Family and the Nation - Paperback

by Acharya Mahapragya (Author)

As we aspire for rising economic prosperity and a strong
and confident India, this book forcefully reminds us of
the values that make for a truly sustainable society, at
the heart of which is the family. For it is not economic
growth or military strength alone that will make India
strong. Sustainable success comes from values, and
these can sustain a society and a nation even in times of
hardship. The book expresses an ideal by which Indian
society may prosper and speaks of how spirituality can
help create a noble nation and a better world. It provides
a valuable counterpoint to the modern-day emphasis
on consumerism and the philosophy of more is better,
highlighting the sanctity of the natural world and its great
power to evoke human creativity and love.
Writing on this crucial subject are two iconic Indians.
Together, Acharya Mahapragya and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam--
one a Jain muni revered as a saint, the other a visionary,
a distinguished scientist and a former President of India--
bring their vast experience to bear on this important
subject. As the authors put it, it's only a united and happy
family that will lead to a strong nation, one that can be
a true fulfilment of 5,000 years of India's civilization. The
book takes up the difficult and pressing task of setting a
new agenda in a time of radical social change. It shows us
the path we need to follow to take India to its rightful place
as a great nation.

Author Biography

ACHARYA MAHAPRAGYA was one of the most celebrated
Jain thinkers of the world and the tenth Acharya of the Jain
Shwetambar Terapanth sect. Born in 1920 in a village in
Rajasthan, he became a monk at the age of ten. He got his
education under the guidance of Acharya Shree Tulsi, who
launched the Anuvrat Movement in 1949 to rid the world
of violence and hatred and free religion from sectarianism.
Acharya Mahapragya was a prolifi c writer and has been
called a 'modern Vivekananda'. He traversed more than
1,00,000 km on foot and visited 10,000 villages to spread
the message of non-violence. To this purpose, he embarked
on an Ahimsa Yatra in 2001. He was honoured with the
Communal Harmony Award in 2004 for his contribution in
this fi eld. He died on 9 May 2010 at the age of eighty-nine
in Sardarshahar, Rajasthan.

A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM was the President of India from 2002
to 2007 and is the recipient of the nation's highest civilian
award, the Bharat Ratna. Born in 1931 in Rameshwaram
in Tamil Nadu, Dr Kalam studied aeronautical engineering
at the Madras Institute of Technology. He played a key role
in the development of India's first satellite launch vehicle,
the SLV-3, and in the building and operationalization of
India's strategic missile systems. As an elder statesman,
he remains in the public eye for his role in offering counsel,
reaching out to people and building bridges across religious
and social divides. Dr Kalam's focus stays on transforming
India into a developed nation by 2020 and to this end he
has met and enthused more than three million youths.