Baba
Why party system bad
Namaskar,
The question arises, “How or why did we fall prey to groupism?”
A look at the nations
In a nutshell, around the globe, groupism is looked upon as being something very honourable and respectable etc. So first we can examine how various nations around the world function. In essence, at present the government of each and every country in the world today openly operates under the party system.
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For example:
(a) In India, in the recent history the BJP has been the ruling party, and there is also the Congress party, amongst other other political parties.
(b) In the US, the two main camps are the Democratic and Republican parties.
(c) In France the major parties are the Socialist Party and the UPM, Union for a Popular Movement.
(d) In Japan, the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) and the DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) are the two major parties.
(e) In Argentina two of the many active political parties are Radical Civic Union (Unión Civica Radical) and Justicialist Party (Partido Justicialista).
(f) And in Kenya there is the Kenya African National Union and the Safina party, among others.
Each and every nation has their registered political parties which govern that country. And these parties are accepted by people as being authentic, legal, and official. In a word, such parties are deemed as “legitimate” in the eyes of the citizens. The primary reason is because the public standard is low. One may agree or disagree with the platform of a particular party, but no one is calling for these parties to be eradicated. Rather a dissident will merely found or join an opposing party. So the party system itself is accepted 100%. Such parties are respected, and people think this is the way to go. And the key operative factor is that the standard of the public is low.
Parties are not merely parties, they are groups
However, these parties are not just parties; they are veritable groups. Inside and out, they function according to a groupist mentality. Their members commit to the party agenda instead of to the path of welfare; these parties cover up misdeeds of their own leaders; these parties pressurise their members to follow the party no matter what; and, these parties rampantly chase after power etc. Plus there are so many other indicating factors which show that these political parties function according to the mandates of groupism.
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Verily, such parties are groups. In society, groupism is well respected because of the low mentality of the common people. But on the path of Ananda Marga we do not subscribe to groupism. It is against the tenets of neo-humanism. Yet because of the prevailing social dogmas and the loss of ideology, groupism / party politics has not only crept into but verily blossomed in the upper echelon of our AMPS.
No one thinks their party is a group
Interestingly if you directly ask party members of the various countries if their party is a group or faction, then they would say 'no'. They would not admit that they are a faction or a group, or that they function according to groupist psychology etc. None of these things would they readily admit. Primarily because they are blinded by their own party politics and fail to understand how their party is nothing more than a group.
Rather they think their party / group is something prestigious. For that we need to look no further than any typical debate in US politics. One party puts out a call for support and those in that party come running, galvanizing the party platform - as if this is something great, holy, or noble. And those in the other party attack it as if it was the plague. Through it all, those party leaders would never lay claim that they are playing groupist schemas etc. Because their standard is low.
But if a small cluster of their party broke away from the rest of their party, then surely they would label that small cluster as being a group, or a splinter, or a faction. With regards to their own party however they would not be so forthcoming. They would not openly declare that their party is just a group. Nor would the general public or even many political commentators. Because the party system has become so established in the realm of politics that everyone just accepts it as being normal. And when they tire of one party then they vote another into power. All of this points to the very low standard of the general society.
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Because almost no one openly opposes the existence of the party system. Either because they agree with it or because they cannot conceive of there being any other way. The party system has become the defining aspect of political life. Indeed, it has become so deeply entrenched within the world of politics that people do not think that anything can be done outside the party system. They do not think that a government can be formed without the party system. The overall reason is due to the lowly standard of the public.
Given all of the above, is it any wonder then how party politics, aka groupism came into being in our AMPS. Because when top Dadas do not follow Baba's ideals then they are going to fall into the prevailing ways of the society - which happens to be party politics, i.e. groupism. Like osmosis, groupism has seeped into our Marga from the general society's ways of party politics.
Applying this to AMPS
When it came time for Dadas to take control of the governance of AMPS, then in a flash, the various WT's broke and divided themselves into various groups, or parties. Since 1990, our AMPS has never functioned as one holistic body. Immediately, one or another faction has risen to power and worked for their own party interests. The Sarvatmanandas and Rudranandas have always relied on their party structure to gain power and dominate. That is why we can say that there have always been various groups, or at least camps of opposition, that rule the scene in our AMPS. One key factor is that the standard of supporters is low.
Verily, if you ask any of the ruling groups in AMPS if their faction or party is a group, they will never admit it. For example, B group does not openly declare that their clique is a group. Rather they believe they should be the ruling party of AMPS, and all others who disagree with them are members of various groups. But B group will not deem themselves as being a group per se. And same is the case with the leading H faction, or any other cluster. All are groups: they all rigidly follow the dictates of groupism. But they will never say as much. They will never attest to the fact that they are a group. Rather they think theirs is a legitimate political party, and all others are mere groups or splinters etc. This happens because the standard of supporters is low.
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To test the situation simply go up to any leader like Dada R or Dada S, or any of their lieutenants, and ask them if their team is a group. Immediately, they will say, “No.” And to legitimise their own presence, they will say they are a political party or the governing body. Or if they are really tricky they will proclaim themselves as being a “movement.” But in truth, all such factions - whether H, B, etc - are functioning 100% according to the ways of groupism. That is their modus operandi. Because that is what they have seen in the general society, and they have dragged this party system into our AMPS. The overarching cause is that the standard of supporters is low.
