PATRIOTISM, NATIONALISM AND INTERNATIONALISM

PATRIOTISM, NATIONALISM AND INTERNATIONALISM

 (By Acharya P.T. Dharmadev Vidyamartand ji)

What is the difference between patriotism, nationalism and internationalism? What is their respective relevance and what should one opt for and why? What have the vedas to say about this issue'?

Yogi Sri Aurobindo has, in one of his writings made a fine distinction among the above three. According to him, to love the country in which you are born and be prepared to sacrifice everything for it and to channelize all your energy for the uplift of its people, is patriotism.

Nationalism also implies love for the country but with a little difference; that is, in this you are likely to be over-zealous and also aggressive and do not mind protecting and furthering its interests at the expense of others. While pure patriotism is praiseworthy, aggressive nationalism spreads intolerance, falsehood and hatred and may also involve injustice and violence. (Hitler’s aggressive nationalism may be cited as an example).

Commenting on this subject, Sri Aurobindo says in his book Nationalism 1923);

"We have felt its iron grip at the root of our life and for the sake of humanity we must stand up and give warning to all that this nationalism is a cruel epidemic of evil that is sweeping aver the human world of the present age and eating into its moral vitality.”

Internationalism means loving other countries of the world as your own. It also involves working towards the concept of one government which is still the humanity’s dream.

Says Yogi Sri Aurobindo about its "Internationalism is the attempt of the human mind and life to grow out of the national idea and form and even in a way; to destroy it in the interest of the larger synthesis.

‘The unity of the human race can only be secured and can only be made real if the religion of humanity which is at present the highest active ideal of mankind, spiritualizes itself and becomes the general inner law of human life.

"A religion of humanity means the growing realization that there is a secret Spirit, a Divine Reality, in which we are all one, the humanity is its highest present vehicle on earth. By its growth within us, oneness with our fellow men will become the leading principle of all our life; not, merely a principle of cooperation but a deeper brotherhood, a real and an inner sense of unity and equality and common life. "

And here are former President Dr Radha Krishnan’s comments on this subject:

"Interdependence of nations is the supreme factor today and there is no doubt that the world is moving towards the idea of a unified authority. "

The United Nations Organisation was set up with the long-term objective of gradually moving towards the realization of One World Government but even after several years of its formation, it still remains a distant goal.  Lack of mutual understanding and trust among the member nations, groupism and conflicting goals may be cited as some of the causes of its virtual failure though it did succeed at times to defuse tension.

As the vedic teachings are based on the principles of peace, justice and universal brotherhood, it is obvious for them to support only patriotism and internationalism and the nationalism (as it is understood and defined in the light of history) is out of their reckoning.

Patriotism and Vedas :

Pure patriotism (as defined by Sri Aurobindo) finds its expression in several mantras in the vedas

Says Atharveda :-

(This Earth is my mother and I am her son).

The word "mother" has also been used for the earth (motherland) in the following vedic mantra:

 (I have adopted this earth as my mother; let it also adopt me as her son)

 (O Mother, may I never do anything Which may ever hurt or offend thee;)

Obviously if you truly love your country (as you would your mother), you can not do anything which hurts her; i.e., which brings a bad name to her or put her to embarrassment or shame. lt is understood mother cannot cause any harm to her son.

The same spirit of patriotism is reflected in the following prayer in the Yajurveda: (22. l2) which puts before us the concept of an ideal motherland:

 ( May the Brahmins be full of divine splendor and the kshatriyas of valour true; let them also be skilled in the use of weaponry; let the vaishyas possess cows and buffaloes; and  let women be intelligent too! Let there be timely rains and let the herbs get ripe in time!  Let everyone tread the path Of progress and prosperity)

It is in the same spirit of patriotism that another prayer is offered to the Motherland herself :—

 (In this mantra, Motherland has been invoked for her blessings so that we remain physically fit and healthy, acquire knowledge, consume goods produced indigenously, and be always ready to sacrifice even our lives for her)

What better evidence of patriotism than these genuine and passionate prayers in the vedas for the welfare of all the four varnas of the society and also for the mercy of the Nature, consumption of indigenous goods, physical fitness, cultivation of values like truth, production of wealth including food grains, medicinal herbs, fruits and vegetables in the motherland?

