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N.ANANDAM
The concept of human equality is a lofty ideal. The reason is that it is the source for blossoming of many noble values in human minds. It shapes the attitude of the people and makes them cultured. It makes individuals respect fellow human beings and treat them with dignity. This treatment inculcates ‘self- respect’ and self- confidence in the minds of the individuals. Secondly, it makes people recognize the rights of fellow people and extend equal rights and opportunities to them. It develops fraternity feeling and activates pleasant social interaction. This in turn keeps the inter human relationship cordial and pleasant. Thirdly, the equality spirit eliminates the animosity in the minds of the people and makes people humane, gentle and tolerant. These noble values bring people close to one another and bind them together. This social bond tames the people and inspires them to live peacefully in association with others
In India, Goudhama Buddha (560- 480 BC) stood for human equality and universal brotherhood. He condemned discrimination on account birth. In south India, the great Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar (31 BC) preached human equality. He was against to discrimination an account of birth.
Thinkers opine that continuous vigilance is necessary to maintain equality in any society because insidious forces creep in and produce inequality. The forces that produce inequality are different in different societies. In Indian society, caste system is the root cause for the presence of inequality based social setup. Indian society has to discard caste system to promote equality.
Presence of mere voting right does not denote the presence of equality. It denotes the presence of political rights and not social and economic rights. In the same manner, presence of social equality alone is not enough. Economic equality is equally important, because, poverty enslaves the human beings.
In the present social, political and economic setup, inequality of income is becoming larger. A small percentage of people get huge income. Persons doing certain professions, persons running a few industries and businesses and those who have huge capital get huge amount as income and they live lavishly. But, at the same time substantial people live in abject poverty. A good number of people face unemployment problem. This extreme inequality is contradictory to the principle of equality. We have to reduce the wide disparity of income.
The spirit of equality is fundamental to human progress. However, majority are ignorant of its importance. Majority underestimate its role to progress. But, history of human society clearly elicits the truth that human progress was achieved only by making the constitution of the society based on equality. Understanding this truth, every individual and society has to assimilate the spirit of equality wholeheartedly and practice that concept honestly. That is the only means to progress. Abiding the spirit of equality is a sign of wisdo
