== IS IT ANY WONDER? ==
Namaskar,
Seeing the situation going on now in our AMPS, it is certainly reasonable
to ask, 'How or why did we fall prey to groupism?'. This query could easily
arise in anyone's mind. So let us take a moment then to investigate this
topic.
In a nutshell we should just know that all around the globe, groupism is looked
upon as being something very honorable and venerated etc.
A LOOK AT THE NATIONS
So beforemjumping directly into the present theatrics of groupism in AMPS,
first we can examine how various nations around the globe are run.
As we all know well, at present the government of each and every country in
the world today openly operates under the party system.
For example:
(a) In India, in the recent history the BJP was the ruling party; plus we
all know there is also the Congress Party and various other 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.
So each and every nation on this globe today has their registered political
parties which essentially govern that country. And these parties are, by
and large, accepted by people as being authentic, legal, official, and
authoritative. In a word such parties are deemed as 'legitimate' in the
eyes of the people. Various citizens may agree or disagree with the
platform of a particular party, but none are 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%.
Indeed, such parties are respected and people think this is the way to do.
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 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.
So verily these parties are groups and the term 'party' is just a euphemism
for the word 'group'.
Hence in society groupism is well respected, but in AM we do not subscribe
to groupism. Yet because of the prevailing social dogmas, groupism / party
politics has not only crept into but verily blossomed in 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 the recent debates on war or economic reform
in US polictics. Obama put out a call for support and those in his party
came running in support, galvanizing the party platform- as if this is
something great or holy or noble. And those in the other party attacked
as if it was the plague Through it all, those party leaders would
never lay claim that they are playing groupist schemas etc.
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 nothing but 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 in another. That is the way it goes.
Because almost none openly oppose 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 embedded within the world of politics, that people
do not think that anything can be done outside party system. They do not think that a
government can be formed or run without the party.
Given all of the above, is it any wonder then how party politics, aka groupism
can into being in our Marga. 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 divided themselves into various groups,
or parties. Since 1990, never did our AMPS function as one holistic body.
Immediately one or another faction has risen to power and worked towards
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 that rule the scene in
our AMPS.
But 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, EC team, or NIA 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.
And to test the situation simply go up to any chieftain like Rudrananda,
Sarvatmananda, Tiirthananda, Citkrsnananda, or approach 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, EC, or NIA-- are
functioning 100% according to the ways of groupism. That is their modus
operendi.
Because they is what they have seen happen in the general society and this
party system they have dragged into our AMPS
WHAT IS THE ANSWER
So if one were to raise the question: 'How did we fall prey to groupism'.
Then 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 mind-set of groupism entered into our AMPS
from the outside.
That is, since we ourselves failed to pointedly recognise the presence of
groupism in the world around us, so we could not stop it from infesting our
AMPS either.
Thus 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.
Because throughout the world today, the party system is looked upon as something
glorious and if anyone 'sacrifices for the party' then that is looked upon as
a truly noble & selfless action. When in reality, all it is is a stamp of approval
for more and more groupism.
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.
Baba 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." (P.O.D., pt #26)
So in no way, shape, or form is party politics intended to become a part of
our AM way of life. But tragically it has seeped into our AMPS like water.
None can claim that it hasn't.
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-- that is 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 certain family members. This
type of party politics or groupism is not allowed to happen in any family.
And that mind-set 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 in our own minds this is
what we have accepted as being normal: In some small or big corner of our
minds we have accepted the legitimacy of the party system which we see
rampant in the world around us.
WRAP-UP
All in all this is a vast topic with many points involved. Yet at the same
time it is very simple: The party politics prevalent in each and every
nation has been absorbed into AMPS, at least at present. And as always all
are encouraged to write in with thoughts and opinions. Because this is one
needed point for us to unearth if we are ever to move ahead and build an
AMPS that is functioning according to the ways of Prout.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace, each and every Ananda Margii has within them the seeds and
desire to set up our social life according to the ways of Prout. And by His
grace it will not take long for us to enable Prout to sprout in our AMPS.
Baba 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." (PNS-17)
Namaskar,
Acintya
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Ultravarious to Ideology
Baba says, "You should remember that a situation will never arise in this
world which will give you cause for fear. It has been said that Parama
Purusa is the fear of fear. That is, fear is as afraid of Parama Purusa as
humans are afraid of fear."
"Ananda Marga is essentially Tantra-orientated, it too, has a few
special features of its own. As I have said previously, our ideology
maintains that no-one need be afraid of anything under any circumstances.
If anyone does get afraid, it should be understood that he is doing
something ultravarious to our ideology." (Kolkata, 14 November 1978)
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