Page 236 - SocialHarmony

240 Social Harmony

Both of these classes wish to have a change, but none of them
thought it proper to follow the democratic path. They wanted
to adopt a path of complete renovation; they wanted to retain
the spirit and change the body. Maybe the radical path fascinates
us all for the time being; it also earns a name, but there is no
guarantee of accomplishment in this path. There is need for
renovation in order to set free the society of all evils. Our goal
should be to preserve the spirit and free the society of all evils
in order to proceed ahead with a new purpose, new vigour,
and new energy. This is a characteristic of our society. Often we
are inclined to speak ill of our society, because the truth has not
reached us; however, ours is a society where great people have
been born, who have invested all their life in social reform.

Dynamic Hindu Society
Few people in the world have capability to accept the
change. Once I had an opportunity to visit America on their
invitation. The point under discussion was Hinduism. The
people who talked about me knew about me well. They knew
my background. I hail to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, so
they all jumped to discuss with me. It had appeared to them
that we are staunch extremists, and they took us for
conservationists, who believe in no change. The idea that I had
at that time, I placed it before them. I said that no community in
the world wishes to change the final rites on the death of a
person, they feel that these should be conducted as per the
peculiar tradition of the community. Whatever science might
tell you, but after your father dies, you cannot think of stepping
out of the social traditions. At that time, all people tend to say
that the final rites should be completed first and argument
should be taken up later. In the entire world, the Hindu
community is the only one that supported, quite staunchly, to
conduct the final rites on the pile of sandalwood on the banks
of the Ganga in Kashi; it felt that the forefathers can attain
salvation only through it. But it is not so today. The Hindu society
has transformed its thinking over ages. Now, it considers that
the final rites can be performed on the banks of any river that
flows alongside the village. With the passage of time, change