Vasudaiva Kutumbakam… :April 2023

 

India has taken up the responsibility of presidentship for the G20 summit for the year 2023. This is a premier forum intended for International economic cooperation. It plays an important role in shaping the governance on all major international economic issues. Being the biggest democracy and home to 1.4 billion people India befits the role in more ways than one, though the responsibility comes to every one of the member countries by rotation. The logo for this year’s summit is Vasudaiva Kutumbakam, One earth, One family, One future. As one of the oldest surviving civilizations of the world and a country with a rich plurality, this message is not another jargon but one that comes from India’s vast civilizational experience. This message is also the one which is the need of the hour. We demonstrated this message through our action during Covid Pandemic crisis, with our Vaccine diplomacy. The Logo and the Theme together convey this much needed message in a powerful manner.  They represent the Indian Vedantic ideal of living in Harmony with the Nature and fellow beings.

While we gear ourselves to celebrate the humanity with measures that can sustain and foster happiness for all, we do hear some detestable voices in some parts of our country. In the last couple of months there is a rise in the voice against the migrant workers in Tamilnadu. This is not just against the ethos of our plural culture but also against the Constitution. Our constitution Guarantees safety to each and every citizen through its article 19 (1)(e) which says that every citizen of India has the right to reside and settle in any part of India. The hue and cry is not just against the people who are in the white collar job, but also against the poor workers who migrate to other parts of India for their survival. These protests completely hide the fact that there is very minimal workforce available in the state. The business community is forced to seek the workforce from other parts of the country. No one would prefer to employ a labour who is not conversant with the local language. But in spite of hardships faced in the working environment, the migrant workers quickly adapt to the new circumstances, learning the local language, and bridging the gap between them and their employer. The same vested interests who protest now will be mute when the issue of illegal immigrants is raised. For them an illegal immigrant, who is inimical to the sovereignty of our nation is more acceptable than their own countrymen. The abhorrent voices raised just in time when we gear ourselves up to deliver the Universal Brotherhood message to the world from a responsible position is not a mere coincidence. This only shows that the path ahead in our journey towards the ideal is full of challenges. The strength of falsehood lies in its power to propagate, while the strength of truth is inherent in its message. Satyam Eva Jayate.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         V.V.Balasubramanian.

                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                   YB-ET