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Prout on:
Socio-economic units |
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5 fundamental principles
11 social and socio-economic principles
Existence Leadership
Economic democracy Democracy
"State vs. private" Neo-humanism
Criteria for socio-economic
groupification
By P.R. Sarkar
While forming socio-economic units, several factors should be considered.
These include same economic problems; uniform economic potentialities;
ethnic similarities; the sentimental legacy of the people; and similar
geographical features.
1. “Same economic problems” refers to the common economic problems
confronting people in a particular unit and may include the lack of
markets for locally produced goods, surplus or deficit labor problems,
communication or transportation difficulties and lack of irrigation
water. Ascertaining whether or not a similar set of economic problems
exists in an area is the first thing, which should be clearly analyzed
when forming a socio-economic unit. The economic problems of the
socio-economic unit, and their solutions, should be well understood.
2. Secondly, there should be uniform economic potentialities in the unit.
Despite natural variations from place to place, overall the people
throughout a unit should enjoy similar opportunities for economic
prosperity. Disparity between the haves and the have-
nots and the rich and the poor will have to be progressively reduced so
that the collective wealth will increase and society will become
bountiful.
3. Thirdly, there should be ethnic similarities. In the past many races
and sub-races have been suppressed and exploited by powerful or dominant
races. Those with evil designs in order to divide society and establish
their own pre-eminence have propagated racism. Society must guard
against such narrow and dangerous sentiments. This can be done only if
every ethnic group has adequate scope for its expression and development.
The multi-colored garland of humanity will be enriched to the extent
diverse human groups blend together from a position of strength and
independence out of a genuine love for each other, and are not forced
together through fear or compulsion.
4. Fourthly, sentimental legacy includes factors such as language,
historical traditions, literature, common usages and cultural
expressions. It is the common chord in the collective psychology of a
particular group of people, which gives them their unique identity, and
sense of affinity. Human beings are predominantly sentimental by nature.
They establish some kind of relationship with the many objects of the
world through their day-to-day activities. If the sentiment for a
particular favorite object is adjusted with the collective sentiment
then that sentiment can be utilized for establishing unity in human
society. The human sentiment for many objects may sometimes run counter
to the collective sentiment and create great disunity, so those
sentiments, which are conducive to human unity, should be encouraged,
and the sentiments which divide human society should be rejected. This
is the approach adopted by Prout’s socio-economic units.
5. Finally, similar geographical features such as topography, river
systems, rainfall and irrigation water should also be considered in the
formation of a socio-economic unit.
Socio-economic units will give expression to popular sentiments and
fight against all forms of exploitation to meet the demands and
aspirations of the local people. Movements will have to be launched
throughout the world to establish self-sufficient socio-economic units
based on the maxim, “Know the area, prepare the plan and serve the
people.” Local people are those who have merged their individual
socio-economic interests with the socio-economic interests of the socio-
economic unit they live in.
October, 1979, Calcutta
Prout in a Nutshell 13
Copyright Ananda Marga Publications 2004
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