Taking liberties with the text by NCERT 

 

TOI 12th Dec 25 carried a story titled Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam finds its way into textbooks. The council seems to be hurt by its inclusion in text book. The write up based on an official statement is misleading. Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam has been narrowly interpreted to mean “welcoming and nurturing diverse communities”. Diverse communities are strange to Hindu India, when the scholars wrote the text in Upanishads and Sanhitas. Vashudha is planet Earth, a part of the Shrishti (Creation). This planet belongs to all species, elaborated in the texts and does not refer to communities. Communities are different from species. One illustration, indicative but not comprehensive, is Janmejaya’s Naagyagya, akin to modern nuclear war and climate change or pollution etc. Scholars must not allow such liberties go unchallenged in public interest and interest of humanity and this planet Earth.