Acharya Tulsi
Man is an active being. He is always engaged in some action or the other. Actions are of two kinds: good and bad; or meritorious and sinful. In terms of human values, they can also be defined as moral and immoral. The action which does not bind the individual, does not embroil him in anything, does not compel him to resort to cheating and manoeuvring is meritorious or moral action. The action which prevents man from looking within, entangles him and pushes him into the dark valleys of crime is sinful or immoral action. One may or may not accept the concepts of merit and sin as propounded by religion, but no one has any hesitation in regarding crime as a sinful action. That is the reason why a person given to crime does not earn goodwill of any kind.
It is usually said as a moral principle that one should hate a sin, not the sinner. One should hate crime, not the criminal. But it is found that when someone commits a crime repeatedly, he become notorious as a criminal, and at that stage, the crime and the criminal become one. From one point of view, it may as well be so, because can crime exist by itself? Only when someone indulges in evil, immoral or anti-social and anti-national activities they become criminal activities.
Why is Crime Committed?
Crime has never been socially recognised. Still, crimes have been committed in every age. But the question is: Why does someone commit a crime? Criminal mentality is born and it grows because of ignorance. This is an attitude based on the doctrine of karma. A person is drawn towards committing a crime when he does not believe or is not attracted by the idea of righteous character. This is a moral point of view. Poverty, competition and ambition push a person towards crime. This is the psychological point of view. In short, it can be concluded that too much poverty or too much prosperity provoke a person to commit a crime.
Criminal mentality is born in a social system in which some people are on the peak of prosperity and some people do not get enough to eat even after labouring day and night.
A servant of the ruler of Dholenagar (Gujarat) was pressing the legs of his master. The king fell asleep in the process. The servant removed the golden toe ring from the king's foot. The king suspected the servant, but he said nothing. The following day, the servant again pressed the legs of the king. The king pretended to be asleep. The servant tried to remove the toe ring from the other foot. The king said, "Leave at least one toe ring."
The servant was non-pulsed. His heart was full of remorse. He asked the king's forgiveness. The king said, "The fault is not yours but mine. You are getting low wages and you are not able to maintain your family. I never thought of it. My carelessness provoked you to commit the crime." It is said that after that day, the king raised the salaries of all his servants and attendants.
Who is a Criminal?
Man is not a perfect being. He has many weaknesses. He tends to be negligent. Ordinary negligence is not a crime. Similarly, someone who commits small mistakes is not a criminal. That person is a criminal who deliberately indulges in anti-social and anti-national act and even after being jailed for his crimes, does not intend turning away from that path and who, when faced with the question as to what he would do after his release from person, says that he would avoid behaving carelessly, which landed him into prison.
The person who feels no remorse for his crime or has no regard for it, and who does not feel that he should not repeat the crime which he had committed out of negligence is a confirmed criminal. Poverty, vengeance ambitions are some of the factors that give rise to the criminal mentality. As long as these factors exist, the list of criminals would grow longer and longer.
Why Does Crime Increase?
There was a time when society gave no recognition to a criminal. Accusing fingers were pointed at him. He was called malfeasant, tyrannous, violent and sinful. Even the person, who committed a crime felt ashamed because society showed disregard and disrespect towards him. He felt that he could not show his face to anyone. One of the things that has happened, in the present situation is that there is decline in pointing an accusing figure at the criminal. Society has done a tremendous harm to the criminal by showing disregard for him by taking the stand that it is none of his business if someone committed a crime. The criminal gets a free hand if there is no restriction of any kind. The matter does not end just here. Criminals are now being sheltered and supported. Crime is being 'socialised' and, 'politicised'. This is a dangerous game. Those who join this band of criminals are by no means less dangerous than suicidal squads.
A student committed a small crime. His mother, far from scolding gave him encouragement. That student did not know what was right and what was wrong. He continued committing small crime. Gradually, his fear vanished. He came to be known as a notorious criminal. He got arrested on one occasion. He was sentenced to be hanged. He behaved nastily with his mother before his execution. Some observer asked him the reason for his unusual behaviour with his mother. He said, "If my mother had not encouraged my criminal activies, I would not have been reduced to this sorry state."
