Written By Mohendra Nath Dutta (Younger Brother Of Swami Vivekananda)
Steps To Improve A Nation
(1) Land Tenure
To keep up the stability of a nation, a good landtenure system is to be first sought after.
The permanent income of a person depends much upon the land tenure. On the nice arrangement of land tenure the prosperity and permanency of a nation depend. The question of land tenure is being much discussed now-a-days, and we need not dilate much upon this point. (For the author's views on the subject the readers may refer to "National Wealth" pp 166-178).
(2) Temple Tenure
The temple tenure is the next item to improve a civilization. Temples should be considered as the trade affairs. The temple belongs partly to the zemindary system and partly to the factory system. The zemindary portion of the temple tenure will come under the land-tenure Acts, but, for those temples that are isolated (not within any organised group or combination) or that have relatively meagre allowances, the following rules might be adoped: because, as minor temples, they come under the laws of the factory regulations (for the definition of factory the readers may kindly refer to the author's "Right of mankind" p.6):
Every isolated temple must pay a revenue of 85% to the State. The number of temple attendants will be three to four; any greater number of attendants should not be allowed in the case of small temples. The temple income, the revenue as stated above, should be used for educational purposes. The contractor, or lessee of the temple, should look after the repairs of the temples and their improvements as may be necessary for the convenience of the visitors.
The State will take 85% of the net income. For the control of temples and so forth there will be a board of auditors, a board of utility and a board of taxation (Vide "Temples a Religious Endowments" by a Social Thinker). Half the number of members in these boards should be women, as the women dovetees contribute largely for the upkeep of temples. In reality, these buildings are made by the women, contributing in their devotional mood.
A temple is considered a catering shop where cooked food is sold to private persons. It is an octroi office. It is a private loan office. It is a gambling den. These are the aberrations which must be checked.
The temple belongs to no personal property; it belongs to no priticular sect. It is a State property. From the temple- taxes about fifty crores of rupees are to be collected and the same should be devoted to educational purposes.
In Bengal the temples should not be abolished or closed
down, but they should be treated as a running business, coming under the factory laws. In some of the non-Bengalee provinces the temples have considerable hoarded wealth which should be utilised for educational purposes without paying any compensation to the business proprietors..
Any how, temple tenure must be considered as a national problem. According to circumstances and the temperament of the people, rules for temple affairs and suitable laws should be made and promulgated.
(3) Factory Tenure, and (4) Education Tenure
Factory should be made according to the requirements of the people; it is not the aim of the national life, but factory or the earning centre should be the main object of national life.
In ancient India forest life, or the life of recluse in old age,
was the central point of education or training, and so the system
of education was made after the forest life.
But now-a-days as factory is the centre of national life, education should be remodelled according to national requirements. The factory, or earning centre, requires trained hands or expert men. So national education should be remodelled after this new set up. Every branch of education, for both men and women, should be remodelled after the national requirements as stated above.
(5) How to deal with the Ramblers
The question now comes in national life is how to deal with five million of ramblers (Ramtas). These unproductive consumers as they are called should be put to work. How to utilise them for the increment of national wealth is the question. The ramblers should be utilised for agricultural work, or factory work, or for any work which the social requirements might put in. Besides the professional priests, who have the same sort of profession, the ramblers or unproductive consumers should be utilised for some productive works. The old ideas of forest life and mendicants will not hold good now. But any work or labour must be utilised for the improvement of the nation. The ramblers should be put to some effective works.
The above tenures as well as the case of ramblers have been discussed to show as to how to improve a nation.
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Social Thoughts