On Gandhi Jayanti..
Kshama karo bapu, vachan bhang ke hum apradhi,
Rajghat ko kiya apavan, manzil bhule yatra aadhi,
Atalji wrote this poem after the fall of Janata party government. But isn’t it really applicable to all of us. Who was Gandhiji any ways a politician, patriot, leader, social reformer, author or as the Nobel prize committee described him “political saint”. We sing paens to his contribution, but what was his contribution? In a simple way he made the freedom movement broad based. He had the courage to declare in Congress session that freedom does not only belong to clever barristers of Bombay or Delhi but to the masses who live in lacs of villages of India. The lawyer he was, he won’t have missed the ordinance by which Englishman had disarmed the whole country after 1857, making armed revolution an impossibility. Thus civil disobedience or non cooperation through non violent means were the only effective ways to overthrow the empire.
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But his vision didn’t end at freedom it encompassed the very path Bharat should take after independence. When returning from second round table conference he was asked that what he thought about western civilization? He pondered for a while and said “I think it is a good idea”. In his book Hind Swaraj which is now more than 100 years old, you would know his thoughts on development models. He questions whether development just means living in bigger/better houses with more comforts or is it the development of MAN. It is said that he commented once that if Indians followed western model of consumerism (??) they would plunder earth like locusts.
It was his unshakeable faith in India which prompted him in saying that Egypt is lost, nobody knows about Greece or Rome, Japan has turned to west, nothing can be said about China, but even though ruined India is still throbbing in it’s bosom. People make mockery of his idea of swadeshi or gram swaraj but will have to turn towards it one day if the world is to be saved from the mad rush of consumption.
It is very fitting that his true follower was also born on the same day.
Vande Mataram !!!!
Rajghat ko kiya apavan, manzil bhule yatra aadhi,
Atalji wrote this poem after the fall of Janata party government. But isn’t it really applicable to all of us. Who was Gandhiji any ways a politician, patriot, leader, social reformer, author or as the Nobel prize committee described him “political saint”. We sing paens to his contribution, but what was his contribution? In a simple way he made the freedom movement broad based. He had the courage to declare in Congress session that freedom does not only belong to clever barristers of Bombay or Delhi but to the masses who live in lacs of villages of India. The lawyer he was, he won’t have missed the ordinance by which Englishman had disarmed the whole country after 1857, making armed revolution an impossibility. Thus civil disobedience or non cooperation through non violent means were the only effective ways to overthrow the empire.
...
But his vision didn’t end at freedom it encompassed the very path Bharat should take after independence. When returning from second round table conference he was asked that what he thought about western civilization? He pondered for a while and said “I think it is a good idea”. In his book Hind Swaraj which is now more than 100 years old, you would know his thoughts on development models. He questions whether development just means living in bigger/better houses with more comforts or is it the development of MAN. It is said that he commented once that if Indians followed western model of consumerism (??) they would plunder earth like locusts.
It was his unshakeable faith in India which prompted him in saying that Egypt is lost, nobody knows about Greece or Rome, Japan has turned to west, nothing can be said about China, but even though ruined India is still throbbing in it’s bosom. People make mockery of his idea of swadeshi or gram swaraj but will have to turn towards it one day if the world is to be saved from the mad rush of consumption.
It is very fitting that his true follower was also born on the same day.
Vande Mataram !!!!
