Change will come inevitably

Krishna Prasad Pradhan, 79, is a man with a mission. He is trying to change the world’s thinking towards humanism. Having retired from government in 1986, after 35 years of service, he turned towards devising a new philosophy - a philosophy of humanism - after, he said, when he found that the existing ideas and thinkings failed to create a more humanistic world. In his book, ‘The Philosophy of Coordination’, he has presented a Third World Outlook, after capitalism and Marxism, challenging Marxism to Idealism. His idea has caught the fancy of many. He has also authoried many books both in Nepali and English on diverse subjects. He even advertised about his philosophy in reputed newspapers like The Times of India and Time magazine. The International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England awarded him a Certificate of Merit in 1999 proclaiming him as the International Man of Millennium. He has also received distinctions  such as Distinguished Leadership Award, Man of the Year 1998, World Lifetime Achievement Award and others from organisations like the American Biographical Institute, United Writers’ Association, International Biographical Centre and International Directory of Distinguished Leadership. Pradhan recently talked to The Independent about his vision and ideas. Excerpts:

Q. You were given the certificate of merit as International Man of the Millennium by the International Biographical Centre Cambridge, England in 1999. For which work was the certificate awarded?

A. The certificate was given for my book Philosophy of Coordination:  The Third World Outlook, the biggest challenge to Marxism and Idealism. The First World Outlook is capitalism, the second world outlook is Marxism. I have portrayed a completely different outlook for the Third World. I had published advertisements regarding my philosophy in different newspapers such as The Times of India and Time magazine of the United States in a worldwide competition. It was published in 1997, and still nobody has dared challenge my philosophy. It was because of this I was awarded the certificate.

Q. What is the gist of your book?

A. My philosophy is not the preserver of the past nor the upholder of the present, but of the future for the complete freedom of all humankind of this globe from  exploitation of all sorts of man by man forever on the foundation of equality of all human beings. And the gist of my book is philosophy is the lightbearer of humanity but not of brutality to mankind. However, I found all philosophies existing today as the lightbearer of brutality. So, I have tried to preach a completely new philosophy to make it the lightbearer of humanity in my book. I have tried to avoid all the existing philosophies.

Q. What do you mean by avoiding all the existing philosophies?

A. For example, the two major existing philosophies are capitalism and Marxism. But I found nobody has written anything about global human wellbeing. So, I wrote the book, Third World Outlook, where I have given new ideas for global human welfare and global humanity. And I put the book for worldwide competition.

Q. What are the main points you have raised in your book for global humanity and global human wellbeing?

A. Human being is the product of the society. But it has become too individualistic. There is no human approach, no social approach. At present in capitalism it is individual capitalism, which is totally against what Marx had actually meant. By being leader-oriented, the communists have been running state capitalism. Both of them have defined humanism in their own ways, but real humanism is yet to come. Today there is only egoism and individualism. So, in my book I have portrayed the society is more important than individual and humanity is more important than individualism. And to lead towards a more humane society, we have to change the whole present outlook of our society.

In the early times of human existence, there was humanity. For example, the land and the properties belonged to everybody. Everybody worked and they used to get equal share according to their needs. This also coincides what the Vedas, the highest scripture of Hinduism, preaches. But things were distorted later on and with the growth of individualism, humanism declined. When we say the Vedas belong to the Hindus only, this is individualism. It is the same with the Kuran or the Bible. The Vedas should have belonged to the whole humankind. Even, books like the Vedas and the Ramayana or the Mahabharata contradict with each other.

Q. Do you think you can change the existing philosophy or existing outlook towards humanity?

A. During the Rana time, people used to say democracy would never come. But it has. When people slowly become conscious, when all human beings become aware that the existing philosophies and religion are only killing the humanity within themselves, and when they strive to become real human being, change will come inevitably.

Q. Don’t you agree that the present materialism and individualism despite pushing humanism back has achieved progress and prosperity?

A. All these progress and prosperity are for profit only. The development we have today is only for the rich. It is only the rich who have all the access to progress and prosperity. If there has to be real progress and prosperity then everybody should have an equal share of prosperity and wealth. So, the present progress is not development in the real sense.

Q. But in several countries such as Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland there has been more or less equitable distribution of prosperity and many basic needs are looked after by the state. Do you think in those countries there has been a rise of humanism?

A. No. In those countries, people are only getting what the state has been giving to them. That is not equitable. They have not been able to have equitable share of all the wealth and prosperity. And the people too are not equal in the real sense.

Q. Since when did you begin your quest for a new philosophy?

A. I was born and brought up in the old philosophy. But when I read and found that the old philosophies and religious books contradict with each other, I began to wonder which is the true philosophy which will benefit all humankind. When I found none,  I began to think about a new one.

Q. Do you consider yourself as an atheist?

A. Yes, I am. My God is not one of those incarnations. These incarnations are also false. God as such has no incarnation. True God comes for all human beings, not only for Hindus, Muslims or the Christians. You can not bring brotherhood of mankind by spreading Christianity or Islam. All these notions are wrong. The brotherhood of mankind will come only when there is humanity not by having one or the other religion. So, until  human beings become real human beings we can not reach  the pinnacle of civilization. The present civilization of wars, weapons and power is the civilization of brutality not of humanity.

Q. What have you done to expand and spread you message of humanity?

A. I have been writing other books and booklets to describe my thinkings and views to explain to the common people. I am also thinking of putting what I have written in the Internet.

Q. You have said you believe in moneyless economy but the world’s economy at present depends on money. How can economy run without money?

A. Earlier, when there was humanism there was no money. People used to work on land and the produce was divided equally among the workers. Then there was no money not even the barter system. Only when there is individualism is there money. When there is humanism after individualism and socialism, the society itself will look after the population and their needs. The society will evaluate the production capacity of the earth and the number of population. The society will balance the production of food and the number of people. This will be the end of individualism leading to the dawn of Satya Yug (Golden Age).

Q. You talked about humanism and moneyless economy, doesn’t it mean your philosophy preaches pushing back or turning back the clock of the thousands of years of civilisation?

A. The present civilisation is the civilisation of individualists. This civilisation does not mean anything to humanity. This civilisation is the civilisation of brutality and killing where people and country try to become more powerful than each other. In real humanism there is no such thing as a person or country becoming more powerful than the other. So, the present civilisation is the civilisation of the beasts. When there is humanism the civilisation of human beings will proceed further ahead instead of going backward.

Q. So, all the present progress and development are absurd and irrelevant to you?

A. Yes, absolutely.