Widening the Sense of Prosperity: Transcending Material Concerns in an Economically Saturated World!
GERRY LOBO OFM
Prosperity as Abundance
Prosperity is often connected with plentiful products in the super markets having the power to allure customers, sky-rise buildings, luscious fields of grain, fruits and flowers, eight-lane super-express highways, supersonic airways, monetary and material affluence in the homes and in the cities, communicating systems connecting remotest corners of the planet, high-tech medical facilities with complicated surgeries and instant cures, digital on-line education systems, efficiency-driven technocracy, transport systems which avoids any waiting or delays and whose course can be tracked, amenities to aid the aged and physically challenged, insurance securities providing health and long life, flow of money, abundance of food with variety of dishes, and the list can go on...!
Nations are evaluated, prized or dumped, depending on the external exhibition of their material abundance and economic prowess. The question of human well-being and of their destiny is never considered as an essential mark of a nation’s prosperity. Material prosperity stands today as a measure of all things, including the space of human beings!
Prosperity or Hypocrisy!
Do you call it prosperity when “in a systematic manner, the legitimate rights of people are not only denied but are crushed” (Cedric Prakash), the rights of migrants, Adivasis, human rights defenders and of minorities? Prosperity, when rich crony capitalists loot, plunder and rape environment for their prestigious and profitmaking projects? Prosperity, when the big industrial sharks in our country buy Public Sector enterprises by feeding upon the bread of the marginalized and feeding themselves sumptuously without any conscience? Prosperity, when the courts refuse to “act in defence of citizens who have been victimized for their protest and dissent” and for executing their fundamental right of expression and speech? (A.P. Shah). Prosperity, when the farmers are crushed, disrespected and not listened to their just demands - they who feed 139 crore Indians? Prosperity, when communal politics has widened the gulf between religious communities in India? Prosperity, when political majoritarianism is tending towards autocracy by threatening dissent and calling it world’s largest democracy? (Hypocrisy, perhaps, not democracy!) Prosperity, when thousands of children die of malnutrition? Or is incarceration of democratically elected leaders in a democracy and regression in treating the political prisoners, prosperity? Is explosion of information through modern day technology, prosperity?
Prosperity is not being protectionist and coming up with banal explanations which are contrary to real facts or projecting glowing picture of reality which does not exist but solely meant to delight and divert the minds of innocent citizens, particularly in the context of economy. Forfeiting democratic vision for a mere high floated doctrine on paper and rigid set of policies is not prosperity by any yardstick. Prosperity never favours multinational sharks to buy up indiscreetly farmlands in tune with the farm laws legislated in favour of these, causing deep wounds in our farmers today. Constructing a massive new parliament house or erecting magnificent temples by any religious groups at the cost of the daily-waged breadwinner is not prosperity. Framing draconian laws against social media in order to silence legitimate voice in order to bring about only one voice that matters in a democratic nation cannot be termed prosperity. When ordinances are passed in a hurry and laws are enforced as dialogue is being relegated by the use of muscles, one does not reckon it as prosperity.
Economic development alone cannot
be prosperity without the human person being developed simultaneously and the humane is put forth. When economy and technology are oriented toward the reality of human existence and priority is rendered to enhancing the fundamental human rights, prosperity is a necessary outcome, a positive phenomenon.
Prosperity as the Heart of the People
Prosperity is the heart of the people, not market centre for commercial exchange. Without attending to the human well-being, techno- logical, medical, economical progress is sheer facade or hollowness. If the governments of the people, by the people and with the people do not create peaceful existence for every one of their citizens, consonant with their sacred Constitutions, instead, give cause among people for anarchy, unrest and violence, as the farmers’ longstanding agitation clearly manifests, prosperity is a large table with many dainty foods only for a handful of greedy stomachs.
Democracy which makes people partners in the decision-making process through appropriate information sharing and timely consultation as opposed to mere winning of elections by unethical practices and empty promises is a sign of true prosperity. This includes awareness building among people about political, social, economic and religious issues. “Civic nationalism” opposed to “eth- no-religious nationalism” (Shashi Tharoor) rampant in our nation, is an important mark of prosperity.
The type of nationalism promoted in India, for Pope Francis it is a “local narcissism” which “frets over a limited number of ideas, customs and forms of security... A healthy culture, on the other hand, is open and welcoming by its very nature...” (Fratelli Tutti, 146). Dialogue, not isolation, among diverse people with their cultures, religions and traditions results in prosperity of the heart and mind. Being open to the wider world without sectarianism benefits greatly prosperity which belongs to human well-being. Prosperity is also work as an “essential dimension of social life, for it is not only a means of earning one’s daily bread, but also of personal growth, the building of healthy relationships, self-expression and the exchange of gifts. Work gives us a sense of shared responsibility for the development of the world, and ultimately, for our life as people” (Fratelli Tutti, 162). Embracing the excluded in the building of a common home shows prosperity with another face which is often side-lined by the decision-makers.
Simply put, prosperity is sharing the goods of
the earth which is created for all, seeing the greater good which benefits all and the value of every human person respected and enhanced. The cultivation of compassion, helpfulness in dealing with others and social responsibility are marks of genuine prosperity devoid of spectacular happenings. Most of all xenophilia, love of the citizens, of human persons, irrespective of their colour or caste, religion or language is the mark of prosperity which God in His goodness manifested before all times.
Human well-being that measures quality of life at all levels is prosperity. It refers to the strengths, assets and values of one’s neighbourhood. How well does a neighbourhood thrive in relationships and establish justice for all? Prosperity is the heart of human persons!
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