Dr Bindu Mohanty, 56, Auroville, rested peacefully. Sadgati. Succumbed to Cancer, suffering silently for the last 18 months. Most of us didn’t even know about her suffering at all. She has been a founding volunteer of the National Coalition of Natural Farming. She has been a senior coordinator with Revitalizing Rainfed Agriculture Network, RRA Network. A writer, a teacher, and a practitioner of Integral yoga for 30 years, a social development consultant. Equity, Justice worker. She has done her dissertation on Auroville – Spiritual ideals and Social psychology. She wrote: Integral Yoga, Auroville Reflections.
Unemployment, underemployment, not-so-decent, without dignity employment, self-employment, unpaid employment, and engagement are the big concerns now. 3.2% unemployment levels officially is nowhere near the true status if we take decent employment, meaningful, remunerative employment – say 180 days a year, 50% higher than the minimum wage/day, realizing the human potential, meeting the needs of the family et al. At Rs.500/day minimum decent wage, and working 180 days each, the income comes to only Rs.1.8 lakh. This is a mere 20% of the average per family income. Current per capita income, of about Rs.2.2 lakh translates as Rs.8.8 lakh per year/family, assuming 4 persons per family, and 2 are employed. Where is this money? Not in the averages, but in the top 1% families – make more than Rs.54 lakh per capita. Bottom 50% families make less than Rs.25,000 per month, or Rs.3,00,000 per year/family or Rs.75,000 per capita. Isn’t this indecent? Therefore, the actual number needing decent employment may be ten times the official figure – 30%+ or double this. In terms of families. Our biggest agenda is therefore decent employment. Can we achieve this right? Right to life, living, work, livelihood, and freedom? With universal access to education, nutrition, health, security.
Can we do this, for 12 Crore families, in the next 10 years? 1-2 Crore families, or 2-4 Crore individuals, every year? Can we invest Rs. 2 Lakh Crore for this every year? Serious investment architecture. Can we think of ensuring Rs.25,000 per month/family from N-economy in general and natural farming in particular?
Bonus life, surviving after several near ‘deaths’; labelled genius very early; exceptional expectations against ‘admissions’, scholarships; ecosystems of exceptionally caring, nurturing peers, teachers, mentors, and community; willing, resilient, and unorthodox medleys of circles, teams, and choices; unusual opportunities endowed, against wind, flows – burden, blessing or calling? Are we ready, am I ready for the next portfolio of campaigns, kurukshetras? Being truthful, diligent, inclusive, equitable, and fair. Pooling up all our arsenal. Remaining unattached with what happened, what is happening and what will happen. Being happy within, without. Transcending rigidity, form, position et al.
Can we go into sixth, seventh and have all our senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, sense, feel, gut, intuition, mind, heart, and soul in sync? Can we go into fifth, sixth dimensions beyond space, time, and more? Can we go mastering over arrows, capitals, contexts, and transcending them to losing ourselves in the universe? As instruments of the call, dance, play, beat. In the offing. In the movement, viral. Can we?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, team practice taking charge together. In N? brndaraasayoga for 7L.
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