According to Indian philosophy an individual having attained the highest level of consciousness feels one with the universe. It is pleasant to hear, speak, read and write about it, but it is very difficult to attain this state of mind that elevates one to divinity. The propounder of the philosophy of Integrated Humanism, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya was one such great person. Panditji was very kind and full of human virtues right from a tender age. Once at the age of about twelve years he went to buy vegetables in the market and paid a 25 paisa coin to the green vendor who was an old woman. On way back home he found that the coin that he paid to the woman was fake. He rushed back and after apologizing to the woman replaced the coin by a genuine one.
Great souls never allow anyone to suffer on their account even if it may cause any amount of suffering to themselves. It is for his high human virtues that Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherji loved him so much. Panditji was possessed of a razor-edged intellect, but this alone cannot make one great. It needs a perfect blend of clean heart and sharp intellect to work for welfare of humankind. Though a voracious reader, Panditji was not merely a bookworm. Bookish knowledge does not help much a person who has no wisdom and insight. Pandit Upadhyaya was an original thinker having vast knowledge of subjects ranging from religion to economics, sociology etc. He was as great a litterateur as he was an ideal politician. He wrote a play Chandragupta in a single sitting. The play shows his deep concern about security of the borders and unification of the politics.
Panditji advocated development based on Indian philosophy. He said, ‘We had taken pride in resisting Things-British while They (Britishers) ruled us, but strangely enough, now that the Britishers have left, Westernization has become synonymous with Progress’. He said, ‘Western Science and Western Ways of life are two different things. Whereas Western Science is Universal and must be absorbed by us if we wish to go forward, the same is not true about the Western Ways of life and values’. ‘Independence’, he believed, ‘can be meaningful only if it becomes instrument for expression of our Culture’.
Panditji said that one single consciousness pervades the universe. We are in all; and all are in us. A man is not merely a body but also mind, intellect and soul. For total happiness, Panditji said, integrated development of body, mind, intellect and soul is necessary.
Panditji advocated furthering of the Indian thought of manifestation of oneness of all the different forms and unity in diversity. At Kojhikod, where our National Executive is going to be held, while addressing a gathering of thousands of workers 50 years ago Panditji had said that we are not committed to any particular community or section but to service of entire nation. Every Indian is the blood of our blood and marrow of our marrow. We will not rest in peace till we succeed in giving a sense of pride to every Indian and they are progenies of Bharat Mata.
It gives me satisfaction that in last 11-12 years we have been able to formulate and implement the schemes and programmes in consonance with philosophy of Pandit Upadhyaya in Madhya Pradesh. He said that progress of the nation will not be assessed by the status of the person on the highest rung but by that of the one in the lowest rung.
We have worked for betterment of all sections of society particularly those who had been left out from benefits of development. We took effective measures for welfare of weakest of the weak including counpounders of Ayurvedic dispensaries, domestic helf, part time clerks of schools, sanitary workers, landless Kotwars, Anganwadi workers, Anganwadi Assistants, Home Guards, Hammals, Tulawatis, daily wagers, aged labourers, , Gumtiwalas, hawkers, farmless labourers etc. Our efforts to bring them on a better footing would continue.
Let us re-dedicate ourselves to the cause of the weaker and down trodden sections of society drawing inspiration from life and deeds of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya on his birth centenary year. Let us have empathy with the universe and one and all. This would be a true tribute to him. (From the blog of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan)