Celebrating India’s Republic day means that we are happy that India is politically free from the long servitude to the British rule. Political Independence does not automatically translate into a crime free society. If that is the criteria then no country can celebrate its Independence. Besides no system of governance can eradicate crimes like rape, murder, cruelty and other forms of evil unless the society makes a rapid shift in its perception and goals. The rich, the poor, the literate and the illiterate, the professional and the menial all are prone to evil. If we have to root out evil from society then one has to change the social ethos from a utilitarian to a dharmic ideal with yogis leading the way. Otherwise we will only paint the surfaces while the inside remains hollow and eaten by worms.
As to Draupadi, she had a living relation with Krishna. Hence Krishna responded instantly to Her call. He entered into Draupadi’s consciousness and awakened her to the Divine Presence within her. It is this that made her invulnerable. Can this be replicated with everyone and in every situation? It is unlikely? Ordinarily human beings have to go through the painful evolution as long as they continue in the ignorance. It is only if there is an urgent distress call full of faith or else if there is a living relation with the Divine of a soul that has given itself to the Divine that such dramatic and miraculous intervention takes place. Otherwise one has to go through the wheel of evolutionary struggle wherein Abhimanyu dies along with all the sons of Draupadi.
What Govind prefers rather is that we wake up in us the Shakti of Kali and Durga and face the danger as Arjuna did. But we are the followers of the easy path. We live for selfish purposes, live for money and other comforts but are quick to blame God or the government. That is the message of these events. They come to remind us of our own weaknesses, to awaken in us the Shakti we abandoned in search of comfort zones and want God to be at our service. These events come to shake us up. They are simply a spill over of our general attitude towards women as pleasure objects which unfortunately some women do seem to unwittingly endorse by spending more time and energy on fashion than on sports and learning martial arts.
Anyways not celebrating Republic day or Independence day is as good as saying that the British rule or the Mughal rule with all its cruelty and inequality was better. But the truth is well known. It is not government or systems or machinery that can save us but a spiritual revolution and the awakening of Dharma in our heart that alone can truly help.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
