Thursday, April 26, 2012

An ode to Gandhi


Sabarmati Ashram is an island of serenity. It has an invisible aura and feel about it that can only be experienced, not explained.  Yes, this place was home to the rarest of the rare human being who walked on this planet, a person as close to divinity as there could be one.

My visit to the ashram yesterday, had a soothing effect on my entire persona. Despite the hot environment outside, the ashram and its galleries had a soothing feel about them.  It was as if the soul of the father of the nation resided in the place.

The thoughts of Gandhiji evocatively displayed in the gallery stirred my inner self once again. While his thoughts covered a very wide variety of subjects and issues, what really stands out is his stress on the need for equal dignity for all living creatures, poor or rich, high or low, adult or child. It is indeed  sad that the masses of this nation, despite their professed reverence for the mahatma, have given a total go-by to this beautiful thought.

“Truth is God” is another famous saying of the mahatma. An extremely deep thought that imparts a totally different meaning to life.  If only some of us could imbibe this thought at our workplace and home, the nation and the society would be freed of almost all of its ills.

That the relevance of the thoughts of this frail man who walked this earth till sixty five years ago is increasing with passage of time is a thought that dawned on me as I entered the modest house where the mahatma and Ba lived for a considerable period. That this man who lived so simply, was so frail and wore only a loincloth could shake the foundations of the mighty british empire simply on the strength of his character and convictions conveys a much deeper sentiment, even partial emulation of which shall change the lives of the people of this nation.

Strength of character and unassailable convictions on part of the powers that be are essential ingredients for the success of the nation. If only the people of this nation appreciated the essence of what the Mahatma said!

1 comment:

  1. Sir,
    No doubt, Gandhiji was a popular leader who led the fight of independence from the british however, the thoughts of gandhiji on the issues of curing diseases by strange practices and also his thoughts and actual works including the politics practised for equality among all (refer, high or low) for creation of a egalitarian indian society needs a deep review.

    Gandhiji was a brahmin by virtue of his birth and unfortunately, his efforts were more towards display of meaningless dignity to lower castes rather than eradication of the castiest barrier.

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