On Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary today, I'm reminded of a powerful message that used to play on TV a few years back. For effect, it was preceded by a quick sketch-squiggle that people could easily identify as the man most credited with handing India its independence from British rule. The message read: "The greatness of this man was his simplicity. Let's discover Gandhi in ourselves."
I had read Gandhi's autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, in my teen years and was greatly influenced by its honesty and power (not the power that corrupts but one that uplifts and strengthens).
Then more recently a few years back, I watched Lage Raho Munnabhai and, despite all the criticism of trivialization and other shortcomings of the movie, really appreciated the passion and skill of those who made the film (it was produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and directed by Rajkumar Hirani). It really got Gandhi's messages of non-violence and truth across to today's youth, most of whom are now engaged in the blind pursuit of money, sex and power.
Today morning I read a small report in Hindustan Times that talks about a village in Orissa called Panimora. It says that once the village was a birthplace of freedom fighters and has been a follower of Gandhi's tenets. But its model of autonomous development is now giving way to squabbling over funds and petty politics (aggravated by the death of most Gandhians).
All the same, politicians are busy as usual in highjacking the Mahatma's name for political mileage through lavish ads.
Unfortunately, we either dismiss Gandhi's ideas and ideals as anachronistic or put them just on a pedestal, with no intention of using them or really discovering what they mean.
I just feel like telling all those who even remotely want to identify with Gandhi or truly remember him on his jayanti (birthday): Don't bother too much about wearing Gandhian caps - just make do with the heads thinking Gandhian thoughts. Hopefully, springing forth from those thoughts, actions that benefit the masses and not just the classes will follow...
Happy Gandhi Jayanti.
