Kalpana Bora
(kalpana.bora@gmail.com)
Pavitra Bharat Bhumi is a land of Rishis, Munis, and Devi-Devtas. It is the Devbhumi of Bhagwan Ram, Krishna, Buddha, Guru Nanak Dev and Mahavir. It is a land where Rishi Munis have been doing Tapasya to attain enlightenment, gain knowledge and wisdom, and learn how to lead a happy life doing Karma without attachment. Our Rishi Munis were scientists of those times. Our Sindhu-Saraswati Ghati civilisation was highly developed, be it in metallurgy, city planning (Hadappa), or the education system (Nalanda, Taxsheela, and Vikramshila universities), to name a few. Ancient Bharatiyas knew mathematics (Vedic mathematics, algebra, geometry, trigonometry), Ayurveda, yoga, planetary science, Bhugol, Shushruta's Shalya Chikitsa (surgery), Dhanvantari's medical science, calculation of exact timings of eclipses and alignments of various celestial objects, the distance between the Sun and Earth (Hanuman Chalisa), relativity (gods age slowly in heaven), and knowledge about the creation of the universe (that the whole Srishti is created by Brahma, the same Brahma exists in all beings, and after death also all beings will become part of Brahma again, and this aligns with modern scientific theories of the Big Bang and Big Crunch). This knowledge and wisdom was then imparted to Sadhus, Sants, Gurus, and pupils to support the lives of people who were engaged in worldly affairs, offering sustainable solutions to problems and challenges of life, following Dharma. This Dharma is NOT the same as religion. Sanatana Dharma, or Hindutva, means the way of life, following Satya, Nyaya, Daan, Karuna and Tyaag. Sanatana Dharma transcends across space-time and is hence called 'Sanatana'. The one which will be there - always and everywhere - and prevails across earth, water and sky, and Dharani (Earth) wears this Dharma.
This knowledge has been preserved in our four Vedas by various enlightened people across different times of civilization - they were written across the flow of time by different authors, and hence they describe the knowledge and wisdom relevant to those times. These core values, knowledge and wisdom of Sanatana Dharma and Sanskriti have been tested time and again through rough weathers and springs of life forseveral thousandyears, and hence staying attached to our roots, Sanskriti, is indispensable. Our Sanskriti and Dharma guide us in all affairs of life - how to deal with family relations, how to do business and living, how to run the government, how to do justice, how to protect the environment, how to deal with neighbouring countries, and how to lead a happy and meaningful life.
Before the British colonised us, our literacy rate was quite high. However, the British did not accept that our Gurukul are schools! We were expert traders, having sound knowledge about navigation through seas. Villages were flourishing and self-sustained. Nature bestowed upon us prosperity with rivers, fertile lands, gems, minerals, and mountains!After Maharaj Chandra Gupta Maurya united the whole Bharatvarsha through his kingdom in terms of transport and trade, the economy of Bharat during 1 AD -1700 AD was the largest economy of the ancient and mediaeval world, controlling between 25% and 33% of the world's wealth. And our Bharat was therefore called Sone ki Chidiya.
An estimate of Bharat's pre-colonial economy puts revenue during Akbar's reign in 1600 AD at 17.5 million British pounds (now 1 pound = 119.27 INR). The GDP of Bharat in 1600 AD was estimated at about 24.3% of the world economy and was the second largest in the world. While in 1800 AD, Great Britain's treasury was 16 million British pounds. In 1700 AD, Aurangzeb reported annual revenue of more than 100 million British pounds (History of Indian Economy at cgijeddah.gov.in).
Why so many invasions of Bharat?
Bharatvarsh was an extremely prosperous, flourishing nation, enlightened with the light of knowledge and wisdom. Our prosperity, science and development caught the attention of so many invaders, beginning with Persian Cyrus (550 BCE, captured Gandhar), Greek Alexander (327 BCE), Arabian Muhammad Bin Kasim (712-715 AD), and Turkish Mahmud of Ghazani (998-1013), who destroyed the Mathura and Somnath temples. Then came Turkish Muhammad Ghori (1175 AD) - Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan crushed him in 1191 AD. He stormed again in 1192 AD, and Maharaja Prithvi Raj Chauhan lost due to traitor Jaichand. Vasco da Gama came searching for Bharatvarsha in 1489 AD. The Mughal Raj started in 1526 AD with Babur, who defeated Rana Sanga in Khanwa. Maharana Pratap lost to Akbar due to Mansingh. Shivaji Maharaj lost to Aurangazeb due to Mirza Raja Jai Singh. In 1661 AD, the British East India Company got the first official charter from Mughal king Jehangir to do trade in Bharat. In June 1757, the Nawab of Bengal lost the Battle of Palassey to the British due to the traitor Mir Jumla, and British rule started in Bharat (dates may vary as per the records of different historians).
