Acharya Tulsi
Some monkeys were sitting on a mango tree. A class of the students was being conducted under that tree. The teacher was teaching them the principle of Heredity (क्रमविकास) of Darwin. Explaining the principle, the teacher said, ‘According to Darwin, man is the child of monkey.’ Monkeys sitting on the tree heard this word and said to the teacher in attacking mood, ‘What you are teaching to your students is highly objectionable and it is our insult.’
The teacher could not understand anything. When he asked for explanation from the monkeys, one of the monkeys said, ‘Till now no monkey has smoked, no one has drunk, no one has gambled, no one has mobilized, no one has manufactured weapons and atom bomb. Then clarify how the man may be our child?’ That monkey slapped the teacher so rigorously that he could no reply anything.
This is a story. It is difficult to say how far it is true. But here the weakness of the man was pointed out by the monkey. Among them one of the weaknesses is drinking alcohol. Everybody knows the truth that alcohol is injurious to health, it perverts mind and disrupts mental balance. Yet alcohol is being manufactured and sold openly. Number of the addicted is increasing, because Government machinery is incapable to restrict the manufacturing of alcohol. Main reason of this incapability is economic profit. So long as the intense desire to earn from the sale of alcohol practice is not left out, the Government will not be able to take any step in this direction.
Hindustan (India) is the country of Mahaveer, country of Budhha, country of "Gandhi. The principle of purification of contents (साधना-शुद्धि) has groomed here. Gandhiji had deep faith in this principle. As per his view, the economic profit earned from alcohol was improper. He said, ‘If I incline to dictatorship, first of all I shall shut down the wine-shops.’ Unless the person ruling the country in the name of Gandhi will not understand the significance of the purification of self-content (साधना-शुद्धि), they will not be able to shape India as dreamed by Gandhi.
It is difficult to change the policy of the Government, because authoritative power is regulating it. But if public-opinion is conscious, the policy of the Government may be changed. During the last few days, such incidents took place. A wine-shop began to operate in Momasor village. It had the support of the police and the constabulary. Still the wine-shop was shut down there. Only by means of public-power, this so happened. I am fully convinced that if public protests actively against the evil practices and face them with good intension and in an organized way other evils alike drinking wine will be ousted.
