Good Sound Health

It would appear that good sound health whether physical, mental or spiritual is essential for the overall health and well being of a person, the family, society, community, nation and the world. Political events (changes) around the world, economic prosperity, cultural assimilation, new innovations in science & technology etc. are all having both positive and negative impact on our lives. The world has indeed improved in almost all respects—development, prosperity and growth. However it is now obvious that no matter what, the value attached to good health and happiness cannot be brought. It is now evident that even if you have billions of dollars or you wield enormous power, this two elements of wealth and power, cannot buy you health and happiness. In this regard it is only appropriate for us to remind ourselves about the concept of gross national happiness, which had its beginning from Bhutan. This was developed in an attempt to define an indicator that measures quality of life or social progress in more holistic and psychological terms than gross domestic product (GDP).  The term “gross national happiness” was coined in 1972 by Bhutan’s former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who had opened Bhutan to the age of modernization. The four pillars of GNH are the promotion of sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance. At the heart of this concept is the promotion of happiness, positive psychology and wellbeing.
Against this backdrop, it is a matter of concern that the world is grappled with so many problems that there is ominous prospect of all the negative energy sapping the physical and moral strength of our communities and nations. The recent mass murder in Norway where one man’s madness led to the brutal killing of over ninety innocent people in what is regarded as one of the most peaceful country. The mass murderer Anders Breivik dubbed as the Norwegian fanatic was forced to ask his lawyer how many innocents he killed because he took so many drugs during his one man killing spree. He even told his lawyers that he was a ‘warrior’, starting a ‘60-year war’ and will be hailed as the ‘saviour’ of Western Europe. The concern should be how we can stop such insanity and violent thoughts entering our human minds.
According to the latest report of the World Health Organization, depression is stalking both the developed and developing world. While Indians are cited as among the world’s most depressed, western countries like France, United States and Europe also suffer from this malaise. In fact people living in wealthier nations are said to be less happy and more depressed than those in poorer ones. India which is going through an unprecedented social and economic change seems to be an exception. Given that we are also seeing tectonic shift from our traditional to modern life; it will be interesting to find out the health and well being of the Naga people.  As Prof Evelyn Bromet from State University of New York describes, depression is a significant public-health concern across all regions of the world and is linked to social conditions. All the good reason for our Naga family to rid ourselves of all the usual jamalas and headaches so that we can enjoy the benefits of a good sound health whether it is in our personal lives or with regard to the functioning of our society and State.