After worshipping divine power for nine days, the Vijayadashmi  is celebrated as a festival of victory. The victory of Sri Ram over Ravana was not any other ordinary victory but the victory of good over evil. This celebration of power and victory is unique in India which is difficult to understand anywhere in the world. Merely being powerful and victorious can be the goal of other nations, but creating virtuous world is the prime objective India strives for. In the atmosphere of gloom and despair, when only negativity and darkness is discussed, the message behind Indian concept of power and victory should guide us.

It is true that many of us are still in the mindset of slavery and our rulers and so-called ‘intellectuals’ are attuned to think so, there are many things that we can be proud of. Our history has many inspirational movements, our present has tremendous potential and therefore, we should be sure that the future will be glorious. We need to be powerful and victorious for that. The real question is why we should be powerful and how we can be victorious?

The previous experiences of humanity is whenever a nation has gained power it became destructive. Indian concept of power was never rooted in the statistical numbers or military strength but in the spirituality and values we stand for. India’s message to the world has always been compassion, cooperation and conciliation.

Still, India needs to worship strength and show it as well, not for destruction but for reconstruction. We are living in the world where destructive powers and violent ideologies are ruling. The message of inherent unity is negated by man-made divisions. The ideologies of compassion are superseded by ideologies of hatred. Violence, exploitation and abuse of power have become reality of life. In such situation, even to tell the message of oneness, power has to be acquired and displayed. This power of India is the power of human capital, diverse natural resources and technological innovations. Our historical and constructive strengths need to be identified and used for regenerating power. Political will and good governance need to be coupled with strong national feelings among the masses. Then only real India will emerge and the idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam will be cherished. Creating powerful India and marching towards victorious Indianness should be our resolve on this Vijayadashmi.

Sachin and Dravid: Different  Styles, Same Foundation

The two great legends of Indian cricket have declared their retirement from the world of cricket. Both of them displayed different style and temperament. Sachin was always attacking while Dravid was usually defensive. Success and glamour always followed Sachin, while Dravid never got his due credit.

Besides the stark contrast in style, both these players constructed their career on similar virtues. In the time of success, they always displayed their humility while in the times of failure their composure was exemplified. Both of them believed in absolute hard-work and always credited others for their success. The legends exhibited different kind of Indianess by recognising ‘family’ as their first source of inspiration and learning. The samskars they inherited through their family made them trustworthy and gentle. Even during the murky events of match-fixing these two players always valued and viewed as role models. Even while accepting the endorsement of product, both of them never compromised on principles. Even after the retirement, Sachin and Dravid will always be inspirational, not just because of their records but for foundational integrity and values they stand for in their professional and personal life.