Module 11: Indian social thoughts
  Lecture 35: Practical Problems of India-II

Yet, to apply the sarvodaya framework is to modify the framework itself in several ways. For example, Gandhiji and his associates and followers gave more importance to religious politics and experimented with concepts of moral politics. To me a change in tactics may now be required. There is a need to confront the “free floating” religion directly with creative humanistic vision capable of answering questions regarding relationship of man with man, and also with nature and existence. In the Gandhian framework the Jain-Vedantic concept of soul will have to be replaced by the humanistic concept of soul or the soul of humanity. With rise of neo-social-groups and with media creation of religion, religion does not function to promote morals any more. Whether against religion or against neo-social-group-collectivism the fight is common. If this idea too can be subsumed under some religion the demand of the 21st century India is to assert as effectively as possible that to be religious is to be human and to be true to human experiences; all existing religious ideas are responses of man to his conditions, and the most sublime of all globally religious thoughts is the thought that a man exists because humanity exists; the goal of every man is to define humanity in more inclusive and more humanist language through his thought and action. Such a human existence can be created only in harmony with nature and existence. By resurrecting human autonomy and creating more harmonious conditions of existence we have to save India and the world from the twin risks of national conflicts and religious irrationalism.