Children, let us put into practice the ‘Pledge’ given in our textbooks

Putting the pledge into practice will awaken patriotism in children,thus preparing them for the protection of our Nation and culture

‘Children, why do you think the ‘Pledge’ has been printed on the first page of your textbooks? The reason is that, all the values required in life are mentioned in the pledge. Real education lies in living according to the pledge. The pledge is the soul of every individual, society and the Nation. Today we have become so narrow-minded that we give more importance to marks obtained in examinations than to moral values. As no questions regarding the pledge are asked in the examinations, we consider it irrelevant to understand the meaning of the pledge and to put it into practice. So long as this situation does not change, we will not be able to awaken patriotism in our hearts and prepare ourselves for the protection of the Nation. Let us all try to live according to the pledge and be prepared to protect our Nation and culture.

Meaning of the sentences in the ‘Pledge’:
Let us understand the meaning of the sentences in the ‘Pledge’

‘Bharat (India) is my country !’ : We say, ‘Bharat is my country’, but do we really feel so? Only if we sincerely have this feeling that ‘This is my country’, will we care for it and be ready to protect it. If this happens, there will not be any problems in our country. The country will be ‘Sujalam Sufalam’ (Enriched with flora and fauna) and there will be comprehensive development of the country.

‘All Bharatiyas (Indians) are my brothers and sisters !’ : We should have such a broad view that ,‘each individual in this country is my brother/sister. The whole country is my family’. But do we behave like this? No! If we actually follow these lines and behave accordingly, then we will not fight amongst ourselves. All will live harmoniously and happily together. Nowadays, even school going children fight among themselves in the class and use abusive words. If we have this broad thinking that ‘This universe is my home’, then the day is not far when Ramrajya (Rule of Righteouness) will be established.

‘I love my country !’ : If I love my country, then I should have immense love for every person and everything in this country. If we behave in this manner, then there will not be any problems in this country. Each family in the country, and thus, the whole country will live happily.

‘I am proud of its rich and varied heritage!’ : Students, our traditions are a reflection of our culture. Our culture is so superior that it can guide the whole world. Our culture teaches us that each and every individual should be in a state of happiness. Sacrifice is our tradition. When we meet one another, we greet each other respectfully with ‘Namaskar’ (A respectful greeting that is accompanied by a gesture of joining the palms with the fingertips pointing upwards and held close to the chest). We should respect these traditions. Following these traditions will help awaken in us a sense of pride towards the Nation. Sadly, we are forgetting all this because of modernity and blind imitation of Western traditions.

‘I shall always strive to be worthy of it (culture)’ : Only by behaving according to our traditions, can we carry them forward to the next generation. Our behaviour and speech should match our traditions. However, this does not happen in reality. While speaking on a telephone we say, ‘Hello’ instead of ‘Namaskar’. Our girls do not wear traditional dresses; instead, they wear jeans and t-shirt like men. They do not apply tilak on their forehead. They do not wear bangles. If we do not adhere to our traditions, then how will we be able to carry them forward to the future generations?

‘I shall give respect to my parents, teachers and elders and treat everyone with courtesy’ : Do we really pay obeisance to our parents everyday? No. We do not respect our teachers. Some children mock their teachers. All this is sinful. Let us promise to pay obeisance to our parents and teachers everyday from today on wards. Also, let us pledge to treat everyone with courtesy. If we are polite to everyone, then we will not have enmity with anyone.

‘To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion’ : Although we take a pledge like this; do we really care for the progress and protection of our country and our fellow countrymen? Our neighbouring countries Pakistan and China are all set to attack us. In such a situation, we should be loyal to our country, culture and Dharma.

‘In their (country and countrymen’s) well being and prosperity alone, lies my happiness’ : Each of our acts should be for the benefit of others. Our happiness should lie in the happiness and progress of our fellow countrymen. Unfortunately, today we witness demonic attitude in the society.

Friends, we say this pledge everyday in school, but have we ever felt like behaving accordingly? From today, let us try to live as per the pledge.

– Shri. Rajendra Pavaskar (Guruji), Panvel.