- Sadhguru has said valuing history is essential for creating a nation's future
- Vande Mataram inspires unity and forward movement, Sadhguru has said
- He has underscored the role of inspiration to achieve Viksit Bharat by 2047
A nation that does not value its history cannot create a future for itself, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder of Isha Foundation, told NDTV's Padmaja Joshi today. Asked about the relevance of the discussion on the National Song Vande Mataram on its 150th anniversary, Sadhguru said the song is both about unification and inspiration. It is the latter quality, he said, which keeps a nation moving forward.
The two-day discussion on Vande Mataram in parliament has been severely questioned by the Congress. Its senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has said it was held in view of the upcoming assembly election in Bengal and was also a tactic to divert attention from the real issues.
Sadhguru said: "We may have intelligence, we may have competence, we may have resources, we may have an abundant amount of civilizational history, but if we are not inspired, we will not go far in this generation. This will cripple the next generation in a serious way."
This forward movement, he said, dovetails with the plan for a "Viksit Bharat" by 2047.
"I have been asking -- we call ourselves a developing country. How long we will remain developing? Somewhere, you have to become developed. At least now there is a plan by 2047. Whether we will get there full on or we will get there 80 per cent, let us see. But at least there is a plan. A plan needs an inspiration. If there is no inspiration, who will fulfill the plan?" he questioned.
Asked about how the national song can make certain sections feel alienated, Sadhguru said there are "certain ideologies which do not believe in national identity".
"So, whether you talk about communism or caliphate or khilafat as it was called, this doesn't believe in national identity. Well, it's fine. I also don't believe in national identity. I would like to be one global identity," he said.
The plan for Viksit Bharat may not be perfect, he said, pointing out that few are. But what is essential is for the whole nation to back that plan and work towards giving it shape.
Asked if the direction was correct, he responded with an emphatic yes. The proof, he said, was in two things - better health and more longevity compared to 1947.
Infrastructure development, he said, is happening at a great pace. The proof, he said, lies in the pollution that is choking the cities. "A lot of people are driving cars. That is why there's pollution. If everybody was walking, there would not be any pollution... nowhere in the world anybody is building infrastructure as fast as we are doing right now," he said.
While the situation is not perfect and needs tweaking, it does prove that the country is moving forward, he added.
"We need to understand this -- we are only 75-plus years old. Have we done as well as we should? Personally, I don't think so. But in reality, if you look at other countries, how they've done in seventy-five years, we're doing way better than that," Sadhguru added.
