Indian management and economic development as envisaged by Swami Vivekananda
Business is business, in the highest sense, and no friendship – or as the Hindu proverb says, “eye shame” – should be there: Swami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda is mostly known as a spiritual leader but the
Unfortunately we have not given due attention to Swami Vivekananda's contribution in shaping the economic ideas of modern India. He was perhaps one of the foremost Indian economic thinkers who made sincere efforts to balance the ethical approaches with economic pursuits. However, this is not to undermine the contributions of engineering approach to economics. The detachment that has grown has between the two has been an unfortunate development for the entire world of economics.
Throwing light on Vivekananda's knowledge of the practical economic problems of India, Romain Rolland has significantly pointed out that , “He (Vivekananda) was conversant with the problems of industrial and rural economy whereby the life of the common man was controlled.”
Sister Nivedita in her classic book "The Master as I saw Him: Being Pages from the Life of Swami Vivekananda" (1910) writes, “...Nowhere does his love seem more intense than as we passed across the long stretches of the plains covered with fields and farms and villages. Here his thought was free to brood over the land as a whole and he would spend hours explaining the communal system of agriculture, or describing life of the farm housewife...” (pp.88-89).
Swami Vivekananda talked about two basic pillars of business: Transparency and accountability towards fund and unfailing energy to perform work as worship. Sri Sri Ramakrishna use to say, “If a man has the conviction that God alone is the Doer and he is His instrument, then he cannot do anything sinful. He who has leant to dance correctly never makes a false step… “ (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, 1942).
Swami Vivekananda (the disciple of Sri Ramakrishna) in his letter dated September 27, 1894 from USA writes to Alasingha, “I care only for the spirit – when that is right everything will be righted by itself…”(CompleteWorks of Swami Vivekananda, Volume V, p. 46). Again on October 27, 1894 Swami Vivekananda wrote to Alasingha, “...Always depending on the Lord and making no plans ahead… Take care of these two things – love of power and jealousy. Cultivate always “faith in yourself”. (CompleteWorks of Swami Vivekananda, Volume V, pp.51-52).
Influence of the Ideology of Swami Vivekananda on Modern India
Mr. Jamsetji Tata
Jamsetji Tata was more than merely an entrepreneur who helped India take her place in the league of industrialized nations. He was a patriot and a humanist whose ideals and vision shaped an exceptional business conglomerate. Swami Vivekananda had tremendous impact on Jamsetji Tata.
On 23rd November 1898 the latter wrote a letter to Swami Vivekananda,
“Dear Swami Vivekananda,
I trust, you remember me as a fellow-traveller on your voyage from Japan to Chicago. I very much recall at this moment your views on the growth of the ascetic spirit in India, and the duty, not of destroying, but of diverting it into useful channels.
I recall these ideas in connection with my scheme of Research Institute of Science for India, of which you have doubtless heard or read. It seems to me that no better use can be made of the ascetic spirit than the establishment of monasteries or residential halls for men dominated by this spirit, where they should live with ordinary decency, and devote their lives to the cultivation of sciences”natural and humanistic. I am of opinion that, if such a crusade in favour of an asceticism of this kind were undertaken by a competent leader, it would greatly help asceticism, science, and the good name of our common country; and I know not who would make a more fitting general of such a campaign than Vivekananda. Do you think you would care to apply yourself to the mission of galvanizing into life our ancient traditions in this respect? Perhaps, you had better begin with a fiery pamphlet rousing our people in this matter. I should cheerfully defray all the expenses of publication.
Swami Vivedananda, in his backing of the idea, wrote in 1899, “I am not aware if any project at once so opportune and so far reaching in its beneficent effect has ever been mooted in India… The scheme grasps the vital point of weakness in our national well-being with a clearness of vision and tightness of grip, the mastery of which is only equaled by the munificence of the gift that is being ushered to the public.” Despite this and similar endorsements, it would take a further 12 years before the splendid Indian Institute of Science started functioning in Bangalore in 1911 (Chakraborty & Chakraborty, 2006, p31).
Jamsetji's philanthropic principles were rooted in the belief that for India to climb out of poverty its finest minds would have to be harnessed. Therefore, they kept on building the temples of learning.
Swami Vivekananda who could not only understand the problems of the people but also suggested such measures which are of extreme relevance even today. He was concerned about agriculture and its improvement and wanted to educate the farmers as well as to modernize it by using technology. He talks of industrialization of the country at the same time he pleads for the continuance of small scale and cottage industry. He talks of trade but not aid. He suggests complete programme of poverty eradication based on Vedantic philosophy. He at the same time teaches us the universal oneness based on Advaita. Thus in Swamiji we find a complete reformer who knew the philosophy, economics, politics, society, cultures, religion and everything related to human life.