Interviewer:
Respectful greetings, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Respectful greetings, my son. Speak.
Interviewer:
Today, I want to hear from youâand you can even share a prophecy if you wishâregarding the issues we are facing today. Specifically, I'm referring to the current decline of humanityâthe erosion of character and the loss of human values. I'd also like to hear your thoughts on the future of today's youth, the future of women, and the future of the indigenous and tribal people. If you could shed some light on these topics, we would gain a deeper understanding.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Look, it has been 75 years since India gained independence. I am also 75 years old. We have seen the eras of the Congress party, the CPM, and now the Trinamool Congress. We have witnessed these three periods, but in terms of real development, nothing has happened. The question of development doesn't even arise. Factories and companies started closing down one by one. Couldn't these companies have been kept open? But the government's policies were such that they couldn't stay open.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Actually, a blueprint for this was created a long time ago. Take this COVID situationâthis was planned long ago. Without such an event, it wouldn't have been possible to dismiss people from their jobs or implement certain changes. People's livelihoodsâthe jobs that put food on their tablesâwere the main target. There are working-class people, farmers, and laborers who work hard to survive. Everyone works hard, no one is exempt, but in terms of development, as you asked, there has been none. On the contrary, a steady decline has begun. The government shows no concern, nor does it look into these matters. Its only priority is to protect its own seat of power.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The youth of today have become isolatedâdisconnected from society. Some are asking, "What is the point of living?" and have turned to alcohol or other distractions just to get by. That has become their mindset. On the other hand, another section of youth has become deeply religious. Their view is that only God can save them now. So, the youth are divided into two groups: one that just wants to eat, drink, and live for the moment because they see no future, and another that is clinging to faith.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
When youth come to meâand 50 to 60 of them come every dayâthey tell me, "We don't know how to survive, we can't afford food, we have no jobs. Please do something." I tell them, "Look, I can't give you a job. Either join a political party, or go to the Chief Minister's house and tell her about the job situation. Or, become a monk; at least then you'll manage to get some food."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The youth are completely confused. They don't know what to do. Many who want to return to a normal life have no money. They might have families and children, but when I ask them if they drink, they say, "Yes, I drink. What else can I do? I have no other way. I can't provide for my family, my wife has left and gone back to her father's house." This is happening constantly, every single moment. Because they can't provide money, their wives are leaving.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The youth are the backbone of the country, and their decline is causing great harm to India.
Interviewer:
Are you blaming the government for this?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
You can't blame the government in that way, but it is their job to provide employment and keep people engaged. They aren't able to do that. They lack a solid foundation or existence of their own. As a result, the common youth are joining political partiesâsome with TMC, some with BJPâbut no real work is getting done. It's like showing a piece of bread to a dog but never letting it eat. That is the state of our society. Everything seems to be there, but nothing is actually available.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Many factories have closed. Not everyone can work as a mason or a laborer. There are certain types of work the youth are reluctant to do.
Interviewer:
You mean the educated youth?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Almost everyone is educated now. About 80% of the youth have passed their secondary exams. Some couldn't continue their studies and are trying to find other ways to earn a living. Consequently, we see a rise in fraud. People are being misled and cheated. Some people come to me saying they had six lakh rupees in the bank, and someone promised to give them ten lakhs but took their money and disappeared. Many people come to me with such stories. I tell them, "Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, you can't put it back in. Consider that money gone." This is how things are going. Even the youth are resorting to fraud to take advantage of others.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
If you talk about women, they have fallen even further. Families are breaking apart because men cannot meet their demands. Women are looking for jobs, working for meager salaries like 2,000 or 3,000 rupees just to keep the household running or for personal expenses. But the consequences are dire. There is a lot of harassment and "ragging" of women. Highly educated women come to me saying, "I had a boyfriend for two or five years, but now he doesn't talk to me. Can you bring him back? I love him." Even after being educated, women feel they need a man. A man can survive aloneâhe can put on a loincloth and go to the Himalayasâbut a woman feels the need for a man. In these cases, they are often being cheated. Someone stays with them for a month and then leaves for someone else. Women are very anxious about this.
Interviewer:
But Gurudev, we have seen many great women who dedicated their lives to their husbands and families without focusing on these things.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That was a different time. Now, the talk is all about "freedom." The law and order system is also largely in favor of women, which has made things easier for them. They often threaten men with Section 498A (domestic violence laws) or getting them arrested. This is happening a lot. Thousands of men come to me with legal cases against them. I tell them I can cure a disease like cancer, but I can't solve these legal and relationship issues. People see me on YouTube and think I can bring people back together.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This decline in society is something we must accept. And in the coming days, this divide will grow. Men and women will prefer to live separately; they won't want to live together. When a man returns from a factory or office, he is exhausted. He just wants to eat and sleep because he knows he has to leave again early the next morning. He can't "entertain" his wife. The wife, in turn, feels her needs aren't being metâbiological needs. So, she might look elsewhere. This is becoming very common. A man works hard all day but can't keep his wife because he lacks the energy for a biological relationship. This is a major sign of societal decay.
Interviewer:
But Gurudev, many women have sacrificed their lives for their husbands' satisfaction.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That time has passed. Now, the demand for freedom is paramount. "Freedom" now means "I will do whatever I want, and no one can say anything because the law is on my side." Men are becoming helpless. I see men whose wives left after the marriage and took everything with them. The humiliation they face is immense. This is happening on a large scale.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Society's decline has begun, and "development" is a myth. It's like a king saying "don't kill the deer," but the deer will be killed anyway by poachers. They say poverty will be eradicated, but people will remain poor. The government shows a lot on paper, but the reality is different. If the government announces tomorrow that they will give everyone four pieces of bread, people will rush for it. You can see the state of things from schemes like 'Swasthya Sathi' (health scheme); you can see where we stand. No one can say what the future holds. People are living on hope, but the decline has started.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I am making a prophecy: in the coming days, 100 crore (1 billion) people in India will suffer from extreme poverty and die of starvation. I am saying this based on my calculations. No one will be able to save them. People will snatch food from each other. Today, there are goods in the market, but look at the pricesâpotatoes are 40-42 rupees a kilo. It won't take long for it to reach 100 rupees. The more things are hoarded in godowns, the worse it will get. It is said that there will be food in the country, but people will die because of poor distribution. 100 crore people will die of malnutrition and hunger. I am saying this with certainty. No matter which government comes to powerâBJP, Congress, or TMCânone of them will be able to do anything.
Interviewer:
And what about the indigenous and tribal people?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There is no one to look after them. They remain as they were. Do you see any real improvement? They get a bit of water and electricityâbut those are basic necessities. The government focuses on roads and lights, but not on the root issues. To earn money, there must be a system of work, like the 100-day work scheme (MGNREGA), but look at the corruption and hassle involved in that. What can I say? If the government is ineffective, we say "The King has no clothes." That is the state of the government. I am very worried about whether the government can sustain itself in the future.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Regardless of which party is in power, the issue is supply and demand. Demand is high, and supply is low, especially regarding food. Other things like washing machines, TVs, and ACs are for the wealthy, and they are a small percentage. India is in a downward spiral.
Interviewer:
So, the mindset of the people is also declining?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Exactly. That is why there is no progress. As the poet Sukanta wrote: "Born in this country, all I received were kicks." We are being kicked in various ways. The people will suffer as long as the leaders and their associates are corrupt. If the "King" is weak or corrupt, the kingdom suffers.
Interviewer:
Friends, you have heard Gurudev's perspective. You may agree or disagree with his views, but please consider them. Gurudev, my respects to you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Blessings to you, my son.