The 46th International Kolkata Book Fair hosted the launch of Vedic Economy, a book written by Prof (Dr) Rama Prosad Banerjee, Chairman & Director of Eastern Institute for Integrated Learning in Management (EIILM) – Kolkata. In this book, Prof Banerjee highlights the Economic perspective for the well-being of all - by defeating poverty, illiteracy, ill-health, inequality and economic evils. The book was unveiled by Actor, Mr. Abir Chatterjee; Prof (Dr) Nithima Yuenyong, Hon'ble VC, Pathumthani University, Thailand; Prof (Dr) Ranjan Chakrabarti, Hon'ble VC, Netaji Subhas Open University; Shri Tridib Kumar Chatterjee, Hony. General Secretary, Publishers & Booksellers Guild; and Shri Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey, President, Publishers & Booksellers Guild.
The book Vedic Economy is based on Kautilya’s Arthashastra and The Mahabharata and has been published by Satyer Path Publication. In this book, Prof Banerjee talks about the 6 principles of Economic Emergence, drawn from the Mahabharata, Kautilya's Arthashastra, and the Vedas (Utthana Shatakam). These are:
i) Creating a Synthesis (Samannyam)
ii) Developing Equirhythm (Sam Chhandam)
iii) Collective Emergence (Samadhritam)
iv) Distributive Justice in Demand and Consumption (Samani Aakutih)
v) Emergence through Knowledge (Pranjanartham)
vi) Collective Unfoldment (ApavrinuVayam)
The Vedic Economy further thrusts on the principles of shared riches and deficiencies, collectivism in thoughts and applications, maintaining and establishing quality, fraternity, unity, and shared responsibility. Performers, thinkers, and consumers are advised to pursue the eternal truth in life. 'Sam gacchadhwam sam vadadhwam sam vo manamsi janatam' - This spirit of equality and oneness is the call of Vedic Economy.
“The Vedic Economy corrects imbalances through certain basic values at the individual and at the collective level. It urges upon understanding the issues and problems of others by each on one hand and combining the social and human potentials in such a way that growth and fulfillment take place in the context of peace and poise. I wish all nations on earth should adopt, practice and implement the spirit of Vedic Economy in their own framework and experience better individual and collective life of human being on earth and create a better new world”, said Prof. (Dr.) Rama Prosad Banerjee, Professor of Management and Chairman & Director of Eastern Institute for Integrated Learning in Management (EIILM) - Kolkata.
In Vedic Economy, Prof Banerjee also writes about Trade and Commerce, consumption economies as well as the economic doctrines that are at play over the world today. To elucidate, the book talks about economic doctrines, policies and modules have so far served nations and societies in a fragmented or skewed manner benefitting certain segments of the human population through a process of a zero-sum game as an underlying principle of relocating wealth and riches from one corner of the globe to the other.
This skewed manner in which some of these have been acting has been demonstrated with the example of consumption economies--the consumption economy has proved a skewed tendency in terms of overconsumption in certain areas and sectors and deprivation, and dissatisfaction in certain other areas of the world. The peace and poise of mind get strongly shattered by the imbalance between expectations and achievements.
On the other hand, trade and commerce have seen a change in identity with a shift of locus in the origin and manufacture of new dimension products and services, though economic and social justice is yet to reach the kitchens and floors of people residing throughout the world. It is true that the collective efforts of the last seven decades have changed the face of many have-nots and ‘bottom of pyramid people’, however, the perennial problems of poverty, inequality, ill-health, lack of providence of services for good life and light of knowledge remains widespread as fundamental issues of the global economy.
In fact, the book further goes on to stress the fact that the world deserves the best spirit of economic management for its own practice and implementation at different corners of the globe. The sooner it is done, the better it is for human society. Vedic Economy does not exclude a single individual from its domain, rather, it offers to include every person to unleash her/his dormant potential to transform the same into economically and socially applicable values.
About the Author
Prof. (Dr.) R P Banerjee, Chairman & Director of EIILM-Kolkata played a key role to bring in the radical change in the sector of Management Education in West Bengal in general and in EIILM-Kolkata in particular. He is a leading Professor of Management and has taught/lectured at renowned Asian, European, and American Universities/Institutions has been a pioneer in establishing Ethics and Values in Management Academics on one hand and bringing them into the focus of Scholars and Practitioners of Management the ‘Vedic Spiritual Thoughts’ for corporate/organizational functioning, on the other. His latest concept of Mind Engineering in managing Stress, Art, and Science of Management, and the Vedic Economy are clear pathfinders for the future of Management and Society. He believes in a value-based corporate and organizational practice for the world.