Thus Spake the Divine - Ways To Minimise Crimes

Thus Spake the Divine

Ways To Minimise Crimes

Why should there be a Government? The more powerful might harm the less powerful; the strong could force the weak and confiscate their money and possessions! A Government is essential for precisely this reason. It should be there in any state or country to protect people from hardships and establish harmony and discipline among people.

What does the Government do to minimise crimes? Of course, it punishes and reprimands the accused. Many people stay away from committing crimes only because of the fear of punishment.

However, a man should himself have the conviction of not committing any mistake, not because of fear of punishment, but owing to his inner conviction that committing mistakes is against the Codes of Dharma. Even the very thought of committing a mistake must not occur to an individual. The responsibility of providing such an environment lies with the Government.

For that, people who are in the position of governing the society should be virtuous and righteous. They must become a role model for others by themselves adhering to the Codes of Dharma in letter and spirit. They should be capable of creating trust in the minds of people that whatever they do will only be for the good of all citizens.

If such people preach the Codes of dharma, people themselves will come forward to adopt those codes within their own lives. However, Government alone cannot be made responsible for creating a flawless society. Learned scholars and others, who adhere to the Rules of Dharma and Shastras, must also join hands with the Government in carrying out the noble task of reforming people. The Government on its part should support the initiatives of these noble people.

The prime objective of the Government must be to focus on enhancing the number of people who follow the righteous path in life, instead of building more courts and police stations. The Government should encourage and motivate people who lead a self-less life to enrich people with their knowledge of Dharma.

Practising what is preached is more important than merely preaching to others. If the number of courts is on the rise, it means crimes are on the increase. Instead, if the number of temples increases, more peace and harmony will prevail among people. Kings of ancient times built more temples than courts. They also renovated old temple structures. Temples also had elements of arts and culture, so that people could appreciate them and spend more time in temples. People also worshipped in these temples and led a peaceful and content life.

Instead of restraining people from committing crimes by warning them of stringent legal action, it is wiser to show them the path of righteousness. The righteous path can make them lose their inclination towards committing crimes. Instead of showing the stick, it is better to give them the carrot, so that they turn to the right path and there is peace in the society. With this objective, if the Government encourages people to follow the right path of dharma, then our culture as well as people of our country will flourish.

This article is a snippet from the Book Thus Spake the Divine, is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.