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Query from North-East: Does imposing a common culture unify us? || Acharya Prashant, IRMA (2023)
Bharat
211 views
2 years ago
Racism
Regionalism
Identity
Liberation
Indian Constitution
Diversity
Education
Humanity
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses the issue of racism and regionalism, particularly in the context of migration within India. He explains that any attempt to standardize or enforce a common identity based on superficial factors like language, food habits, or attire is bound to create division, violence, and suffering. These aspects vary naturally from person to person and place to place; therefore, raising them to the level of a national ideal is impractical and childish. He emphasizes that we should focus on what all humans have in common rather than on their diverse physical or cultural features. Diversity in nature is inherent and no one form is superior to another. He identifies the true unifying principle of humanity as the urge to know, reflect, and seek liberation from inner ignorance. Unlike animals, which live by instinct, human beings have a unique capacity for introspection and the desire to understand their own existence. Acharya Prashant argues that all laws, policies, and social conventions should be founded on this underlying principle of liberation and understanding. He suggests that education and transparency should be the basis of unity, as the desire to learn is a universal human trait that does not exclude anyone based on their background. Regarding the role of the state, Acharya Prashant points out that the Indian Constitution provides a respectable and non-discriminatory framework through values like liberty, equality, and fraternity. He notes that while the Constitution does not directly address the inner spiritual life or individual emancipation from ignorance, it serves as a solid foundation for a fair society. He concludes that if a polity is conducted honestly according to constitutional values, many social problems like discrimination would be resolved, though the deeper work of inner liberation must be addressed by other social and spiritual agencies.