What a fantastic day to be in India on 75 years of Independence.
India is a mixed bag in many ways – quickly transforming itself into not only a prosperous nation but also bringing back the wisdom and cultural strength which has endured with us for thousands of years.
In the 40s and even early 50s, we faced debilitating famines. Some of them took the lives of 3-4 million people within 3-4 months. But in 75 years, we went from a famine-ridden country to the largest exporter of rice in the world today. We can give aid to poorer nations in terms of food, which is a tremendous achievement.
In 1947, the average life expectancy of an Indian was 28 years. Today it is crossing 70, which is the greatest thing that has happened in this nation because, after all, a nation is formed for the well-being of the people, so that people can live a full life and find full expression to who they are. And it is expected by 2030, the average life expectancy in this country will be over 80 years.
In the next 6-8 years’ time, we will achieve wellbeing in terms of food and nourishment, medical care, and better living conditions. That is not a small feat for a population of 1.4 billion people. And a large percentage of the population is below 30-35 years of age, and still have another 30-35 years of productive life. If we use this demographic asset that we have, by the time it is 2047, we must be in a completely different place.
As a culture, we have survived most horrendous invasions and very cruel occupations. But we are not the kind who soak in the bitterness of the past. The ethos of this nation is not of grudge or hatred. I must say this: When I land in India, I see more smiling faces than anywhere on the planet. Because no other culture has spent as much time and energy to explore the inner dimensions of the human mechanism. Inner wellbeing is our USP. We know how to be well even in the worst conditions that are around us.
India is a nation that always has been a beacon for anyone who looked for consciousness, for inner wellbeing, for understanding the deeper dimensions of our existence here on this planet. If you look at the larger context, in this seemingly endless cosmos, both in terms of time and space, what we occupy is a miniscule – we are just a speck of dust. So as long as we do not take ourselves too seriously, to delve into deeper aspects of life. In this brief experience of life on this planet, pleasantness and profoundness is the basis of human longing. We want to make it pleasant for ourselves – we want to be peaceful, happy and well. But once you are well and you do not know what to do with it, you seek profoundness. Pleasantness is easy to achieve because to keep yourself peaceful, joyful and vibrant within yourself is 100% in your hands. Unfortunately, a large segment of humanity is grappling with that.
Today as societies evolve into higher and higher levels of economic wellbeing, comfort, and technologies, every kind of possible conveniences that could not have been imagined are available. But mental health issues are rising across the planet in such a way that it is no more an individual experience – it has become a societal experience. WHO is talking about a suicide pandemic. Is this the reason why nations strived to grow their economies, their power, their technologies, their education systems, just to go towards mental illness and then towards suicide? To move an individual person or a society or a nation from poverty to affluence takes tremendous effort and so many sacrifices, and also costs tremendously to every other creature on the planet. In the end, human beings are completely messed up, broken, unhappy, wanting to end their lives – this is not the way human life should go.
For thousands of years, whenever people were troubled in different parts of the known world of that time, they naturally moved towards India. It has always been so. Once again, it is important that we create that possibility. In this sense, India is the direction in which the world will move in the next decade, for sure.
The year 2022-23 is going to be an extraordinary year for India and, indeed, for the world because India has the leadership for G20 Summit this year. G20 determines many things that happen on the planet. The narrative has to shift towards human wellbeing. This is the greatest contribution that India can make. I am sure in the coming year, this narrative will be set for the rest of the world.
Ranked amongst the fifty most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a Yogi, mystic, visionary and a New York Times bestselling author. Sadhguru has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 2017, the highest annual civilian award, accorded for exceptional and distinguished service. He is also the founder of the world’s largest people’s movement, Conscious Planet – Save Soil, which has touched over 3.9 billion people. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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