Gandhi's message

I cannot be the Mahatma. As much as i try to be, i do not have the capability to come close to the Mahatma's shadow. But, if he was alive today, he might encounter a varied range of opinions about the plight of his country and of his fellow countrymen.

Many people blame the Mahatma for the partition of the coutry into India and Pakistan. It is from this subsequent point in history that all political, economic and social dynamic has evolved in the sub continent. The social and economic aspect is something which is considered in this post.

In the view of the terror attacks, a particular community comes into the spotlight. When politicians play their game of power with the sensitivities of communal tensions, the social fabric is strained. Now, with the increasing frequency of terror attacks and the political games that are played in the aftermath, the Mahatma would have been worried. When it comes to the aspect of self defence and freedom of movement, this generation chooses the extreme end of arming itself and taking the law into their own hands.

Mahatma Gandhi would have always wanted the people to be united in the time of strife. But, in this aspect, the Mahatma would have had to die a thousand times over. When people kill other people without the slightest hint of rationality, it then throws apart the Mahatma's humanistic values.

On the economic front, the Mahatma would have been perplexed with what has transpired in the age of globalization. The economic overturns that the country has gone through would have made Bapu happy, yet he would have not appreciated the fast pacedness of life. If looked at from the social perspective, Bapu would have been disoriented at the lack of family bonding and the emergence of a nuclear family.

He would have been shattered at the plight of the countryside of India. The farmer's suicide on a regular basis, the sheer neglect of modern India towards the countryside and the ever increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots would have hurt Bapu very badly. The economic scenario of the country would have been too much for Bapu to handle, because the social ramnifications have been a little grave on hindsight.

On 2nd October, it was 60 years ever since Bapu was assasinated. He is now reduced to a historical myth in textbooks. In the modern time, a phenomenon called Gandhigiri has been epitomized, which make his values and his outlook relevant. But, it still falls short of acknowledging the true message that Bapu had. Now, with an atmosphere of terror, he unfortunately fades away into obscurity. If ever a nation wanted to prove their appreciation to Bapu, they must fight terrorism with the saje way as how Bapu did. Only then will his soul rest in peace.