‘Global trust is India’s biggest strength’

Jainacharya Yugbhushansuriji Maharaja, who had been the guiding force behind the conclave based on the principles of Vasudhava Kutumbakam, tells Abhijit Mulye, Political Editor of ‘The Perfect Voice’, in an interview that global trust is India’s biggest strength in today’s world and that is the reason why India is best placed to guide the world into a new vision based on our traditional principles of Vasudhava Kutumbakam. Excerpts…

How do you envision India’s ancient wisdom contributing to the new world order?

All our current global political, economic, social systems are western in origin. The whole world has been following these systems for past 80 years which has created a huge imbalance. Current international legislation is exploitative in nature. Currencies are either highly undervalued or overvalued. All such systems have led to imbalance. the global south has been experiencing socio-cultural and civilizational disturbance, economic exploitation and political suppression. In this global scenario, India is the only hope left for the world. India’s ancient wisdom becomes more significant in such a scenario since traditional Indian systems never tolerated injustice.

What role do you see India playing in promoting peace, justice and stability world over in near future?

Our traditional systems worked according to the ‘Neeti Sutras’ or the moral guidelines. At the international level, a robust, fair, neutral, and timely justice system must be established on similar principles. Such a system would benefit the entire world community. Current global mechanism is weak, optional, and biased. It is weak because not all nations fall under its jurisdiction; optional because members can withdraw at will; and biased because a few powerful countries dominate its jurisprudence. The situation of grievance redressal is dire. The UN has been rendered powerless. Unilateral sanctions by the US are unjust and often illegal. Yet, there are no legal remedies. Hence, traditional Indian wisdom based on family values seems to be the only hope.

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is all about connectedness. What, in your opinion, is the path for individuals and nations to realise this?

The principle of equal but differential duty according to capability is a principle that comes naturally to us in a family. One needs to replace the current biased and flawed global systems with one that incorporates these innate principles where members enjoy equal access to basic necessities but are not compelled to contribute equally. Capabilities and capacities of nations are shaped by history, geography, demography, climate, resources, politics, economics, and culture. These factors determine each nation’s strengths and weaknesses. As a guiding principle, the rich and powerful have a duty to shoulder greater responsibility. Some nations may be rich in minerals, others in oil, rare earth materials, skilled manpower, labour, ideas, economic resources, or defence capabilities. Each is expected to contribute more to the world in areas where they are strong. But, this is absent today. What we see is some nations enjoy privilages. Like, they use their influence to make nations sign the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty), yet provided no security guarantees to the weaker countries.

Sustainability is the buzz word today. How do you connect sustainability with ethics?

Today, the essence of international law is such that those capable of exploring, utilising, and mining global commons such as, the oceans, the environment, space, meteorites, asteroids, Antarctica, and the North and South Poles, become their de facto owners. This leaves developing countries without any fair share or reservation, forced to watch their resources being exploited by powerful nations with advanced technology and know-how. It also leads to exploitative institutions and systems. On the contrary, ethic is part of family virtues that assure a guarantee to all members equally for leading a normal life and achieving growth and development. Owing to this principle if the developed countries abandon unfair and monopolistic control over global resources, that would pave way for sustainability on global level.

Would like to know your thoughts on how education can be leveraged to empower future leaders with values of compassion and global citizenship?

Since the last century, it has been observed that the foreign invaders ruthlessly imposed their systems of education on others. They worked to destroy, dismantle, and discredit traditional and local systems of education to establish their own expensive ones. As a result, through the established educational institutions and systems they gained soft control and moral superiority. They started controlling and moulding the young minds of these countries through education based on their ideas while detaching and severing natives from their own ideas. Hence, it is essential that thrust be laid on incorporating traditional moral values in education. The Indian family value system gives us 12 timeless principles or 12 guarantees as we identify them. A leadership that has imbibed these principles is bound to be a compassionate global citizen.

Please elaborate on the 12 timeless principles (guaranties) of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and their relevance in today’s world order.

The first and foremost is the guarantee of security. Families are meant for security. Our traditional values tell us that one must cultivate boundless care and affection towards all beings just like a mother would secure her only child with her own life. Guarantee of basic necessities; of health and of education of choice; of free growth and development; of support and guidance, of equal access to common resources; of individualism, of family bond and feelings; of protection to weak and vulnerable, of justice system; of differential duty according to capability and of mature, natural and visionary leadership are all manifestations of these traditional family values. The world today needs them.