A joint family of the South Indian Bunt community (circa 1900).
1928 photo of the male members of the Roy Family of Behala, south of Calcutta, along with the children. The bearded patriarch is Hon’ble Surendra Nath Roy (1860-1929) the eldest son of Rai Bahadur Umbik Churn Rai (1827-1902).
Portrait of a joint family on Diwali festival.
Temple festival is a uniting force supported by śreni-dharma.Fiscal policies and financial institutions should promote family-, jaati-, sreni-based social security institutions
Dharma is inviolate. The nation is dharma sāpekṣa Rāṣṭram. The Constitution states that the state cannot be neutral as to dharma. Secular is defined in Hindi version of the Preamble as: sampradāya nirapekṣatā -- neutrality as to socio-religious traditions.
Family-based, extended family or jāti-based or śreni-based are institutions governed by dharma.
It is the duty of the state to support and promote such institutions and the initiatives of such institutions.
A monograph on how śreni-based corporate forms pre-dated the Roman corporations details how śreni, loosely translated as 'trade or artisan guilds', support their members in financial need and how the corporation śreni financed socio-cultural responsibilities such as maintenance of village tanks, temple functions, maintenance of roads and irrigation canals. Such institutions dramatically reduced the dependence on the state for fulfilling social and civic responsibilities. The Government was kept literally off the backs of citizens through the functioning of such institutions like śreni and other extended family support systems.
The institution of kartā in Hindu Undivided Family is recognized under Hindu law and the laws enacted and in vogue under the Constitution. A succint summary of this institution of Joint Family is provided in the following excerpt: "A Hindu Joint Family or Joint Family is an extended family arrangement prevalent among traditional Indians of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of many generations living under the same roof. All the male members are blood relatives and all the women are either mothers, wives, unmarried daughters, or widowed relatives, all bound by the common [sapiṇḍa] relationship. The joint family status being the result of birth, possession of joint cord that knits the members of the family together is not property but the relationship. The family is headed by a patriarch, usually the oldest male called "[Kartā]", who makes decisions on economic and social matters on behalf of the entire family. The patriarch's wife generally exerts control over the kitchen, child rearing and minor religious practices. All money goes to the common pool and all property is held jointly. There are several schools of Hindu Law, such as Mitakshara, the Dayabhaga, the Marumakkathayam, the Aliyasantana etc. Broadly, Mitakshara and Dayabhaga systems of laws are very common. Family ties are given more importance than marital ties. The arrangement provides a kind of social security in a familial atmosphere."
The rules which regulate the Family-based, extended family or jāti-based or śreni-based institutions should be respected by the State. To ensure this respect, fiscal policies should be so framed as to support AND promote the initiatives of these institutions. The financial institutions of the state -- insurance companies, private- and public-sector banking institutions, other corporate entities permitted to engaged in financial activities such as acceptance of deposits or payment of interest on such deposits or issuance of private loans should be ENJOINED to set apart a specified percentage of their financial turn-over to the promotion of the financial activities of amily-based, extended family or jāti-based or śreni-based institutions.
Fiscal policies can be so geared as to promote such institutions. One example can be the provision of tax rebates to kartā income tax computations for expenses incurred as grants or loans to the members of the family for their education, health-care expenses or business start-up costs.
Is GOI listening? Will the parties contesting the Lok Sabha elections to be held soon resolve to institute such fiscal policies?
Kalyanaraman
Hindu social corporate form and sreni dharma: cure for greed
S. Kalyanaraman (October 2012)
Abstract
For nearly 3000 years since 800 BCE and perhaps earlier,śreṇi has been the corporate form of Hindu industrial,arts, crafts, business and civic entities. This śreṇi corporate form pre-dates the earliest proto-Roman corporations; śreṇi was widespread in Ancient India in business, social and civic activities; this corporate form continues to exist even today in Independent India, despite the adoption of a written Constitution governed by principles of Roman jurisprudence and laissez-faire economic principles governing the wealth of the nation. Indian ethical pluralism is called dharma ; śreṇi dharma is dharma applicable to a corporation. The laws governing śreṇi are called śreṇi dharma , emphasizing social
responsibility of corporations. śreṇi dharma provides the mechanism to embed 'social ethic' enhancing the corporate model of capitalism or socialism either of which operates within the framework of 'rational, materialistic economic ethos'. Hindu society attaches importance to ethical values, atman (innate cosmic energy) as also to the creation of wealth of a nation. An ascetic is as respected in Hindu society as a just ruler of a state. This remarkable integration of materialistic ethos with the social ethic is unique in the story of human civilizations. śreṇi dharma as social capital can supply the missing element of trusteeship. This śreṇi dharma constitutes an impressive contribution of Hindu civilization to economic thought, adding spiritual value to materialistic ethos.
The monograph is presented in three sections:
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2012/10/hindu-social-corporate-form-and-sreni.html Mirror: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/98845220/Hindu-social-corporate-form-and-sreni-dharma-(October-2011)
Hindu social corporate form and sreni dharma (October 2011)