THE NEED FOR CREATIVE LEADERSHIP IN INDIA

 
Throughout the hoary ages of the past, India has played the most prominent part in shaping the spiritual history of humanity. She has been a home of Avatars, Prophets, Masters, seers and sages, whose contribution to the spiritual evolution of humanity has been unparalleled.

The contribution of India to the solution of mundane problems has also been remarkable, since she has produced scientists, poets, philosophers, emperors, leaders and statesmen of the first order. In the past, India has attained eminence in spiritual as well as mundane spheres of life; and her place in the post-war New World of the future is going to be unique.

The problems which India has to face today are, in some ways, more complicated than the problems which any other country is called upon to solve. Men of all races, creeds, cults and religions have found a home in India; and if this lack of uniformity in composition has presented some difficulties in arriving at solidarity and concerted action in the national life of India, it must in no way be looked upon as a pure handicap.

The various streams of culture which have poured into the life-history of India have added to the wealth of her national personality; and they have not only created a suitable opportunity for arriving at a new cultural synthesis, but have necessitated its emergence. If handled with creative leadership, the presence of conflicting elements in Indian life can be utilized for bringing into existence a rich world-culture, which shall not only rejuvenate and harmonize Indian life, but will also give a new tone to the life of the whole world.

The process by which we arrive at the new world-culture cannot be purely mechanical. We can never have any vigorous world-culture by merely piling together certain isolated elements selected from the present diversity of culture; that way we shall only succeed in getting a patchwork of little vitality. A hodgepodge of collected ideas can never be a substitute for a direct and fresh perception of the Goal. The new world-culture will have to emerge from an integral vision of the Truth independently of existing traditions and not from the laborious process of selection and compilation of conserved values.

The new world-culture which will emerge from integral vision will, however, automatically bring about cultural synthesis. Since the vision that inspires the new world-culture will be comprehensive, it will not negate the values of diverse traditions; nor will it have merely patronizing tolerance for them. On the contrary, it will express itself through active appreciation of the essentials of diverse religions and cultures.

The vast vision of the Truth cannot be limited by any creed, dogma or sect; however, it helps men to transcend these limitations, not by blind and total denial of any value to the existing creeds, dogmas and sects, but by discovering, accentuating, unfolding and developing such facets of the Truth as might have been hidden in them.