569. War Against the Banks

The world is not receptive to new ideas, particularly new boons. If one goes on the Internet and learns how the major discoveries were received by the world, one will be appalled at the treatment they had received. The world was conservative. It is conservative to the core today.  In 1969 the banks had a total of about five thousand crores of rupees in deposit. Today any one branch of a big bank I the metropolis has that much deposit. Indira called a meeting of the Chairmen of Banks to propose nationalisation. The Chairman of the leading bank at that time was one celebrated for his integrity and intelligence. When he passed away some years ago, the Press celebrated his services handsomely. He stood up and told Indira, "I don't know what good nationalisation will do or who will benefit." After the meeting, she said that he had no imagination. Nationalisation of the banks then is directly responsible for many good things we now have.

Neyveli Lignite Corporation is a major boon to Tamil Nadu. At the time of its inception, Central Cabinet Ministers from Tamil Nadu questioned the wisdom of that idea. Today the American economic power has as its backbone the banks of that country. Banks give a financial medium for the commerce to continuously expand.  Suppose there are no banks today, well, there will be nothing worthwhile. Many, many good things will shrink or vanish. Banking took shape in the 17^th and 18^th centuries in Europe, made currency possible, gave MONEY power to rule and has come to stay as a power to reckon with. In 1800, President Andrew Jackson declared a war on the banks and forced the bank that was acting as a central bank to close. He was self-righteous about it.

That is how we treat every BOON life gives or science offers. Man is conservative, traditional and will oppose tooth and nail every good thing that develops. Computer and the Internet are no mere boons. They are tools - social tools - that raise all the backward nations at one stroke to the level of advanced nations. Many are opposed to them. Others are indifferent. A few are lukewarm in their reception. It will be a GREAT project for a PhD student of an advanced university if he lists all the BOONS at our doorstep - organisational, political, technological, educational, social, etc. and evaluates them in terms of their contribution and records the reception they get at various levels of the society. Man's dire need is AWAKENING to the new world that is springing up around him. It will be great if it is a mental awakening, if not a full spiritual awakening. Vivekananda called on us to AWAKE.