Yesterday, I watched the movie "Kesari" and that forced me to think about why some people develop so much hatred to kill thousands of people. For some, even killing a mosquito who is sucking our blood may be difficult, and some carry our genocide. What makes them disconnect that much from fellow human beings? How much these human beings must be suffering internally within that close space, inside which the cries of thousands of human beings do not reach their ears. Why did Indians support the British officers in their exploitative and inhuman behaviour against their fellow Indians?
There may be many psychological explanations for this. In fact, the movie has tried to demonstrate one such possible explanation: Dyer was bullied very badly in his childhood by his Indian colleagues due to his stammering. However, so many kids are bullied in their childhood, yet they do not turn into monsters. Turning into monsters requires complete disconnection from life, uninterrupted powers, and the absence of checks and balances. All these elements were present at the time of Dyer as well as Hitler. While the last two are the result of imperfect political systems, I would like to discuss the first.
Why do some people get so disconnected from life? Or is it so that all of us are equally disconnected from life, and the ones who get absolute power turn into demons? We have to ask if we get absolute powers today, would we turn into demons like Dyer and Hitler? If not, why? Why have none of the Indian rulers been that brutal to go abroad and kill thousands of people for no reason? Indian rulers have waged war and also killed the soldiers of their opponents in the war. In fact, Rama waged a war against Ravana and killed Ravana and his family members, along with the soldiers. Krishna helped Arjuna kill the Kauravas. Many Indian emperors waged war to expand their kingdoms. But there would be very rare examples of some India killing innocent persons for no reason, like Dyer and Hitler. That is because Indian philosophy is deeply rooted in "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," which means the entire world is our family, and why would somebody kill their own family members? At the same time, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Krishna tells Arjuna to kill his own family members. The actions are guided by "love for the entire humanity," which is based on "universal connection" or "oneness," and if some human beings are trying to destroy that oneness, like the Kauravas, they are to be killed even if they are family members.
Thus, the "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" is not based on blood relationship, but rather a deep inner connection with all human beings. And if some human beings try to destroy that connection due to their "self-centeredness," they are not part of this Kutumb. That's why Vibhishana is a hero of Ramayana despite telling Rama the secrets of the death of his brother Ravana. Arjuna is the hero of Mahabharata despite killing his cousins. It is because their actions are guided by "love for the entire humanity". For the larger good, action has to be taken against the people who have become "self-centric" and their "self-centricity" is dangerous for the "larger Kutumb". I feel that the world will have to take this lesson from the indian scriptures if the whole of humanity has to grow and prosper as a whole. Some cultures have a very "limited mindset" that promotes their members to exploit the people of other cultures and treat them as animals. How can somebody write "Dogs and Indians are not allowed"? That means such culture is way far away from the understanding of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" and in the absence of such understanding of the reality, the incidents like "Jaliawala Bagh" and "Nazi concentration camps" are bound to happen.
The other question is why Indians supported the Britishers in their exploitation and torture of the freedom fighters. I feel that Swami Vivekananda has answered this a long time ago. "Strength is life and weakness is death". Why would a freedom fighter not bother about the torture and killing of himself and his family members? It is because he has connected internally, and due to that inner connection, he values "freedom" over his life. He can bear the physical torture, but not the torture of his soul, by staying silent when his fellow human beings are being tortured. The weak people kill their souls for the material pleasures because their inner connection is not strong enough to bear the physical torture. While a majority of the people had sympathy with the freedom fighters, some were so disconnected internally that they became tools in the hands of the British.
I feel it is the first and foremost duty of all parents and society at large to help kids connect to that inner self. Only when they are so connected will they take a stand for justice and freedom. Any division between "us" and "them" will eventually lead to disasters like "Jaliawala Bagh". We have to tell kids to "cooperate" and "co-create" rather than "compete". "Love" and not "selfishness" has to be the foundation of their existence. Unfortunately, "Love" can not be preached. Kids observe, and if parents have "love" as the foundation of their lives, they emulate the same without effort. Anybody who has "love" as the foundation of his existence would love fellow human beings, have compassion, love exploration, and love the work at hand. "Love" does not mean possession, which is a very different phenomenon. A weak person seeks support, and that's why they want to possess in the name of "love". "Love" needs an inner connection that gives strength to sacrifice. If we fail to spread "love" in the lives of our kids, we are forcing them into a world of fears, insecurities, hatred, and violence. However, "I can't love others unless I love myself". That's why the first requirement is to connect the kids to their inner self.
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