Economics of Mahaveera

Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya
Publisher: Adarsh Sahitya Sangh

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ECONOMICS OF MAHAVIRA
and to dominate over others. If human compassion had been awakened, these criminal tendencies would not have spread worldwide.
The Poverty Line It is paradoxical that the position of those who have become wealthy is also unhappy. Diseases caused by affluence have engulfed these countries. It is not true. that while wealth grows, ailments diminish. Along with the expansion in wealth, sickness also increases. And with that comes emotional sickness too. Wealth and disease can never be dissociated from each other. While, on the one hand, the wealthy are suffering from ailments, on the other hand, the poor are also suffering from diseases. Malnutrition is devouring their health. In the poor countries today, the proportion of people living below the poverty line is very large. It was estimated that if in villages people get 2,400 calories and urban people get 2100 calories, the minimum required level is achieved. If the intake is less thar. these levels, it is a position below the poverty line. Today, the number of people living below the poverty line is colossal in poor and developing countries.
The Rural Conditions I refer to an event which occurred several years ago. Revered Gurudev was in Delhi, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia came to see him. During the course of talks Lohiaji observed: “Maharaj, in our country today there are 25 to 30 crore people who do not get two meals a day. If you want to know the actual condition, then send Muni Nathmalji (Acharya Mahapragya) with me to the villages. He may go there himself and see the conditions in the villages with his own eyes”.
In fact, the conditions are such that crores of people do not get a square meal to satisfy their hunger. However, there is one difference between the olden times and now. In the ancient times, people died due to poverty or starvation. Today they are not allowed to die; they are kept alive to bear the suffering. If someone dies, then it becomes a threat to the government. Comments and criticisms are made. He is not free to die; he is