Can we Work Efficiently during Adverse Conditions? Bal Gangadhar Tilak has the Answer;

 Can we Work Efficiently during Adverse Conditions?  Bal Gangadhar Tilak has the Answer;

I have taken lot of time in writing this article which is very essential for Young Generation to read and understand. In fact, I am a victim of laziness that delayed me to pursue this article. I feel guilty every night when I slip into the bed without writing this article. Many a times I cursed myself about my procrastination. Somehow, I could gather strength to write this article when the pain in my head is distracting me from pursuing any significant activity. 

Let me take you to the context of this article. The problem in the Young Generation is that, they are not interested to take "Risk" that is essential for some problems to be "Resolved" in the "Society". Take an example, why does a student join an Engineering College? The answer is quite obvious..., to get a Job in I.T industry. What can be the reasons why "Core" branch students are gratified towards "IT" jobs? The answer is simple. Coding doesn't require high amounts of hard work. The brain has to be conditioned to logical thinking and once you get the logic, the work is pleasurable... but certainly not meaningful (unless you are working on designing real time applications for social issues). You are recruited by a MNC and you will go on designing applications to increase the stock value of the MNC and subsequently support the GDP of the Parent Economy (which is not India).

Joe Biden, the Democratic President Nominee in his recent interaction with NRI's in USA said - "Indian-Americans have powered the economic growth of the US and helped forge cultural dynamism in the country...” This remark by Joe Biden is a shame to all Indians. When India has many problems to address and each problem can be seen as an opportunity to build processes and systems and restore the rich glory of India, the cream of India are choosing to join MNC complaining about the bureaucracy and lack of job or growth opportunities in India. Do you really think Europe has great opportunities? I doubt. Let's take an example of Microsoft. The US Govt., is not behind the motivation levels of Bill Gates who started Microsoft and currently employing more than 150,000 human resources throughout the world. Is the US Govt., behind the inspiration of Steve Jobs to design a PC and APPLE, which is currently employing more than 130,000 employees and managing over and above 500 retail stores in 25 countries. Like wise, there are plenty of examples such as - Elon Musk's Tesla and Space X program. By looking at the above examples, in the Europe, there is very less Govt is doing while the quantum of development is taken care by US Entrepreneurs. In India, recently, Shri Narendra Modi, the PM of India inaugurated "Atal Tunnel" whose stone was laid in the year 2002 by the then PM Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The construction of tunnel which is 9.02 kms took almost 18 years. Do you really think the construction requires 18 long years? Not necessary. Yes, the earlier Govt.'s did not prioritize the construction as they did not take "National Security" as a serious issue. However, the point is, the construction of these kind of projects can be done by private entrepreneurs. Elon Musk, who pioneered into the design of e-automobiles started a company called "The Boring Company" in order to set up a tunnel through which his e-vehicles can quickly reach the desired destination. Many ridiculed his idea of e-vehicles. But, Elon Musk felt that - "what he feels is important", he does it. The importance is not just at the individual ego level but he felt at a Global level. The heavy consumption of Diesel and Petrol is leading to harmful gases in the earth's atmosphere. Hence, alternative sources of energy should be employed to save the earth to the next generations. This is in fact the motto of Elon Musk. He knew he is upto an un-successful project. Yet, he dared to go for it. Because, he believed in his "Will_Power" to do something good to the Environment. 

Just think of how India will be if suddenly - Sundar Pichai & Satya Nadella the current supremos of Google and Microsoft respectively resign from their capacities and announce to come back to India and work actively for a start-up in the remote regions of the country. Will their job loss affect their livelihood? Will their family members fall on the street due to lack of sufficient funds? That's a joke. The mystery is - What's there in the Mind of Sundar Pichai & Satya Nadella not to think so? Are they afraid that they will lose their "Value" or "Label" in the society? Alternatively, if you see, what impact all Engineering students in India will have if they hear the news that Sundar & Satya are coming back to India to establish start-ups? I don't need ratification of the readers as I am confident that the "Young" generations will see them as inspiration and will try to associate with their work directly or in-directly remaining in India. 

