Paradise on Earth

All religions promise paradise after death in reward for good conduct on earth. Since no dead man has ever recorded anything on the life in hell or paradise after he had died, there is no first hand description available for verifying the authenticity of this religious belief.

          But this imaginary place of extreme comfort, full of pleasures of life as conceived in terms of earthly life, cannot only be left to the imagination of each believer who may be innocent to the extent of not accepting anything that is not observed.  IN view of the need for defining paradise more clearly without creating the need for others’ questioning important and educated people have described paradise for the benefit of gullible and innocent.  But those who describe heaven after death are invariably endowed with the fortune of enjoying paradise on earth with all the luxuries of life. The religious heads who hold in their possession huge estates and innumerable properties worth of hundreds if not thousands of crores of rupees, the preachers from humble origins who aspire to build a paradise on earth in the name of others but for enjoying it themselves and those of their ardent supports who want to share their good fortune, have all described in detail the scenes in hell and heaven. 

          Afterall, these people are human beings living on earth.  Their imagination can run riot to the extent of what a human being can imagine.  The scenes of heaven are more earthly than even gods can imagine.  It is obvious that heaven for other animals (man also being an animal, albeit a social one at that) like dogs, frogs or pigs would be as different from human heaven as are their lives.

          In India, politicians of all hues have the tendency to promise heaven on earth provided they are elected to office.  They can visualize paradise in places of their power and political convenience.     For the last four many politicians, journalists and public intellectuals of doubtful integrity have invented a paradise in Gujarat.  Since they have the political authority in Central Government, they have also started imagining a heaven in India, if they continue in power. 

          Like the religious preachers who exhibit the power of gods through their powers of prayers in religious conferences, these politicians display paradise in digital medium.

          The scenes described are very dear to the ‘haves’ and those of the middle classes that aspire to  become ‘haves’.  Big malls, products of luxury imported from foreign countries, excellent fourlaned roads, beautiful buildings etc.  Invisible and hidden behind these are poverty, social backwardness, prevalence of age-old pride and prejudices and illiberal tendencies of hugging the tribal identities like caste, creed colour, religion, region and language.

The concept of reaching paradise after death has to be replaced by the plans for fulfillment of simple necessities of life for millions of people.  Equality of opportunities, society without any discrimination.  Yes it may be ideal, but it is our constitutional ideal, an a simple ideal, attainable by hard work and appropriate policy measures, unlike the unattainable luxury of paradise after death.