Rāma Rājya for Modern Governance

“Rāma Rājya is a society that experiences peace, joy and brotherhood. Its highlight is its people-centered governance. In such a society, people are responsible, there is negligible crime. Scholarship, art and culture flourish,” said Padma Bhushan Dr. M.B. Athreya, former Professor at the IIM-Kolkata and the London Business School, in his keynote address delivered at the ‘Rāma Rājya for Modern Governance’ seminar organised at the IIM Bangalore auditorium, on December 3, 2019.

Convened by Tattvāloka, the programme was intended to recapitulate the message of its ongoing ‘Onward March to Rāma Rājya’ campaign and to enthuse government, business and civil society participants to collaborate. It was supported by the Aatmalaya Academy and the Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru.

The programme began with invocatory prayers and lighting of the traditional lamp by Professor M. Jayadev, Chair, Finance and Accounting, IIM Bangalore, Dr. M.B. Athreya, Editorial Adviser, Tattvāloka and Dr. Padmaja Venkatesh , Director, Aatmalaya Academy. Professor Jayadev welcomed the audience. In his speech, infused with Sanskrit quotes from the scriptures, he introduced the topic and provided the foundation for the day’s proceedings.

True Democracy

Dr. Athreya, at the very beginning of his address, laid down the indicators of good governance. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, he said, “The ancient ideal of Rāma Rājya is one of true democracy in which the meanest citizen could be sure of swift justice.” Power in such a society is not concentrated in a few hands. Dharma is the core value of Rāma Rājya. Leaders are seen as maryādā puruṣottama. Their values of compassion, care, concern and commitment provide the ambience in which self-disciplined and devoted citizens express themselves productively and creatively.

Such a system is a most appropriate antidote to the pressing contemporary problems of climate, inequality, terrorism, wars, uncontrolled technology, etc. As a strategy for its implementation, Dr. Athreya suggested that the vision and values of Rāma Rājya be disseminated widely by incorporation in educational curriculum, training of civil servants, and by encouraging businesses to adopt the vision. Individuals, he said, can play their part by becoming citizen ambassadors of Rāma Rājya, propagating the vision and values in their social and professional networks.

The next presentation was an overview of the Rāma Rājya campaign by Rohit Viswanath, deputy editor, Tattvāloka. He took the audience through the genesis of the campaign, the six ‘Onward March to Rāma Rājya’ distinguished lectures, the eight articles on the subject published by Tattvāloka as well as the previous seminar, organised in Delhi, in collaboration with the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

Dr. Padmaja Suresh, through her special dance-demonstration, based on well-known dharma-reinstating episodes from the purāṇas and Itihāsas highlighted the fact that although much of India’s culture has been lost to time, some of the precious arts have still survived. These arts, including the dance, have all the values and ingredients to create the perfect vasudaiva kutuṁbakaṃ.

Panel Discussion

Following a tea-break, graciously hosted by IIM, and during which the audience, speakers and organisers exchanged warmth and bonded with each other, was a panel discussion chaired by Dr. Athreya.

Acharya Mahanidhi, Kulapati of Kalpatantra, a school propagating traditional knowledge of Āyurveda, Nāṭyaśāstra and other disciplines, was the first speaker in the Panel. Sanatana Dharma is eternal, he said, adding, that “Lord Krishna has promised that Dharma will never die and that He will return in case problems arise.” Only a purified mind can perceive dharma. Disciplines like Nāṭya and Āyurveda help us treat the mind. They help focus on changing oneself, eliminating mānasika vyādhis like jealousy, anger, fear and so on. They promise that once individuals change themselves, society will change automatically.

Dr. Sarada Natarajan, President, Ramana Maharshi Centre for Learning, began by reading out a poem by Prof K. Swaminathan, Director of the massive Government of India project on the complete works of Mahatma Gandhi, drawing attention to its reference to Rama as the embodiment of Love. “His Love springs from dharma. Good governance, therefore, is not painful,” she said.

She then went on to describe how art, an expression of Love, brings about Rāma Rājya. Even sorrow can be relished as a beautiful artistic expression. “Since all experience happens within, we have to connect to that within. Rama is the Self and getting back to that Rama within ourselves is our primary duty. If we do that, then His fragrance will spread all around.”

Dr. Jayaram Uparna, IIMB Young Faculty Research Chair and Assistant Professor in Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management, emphasised the need for research into Rāma Rājya. “The process of understanding Rama is very internal and a deeply personal one,” he said, adding, “Yet we are here to collectively try to assess what it means for governance. It is a grand and ambitious project.”

He described how according to the paurānic legends, the demons have, over the yugas, progressively come closer. “During satya yuga the demons were in other continents. In dvāpara, the demons were our own people and in the present kali yuga, the demons are verily within us.” Dr. Athreya added that there is need for two parallel streams --- One, academic research into Rāma Rājya; and, two, Seminars like this to bring wider awareness and commitment.

Śrī Ganesh Prasad, Senior Partner, Khaitan and Company, agreed that while there was no single definition of dharma, the best that he, as a lawyer, had come across was that dharma is a set of duties and obligations without claiming any corresponding rights. Every person has duties—eg. putra dharma, patnī dharma, mātā dharma and at the state level, citizens’ dharma. Rights, if any, associated with these, are a privilege, which may be accorded eventually.

“What we are looking really at, when we refer to Rāma Rājya, is the concept of Dharma Rājya. What is good is not what one believes is good to himself. It is that which is prescribed by the śāstras. Therefore, what is mentioned in the Veda as dharma is dharma and what is adharma is adharma.

“If we all practice the prescribed sāmānya dharma, universal obligations—of ahimsā, satya, āsteya, sauca and indriya nigraha- the rest will be taken care of,” he said. Dr. Athreya added that, “While Dharma Rājya is a valid generic term, Rāma Rājya has the magnetism of a powerful brand, with the high value of public veneration and worship of Rama, over millennia.”

The audience were well engaged in the programme and it was reflected in the sheer quality and quantum of questions they posed to the panellists, going well beyond the scheduled time, late into the evening.

***