ABOUT THE AUTHOR- The author of this article Subhendu Bikash Tahal, is a Gold medalist in BA(POL.SC) and is currently pursuing Post-graduation in Political science at Utkal University, and has also qualified for Junior Research Fellowship(JRF) and eligibility for Assistant Professor in the National Eligibility Test(UGC-NET).
Cocking a snook at Mahatma Gandhi is believed to be a sign of intellectual superiority by many. But I perceive them to be in a drunken stupor, a result of consuming excess intoxicants, which is neither good for them nor for the society. Without knowing the issue in entirety, the youths are falling prey to the machinations of few, I know it’s difficult to remain impervious to the constant blandishments, however, using the ability to think and going deep into the available literatures about Mahatma will prove the lopsided assessment of him as myths.
Actions are continuing surreptitiously to undermine the legacy of Gandhi; therefore, it’s a critical time to celebrate the ideals of Gandhi and it’s also important to make his ideas reach to the last man in the society. Our ignorance provides them a propitious environment and a fertile ground to sow the seeds of hatred towards Gandhi, our knowledge of him will be a deterrent against all such actions.
Years of subordination, the subjection of unlimited scale, the pathetic mental agony, did not all come to an abrupt end suddenly. Millions sacrificed their lives, thousands led the movement, but one steered the rudderless boat , gave it a course as well as direction, and shaped the journey to attain the most precious of everything i.e. Liberty. A man with extraordinary skill to capture imagination with his sheer power of truth, a man of highest virtue, a man of indomitable courage, whose ideas have proved to be timeless, is now the subject of contention in his own land. When the entire world is celebrating the values of truth, non-violence and the person who epitomized it, we in India are divided over his legacy, some revered historians are busy writing about the uncovered personal ties of Mahatma Gandhi, while others are ready to sling mud on Gandhi over the question of Partition, some students who even without belonging to history, without even an empirical investigation, are busy sharing some distorted lies masquerading as truth.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. upon reaching India in 1959 remarked that, “To other countries I may go as a tourist, but to India I come as a pilgrim”, he added, “perhaps above all India is the land where the techniques of non-violent social change were developed that my people have used in Montgomery, Albama and elsewhere throughout the American south. We have found them to be effective and sustaining-they work!”. Nelson Mandela referred to Gandhi as “sacred warrior”. “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth” profoundly marked Albert Einstein.
To measure the significance of Gandhi requires a sight devoid of biasness, requires a mind which can dive to the centre of the vastness of spirituality, requires an imagination which can go beyond the earthly equation, requires an inquisitive intellect.
Vindication of M .k. Gandhi is considered to be a mistake, for which no regret would be enough, the age in which we are living is an age of glorification of Godse, some politicians to secure some pieces of votes are ready to glorify Godse at the expense of their moral values and societal ethics; and do you know, this is a process to arouse the intense feeling of nationalism. A feeling of nationalism is being aroused by tarnishing Gandhi.
On this backdrop, defending Gandhi and his ideas are important not because it will extinct but because the soft touch of those values which should nurture the generations to mushroom love, sympathy and empathy would no more conspire to generate all these profoundly important human values.
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