[On Feb, 9, Swamiji addressed a meeting sponsored by The Tata Workers Union, on the above subject. Besides representatives and officials form different Worker’s Unions, Management members also attended the function held at the Michael John Auditorium, Bistupur, Jamshedpur. The following is a fair rendering of Swamiji’s speech.]
Dear and blessed Children of Bharat:
Harih Om Tat Sat. Let me first greet you in the name of our ancient holy Nation, of the exemplary piety and spiritual strength, Bharat has always evinced in times of crisis. Some of you may wonder as to why one, dressed in gerua, has come to address you in this Hall on a subject of your choice.
I am a citizen of our country, as all of you are. My love to the country makes me meet and talk to our people, wherever they are and whatever they do. Neither Tisco workers nor Tisco management is alien to me or to the Nation. On the other hand, both of you are vital parts of the National whole, in which I and those like me have our place too. The great National identity my heart fosters has brought me to remind you of our common heredity and privilege, along with the inspiration and compulsions they bring.
The subject for our discussion is ‘Workers’ role in the Nation’s productivity and strength’. Let us first think of what constitutes a nation, and how best the Nation can remain strong. This is a thought, which all our people should take up sooner or later. For, that alone will instil and promote the true spirit of nationalism, upon which depend solidarity and welfare of all subjects.
To begin with is a mass of land, which contains a measure and kind of natural and mineral resources. When people live there long enough utilizing these with skill and mastery, and are able to establish a tradition and culture with distinctions, which distinguish them from the rest of the world, they become a nation, strong great and reckonable. In such a nation, judged by any standards, all sections of workers are the main pillar of strength. Workers, with their unstinted exertion, alone convert land resources to useful products to serve their own and the world society. The Nation’s wealth and strength are built thereby. A nation’s contribution is not restricted to its subjects, but is extended to the entire globe. Is not he whole world one nation, viewed largely?
Management and workers are like the different parts, with their respective functions, that make our composite body. The head tops the body aggregate. All parts like hands and feet, carrying out the major part of physical functions come below. No part can function without close participation and coordination of the brain, seated in our head. Nonetheless, no superiority or inferiority between brain and the rest of body parts and their functions can be thought of. All working together, alone make the body aggregate useful and productive. Without hands, feet and other organs, is the brain useful at all? Without brain, can the other parts of body function either?
A corporate industrial body like Tisco has several functionaries. All taken together, like our own body, become the total industry, a unit in the National Corporate. The functionaries can be broadly divided into two categories workers and management. Workers will be large in number, as a rule, and management will be less, like the parts in our body and the brain above them. The question to be asked is; Do the workers realize this basic, larger, significant status of theirs? Does management too feel awake to its true place and role? Each becomes relevant and useful only in the context of the other. Left alone, neither can give effect to production. Together, acting in harmony and collaboration, the result will be enormous.
Thought and concern for the Nation can never be set aside by any one, much less by the workers of Tisco. Sanyasins and ascetics like me have our constant inspiration and ideal, because of the supreme love we have for the Nation. Ours is a country wherein even in oldest times, love for our Nation inspired people to make the greatest sacrifices. Leaving hearth and home, abandoning wealth, resorting to solitude, they steeped themselves in austerities for long. If not due to the floods of National inspiration, how could Sage Valmiki or Vyasa Dev have written such stupendous literature like Ramayana and Mahabharata, which alone stand as indestructible monuments of our Nation, its unique power and glory? Even now, while almost half of our population continues to live below poverty line, the only common heredity, from which they can derive delight, hope and inspiration, is the marvel which our Sages have produced and left as perpetual bequest. I often feel sorry that this supreme National spirit, which shone and still shines in the hearts of our Sanyasins and ascetics, is not property recognized. It is the same love for the Nation that has brought me here to be with you, in addition to the invitation your representatives heartily extended.
As citizens we are alike and have a great deal to think and share mutually. Your being industrial workers does not interfere in any way with your citizenship. If at all, it makes you more thoughtful and striving. The entire Tisco functions because of the national need for its production. In spite of the specific product each factory produces, the general contribution all alike make to fulfill the Nation’s needs and ideals is indisputable. If our economy turns adverse and Tisco’s production cannot be availed of by the people, what will be the outcome? Does this not show clearly the place of any industry in our Nation’s economy and wealth?
The worker idea should not therefore, eclipse the citizenship notion. Only as a citizen of our Motherland, any one has the right to live here, grow, get educated and be employed in any sector. The money our Governments spend to run engineering and medical colleges is enormous. Is it not a part of National revenue, which the rich and poor alike give in the form of sales tax, excise duty, income and super taxes and the rest?
The cloth a tiller of land wears is produced by cotton mill. The food a cotton mill worker eats comes from a farmer. No individual can, therefore, claim to live by what he produces himself. By virtue of life’s common needs every one has a close relationship with others. Collective efforts of all alone go to make the Nation and fulfil society’s multiple needs. No factory worker can, therefore, be negligent in his place of production, for his effort is an important contribution to the Nation’s strength and enrichment. Every one’s job is a ‘National assignment’!