And to such a motherland are offered salutations and our heads bow down to her in awe and reverence :-

lt is repeatedly said in the vedas that the thoughtful, the wise and the knowledgeable persons (who have been described as “Marutaaha swarkaah maryaha stotaaraha and ritwijaha) do their best for their motherland :-

 (Through their good deeds let them work for the reputation and honor of their motherland)

Even others (i.e., the ordinary persons) should join them in the service of the motherland.

 Says Rigveda :-

 (Serve the Motherland with all your heart)

An assurance to dedicate ourselves to the service of the motherland and, if need be, even to sacrifice our lives for it has been given in Atherveda  :-

Here is the pledge we are made to take to always speak well of our motherland:

 (Wherever l may live - in a village, a forest or a battlefield, let me always speak well of my motherland) - Atharveda 12.1.56)

Preserving of the honor and integrity of our motherland is our first and foremost duty and we should not mind even using force to thwart the evil intentions of the aggressors.

Says Atharveda(12. 1. 14) :-

Internationalism and Vedas :

India with its motto of "VASUDHAIVKUTUMBAKAM" is the pioneer in this respect.

As pointed out earlier, vedas want us to look at all people with a friendly eye and want others also to look at us the same way.

ln another mantra from the Atharveda ( 3.30,50) God says:

 (Love each other as two bullocks yoked together and working shoulder to shoulder to achieve common objective. Uttering sweet words to each other, let your hearts be united.")

Krinvanto Vishwam Aryam : Make the whole World Noble.

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Aryavarta - Original Habitat Of Aryas - Swami Vidyanand Saraswati [ENGLISH]

Aryavarta - Original Habitat Of Aryas

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How nutritious is the egg? - A. Srinivasa Murthy

NUTRITION - Recent studies challenge the popular belief that eggs are highly nutritious -  A case against the consumption of eggs.

Is egg vegetarian or non-vegetarian is not a question more important than whether it is good or bad.Let us dwell upon this latter question, obviously to address ourselves to former.

The egg consumption in India during 1950s was about five million. In 1996 it is about 10 billion according to official ` statistics. What caused this phenomenal increase in egg consumption (36 per cent) in a society which is predominantly vegetarian?

The ’credit’ must undoubtedly go to the sustained high pressure advertisements in the media through the patronage of National Egg Co-ordination Committee, the apex body of poultry business.

Almost all the leading periodicals, magazines (except, of course science journals) both in English and vernacular languages have come out with colorful advertisements extolling the ’quality’ of eggs as the ’multi-vitamin capsule', "mummy’s best choice for the computer conscious child" etc.,
(In fact, there is no direct relationship between a particular food stuff and a particular body function). The propaganda has to a great brain-washed consumers to believe that egg is the best food now available.

Let us now examine, with the help of recent findings/ studies in the field of medicine and nutritional science, how much substance is there in these advertisements.

A typical advertisement on egg in any leading magazine says that it is very nutritious, rich in minerals, vitamins and protein, that it is a multivitamin capsule containing Vitamin ’A’, ’B’ and 'D’ and all that. This claim is a half-truth and is distorted also.

The fact is that egg can be taken mainly as a source of protein and not of vitamins. But the advertisement creates an impression that egg contains all nutrients that a human body needs, irrespective of age. In nature no single item of food contains all the nutrients. It must be gathered with wide variety of food stuffs which include carbohydrate sources, protein sources and some vitamin & mineral sources. So a judicious combination is a palatable balanced food.

Coming to the nutritional value of egg, it contains per 100 gms. wt. about 13.6 percent of protein, 13.3 per cent of saturated fat as against any dhal (pulses) traditionally used m Indian household, which contains 24 percent of protein, 1.3 per cent of unsaturated fat etc. Egg cannot be considered as a main source of protein which is essential for growth.

Secondly the claim about eggs as a vitamin source is also false and the functional role of vitamins mentioned in the advertisement is also similarly wrong and misleading. An egg contains about 1200 LU. of vitamin ’A’ as against 8,000 to 10,000 I.U. in drumstick leaves and 10,000 to 12,000 l.U. in coriander leaves which are not only cheap but contain other nutrients also. Vitamin A is sufficiently available in all leafy vegetables and carrots in the pure natural form known as beta carotene.

