Truth, Where is the truth? Who'll tell me the truth ? Did the leaders really write history? Or was it so craftily altered that the truth passed away with the martyrs. A classic example, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, man of principles, a great leader, father of the nation ..now that's what the teacher told me. I recently uploaded some pictures on Facebook of Mani Bhavan, where Gandhiji resided everytime he visited Mumbai. The feeling of being a proud Indian had surfaced each time I scanned through the portraits and letters signed M K Gandhi. The experience felt real and touching. I really thought that people would share the same feeling, but their remarks were astonishing. People hate him, they really do hate him... now where did all this arise. So much animosity towards a hero. Was their opinion based on facts... did they really know what they were talking about.. did I miss a lecture in my history class where all this was covered! I was not ready to get dis-heartened yet, I wasn't going down without validating my beliefs.
And then my friend Google and I went on a trip ... trip down the history lane. Going through videos(by Gopal Godse himself), Nathuram Godge's speech at trial, FIR reports, blogs, surveys, articles, movies.. for almost a week. I watched "Me Nathuram Godse Boltoy" a Marathi play which shows his point of view as to why he killed Gandhiji. You end up believing him in the end but I was still unsure to let go of my paragons.
This whole exercise was to have an opinion about the leader, to take a stand. Sadly, the information seemed too ambiguous to me. Did Gandhiji say "Hai Ram" while he was dying .. or was it "ohhh"(cry of pain) or as the FIR Report says it was "Ram Ram" or the book says "Hai Ra..Hai Ra". History couldn't even get that right. Did Gandhiji want partition, the movie says he was reluctant but people say he was pro-partition!! Did anyone see us all living as ONE country if the partition didn't happen..Hindu- Muslim bhai bhai. Really? Why couldn't we just give the man a break and consider the circumstances and the pressure he was facing.. Poor old man. On the other hand the fight about Non-violence...what is that? Now according to Martin Luther King,Jr and few others.. it worked. But wouldn't the British mind killing Indians for another 100 years, if it weren't for the World War II. So what ..now we thank Hitler. Is he our real hero? And then there is the Khilafat movement, the 55 crores, the support for Muslims, hurting hindu sentiments by calling Swami Shraddananda's muslim killer, a patriot, making Nehru the PM and trillion other things that are repeatedly remarked.
Its breaking my heart to face new facts every single day, and bit by bit.. I realize that the truth has been altered, so I decided to stop my fanatic search. So many people..so many opinions .. so much aggression and for what.. he is dead now. He didn't ask to be on the notes or as road names.. Please stop swearing at him ... he did die for the country you know..he made sacrifices ..they all did. He had the power, he lead the people .. Dandi march, boycott, strikes an then people died for the freedom struggle..for the country ..for us ..must be something he did right.
He was only human, so let him rest in peace. Nathuram Godse saheb had an opinion, I truly respect it .. but you weren't there.. you didn't face it, you didn't feel it, you didn't fight for it. Sit at home, watch TV and have a sound sleep. I stand to fail ..to have an opinion. I don't want to have one. So stop jumping at me and telling me what to believe. I believe in Truth and it doesn't look like its out there.
This topic is not open for any comments about Gandhiji. Enough is enough.
3 comments:
You should have an opinion. The purpose of "education" is to enable you to have an informed opinion on everything.
I dont doubt the capacity of the man to galvanize millions into action. He was a great leader in that sense. He was the smartest of the lot, and built up his movement from the grassroots level. You cannot do that without exceptional skills.
What I disagree with, is the level of "greatness" which has been thrust upon him. Which we blindly accept, without question.
I dont believe any single person should be given the status of "father of the nation". Jinnah, Nehru, Gandhi, Patel, etc all were responsible for partition. Maybe it was their own actions which led to the circumstances which made a partition the best possible recourse. For sure, it was not 1 person's fault, just as much as it was 1 person's leadership.
It was me, who thought he was great. Mostly because of what I had learned in history, through people, through books. It was a closed opinion, something I thought I could not question. But now I feel more enlightened and knowledgeable. I now know what I needed to know. I feel more at ease.
Indians have always been like this. Ignoring the right qualities of the real heroes, and they just love to criticize.
It is the same India who hate Gandhiji's ways of non violence; But love to watch it in Lage raho Munnabhai.
I strongly believe that people should keep their opinion with themselves. And atleast introspect once before criticizing these great personalities.
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