I’ve reached a point where I no longer feel the urge to defend the Mahatma when people blame him for everything; from dividing the nation to establishing a weak, subservient Hindu character that is forever bowing to Muslims.
I also do not feel the need to lionize him for this iron will or his “organization” skills (and by god, he had some.)
I especially have no interest in his brand of spirituality. I am not saying it is wrong; it’s just not my way.
But never will I stop admiring the man for his tremendous passion.
(The Atlantic has reprinted an article on Gandhi from 1922.)
*****
If I have some free time this weekend, I will ask a friend to let me go through her personal collection of pictures of Bapu (given to her by her grandparents.) The pictures may be small (or, sadly, in some cases, fading and torn), Gandhiji seems lost in a sea of freedom fighters, but damn those are thrilling pictures. (There are also letters and postcards signed by the great man; some sent from Sabarmati, some from Bombay. Each one is a glowing testimonial to that passion.)
8 comments:
what's the title a reference to?
KM - I don't think Gandhi needs defending. And rational argument is impossible with the people making the sort of allegations you quote.
TR - a wild guess: 2007-1869?
Rahul: true, but I always would fall for that bait.
TR: this is his 138th birth anniversary.
of course.
sorry, wasn't keeping track of the date.
Very interesting article from the Atlantic, by the way - thanks.
Gandhi was clearly a very shrewd politician, but we don't see that aspect of him in our school textbooks. He also clearly united much more than he divided. It is also interesting to see how much of a "loyalist" he was until pushed.
About the Punjab wrongs (including Jalianwala Bagh), this quote is interesting: "Nevertheless, it is obviously impossible for any government to revise the scale of punishment two years after judgment has been passed in response to popular clamor." Today the west continues to punish Nazi war criminals, over 60 years after the fact.
Rahul: our textbooks made him out to be a saint untouched by politics. I think they completely missed out a very important aspect of the man.
goats milk, and curd made from goats milk. that's the secret.
??!: don't forget the spinning wheel, my friend.
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