Just coming out of a seminar titled "ancient civilization:modern republic, crisis and solution". The speaker stressed the crearivity,originality and audacity of ideas of ancient india. And proposed to take inspiration from such great history to find solutions to our present. To be fair with him he didn't say we should ape our past in any way, only that we should get inspiration and feel strengthened that we have a capacity for rejuvenation from a series of problems that afflicts us in present. He was a particular admirer of the chanakya, inspired by him he proposed many good solutions to corruption, politics,violence etc. Not only i disagree with his aproach to fall back on past for our present exigencies, but also believe the aproach like his is the part of the problem. Reasons
1. Problem with past is that although it enables you to be radical, it doesnt allow you to be radical enough. It limits your capacity to regenerate because your expansion is circumscribed by the invisible boundaries imposed by the past. Examples abound, Gandhiji was a crusader against untouchability but at the same time believed in varna system. He opposed any fetters on widow remarriage but valued voluntary widowhood. The ramayan that inspired him also limited his thought. Most of the 19th century reformers also belong to this category, raja ram mohan roi,vivekananda etc. They innovated but not enough. The same can be said about ancient india too. Perhaps there is a political utility in this approach, you apeal to peole more if you draw inspiration from the sources they are familiar with it. On the other hands breaking away completely presents a risk of being completely alienated from the masses, people wont simply accept you. Is it so? not really if you ask me, its true that an individual cant succedd by breaking from past completely but a sustained movement will certainly outroot this mentality. We have seen its spark, budhha and materialists,rationalists of 19th century, dalit leaders including Dr. Ambedkar. Internationally european enlightenment,russian revolution are shining examples of sending past into dustbin and thinking afresh.
2.The most pernicious side effect of this approach. It justifies to laymen that past was all glory and how wretched we are in comparison. There exists no time in india where people didnt glorified past. Present has always been a kalyug. All kinds of pernicious elements from past had been used to lend legitimacy to contemporary politics. Authority of bramhana,prosecution of shudras, discrimination against women all ideas had been fellow travellers of the genuine reformers. For example this distinguished speaker(ex-diplomat, author) glorified chanakya for his intellect, now all prejudiced views of chanakya(e.g against women) also get a free ride for legitimacy.
Point is not that we shouldnt admire what was admirable in past,but we should not ever let our moral compass be directed by it. In present we live and face problems never faced by ancients, past is inadequate give us answers. Its our problem and we trust our own abilities to bring change. Thats it.
