What do bankers have to do with Dharma? Does helping common people open bank accounts, and facilitating young aspiring entrepreneurs with loans constitute Dharma? Ask Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and he will say – and he has already said in the Northeast Bankers’ Conclave in Agartala on Saturday – that “dharma” means duty, and that only those nations can live in peace and happiness which follow “dharma” as duty. Taking a close look, Shah’s reference to “dharma” as part of his discourse at the bankers’ meet held in Agartala – which is hardly a few kilometres from the India-Bangladesh boundary – appears to be a clear signal to Bangladesh, which is currently in a state of instability and turmoil under the present regime headed by Md Yunus. Shah took recourse to Chanakya Sutra, which, as he pointed out, itself had talked about dharma as a duty. Quoting Chanakya Sutra, he also said that only those states and nations can live in happiness and peace where people follow “dharma” – which here means duty and not religion. For a government, “dharma”, as pointed out by Shah, means working towards fulfilling the economic needs of the 140 crore of people, which, once done, will pave the way for India becoming a developed nation. A developed nation, after all, is a situation where every person is successful in raising his or her family, each person has his or her basic needs met, and each individual is able to contribute to the nation’s development. Going beyond Amit Shah’s words, one finds that “dharma” is a combination of morality and spiritual discipline which guides a person’s life. It is a concept that includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues, and the “right way of living”. According to the Bhagavad Gita, “dharma” is a moral code of behavior that comes from a person’s sacred duty to the gods, other people, and the universe, and is a central concept in Hindu philosophy. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna defines “dharma” as fulfilling one’s duties in accordance with one’s nature. “Dharma” is a way to uphold universal natural laws, which allows people to be happy and prevent suffering. It’s also a way to balance good and evil, and to gain freedom from the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.