MP govt plans to make people 'happy'

Madhya Pradesh might be one of the poorest states in India with myriad socio-economic problems dogging its over 8 crore population. But the grim reality has not deterred the Kamal Nath government from undertaking an ambitious project to try and make people happy through year-long “feel-good” programmes.

State’s happiness department has chalked out and released an annual calendar with the aim to reduce tension among people. The stress-busting endeavours will come in various shapes, such as instilling love for environment and books, promoting interpersonal relationships and sports and counselling to despondent people to overcome depression.

For each month in 2020, the department will conduct programmes on one particular theme aimed at bringing happiness to people.

The theme for January is promoting spirit of acceptance for each other. February is for counselling on how to achieve positive targets. March is reserved for creating awareness towards positive human attributes. From April to June, programmes will be organised to promote companionship spirit.

July is slated for inculcating among the people spirit to desist from greed for what they don’t have and instead be satisfied with whatever they have. August will be devoted to spirit of sportsmanship by conducting various sports events. September is earmarked for teaching meditation techniques to provide mental and physical peace.

In October, the department will help people develop love for nature by telling them how the Sun, the cloud, the flower, the sea, etc give bountiful happiness without expecting anything in return. In November, desirous learners will be imparted new skills to make life more meaningful. This could be book reading, adventure, exploring new places or leaning a new game.

The last month of the year will be devoted to instilling the spirit of forgiveness.

The department will rope in experts in different fields to help people become happy. Seminars, field –sports, outside camps will also be organised for the purpose.

The happiness department was set up by the previous Shivraj Singh government in 2016. The Congress had ridiculed the decision as rubbing salt to the state’s wounds, pointing out poor human indices and deteriorating law and order condition. Since then, not much has changed in the state except the ruling party.