Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has put forward important thoughts in a conversation with NDTV’s Padmaja Joshi today. He said in clear words that a nation which does not give importance to its history cannot create a future for itself.
Speaking in the context of the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram, Sadhguru described the song as essential for both ‘unification and inspiration’, and stressed that it is these qualities that propel any nation towards success.
Congress’s opposition and need for inspiration
Congress has expressed strong objection to the two-day discussion on Vande Mataram in Parliament. Senior party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has said that it was organized in view of the upcoming assembly elections in Bengal and it was also a ploy to divert attention from the real issues.
Sadhguru responded by saying that we can have intelligence, we can have ability. We may have resources. We may have a history of civilization. But if we are not motivated, we will not be able to progress much in this generation. This will seriously cripple the next generation.
Developed India and pace of development
He said that this forward momentum is in line with the plan of ‘Developed India’ by 2047. He asked that for how long will we remain developing? Somewhere, you have to evolve. At least now there is a plan till 2047. A plan requires inspiration. If there is no inspiration, then who will complete the plan?
National identity and worldview
When asked how the national song can make some sections feel alienated, Sadhguru said that there are some ideologies that do not believe in national identity.
He said, “So, whether you talk about communism or caliphate, it does not believe in national identity. Well, that is fine. I also do not believe in national identity. I want to have a global identity,” he said.
He also said that the plan for a developed India may not be perfect, but it is important that the entire country supports this plan and works to give it a concrete shape.
Rapid development and future direction
Sadhguru confirmed that the direction was right and said that the proof of this lies in two things – better health and longer life compared to 1947. He said that the development of infrastructure is happening very fast. He said that the proof of this is the pollution prevalent in cities. He said, “Too many people are driving cars. That’s why there is pollution. If everyone walked, there would be no pollution. Nowhere in the world is anyone building infrastructure as fast as we are doing it now.”
Sadhguru concluded, “What we need to understand is – we are just over 75 years old… If you look at other countries, how they have performed in the last 75 years, we are doing much better.”