When people like Elon Musk, Jack Welch, Steve Jobs, Jack Ma, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zukerberg are able to become the backbone of their Country's Economic Prosperity, what went wrong in India's Education System which resulted in Great Minds of India working as "Intelligent Machines" in MNC's? Whose fault it is? Can we say that our India's current education system is so good to develop people like Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella? I cannot comment on this! But, I believe that they have designed themselves to be "Intrapreneurs". But, why they are not turning their heads to India? Can we say that the family is at fault in nurturing their kids towards European Culture? If all those who are going abroad are chasing money, how much enough is enough? I know few of my friends staying in US who purchased a house worth 4 crores. How many hours the husband & wife who are both employed by MNC's share happiness in the Home? They lock their houses at 9 am and come back at 9 pm. So, they purchased the house for 4 crores to sleep together in the night. When they sleep and become unconscious, will they find any value in 4 crores? Just because the house has costed 4 crores, will they get good sleep or will their bonding be faithful and strong? How much investment is needed for a Start-up in India? I don't doubt the competence of my friends who has the capabilities of establishing a start-up. But, my friends like many other will not do. They persevere to be the best Indian Brains abroad. When they retire, all these Indians suddenly discover the stories in Purana's that a death in Kasi will lead to Moksha. Hence, they return back to India with heavy bank balances to India and assume the role of a "Monk who left Silicon Valley and returned to Posh Ashram Life in Villa's".  What is the use of an Idiot in the society or an intelligent Indian who cannot apply his competence towards offering technological solutions to social and environmental issues. Both are same, useless and worthless. Infact, they are a burden to India because, they come back to India and drop huge currency in real estate to artificially hike the land prices. All the agriculture lands now-a-days are being converted into real estate business houses. In the future, if USA contemplates on Nationalism to give more opportunities to its own country men, where will 44,60,000 (NRI's & PIO's population as per https://mea.gov.in/images/attach/NRIs-and-PIOs_1.pdf records) go? Will they chose another country like Singapore or Japan? When a Country thinks in the lines of Nationalist Principles, can NRI's remind themselves that they are more than a Indian by Geography but in Spirit belongs to Great Civilization which survived ages of anarchism. 

A common reader will be confused to learn that the author has not touched the main point relating to the title. But, the fact is, the author has introduced "the statement of problem" in the preceding paragraphs. The false truth that is raised by NRI's is that - India is not a place for Growth & Development. Hence, they grow in India and grow the economies of other countries. They feel that they cannot change the political structure of India which is based on religion and caste. They do not want to work in India because of lesser salaries. Hence they leave the remarks of complaints and leave India. 

Under these circumstances, it is necessary to remember how our Freedom Fighters before Gandhi have survived and sacrificed their lives to offer us Independence. I feel it is my "DUTY" to remind my fellow countrymen about the great sacrifices our patriots and Nationalist thinkers such as Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak did for India. As some of you are aware, BG Tilak ji was the first Leader of Indian National Movement. The British called him "The Father of India Unrest". Tilak was conferred the title "Lokamanya" which means - accepted by people as their Leader. Mahatma Gandhi called him, "The Maker of Modern India."  I request the readers to take time and read more about Tilak ji and his contributions to India's Independence. But, here, I am more interested to highlight the conditions of BG Tilak ji life while he was imprisoned at Mandalay. As some of you are aware, Tilak Ji was falsely charged under sedition grounds for 6 years. On being asked by the judge whether he had anything to say, Tilak ji said:

"All that I wish to say is that, in spite of the verdict of the jury, I still maintain that I am innocent. There are higher powers that rule the destinies of men and nations; and I think, it may be the will of Providence that the cause I represent may be benefited more by my suffering than by my pen and tongue." Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal_Gangadhar_Tilak#Imprisonment_in_Mandalay, retrieved dated 16th October, 2020.

Can Lokmanya BG Tilak ji wrote anything about his life for 6 years in Mandalay Jail? No. Never. I tried to verify for any material on his life in Jail. But, I didn't get. What's so special about his Jail Life. There were many before and after Tilak ji who underwent horrible tortures in Jail. Did Tilak ji experienced any miracles of having "Darshan" of any God as Sri Aurobindo did? 

For British Administration and common men, the jail life for Indian Freedom Fighters is nothing but experiencing HELL ON EARTH. But, for those Freedom Fighters such as Lokmanya BG Tilak, Aurobindo, Subhash Chandra Bose, Lala Laljpat Rai and many more, GOING TO JAIL IS VISITING A SACRED PILGRIMAGE CENTER. These Great Souls of India had turned the Jail life as the most Divine, Blissful and Mindful life. If you can afford to travel the best places in the world, I strongly recommend all readers to visit Mandalay Jail (located in Mayanmar, earlier called Burma) Alipore Jail and Kalapani Jail (Cellular Jail, located in Andaman Nicobar Islands). 

Image 1: Sri Aurobindo spent 1 full year jail term (May 1908 - May 1909) in Alipore Jail, Kolkata 

Image 2: Sri BG Tilak spent 6 year jail term (1908 - 1914) in Mandalay, Myanmar

Image 3: Sri VD Savarkar spent 50 years jail term (24/12/1910 to 23/12/1960) in Cellular Jail, Andaman

Please look at the images above. Can you imagine what kind of mindset people will develop over a period of time while staying in Mandalay Jail? Can any one "think" at a highest degree of human evolution by spending jail term for 6 years? Let me share with you Babu Subhas Chandra Bose narration on Mandalay Jail and how B.G Tilak spent his time in the jail!