Man does not proceed in a particular direction merely on his own. Encouragement and protection promote both good and bad traits in him. Ordinary encouragement can change the direction of a person’s life. When such is the case, is it surprising that a person, who gets political protection, tends to commit an effrontery? That is the reason why politics has become synonymous with crime today.
Our Parliament is the mirror of the democratic form of governance. Commissions are appointed to investigate into the government mismanagement and disorder. Charges and counter charges against the persons in power are nothing new. But our faith is rudely shaken when the big criminals are exposed with their intrigues coming to light. Do such things bring any credit to a country like India, with its spiritual background?
Matter of Our Concern
It is said that India is country with a tradition of spiritualism. Spiritual value may have dominated this land at one time. On that ground, one may talk about India in those terms. It is not my intention to say that those values are not predominant today. In my opinion, no nation is ever completely religious or completely devoid of religion. Good as well as bad things are reflected in every age. It is not as though all people are bad today. Nor would it be correct to say that all people were good in the ancient times. The tussle between the good and the bad has characterized every age. Sometimes the good dominates and sometimes the bad. Our concern today is that the evil forces are predominant in the present age.
The most important factor which has given a spurt to the evil forces is the public trend. When the people in any age turn towards materialism and comfortable living, spiritual values are eroded. The upbringing of people which is devoid of values pushes them towards acquisition of power and wealth. As people have more power and wealth, there is greater craving for physical pleasures and comforts. This is not related to any particular person. All categories of people, from the smallest to the biggest, have come under its influence. It has cast its shadow everywhere, from the slums right up to Rashtrapati Bhavan. From a beggar to the head of monastery, all are slaves of this mentality. There would be only some rare expectations who consider character more important than power and wealth. Only the people who have great faith in character and who consider it an integral part of life can become ideal human beings.
There was a time, when it was said that we must look up to Rajendra Babu, Radhakrishnan, Purushittam Das Tondon and Achary Vinoba Bhave. But who is such an ideal person before us today? Is there a dearth of such great men that with great difficulty we find just a few to count on our finger tips? If this situation continues for long, there would be no ideal men, whose examples mankind can follow.
Going Against the Current
The solution of the problems arising out of growing influence of materialism and lack of faith in good character can be found in the preaching of Mahavira. Bhagwan Mahavira said, "The person who wishes to attain something higher would have to swim against the current. [1]" It is certainly convenient to go with the current. But there is no certainty that one would reach the goal. But he who is capable of swimming against the current most certainly attains his goal.
Changing the criminal mentality means going against the current. If some people do not show that courage, the process of social and political recognition of crime would not halt. It is the aim of anuvrat to divert the human consciousness towards freedom from crime. It is our resolve to take this campaign to every human being. Other persons and organisations can also be inspired by this objective. If the people working with this objective get united and take the initiative, then it is possible to control the growing crime. But for that purpose you would have to prepare to plunge into that work and face hardships.
Assuring Health to a Diseased Society
The society and nation, in which crime is rampant, are diseased. A diseased state is never desirable. Just as a single person's illness affects the entire family, if an industrial establishment is sick, the entire business world is affected. Similarly, the sickness of a society or a nation affects the human race as a whole.
If we make a list of the diseases that make a society and a nation sick, it can be interminably long. Even if we reckon with only a few of them, the seriousness of this danger can be clearly seen. Murders, rapes, thefts, robberies, kidnappings, terrorism, war frenzy, casteism, parochialism, linguistic fanaticism, colour distinctions, economic corruption, intoxicating substances, pollution, electoral malpractices, character assassination and heaven knows what other viruses there are to pervert the human mind. Where would these perversions lead man? If there is anything lower even than the nether land, there would be nothing to prevent him reaching the level. The day these viruses are wiped out, the new sun would rise in the history of human civilisation.
The Anuvrat Fortnightly is like a small lamp to fight against the thickening darkness of mistrust, instability and faithlessness. Its power is limited. Still, it can shed light on the path as one proceeds on it step by step.
The anuvrat programme is very small, but its field is very wide. If it is put to proper use for freeing people from, crime, it is possible to arouse hope, where there is despair.
