan’s book KALKI is not about the end of the world or the arrival of an avatar called Kalki. Rather it is about the problems faced by modern civilization and the ways and means to combat these plagues. Radhakrishnan wrote the book decades ago, but the ideas in this volume can act as a guiding force to us in these difficult times.

 Firstly, Dr. Radhakrishnan tells us that science and technology has advanced far more rapidly than the human mind and soul. Our modern inventions have reduced the impact of physical distances, but have not been able to bring together our hearts and minds. Radhakrishnan presents a stunningly accurate analysis of the current state of every major sphere of human life – Religion, Family Life, Politics, International Relations. It seems as if he is predicting all the issues and problems we are facing currently.

 In the field of Religion, he says,  “Chaos reigns” (p.13). On the one hand, are those who wish to have all the comforts of religion by indulging in blind faith and avoiding all responsibilities and silencing their consciences. On the other, are those intellectuals who have given up on religion and consider religion to be a dead-end. For them there is no God, no escape, no vice or virtue, only the cold darkness of death. It is only a minority who belong to the third category and consider religion as a means to improve the world. Today, we have bands of fanatics for whom terrorism in the name of religion is a great thing to do!

As far as Family Life is concerned, Radhakrishnan says that the changing economic situations, lack of proper moral and sexual education and advances in science, have transformed marriage from a holy sacrament to a mere trial contract. Divorces abound and children suffer. Marriage is a burden for many.

Next, Dr. Radhakrishnan turns to the Economy.  Industrialization has resulted in lot of wealth for a few and had made our lives easier. But it has also made life very dull and boring. In the age of mass production and monotonous routine jobs, we are reduced to machines; there is no scope for creativity and happiness in work. Above all, our wants are increasing by the day and so is our work. We have no leisure, no time to enjoy the pleasures of nature or home, no time to spend with and for ourselves and our dear ones, no concentration, no wisdom and no peace.  He writes, “…the industrial age has made us worshippers of wealth… Wealth is the passport to the kingdom of heaven. Success by any means and at any price has become our ideal” (p. 20). 

Politics is the next area of focus. It is not the really capable men who become our rulers. Those who become our rulers are ultimately slaves of the rich and the powerful. And economic inequality leads to political inequality. Our democracy cannot succeed until our people become really cultured and educated. But the situation is quite contrary – “It has become more easy to get into a college and more difficult to get educated. We are taught to read but not trained to think”  (p.22).

As far as International Relations are concerned, Radhakrishnan is very direct. He says that no nation is genuine. They are all selfish and wish to dominate the world. The worst massacres are glorified in the name of nationalism. “The nations plead for peace and prepare for war” (p. 25). And once war breaks out, all civilization is lost and every nation becomes worse than a beast.

The third part of KALKI is titled ‘The Problem’. Here Radhakrishnan tries to identify the root cause of all the issues facing mankind today. The actual problem is that we have failed to see human beings as a union of body, mind and soul. Our civilization has reached only the first level of body. We are all still focusing on and trying to satisfy the animal instincts within ourselves. We have a long way to go, we need to move towards focusing on the mind and the soul.

The fourth part of the book is called ‘Reconstruction’. Here Radhakrishnan speaks of the solution to our modern day crisis. Coming to Religion, he says that, removing religion from human life will not solve the problem. We need to realize that science and religion are not enemies. Like Dr . APJ Abdul Kalam, Radhakrishnan feels that science can in fact make us more aware of the power of God or the cosmic energy pervading the universe. It is also important to accept all the various ways in which people have been seeking God over the ages. Religion teaches that suffering and sacrifice are not a curse, they are a challenge, a means to get more and truer joy out of life. It also says that, even the most evil person has a core of goodness within him or her. Such an attitude will increase our faith in spirituality and grant peace to the globe.

In Marriage, the final goal should be spiritual bliss and satisfaction.  All other joys of marriage should be stepping stones towards this goal. Men and women should have a mature approach, the same moral codes and devote more time and space to each other in marriage. Marriage calls for responsibility and must never be approached lightly.

In Economics, it must be realized that wealth is not all. After the satisfaction of our genuine basic needs, we must devote time to leisure, to enjoy our work and our lives.

In Politics, democracy to be successful must have minimum governance. We need to focus on removing economic disparity and on producing intelligent voters and honest leaders.

Finally, in International Relations, Dr. Radhakrishnan calls for an end to narrow-minded nationalism and the feeling that only my nation is the best. A genuine affection and regard for all of humanity is essential. Under no circumstances should war or bloodshed be supported. Looking at the world as one family is the only way to survival.

It is up to the youth of India to re-discover the magic of Dr. Radhakrishnan’s words and apply it in their daily lives. By 2020, the average age of India will be 29 and we will have the largest youth population in the world. We will be playing a crucial part in shaping the world’s future. Let us remember the words of Dr. Radhakrishnan who had great faith in and great affection for the young people of our great nation.

-Dr. Rositta Joseph Valiyamattam

Asst. Professor, GITAM Institute of Management, GITAM University.