The climate of Mandalay according to S.C. Bose was unhealthy and unfavorable to a degree - In summer, the place was a veritable furnace. The wooden palisading afforded no protection either from the heart or from the glare and the tiles overhead only aggravated our discomfort. Dust Storms were frequent during that season and heat and dust made a good combination in order to heighten our physical suffering. In winter the cold was bitter. The wooden bars again failed to shut out the cold and biting blast. During the rains the rooms used to be flooded periodically. The rain was driven in by the wind from all directions and the roof used to leak. Often at mid-night jail-mates used to be roused by a sensation of wetness and had to spend a good few hours in pulling cots from one place to another, in trying to protect books and other belongings from getting soaked and in endeavoring to clear the room of the accumulated water. In a word, the inmates of that building were entirely at the mercy of the elements.

Summer was the longest season. The heat was simply schorching. Wet towels wrapped round one's person would dry up in no time. Till mid-night the air would be hot and the place would be so close and stuffy that sleep would be impossible. In the early hours of the morning the temperature would sometimes drop suddenly and would get up in the morning with cold and cough. Hardly any one of us escaped repeated attacks of sore-throat, cold and influenza. The atmosphere was so depressing that one would feel overcome with a feeling of lassitude and sustained intellectual work in that atmosphere was well nigh impossible.

S.C. Bose who also spent couple of years in the same jail thought - "How in these circumstances Lokamanya could go in for prolonged intellectual work for over five years. Only one who had attained complete self-mastery, who was altogether indifferent to pleasure and pain and heat and cold could rise above such dismal surroundings. Lokamanya was all alone in that horrid cage-the only society that he could get was the none too desirable company of the Jail Officials whenever they dropped in. Even the ordinary prisoners of the jail were not allowed to associate with him. Consequently he would have to be immersed in his books or in his thoughts all the time."

S.C. Bose mentioned - "I confess that not till I was thrust inside the stone-walls of Mandalay Jail did the magnitude of his (B.G. Tilak) greatness reveal itself to me. I had the privilege of living for two years under the shadow of that wooden cage-it was not a masonic building - where Lokamanya Tilak lived in complete isolation for nearly six years. And until one has lived in Mandalay Jail for some time it is not possible to realize the soul killing atmosphere and the inhuman conditions to which Lokamanya had been subjected during his incarceration. Words fail to express the greatness of one who could come out of this ordeal triumphant whose soul could break through the parched stones of Mandalay Jail and blossom forth in richness and grandeur. Lokmanya alone could rise above such dismal surroundings and convert the dark and dreary hours into one long tapasya, the consummation of which manifested itself in his sublime creation "GITA-RAHASYAM".

Summary:

The title "Can we work efficiently during adverse conditions" is something highly relevant during current times. Youth of India should look back to our National Leaders who took every Adverse Condition as an Opportunity to reveal their True Identity. The Soul inside us is very powerful, the body is the hindrance to its Power. Once, we leave the bodily pleasures and remain silent, the soul will naturally invoked. The process of unleashing begins and transformation happens. 

Long Live Bharat! Long Live Sanatana Dharma!

Image sources: 

1. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sriaurobindoinstitute.org%2Fsaioc%2FSri_Aurobindo%2Fcalcutta%2Fprison_cell_alipore_presidency_jail&psig=AOvVaw1b-6gDeAnevsnjoOtj58XD&ust=1603039331586000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCKidn4KJvOwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

2. https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Ftimesofindia.indiatimes.com%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-77123806%2Cwidth-1200%2Cheight-900%2Cresizemode-4%2F.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Ftimesofindia.indiatimes.com%2Findia%2Fvice-president-pm-pay-tributes-to-bal-gangadhar-tilak-chandrashekhar-azad-on-their-birth-anniversary%2Farticleshow%2F77123759.cms&tbnid=Rt0MYHVRTK5yQM&vet=12ahUKEwiLnvHniLzsAhVpjUsFHTkeBxcQMyg4egQIARAk..i&docid=LClcFcRVDw-6ZM&w=1200&h=900&itg=1&q=when%20did%20bg%20tilak%20went%20to%20mandalay%20jail&hl=en&safe=active&ved=2ahUKEwiLnvHniLzsAhVpjUsFHTkeBxcQMyg4egQIARAk

3. https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.myindiamyglory.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FVeer-Savarkar.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.myindiamyglory.com%2F2019%2F09%2F09%2Fprison-years-of-veer-savarkar-in-andaman-cellular-jail-an-ignored-saga%2F&tbnid=JwSZ9xlbYbPHGM&vet=12ahUKEwiuzZ-9ibzsAhXxhUsFHV5YAY4QMygAegQIARB-..i&docid=i5OdRuU4eVeLuM&w=600&h=315&q=sarvarkar%20jail%20in%20cellular%20&hl=en&safe=active&ved=2ahUKEwiuzZ-9ibzsAhXxhUsFHV5YAY4QMygAegQIARB-

4. Mention by S.C Bose from Reminiscences and Anecdotes of Lokamanya Tilak, Edited by S.V. Bapat, Page No. 178 & 204-209.