Let the reforms be initiated to regain the paradise lost. We live in a chaotic social set up. The chaos in the society has been thriving every day in and out with alarming proportions and, regrettably, it is not natural or inbuilt mechanism but is the concomitant result of our irrational approach towards life. Well, we put our all-out efforts to construct big and beautiful houses and stuff them with all the comfort providing material. We are becoming more and more customary, indeed, we think high of ourselves whenever we ape a new culture, a new custom or for that matter a new fashion. Ironically, we never refuse to adopt any undesirable imported cultural item or a new trend rather we embrace it overwhelmingly and let it percolate unhindered in the society. It spreads like a wild fire and ultimately in a short period, it becomes a regular feature of our society. The other grave aspect of our so-called advanced society is the negative behaviorism. Look at the milieu of our society in which mocking and ridiculing at poor, simpleton and downtrodden has become the cherished practice. It is so because the poor are unable to catch-up the pace of modern-trendsetter and wealthier people. How much inhospitable our social conduct is! Be it a blissful occasion or a mourning, strikingly, extravagant spending is considered to be the honour-fetching acts on such occasion. For anything having a societal implication that is happening in our society today, we often blame others while the fact is that we do ourselves are involved in it. Such a social structure, apparently, presents a fantastic picture that may provide us transitory consolation but it poses some mute questions. Are we really contented with our social practices? Are we really contented and tranquil? Where are the moral and social values, do we really uphold them? Answer to these questions is, obviously, negative one. We may outwardly look contented but inwardly we are dejected and withered. We, in fact, are not living to the heart’s content; our inner speaks volumes of peacelessness. Our agitating minds transpire into pressure cooker like attitudes, thus, making us grow restless and seemingly over busy. You want to share your problem with someone but to whom? Everyone is busy unable to spare a few moments for you. Everyone has his own excuses and problems. On the moral front, situation is even graver. Corruption is rampant; hypocrisy, treachery and respectlessness are all pervasive; we have buried modesty and chastity deep with our own hands though we claim to be modest and chaste. Drug addiction has unprecendently increased which is, calmly, consuming our younger generation. Girls and boys are hell bent upon aping hippy culture and western lifestyles and, regrettably, consequences are in front of all of us. Look at the statistics the sex ratio is alarmingly declining indicating selective foeticide.
In fact our current societal structure takes us back to the pre Islamic-Arab society wherein all kinds of vices were prevalent and the humanity was left sobbing miserably. The cause of such a degenerated society is not difficult to ascertain. It is obvious. Its roots can, easily, be traced in materialism. In a situation of relentless materialistic pursuits human rationality becomes the first casualty followed by moral corruption. We cease to think and act rationally and that is how the seed of discontent and chaos is sown in the society. But there is a puzzling question; what prompts us to think and act irrationally? A cursory analysis reveals that it is because, either, we are unable to distinguish between our wants and needs or we don’t want to differentiate between them. Ironically, the impact of consumerism in our minds is indelible. Yes, we have been pushed to consumer economy which enlarges our choices. But we must not have allowed choices to hit our rationality rather we should have struck a balance between our legitimized incomes and our needs. But the situation is other way round. A new brand or a new model of the commodity can, undoubtedly, ignite our longing for its instant procurement, ignoring whatever the amount it costs and, regrettably, we do make it possible. But how we do it! How a low or high paid employee, a marginal businessman or for that matter a professional with his limited sources and resources can afford to purchase extremely expensive gadgets or construct a big bungalow? Obviously, one has to go beyond his legitimate sources of income and as a matter of fact the practice of moral corruption starts taking its roots. Our naive behavior does not allow us to come out of our indifferent attitude. We miserably fail to recognize that a new brand/model yields the same level of utility for the consumer as the replaced one was yielding to him. What prompts us replacing and procuring new and new brands of articles despite the fact that these are already available in our homes? Well, it is demonstration effect. To us utility of the article hardly matters what matters the most is the show off. Our neighbor should, in no case, take a lead in gadgetry-accumulation and if, somehow, the neighbor succeeds, it throws open a challenge and with rejuvenated efforts (legal and illegal) the challenge is met. Ours is a society wherein material possessions are valued; where pomp and mutual boasting have become the guiding mantra of our lives; wherein running down others is our passion. Sorrowfully, now the moral values and virtues are traded as commercial commodities. Yet, if peace happens to visit by, by the good deeds of some of us, where will it stay? Eventually, it will have to go for peace does not sustain and prevail in suffocation. One of the biggest tragedies is that we listen to our ego (self), precisely, the nafs which lures us. If followed mindlessly, it lets open the floodgates of wishes and unbridled wishes are the root cause of widespread discontent. Uncontrolled wishes and contentment cannot go hand in hand. We can’t live to the heart’s content while stoking wishes in our mind. Relentless pursuit of undesirable wishes only takes us away from what we are ordained to and thus snatches away peace of mind. It is worthwhile to mention here that the thirty-second sin, which has been mentioned in the Qur’an and traditions as a Greater sin, is the wasteful expenditure (Israaf).The Quranic verses and traditions, both, confirm that wasteful expenditure is a Greater sin. We are committing this sin every now and then. If we want to live happily in an environment of peace, tranquility and contentment then we must limit our desires and abandon the materialistic pursuits. Peace of mind or chaos; we have to choose; we have to act.
(The author is Lecturer in Economics at Govt Boys Higher Secondary School, Doda. Views are his own)
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