At a time when the talking point is Corporate Responsibility, it is worthwhile to note what the great sages said many centuries ago in Vedas. One shall speak the truth. (Satyam Vada - Taittiriya Upanishad i-11). One shall follow the path of righteousness. (Dharmam cara - Taittiriya Upanishad i-11)One shall do what he speaks and what he thinks. (Taittiriya Aranyaka i-90)One shall not sin against his neighbor or a foreigner. (Rig Veda Samhita v-85-7)One who does not work is a social evil. (Rig Veda Samhita x-22-8) - In short, the Vedas require people to be honest, follow the path of Dharma and in short take the righteous path without succumbing to tempations. Is that not what we are asking of the top management of the Public Companies?. The Vedas are also clear about the way to create wealth. Wealth has to be won through deeds of glory (Rig Veda Samhita) .Wealth has to be earned only through fair means and one should put in his best efforts to acquire wealth through ethical and moral practices. The ancient wisdom, as represented in Vedas, puts high emphasis on performing one's dharma in a honest and ethical way. It is strange that we are reinventing the wheel after all these years.
We might be tempted to believe that unethical practice in the Corporate world we are witnessing today is a thing of recent origin. This is not true. It is only that they are highlighted more because of the domination of the economy by these Corporate Organizations in the Services economy. The feudal landlords of the last century, who controlled the agrarian economy then, were equally bad. They exploited the small land dwellers, never paid fair wages, indulged in hoarding, acquired land through illegal means etc. In short, they never practiced individual and corporate social responsibility. Look where they are all now!. The feudal system is all but dead. Most of them have become paupers. Some of them migrated to become industrialists (like Ramalingam Raju) and continued their nefarious practices there. We are seeing history repeating.
