Friday 27 November 2009

Tales of Perfection...


It was a casual discussion with friends, when one talk led to another and we drifted from quizzing each other on capitals, currencies, to histories, to the Raj, and to Gandhi. And often had such discussions ended in quite a dismal denouement. With a number of varied notions on the Father of the Nation, the Mahatma stands as an inarticulate dartboard for the public to opine on him. Opinion is genuine, opinion is a thought, agreed, and that keeps the Earth spinning. But it should be contained enough and not let go hay way as kamikaze pots of pitch tarnishing the stature of many a great men.
The man under the lens showed the world a path of love and peace. Many who let their angst on his deeds, may as well have been correct, should refrain from derogating him. Bhagat Singh could have dodged the gallows, claim many, had Gandhi wished. Gandhi, again lash many, slept with several girls at his ashram. First things first, the political cauldron of the first half of 1900s was simmering, with a hundred of angles and views. Deliberate acts as we think today, could well have been circumstantial or inevitable then in the interest of the masses. Secondly, of all the claims and charges being authentic, one must weigh his contributions to his shortcomings. He was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, like any person one of us, who sacrificed his career, family and life for the people of his country. He wasn’t alone of his ilk, but he was the instrument of independence – a war sans bloodshed! So much is he revered by all around the globe, that the slaves in USA, for the past many centuries, were treated humane soon when they adopted his methods.
So this prompts us to turn reflective, and one should accept the fact that all things beautiful have a sordid tale behind them. Just as a rose has thorns any success story isn’t bereft of pangs of horror, deceit, corruption, or all of them at one point or the other, is it large or a miniscule part. Its Earthy and human that breaks every man, situation or thing existing into the good and the bad. Even an atom – the smallest possible breakup scientifically, has a mass of proton (+) and electrons (-) around it. So who was Gandhi? Or for that matter the person sitting next to me, when nature itself defines the positive and negative together? The onus lies on us to enjoy the virtues and bask in the sun, or to keep lamenting of the vices of the person, cribbing of the rain.
Nature apart, even God couldn’t hold back to display the truth of the earth, when he walked in human form. Even Ram couldn’t, or was not allowed to (circumstantially) trust the purest woman, his wife.

3 comments:

Rohit said...

I agree a lot to what is written here. I have always defended The Mahatma when I've had discussions (rather huge debates) on him with my friends. But one thing I agree to what my friends say is the fact that he shouldn't have been named the Father of the Nation then, if he had so many flaws. Its not always necessary to have people for all the titles. Why not just leave that position.
But then, as your article winds up, if God could have been faulty, and still be worshipped, a man can be given that leverage.

Rajan said...

i agree with your delima Rohit,.. but as u too agree with the fact:
The God; was wrong in our view, Gandhi wrong in our view, we being in oblivion to the latent forces that worked behind the scene to have make that particular act not only inevitable, rather justifiable then. we still confer Him with the title of God, so weighing the proton in him, the radiation that guided many across the Globe to live in peace and harmony, I firmly believe, he deserves the 'position' !

Unknown said...

kudos 2 u my dear 4 uplifting d man we shud all b indebted 2.its easy 2 criticise someone sitting in our cozy drawingrooms bt let these very people even think of doing such a selfless sevice 2 d nation.man is n always be with all d positves n negatives bt that does nt beliitle him of his stature.he is n always will b d Father of d nation!!!