VALUE CRISIS – ISSUES AND PRACTICES

Excessive overplaying of materialistic values and subsequent downplaying of all other human values, often seen as roadblocks on the path leading to success has lead to value crisis in the contemporary Indian society. Our upbringing and en-culturation has trained us for a single minded pursuit – attainment of personal happiness and gratification. Success is synonymous to unrestricted enjoyment of materialistic & sensuous pleasure and fulfillment of unlimited worldly desires. Our life has been transformed into a consumerist haven. We have lost faith in ideology of ‘simple living and high thinking’ and the slogan of the day has taken a new shape and form altogether “higher the amount of consumption better is the quality of life”. With the rise of isms such as selfish individualism, consumerism, materialism, candidly speaking our society has turned into a mere numerical collection of consumers who are devoid of all the finer senses that ought to exist in a true human being. We always question ourselves “what is in it for me?” the sole aim of all our striving’s at the individual level is personal well being. The concept of common good has taken a back seat in our society. Steep rise in our right consciousness with a steeper decline in our duty consciousness has contributed 8 effectively towards the societal decay and disintegration. We have a tendency to adopt a double standard of judgement “a much higher one for others and a much lower for ourselves”. We over the period of time have adroitly mastered the art of concealing our own faults. But surprisingly enough even the minor mistakes committed by others do not escape our censorious scrutiny. It has become quite an accepted fact that thoughts, words and action may not have any parity with each other. That is why we often encounter certain cases where we see people speaking of high ideals and morals in life, exhorting us to follow the path shown by ‘sant-mahatmas’ and the very same person stooping much below his dignity to satisfy his hunger for name, fame, and power. It is a known fact that virtue has been divorced from the education system long back. Stamp or degrees from a prestigious institution is sufficient enough to successfully place you among the empowered section of the society. Ethics, values, integrity of character, aesthetic sensibilities are no more counted as the hallmark of a good human being. However there are some people who refuse to submerge themselves in this trend. Their growing respectability and preference for integrity of personality and possession of a sound mental health makes them stand out in the crowd. However it is painstaking to register that these kind of people are often castigated and penalized for no fault of their own because their ethicality is not for sale. People who are emotionally immature to handle power and position find it very difficult to fight their sense of uprightness and righteousness. So the best available solution to the problem is to suppress their voice, by making use of all sorts of odd means. I guess they successfully manage to do so because man is no more an end in himself he is only a means to an end. Each one of us at some point of time or the other has encouraged venality, demoralization, and dishonesty that is evident in and around us citing the excuse that “situation demanded me to make compromise”. But when this knavery happens with us, when my dear ones are adversely affected by the viciousness and vileness of others we raise a hue and cry. We often tend to forget that the rights of one can only be preserved when others perform their duty.