Volunteer For A Better India

The movement for honest dealings is gathering momentum with more volunteers teaming up with agencies and spiritual organisations to bring back ethical values into our lives
Give one hour to the nation. The country has problems because good people are apathetic. Youth must take charge,” declared spiritual mentor Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, popularly known as Guruji. He was speaking in New Delhi at the launch of a new initiative against social ills such as corruption. ‘Volunteer for a Better India’ (VFABI), was launched by the Art of Living Foundation and Times Foundation last week, in conjunction with UN agencies.

The initiators and NGOs discussed each stakeholder’s role in addressing the issue of corruption, one among the many burning issues we’re facing today. “No country can yet make a claim to be free of corruption, but what we can do is to work towards creating a society that is aware, vigilant and stands up to corrupt practices by showing zero tolerance towards it,” said Christina Albertin, representing the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. The speakers were addressing an inspired young audience at the India International Centre, New Delhi.

Before Sri Sri took to the stage, AOL youth leaders acknowledged the role of sterling publications such as The Times of India, now celebrating its 175th year that is giving young people great opportunities to participate in the movement to better India through social impact initiatives. With the blessings of the spiritual guru, TOI flagged off its 175th year celebrations at the venue. The media, together with youth is one of the biggest stakeholders in society, and together, the two groups have the power to make the country vibrant and corruption-free, even perhaps to serve as role models to other countries.

To free ourselves of bribery and nepotism, it’s imperative to know where their roots are. If we go deeper, we’ll find that it is not one party or a group of people or state that’s responsible for it; it actually starts at the level of the individual and that’s where the solution also lies. Guruji explained that corruption begins when the sense of belonging ends. Nobody is corrupt within the purview of their friends and family because they belong to them. The solution, according to him, is to expand the sense of belongingness for, “The whole world belongs to you.” He added, “The sense of entire humanity as one family helps in building an ethical and just society. Society, when ridden with crime and corruption, is not safe for people to live in, and we don’t want India to become a place of fear”.

The Art of Living founder stressed the fact that it takes a great deal of integrity and inner strength for a householder to stand up for something he believes in and not get tempted into unethical conduct. He gave the example of an IAS officer who declined a bribe of Rs 50 crore even though it was offered to him on a platter with little chance of detection. Therefore, says the revered Guru, qualities of heart are important; inner strength, contentment, compassion, integrity and intuition are the values that make one spiritual. “Chanting some prayers and visiting holy places is not spirituality, but developing such values is,” he said, emphasising that integrity and intuition come only when there is inner strength and meditation helps us with that.

“Set your priorities right!” he said, adding that it is vital to first have faith: “Trust yourself, the people around you and the power that is helping us for a just, free and happy society.” To be able to have faith in ourselves and in those around us is a starting point to that. This can bring the change we are all yearning for.