In a world where large segments of humanity perceive themselves to be culturally uprooted and morally adrift, movements of identity politics that promise a return to traditional forms of collective identities based on race, nationality, religion or caste provide a highly cherished, although illusory sense of stability.

A worldview that relies on the simplistic binary of ‘us’ and ‘them’ can provide a comforting illusion of order in the face of the bewildering complexities of the present world. Such movements create an ‘other’ which is usually a rival social group that is vilified as being morally inferior and is projected as a source of challenges and threats. Stigmatizing this ‘other’ evokes a sense of moral superiority and fighting and defeating the ‘other’ gives those who belong to the movement a sense of purpose and meaning.

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India’s ancient philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is a family) has stood the test of times and has been drawing attention of the whole world by demonstrating resilience and foresightedness as evidenced in these days of global health emergencies and climate change crises. How this culture of inclusive development and other exemplary characteristics is going to be carried forward by the succeeding generations has been incorporated in many policy documents of the present Government.

Yet from time to time, acts of deep-seated animosities towards an illusory ‘other’ or promptings of instincts to exploit those relegated to this category have become rife. Such intolerance which is at the root of most of the disputes, hostilities, problems or struggles at all levels in all walks of life must be dispassionately addressed.

Mindful of tolerance as the nucleus in all behaviour and mutual practices, every citizen has a responsibility to move forward on the pathway of prosperity and peace not only within the country but for the welfare of all on the planet. While having firm conviction in one’s own faith, respecting and honouring the other’s beliefs, viewpoints, values and traditions and the virtue of tolerance should foster an attitude of adjustment, appreciation, and accommodation for a balanced and harmonious social order.

This, to me, is the ideal pathway to reach the Ultimate Truth. Despite occasional aberrations in human behaviour and conflicts, the pages of Indian history largely reveal the high level of tolerance shown by those who have understood the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. The principle of the oneness of humankind and the convictions underpinning it in today’s world has no reference point to past ages and dispensations.

Every individual who is anxiously concerned with the needs of present-day global society is called upon to accept that the rational soul has no gender, race, caste, ethnicity or class, a fact that renders intolerable all forms of prejudice, not the least of which are those that prevent women from fulfilling their potential and engaging in various fields of endeavor shoulder to shoulder with men.

The root cause of prejudice is ignorance, which can be erased through educational processes that make knowledge accessible to humankind, ensuring it does not become the property of a privileged few. In this connection, science and religion or dharma should be understood as two complementary systems of knowledge and practice by which human beings come to understand the world around them and through which civilization advances. Otherwise, religion or dharma without science soon degenerates into superstition and fanaticism, while science without the salutary virtues of dharma becomes the tool of crude materialism.

Real prosperity and harmony in society is the fruit of a dynamic coherence between the material and spiritual requirements of life. Unfortunately, today consumerism and rampant craze for amassing material goods continue to act as opium to the human soul. On the other hand, policies and programmes devoid of fairness and justice result in squandering of finite resources and corruption in the systems of governance.

Justice as a faculty of the human soul, enables the individual to distinguish truth from falsehood and guides the investigation of reality, which is absolutely vital to eliminate superstitious beliefs and outworn traditions that impede human unity. Without justice and its extension, the rule of law, the establishment of unity would be impossible.

As a loyal citizen, one is expected to serve the interests of the country and exemplify its Constitutional ethos of Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, in letter and spirit. Translating ideals such as these into reality, effecting a transformation at the level of the individual and creating suitable social structures which are integral to the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is no easy task.

With just one hundred seconds to mid-night on the Doomsday Clock (according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists) due to devastating impact of climate change and possibility of a nuclear war, whether accidental or deliberate, clearly, a common remedial effort is urgently required.

Will humanity continue in its waywardness, holding to outworn concepts and unworkable assumptions? Or will its leaders, whether secular or religious, step forth and, with a resolute will, consult together in a united search for appropriate solutions? This, for me, is the practical meaning of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, “the planetization of humankind!”

(The writer is an independent researcher and social worker based in New Delhi providing his voluntary services to a number of nongovernmental organizations. He can be contacted at akmerchant@hotmail.com)