Manaviya Mulyo Ke Hras Ka Yaksha Prashna Manava

Here's a comprehensive summary of Dr. Ramjee Singh's article "The Sphinx's Question of the Decline of Human Values: The Human" in English:

The Core Problem: The Decline of Human Values and its Root Cause

Dr. Ramjee Singh begins by acknowledging the widespread global concern over the decline of human values. He argues that many efforts to strengthen morality fail because they don't delve into the root causes. Values, he asserts, are not born in a vacuum but are products of a society's politics, social structure, and culture. As humans are social beings, they derive their education, values, and life principles from society. True thought is always relative to society; otherwise, it becomes mere intellectual vanity. He critiques abstract philosophical concepts and linguistic analysis for failing to provide guidance for real life, emphasizing that while language is important, it shouldn't be the sole aim of creative and meaningful thought. He commends the effort to connect human values with society but stresses the need to first understand the nature of man and his relationship with society.

Understanding the Human: Beyond Materialism

Singh defines humans not as inert matter but as conscious, dynamic, and responsive beings. They are not mere flesh and bone but possess senses and emotions, acting sometimes as slaves to their feelings and at other times as their regulators. While humans need sustenance, they live for more than just food. He cites examples like Vishwamitra and Rantideva to illustrate that humans can transcend basic needs for higher principles like dharma, altruism, and self-sacrifice. He criticizes a purely economic or materialistic interpretation of human life as unhistorical and unpsychological, and calls it an insult to humanity to consider humans inherently selfish and wicked. He points to the principle of satskaryavada (the principle of inherent potential) which suggests that what is not present, even latently, cannot be manifested. Human civilization's development, from barbarism to civilization and from selfishness to altruism, supports this. Even the study of human psychology reveals tendencies towards both destruction and creation, evil and good.

The Human as the Ultimate Value: Freedom and Liberation

Singh asserts that while "survival of the fittest" might be a rule of nature, it cannot be the ideal for human life, as it leaves no room for compassion, empathy, or societal change. Humans may not be gods, but they possess divine qualities. While acknowledging the presence of both good and evil in humans, he emphasizes that human imperfection is what constitutes animalistic tendencies, and their perfection is a form of divinized potential. Humans have infinite possibilities for development, capable of becoming saints or even enlightened beings. Therefore, when discussing the relationship between human values and society, the individual must remain central. Society is built for the holistic development of the individual, making the individual the ultimate purpose and foundation of society. Societal structures, laws, and systems are all designed with the individual's development in mind. Any societal rule that hinders human life and its noble values becomes unacceptable and is often challenged.

Liberation as the Ultimate Aspiration

The greatest aspiration of humans, Singh states, is liberation (mukti). Humans are bound by various limitations like want, ignorance, and injustice. Want stifles potential, ignorance leads to superstition, and injustice instills fear. Beyond physical liberation, mental liberation from greed, anger, anxiety, and attachment is also crucial. Despite material progress, mental peace and happiness have not necessarily increased. He quotes scriptures and philosophical ideas emphasizing that true fulfillment doesn't come from wealth or material possessions. Humans seek freedom not just from external constraints but also from internal dissatisfaction, imbalance, and unrest. This desire for liberation is not a dream but an imperative need.

Freedom and its Distortion

In sociological terms, liberation is akin to autonomy or freedom. Even animals desire freedom. The ultimate human value is freedom, which is intertwined with equality and fraternity. Gandhi's concept of Swaraj (self-rule) embodies this aspiration for freedom. However, Western capitalist civilization has distorted this freedom through selfish bargaining, making democracy meaningless for the majority. The call for equality has been overshadowed by vested interests, leading to the distortion of democracy and its ineffectiveness in many developing nations. Singh argues that while democracy is weakening due to the erosion of parliamentary checks, the subservience of the judiciary, media control by powerful entities, and the concentration of power, the alternative can never be authoritarianism. The solution lies in a more refined democracy, one that recognizes freedom as a fundamental human value linked to liberation. A liberated mind and liberated human can create and bring about societal change.

Gandhi's Vision: Systemic Change for Human Values

Singh emphasizes that human values and freedom are not abstract but require the advancement of human economic, social, and political conditions. He aligns this with Gandhi's concept of Swaraj, Lohia's "Seven Revolutions," and Jaya Prakash Narayan's "Total Revolution." He argues that mere chanting, prayer, or spiritual rituals are insufficient; they must be accompanied by a struggle against unjust social systems, politics, and education. Gandhi's work involved not just ideological change but also systemic transformation. His actions, like striving for Hindu-Muslim unity, fighting for the rights of the "untouchables" (Harijans), and establishing decentralized economic and political systems (Khadi Village Industries, Gram Swaraj), were aimed at creating a society where human freedom could flourish. He also advocated for non-violent resistance and the concept of Trusteeship as alternatives to exploitation. Education, for Gandhi, was a means to liberation.

The Path Forward: Systemic Reform, Not Superficial Morality

Singh concludes by stating that genuine religious practice in the modern era should be free from superstitions, casteism, gender inequality, escapism, and blind adherence to tradition. He criticizes the superficial efforts to promote moral and spiritual upliftment through mere rituals and pronouncements, especially when social and economic injustices persist. He likens such efforts to "throwing ash on fire" to extinguish it, arguing that it only suppresses it. True moral upliftment requires a transformation of politics. He criticizes the politicization of morality, where politicians seek blessings from moral gurus without genuine change. Political corruption, party-hopping, and the manipulation of votes through caste, money, and coercion must be fought against. Similarly, economic, social, and cultural malpractices like adulteration, hoarding, dowry, alcoholism, untouchability, and communal hatred cannot coexist with genuine moral progress. There are no shortcuts to moral upliftment; it requires comprehensive societal change. The author emphasizes that our acceptance of the interconnectedness of human values and society will determine the respect given to these values. He concludes by listing eighteen undesirable characteristics that true religion in the modern age should eschew, as per the teachings of Kundakunda.