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.
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.
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