Co-operation
One day or other the co-operative spirit will reign supreme making the society march on towards progress. It is not necessary that communism should be fostered for that. Without talking a word about communism, you can make the society progressive with the help of mere co-operation.
Related articles
You find crores of rupees locked up in the Banks. Many crores remain idle. Yet the tiller of the soil, if he needs money for cultivation goes to the private individuals or money lenders for loans at the abnormal rate of interest, sometimes to the tune of ten per cent. What a tragedy it is? In Russia there is no right given to any private individual to live by lending money on interest. Even if one receives a trivial amount from another, it is condemned as theft. If you ask what is wrong in helping a man in difficulties; they retort and question “How could there be dangers and difficullties?”
So Co-operative movement is the only panacea to make the society get rid of worries and difficulties. Co-operative system is the best for all. Our people must get accustomed to it. Give up selfishness completely. Plunge into a new life for the good of all.
Who is to bring in co-operation, the government or the people is the question? Many have doubts about it. I would say that those doubting Thomases are like those who ask whether “fate” is powerful or the wisdom? When such a controversy arises, he who has the gift for gab could naturally triumph. I would say that the people are the government and the government is the people. You should all realise this. Would we keep quiet when our government is faced with difficulties! Our common interest should be like that. Never forget that there is no government without people. Would we feel that it is no concern to us if one of our limbs is injured. Our outlook towards the general public should be also similar. You get the pearl when the rain drop falls into the shell of an oyster. Similarly we should control our senses and keep everything ready for the change. When we are prepared to do, the change will take place definitely. Our opinion is the opinion of the people. With that belief go ahead with your life. Do not allow you nerves and blood to go astray. Inject into your body the feeling of co-operation.
Property Right
Today, one of the major problems causing inconvenience to society is the existence of property in the name of individuals. On account of this, unnecessary quarrels and bickerings take place. In some cases it ends in murders. A man will not grumble much, if he has adequate quantities of food. But if one has more and another less or nothing, it leads to conflicts.
Do you find one rich man at least free from worries. No. In order to evade taxes and to conceal his wealth, he secretly conspires to cheat the government. He worries to manipulate his account. He stoops to fraudulent means. Apart from all these, if he owns a lakh of rupees and sees another person having two or three lakhs, he soon becomes worried, and thinks of the ways to become one like him by somehow earning two or more lakhs of rupees. Naturally he has to raise the standard of living of his family and earn more to protect his children and other members of the family. To his new status, he has to educate his children, secure suitable jobs for them and then try by all means to secure promotion. There are other new responsibilities for him to maintain a new status and dignity. His worries go on increasing, because of his desire to amass wealth.
The poor and the working class people are very jealous of their owners. So, if there is to be an end for all these unwanted desires and unnecessary worries, the society must be gradually carved out on socialist ideals. We should create a society in which everyone is able to share the joys and sorrows equally. For creating a socialist state or society the existence of the right to own property is an impediment. There can be no socialism with property rights. All things must belong to the government. Nationalisation policy must be seriously implemented. Then only people will be able to love as equals.
The cause of worries in the society comes out from the various socio-economic differences. Troubles crop up because of the unequal status of the people. The only solution lies in making all things for all people.
The terms “Moksha” (Heaven) and “Mukthi” (Salvation) mean the end of worries and the beginning of pleasures. The way to end the worries lies in communism. The only way to crush down all drawbacks in the society lies in communism.
Worries in life are of two kinds. When one feels that what he gets is insufficient it leads to worry. That is, supposing one needs a measure of rice and gets only half of what he needs, it causes him worry. There is another type in which one gets worried to have more than what is needed to him. Supposing one lives in one room he likes to live in two rooms. You should understand that desires are the cause for troubles and worries.
All worries you get out of desires and out of wants, you do not find in a communist society.
When the available stocks of food grains are equally distributed to all, there is no need to worry. No one would feel that he got less. He will not worry at all when all are treated equally. Such a state of life will not give room for competition, jealousy and bad thoughts. Rid of all worries, the people would feel equally happy.
When individuals are not allowed to own property, when private ownership is prohibited, there is no place for god or religion or shastras divine doctrines. The only thing needed is right thinking or wisdom. There is no question of one being respected as high and another despised as low. No labour would be considered as mean. All become equals. All have the same standard of living. All enjoy the same facilities in life, even if they do different types of work. In those socialist countries what is meant by high post is that it carries heavy responsibilities.
Communism is different from common rights. Communism means equal share. Common rights represent common enjoyment. In this country (India) the Brahmins have created low castes. These low caste – people do not have common rights. Even the blind people are aware of this. Because of this, their property is dwindling and they still lack in wisdom. They have not gained anything by experience.
You see a lot of people amongst the Non-Brahmin community as lakhiers and millionaires. But they do not have the common rights, which an ordinary mendicant Brahmin enjoys. But it is not so with a Brahmin. However poor he may be, he enjoys everything. He has no drawback in life. He is able to make his son I.A.S. (High officer of Indian Administrative Service) or District Collector or District Judge or High Court Judge or a Sankarachari or Jeer. Why is it so? Is it not because of the special rights prevalent in our society? A Brahmin is able to thrive because he has distinct individual rights. He needs no money like others for his prosperity. He lives without doing any hard work because of the special rights he has got. Under these peculiar circumstances, if we are able to abolish special rights, communism would dawn and take deep roots. There can be no scope for communism in a country, where there is absence of common ownership and rights. If attempts are made to bring in communism in a country, which does not have common ownership and rights, it will only give room for those who already enjoy more rights to reap the benefits of communism. That is the lesson we have to learn from doctrine of communism.
Heirs
It is a lie to say that a man lives with a woman to derive the natural pleasure; I would say that a man lives with his wife out of necessity. That is, he wants a legal heir for himself and his wife. Because man has the right to own property and because he has earned a lot bit by bit by his own toilsome efforts, he gets worried as to who should enjoy his property after his death. He wants his own heirs and that too his own children to inherit his property. This thought is not the outcome of nature.
To be continued in the next issue
Source: ‘Collected Works of Periyar EVR’, published by the Periyar Self Respect Propaganda Institution,
Vepery, Chennai – 7, Tamil Nadu, India
