Every person who routinely defies his doubters, or accomplishes the unanticipated, escapes the clutches of mortality. If his actions do not transgress morality, he attains to divinity, and acquires a halo. Mahatma Gandhi exemplifies such divinity.
It is a given that Gandhiji would have featured, and will continue to feature, in the school syllabi. The man who, was born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, trained in law, practiced in South Africa, fought against the prevalent apartheid, and eventually swapped the suit for the loin, before liberating his country from the British. A staunch proponent of veracity and an exponent of non-violence, he had embarked on an exceptional mind game that left the ruthless toothless. A man of principles, he fought for the deprived and preached love, simplicity and kindness. He was fondly, dare I say aptly, called Bapu – the Father, and forever shall remain the Mahatma. Keener students of history might remember the whole gamut of places he graced and dates he made special; kudos to them. Doesn't his story, however, seem like the one in which a boy finds a magical lamp, and from there on assumes the throne and proceeds to ensure the prosperity of his people? Or, could it have been the night under that tree in the Highveld?
It is wonderful to have an ideal. The ideas of and legends about the ideal, nevertheless, need to not only instill dreams but inspire aspirations. The Mahatma has a halo that tells us of his presence, but blinds us to his human essence. The odes – having impractical intonations – only enhance the luminance of this halo, and such is adoration. Yet, none will be galvanized into co-opting Gandhism, or Gandhigiri, if his hopes of flaying his frailties hinge on his seeking the magic lamp. As adorable as it might be for one to want to walk in the Gandhian path, it is bound to be a hopeless wish if Bapu’s footsteps are increasingly erased to promote the perception that he hovered angelically above the ground, and thereby, never put a foot wrong. It is necessary to see that he too had his demons, but beat them to be beatific.
Access to a more personal Bapu through anecdotes from his life might diminish his halo, but would serve to embolden many to embrace his philosophy. Any attempts to besmirch him, though, should not, and cannot, be condoned. Rather, the incidents could be used to promote the reading of authentic annals and trusted tomes. Banning the provocative literature, in this fully networked era, would anyway be possible only if full-fledged censorship were to be in force, robbing us of the freedom Bapu fought for. Also, to stem the reading in this manner would be to suggest that we, the impressionable creatures, are being protected from being swayed in the wrong direction. There cannot possibly be a greater insult to our proudly cherished faculty of rationality that is considered to be inherently, and distinctly, human.
The Mahatma vehemently denounced untouchability. It is only fitting that he be allowed to touch more lives.
It is a given that Gandhiji would have featured, and will continue to feature, in the school syllabi. The man who, was born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, trained in law, practiced in South Africa, fought against the prevalent apartheid, and eventually swapped the suit for the loin, before liberating his country from the British. A staunch proponent of veracity and an exponent of non-violence, he had embarked on an exceptional mind game that left the ruthless toothless. A man of principles, he fought for the deprived and preached love, simplicity and kindness. He was fondly, dare I say aptly, called Bapu – the Father, and forever shall remain the Mahatma. Keener students of history might remember the whole gamut of places he graced and dates he made special; kudos to them. Doesn't his story, however, seem like the one in which a boy finds a magical lamp, and from there on assumes the throne and proceeds to ensure the prosperity of his people? Or, could it have been the night under that tree in the Highveld?
It is wonderful to have an ideal. The ideas of and legends about the ideal, nevertheless, need to not only instill dreams but inspire aspirations. The Mahatma has a halo that tells us of his presence, but blinds us to his human essence. The odes – having impractical intonations – only enhance the luminance of this halo, and such is adoration. Yet, none will be galvanized into co-opting Gandhism, or Gandhigiri, if his hopes of flaying his frailties hinge on his seeking the magic lamp. As adorable as it might be for one to want to walk in the Gandhian path, it is bound to be a hopeless wish if Bapu’s footsteps are increasingly erased to promote the perception that he hovered angelically above the ground, and thereby, never put a foot wrong. It is necessary to see that he too had his demons, but beat them to be beatific.
Access to a more personal Bapu through anecdotes from his life might diminish his halo, but would serve to embolden many to embrace his philosophy. Any attempts to besmirch him, though, should not, and cannot, be condoned. Rather, the incidents could be used to promote the reading of authentic annals and trusted tomes. Banning the provocative literature, in this fully networked era, would anyway be possible only if full-fledged censorship were to be in force, robbing us of the freedom Bapu fought for. Also, to stem the reading in this manner would be to suggest that we, the impressionable creatures, are being protected from being swayed in the wrong direction. There cannot possibly be a greater insult to our proudly cherished faculty of rationality that is considered to be inherently, and distinctly, human.
The Mahatma vehemently denounced untouchability. It is only fitting that he be allowed to touch more lives.
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