About Vitamin ’D’, the claim in the  advertisement is again misleading. Vitamin 'D’ is normally manufactured by the fat in our body under the skin with the help of sunlight, which is so abundant(Thanks to Surya Deva) in our country. There is no necessity of gulping this vitamin through food on payment.

The advertisement on egg is again false about Vitamin ‘B’ which is an essential water soluble substance required for nervous system to sustain. This Vitamin is a complex group consisting of Vitamin ‘B’ to Vitamin B6-B12 which are normally found in cereals and certain vegetables. This complex vitamin is found in Egg only in microscopic traces and the proportionis to be treated as nil.

Fermented food like dosa and idly provide ample Vitamin B group - An egg now costing around 3-5 rupee is much costlier than pulses and vegetables for the quantity of nutrients available and hence commercially not viable and not preferable to harmless alternative in pulses free from saturated fat and cholesterol.

What is strikingly significant in the advertisement (normal food stuffs do not require any advertisement) about the egg is the complete and deliberate suppression of facts that classify egg as a very harmful food stuff.

Each egg weighing about 100 gms contains about 450 to 500 mg of cholesterol, a dangerously large quantity, a substance conclusively proved as responsible for heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases (for comparison : the Quantity of cholesterol in one cup of milk is 5 mg/ 100 mg., in meat around 125 mg. and in brain & lever around 1000 mg).

According to a number of studies conducted recently, consumption of each egg adds about 5 mg of cholesterol into the blood.

It is medically established that cholesterol in excess of 250 mg. in our system will predispose cardiovascular disease leading to heart attacks and strokes. Thus regular consumption of egg as recommended in the advertisement is fraught with danger and will certainly be detrimental to one’s health. As a matter of fact egg is to be completely excluded from the diet of middle aged and elderly people.

lt is not just this. The saturated fat in egg in large quantity, almost equal to that of its protein will provide a strong base for the cholesterol to deposit in the arteries. One of the most valuable discovery is the role of an amino acid called methlonine in promoting heart disease and which destroys Vitamin in our body. This is found in egg like meat.

These vitamins are fat soluble and hence in excess. If consumed, these are not removed from the body but retained to cause many harmful side effects. Excess consumption of Vitamin D (this becomes excess if consumed through food regularly as it is manufactured in the body by the incidence of sunlight) will cause kidney and bladder stones by crystallizing calcium which becomes again excess due to milk consumption and interaction with uric acid. However, consumption of Vitamin A in its pure form through leafy vegetables becomes limited to the body’s needs due to its bulk.

Again, each egg has about 25,000 to 30,000 micropores on its outer shell for oxygen transportation to the embryo. This serves as inlets to the microbes that contaminate it if stored in open at a temperature above 30 degrees. So, egg becomes unfit for consumption within 48 hours of storage if not stored in the refrigerators. We know how egg is now being stored and sold in our cities and towns.

There is yet another important observation about egg which makes it unsuitable for regular consumption. That is about its carbohydrate and fiber factors. Carbohydrate is the fuel in food and it is essential to any staple food to produce energy. Since egg does not contain carbohydrate and hence does not contribute to produce enough calorific value for sustenance and stamina as compared to cereals and pulses. (100 gms of ground nuts  = 549 calories, 1 egg = 170 calories.)

Besides all these inherent drawbacks and defects that brands egg as a harmful food, there are many more dangerous aspects involved in its mass production due to factory farming of poultry birds.

In almost all modern poultry farms employing broillers, hens are given large quantities of antibiotics, harmones and tranquillisers in their feed to ward off animal diseases which are easily transmitted to humans and to make the birds lay more eggs, to increase their weight and to prevent them from fighting when stacked in a congested enclosures of artificial lighting.

Particularly the antibiotic gentamycin which is widely used in poultry feed is transmitted in traces into the egg is known to damage kidnet filters. It is established that gentamycin is a branded nephrotoxin ,that damage our kidneys.

Acknowledgement :

Article Courtesy : Deccan Herald - 23/3/1996

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