What is the answer
So if one were to raise the question: “How did we fall prey to groupism?” The leading answer is that when groupism itself is accepted and rampant all around us in the general society in the form of party politics, then we can say that this faulty mindset of groupism entered into our AMPS from the outside. And this was allowed to happen because the general standard of supporters is low.
That is, since we ourselves failed to pointedly recognise the presence of groupism in the world around us, we could not stop it from infesting our AMPS either. In result, groupism entered into our AMPS way of life from the general society. Those in AMPS adopted the “legitimate” political approach as practiced in each and every country. Indeed, throughout the world today, the party system is viewed as something glorious, and if anyone “sacrifices for the party”, that is seen as a noble and selfless action. When in reality, it is a stamp of approval for more groupism.
Conclusion
Party politics is prevalent in each and every nation, and that has been absorbed into AMPS. We have to build an AMPS that is functioning according to the ways of Prout. Each and every Ananda Margii has within them the seeds and desire to set up our social life according to the ways of Prout.
Prout philosophy says, "We are waiting for the rising sun with crimson rays. Even now the crimson rays are a bit visible. These crimson rays are the rays of PROUT." (1)
In Him,
Nirvikar
~ In-depth study ~
Baba rejects all forms of party politics
Here below however Baba warns us about and openly rejects the existence of such party politics, or groupism.
Prout philosophy says, "Party politics is one of the factors which stands, or tries to stand, in the way of human unity. In fact party politics is even more dangerous than disease-causing germs. In party politics all the refined attributes of the human mind, such as simplicity and the spirit of service, slowly but surely get totally destroyed. Party affiliation commands more respect than individual ability; service to self, not service to people, is the main motto; ministerial office, rather than human welfare, is considered superior; and mass deception, political somersaults, etc., are most common phenomena." (2)
So in no way, shape, or form is party politics intended to become a part of our Ananda Marga way of life. But tragically it has seeped into our AMPS.
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The ways of Prout
How are we to proceed? What is the way out? In brief, we can say that in Prout there is no groupism. There is no party politics; there is not factionalism. In Prout, we are to function as one human society - as one human family.
But because in the history of the world and in the society around us, there is no country which has functioned under such a premise, it becomes difficult to imagine how a Proutistic system would function. That is why people are not sure how it works. But if we really want to know how a Proutistic government is to operate, we need not look any further than the joint family system, which has been in vogue in Indian village life and in so many communities for generations and generations.
In that approach, all are looked upon as being part of the whole, and no one is allowed to rule the family in favour of just a few family members. This type of party politics or groupism is not allowed to happen in any family. And that mindset is what is needed to formulate a proper AMPS organisation.
Yet in our political life, and in our AMPS, party politics or groupism has become the norm. And it entered into AMPS because this is what has been accepted as normal in the general society.
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References
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 17, Suppression, Repression and Oppression
2. Problems of the Day, Point #26
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
Full faith on Your karun’a
Purport:
"Toma'r na'me bha'siye dilum a'ma'r sa'dher tariikha'ni..." (Prabhat Samgiita #4755)
Purport:
Parama Purusa, I float my little boat trusting on Your name, surrendering whole existence unto You. By Your blessing, the vessel of my longing will float along through all the crests and troughs - across the highs and lows - day and night. I do not have any fear due to Your special care. You are my eternal shelter. My desire and yearning are depending solely on You. You are my all. I have full faith on Your karun’a’; my whole existence floats in the incantative waves of Your divine name.
Parama Purusa, Baba, on the dark, stormy night in the midst of the loud thunder and streaking lightening, my tattered ship will not shake or tremble because You are my desideratum and also my meditation. You are my Goal and my dhyana. You are so gracious - always calling me and bringing me closer to You. I am Yours. You are my all.
Baba, Divine Entity, on the one side the whole panoramic scene is absolutely brilliant: As I go along, the entire water, air, and sky are suffused with the golden refulgence of the sun's rays. Everything is sparkling. Yet on the other side, due to my own faults and shortcomings, my existence is stained in blackness. By Your mercy, I will carefully sort through all the good and bad things - keeping all the positive attributes and removing all the negative ones.
Baba, my whole existence is revolving around You - singing Your name and glory. You are my everything…
== Section: Important Teaching ==
“I don’t want anything”
The next grade of bhakta says: “As Parama Puruśa knows better than me about my own needs, why should I ask Him for anything? He knows exactly what I need for my development.” A mother knows more about the needs of her child than the child itself. When the child weeps, the mother instinctively knows that the child is feeling cold, for example, and covers its body with a blanket. The child stops crying immediately. Just as the child is dependent on its mother, human beings are dependent on Parama Puruśa. That is, “I know that You will surely do what is good for me. So why should I ask You for anything? It is meaningless, as You know better than me where my best interests lie.” So the higher-grade devotees do not pray for anything. Their simple approach is, “Parama Puruśa, please do whatever You think is best for me. All I want is to give You joy through my actions. And by giving You joy I shall also get joy. I act only to please You and thereby please myself. This is my one and only desire – I have no other interest.” This is termed rágánuga bhakti. Its spirit is, “I don't want anything. I only want to do Your work. I want to get joy by doing Your work, by loving You, by making You happy.” (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 4, “Ye Yathá Máḿ Prapadyante”
== Section 3: Links ==
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