हमारी धर्म हीनता

Summary

The text argues that contemporary society has become profoundly irreligious, despite India's self-image as a spiritually inclined nation. It critiques the gap between claims of piety and everyday unethical practices, particularly in commerce. The author describes widespread dishonesty in markets, where both shopkeepers and customers routinely engage in deceitful bargaining. Black marketeering is presented not as an aberration but as an extension of normal business logic, where maximizing profit is seen as prudent rather than immoral. A shopkeeper defends adulterating milk and lying in trade as necessary, comparing falsehood to salt in flour. The text recounts an incident where weavers tried to overcharge naive buyers for shuttles, and notes that even those who consider themselves religious compartmentalize ethics, practicing charity while accepting falsehood in business. This moral decay is attributed partly to two centuries of subjugation, but the author insists that the root cause is a deep-seated hypocrisy. The solution proposed is not superficial or punitive but requires a fundamental restructuring of society and economy based on equality. It also calls for a revision of religious concepts, moving beyond mere compassion for living beings to establishing truth in all practical dealings. The text concludes that falsehood pervades not only trade but also literature, social service, and religion, and must be expelled from all these fields through collective effort by thinkers, social workers, religious leaders, and educators.