Before the British came to India, the global export of Bharat was one of the highest in the world. As per the study of OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development), till about the 16th-17th century AD, the highest share of GDP at the global level has been of Bharat and of China. And it was not on the basis of Agriculture only, it was based on metallurgy, garments, spices, food processing industries. We didn't sell food grains; we were not an agrarian economy; we were an industrial economy. Our people were great merchants with big ships, as narrated by Vasco da Gama. And we are told that the British taught us Navy! We did not globalise our industry, because our model was "not exploitative; it was sustainable."We are told that the British came in search of spices. NO, they came to capture our resources and to destroy our Sanskriti and sustainable life system!
We were strong economically and scientifically. We had great warriors like Vikramaditya, Samudragupta, Rana Sanga, Chandragupta Maurya, Maharana Pratap, Bappa Rawal, Hemu, Rani Laxmibai, Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Peshwa Bajirao, Maharaj Prithviraj, Shambhaji Maharaj, Rani Abbakka, Rani Ahilyabai Holkar, Kittur ki Rani Chennamma, and others. They won many battles. But we were never taught about this. We were taught about the battles we lost and that we were inferior - to continue the mentality of colonialism amongst us.
Why could the invaders rule us?
Why could they succeed in ruling over us? Because we were not united! We lost due to our own traitors, including Jai Chand, Mir Jumla, Maan Singh and Jai Singh. Today also we have them, with different faces. When Ravan came to kidnap Mata Sita, he came in the form of a Sadhu. Today also Adharmis, Vidharmis and deshdrohi people are present in our country.We have to recognise them. Degradation in any system is bound to occur with time, and we need to replenish them from time to time, making necessary corrections. But core essence never changes.
Turmoil in governments through youth protests
During recent years, we have seen turmoils instigated by external forces in many of our neighbouring countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Their purpose is to create turmoil and chaos in democratic countries so that the order and supremacy of these forces could prevail across the whole world. The pattern of these protests is almost similar in all the countries - students and youth start peaceful protests in the beginning against corruption, irregularity in elections or similar such issues. Very fast it becomes too violent with vandalism of public property, and they physically attack the political leaders; their houses are set ablaze so that they are forced to leave the country to save their lives! And then an interim puppet government is formed.
Let's be united and alert!
In spite of so many invasions, inhuman atrocities, looting of our resources, and forced conversions from Hindutva to Islam and Christianity, Bharat is still standing strong as Bharat. Bharat has been able to protect and preserve its Sanatana Dharma and Sanskriti; this is the reason for worry for many global forces. Today, our citizens are very smart and intelligent; they should check on the internet or elsewhere who has been funding these so-called student and youth protests that have toppled governments in these countries. We need to be united against Bharat-breaking forces - living within and outside the country.
It is so shameful that just after the recent Nepal turmoil, some of our opposition leaders are foreseeing such riot-like protests in our country too! Some political leaders of the opposition are busy meeting foreign delegates at secret places. We should never underestimate our enemy, and we need to be vigilant and be prepared with alert and ready detective agencies, police, internal security and armed forces - 24 hours a day and 365 days a year - to tackle any unprecedented situation and protect our democracy and nation. United citizens are the greatest strength of a nation. Bharat will fight and win, because Bharat's soul, its Sanatani culture that unites all elements, is alive in our families, temples, traditions and customs, which they cannot take away from us. Where else will you find a Dharma in which a cat is Mausi and a monkey is Mama, where the sun, earth, trees, rivers, cows and mountains are worshipped, and where we believe in "Tamse Ma Jyotirgomoy", "Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah" and "Vasudhaviam Kutumbakam"?
Let the golden sparrow Bharat flourish and fly again!