CHARITY AND NATION
The suicide by farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Vidharba continues. The prices of vegetables are soaring. The 2G scam has stalled the parliament and the political stalemate continues .This is what happens to a Nation which relies on individuals and not on ideology/system. Now; when the crisis has culminated we are seeking salvage from Rahul, Manmohan and Sonia, the political superstars! All three have failed the Nation.
Against the above backdrop there are acts of charity. Ratan Tata donates millions to Harward Business School for funding education, Azim Premji of Wipro donates millions for education in India. We are expected to applaud such acts, offer appreciation for their generosity , really! Are these people donating to improve education or they are merely taking action to reduce the guilt on their conscience .So much the industrialists have earned by means fair and foul that against the depravity of our nation they feel guilty and so let go an insignificant part of their wealth. As penance , as renunciation ?Or as publicity?
All religions promote charity. Undisclosed charity. But should a Nation rely on charity? Should modern democracies thrive on such acts? Charities divert the attention of those responsible to provide and therefore postpone any permanent solution. Basic needs of the people such as health, housing, employment and education should be provided by the State and have a sustained policy. I am extremely sceptical of all charitable considerations. For me these do not demonstrate any large heartedness or generosity but expression of greed to gain fame. Charity though integral part of all religions is the legacy of Monarchy, feudalism and now capitalism. Charity also fetches income tax rebates and therefore is more of a financial transaction than a philanthropic act. It is a mode by which the rich express their richness to the poor and is assertion of class distinction. When the poor converge to accept the food and swarm in groups they accept the subjugation and acknowledge the superiority of the provider, be it in the field of education, health or food. These acts cause more harm to society in the long run than good.
I have read that Mehrunisa ( Mumtaj Mahal ) personally fed the poor in order to seek divine blessing for her early marriage to Shah Jahan. Feeding of poor was a regular affair during the Mogul time. It continues in the religious places and temples till to date. It is stated in religious texts that there should be complete secrecy in the matter of charity so much so that the one hand should not know what the other has given. And yet the rich with all their ill gotten wealth perform charity in public. It is a marketing device . What was the intension of Azim Premji to announce his charitable intention in public? It was a smart publicity move. He did gain approval of the elite. No advertisement would have worked better.
Charity should be from ones hard earned money, it is not the ‘surplus’ that you dole out, but a ‘sacrifice’ from your income of which you feel the pinch. Such wealth as doled out by rich does not affect their living at all for it is a miniscule part of their wealth. Many middle class Indians give charity, but from the essential element of their earnings, they do not publicize.
The wealth of Nation should be distributed in such a manner that the need for charity does not arise.