In the same manner, we have to look at the mind and its motivation. The mind of man exerts best, when bestowed with right inspiration. When one begins to imbibe higher and broader attitudes, motivation naturally increases. The thought of our large nation and its continuing needs is always more inspiring than the restricting thoughts about the remuneration one gets for work. National identity far transcends a mere industrial or factory identity. This is so for any one placed in any situation.
When mind expands, its loyalties and concerns become deeper and extensive; with that inspiration increases beyond measure. Your work will no more be a matter of routine or compulsion; it will never strain you. Instead, it will be a full hearted contribution proudly given – a continuous spontaneous output. This is applicable to workers and management alike.
We have long ago shaped our great attitude towards the Motherland and hence to whatever we thought and did:
Inspiration always follows the quality and measure of mind’s emotions.
The verse means:
“O Motherland, with the deep seas on three sides for your dress, with the sky-high mountains for your breasts, you are our Divine Mother, the consort of Lord Vishnu. Kindly bear with us, for we trample on you every day.”
What a grand idea, how sublime and refining! Our spiritual and philosophical thinkers evolved this ages ago. How every act of theirs was regarded as immensely important in that light! Sri Rama went to Lanka, fought and defeated Ravana. Lanka became his. He went around to see its golden splendour. After seeing through, Rama tells Lakshmana:
This Lanka is golden, yet it does not appeal to my heart. For, one’s mother and Motherland are superior even to the highest heaven. Lakshmana was perhaps allured by the majesty and affluence he saw. Rama’s correction was timely and benign.
Imagine the strength of partriotism our Sages felt and wished to inculcate in the minds of their readers even in Treta Yuga. Only because of the love and devotion they fostered to the Motherland, their insight became lofty enabling them to write such immortal epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Everywhere in their narrations, you can notice immense strength, undaunted inspiration, supreme levels of sacrifice, which one can rise to when imbued with love for the Nation and the culture it stands for the Nation and the culture it stands for.
In our country spiritual wisdom and excellence have always won highest esteem. Between mind and body –mental wealth and material riches – for us mind and its enrichment have the superior place. Mind activates the body, not vice versa. Our society, which is even today largely poor, looks more to the strength, delight and fulfillment, which mind alone can give despite outward adversities.
Poor people are a human as the rich are, often even more. They too marry like others, beget children, getting them also married in turn. Vyasa Dev has pictured Sudama only to prove superiority of mind’s resources over body’s. Steeped in supreme devotion to the Lord, Sudama was unmindful of his abject poverty. Even when Suseela, his wife, besought him to visit Dwaraka to tell Krishna of their plight, he obliged reluctantly. But on meeting Krishna, the old classmate forgo his very purpose. His devotional ecstasy deluged all other thoughts.
For us, devotion holds immense inspiration and delight. Emotional strength, vigour and motivation, which piety bestows are enormous. With these, anything great can be achieved with joy, ease and confidence.
Hanuman too illustrates this truth through the pen of Valmiki. Moved by devotion and supreme loyalty to Lord Rama, he went up Mahendrachala. Uttering “Rama Rama”, he took a leap. Swimming across sky, he landed in remote Lanka, while all other monkeys stood back breathless with doubt and fear.
Think of Draupadi, who comes to us much later through Sage Vyasa. Her behaviour is an example for all times to come. Yudhishtira, seduced by dice, pledged his brothers first, himself next and then their wife, making them all slaves to Duryodhana. Draupadi was told of her new plight and led to the Kuru assembly, where Dussasana dragged her by hair. Withstanding the assault, refusing to yield, she cried aloud for Divine help. Contending that the already enslaved Yudhishtira had no right to pledge her, she claimed independence. Draupadi’s moral and devotional strength pulled the Divine’s hands and Dussasana’s had to retreat in fatigue, fear and humiliation. The entire assembly watched the spectacle speechlessly. More than the help sought and gained, the illustrious way in which distressed Draupadi forced it shines exemplifying devotional might and success.
My dear souls, every one of you has within you the Hanuman and Draupadi potential. External deficiencies do not constrict mind’s glory. All stand equally close to the Creator, to be recipients of His grace.
You should learn to harness your mind’s potential in the same way as Hanuman, Draupadi, Prahlada and others did. The remuneration you get every month will be spent before the next month ends. But the contribution you make sincerely to the Nation’s wealth, may be by working in Tisco or another factory, will last as a perpetual gift, greatly benefiting crores of men countless generations to come. Be creative like Hanuman, persistent like Draupadi, unyielding like Prahlada. Become examples for those around. Let love for the Nation dawn in your mind. Let the limited, impetuous notions leading to disputes and blockades recede. In place of mere employer-employee thoughts, let the welfare of our great, huge Nation, set on the path of growth and stability, motivate workers as well as management. You will then find that your daily efforts, besides ensuring the welfare of your house-hold, go to build up and strengthen the Nation – by all means a covetable multiple achievement!
Hari Om Tat Sat.
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[Reproduced from our monthly journal VICHARASETU - The path of Introspection - June 1985 ]
