India is a nation of great principles, morals and values. as a matter of fact we treat these items as prized and priced possessions and keep them in beautifully made up show cases and galleries, so that everyone can see them and no one can use them. yes that's the truth, nothing but the truth. all the goodness of a culture of millenniums are kept good and clean in the display cases of pure uselessness.
who or what was Gandhi? it was not his specs or his long walking stick or his bowls that made him the man the world knows. it was his principles of ahimsa and love. so instead of worshiping these principles as the main idols we are worshiping his glasses, watches and personal artifacts. it could not be explained better by the big hoopla created over the auction of some his personal items. it was as if the whole idea of Gandhi was contained in those 5 pieces of historical artifacts. only a few days ago was it discovered that wooden desks someone found from the governments store houses and cleaned and exported to some foreign nation were priceless pieces of history. not a big thing for we Indians, huh? we through away these items as junk and when some foreigner understands its value then suddenly we want it back. if it was not for the tourism dollars that our "crap" bought from these foreigners would we ever had maintained these things as we see today?
there was a lot of pep talk and requests and even diplomatic relations used to cancel the auction of Gandhi memorabilia. but the collector and the auction house went ahead and there was no return. whole political leadership and the middle class was in tantrums. gandhi was up for sale. how unthinkable. why dont we see the paradox. we had already ditched him in the ugliest and filthiest of sewers and his own land had set the precedence when thousands were massacred in the Gujarat riots. oh dont think that i'm a Gandhian. i am way below his perceptions of a free Indian. but what prompts mee to write this is the hypocrisy that surounds India and which has engulfed its people.
to get back to the story, finally salvation came to India when Vijay Mallya the liquor baron bought them for $1.8 million. the same kind of people who Gandhi despised. an Indian made rich by selling the very item Gandhi always wanted to ban. the man who lives in extreme luxury amidst the millions of poor, who brings out special swim suit issues of his calender, who owns yachts and even a cricket team (no problems for me, but again I dont think Gandhi will appprove) and the whole of India was praise for Mr Mallya. even the Navjivan trust who Gandhi himself established declared "Mallya made India proud". the whole of Gujarat was announced celebrating; celebrating the great Indian hypocrisy. the politicians were not left behind. cultural minister was speaking as if she instructed Mallya to bid for Gandhi even when Mallya was refusing this claim by saying he acted on his own.
Good thing the Mahatma was cremated otherwise he would have been twisting and turning in his grave.
mera bharat mahaan!!!
who or what was Gandhi? it was not his specs or his long walking stick or his bowls that made him the man the world knows. it was his principles of ahimsa and love. so instead of worshiping these principles as the main idols we are worshiping his glasses, watches and personal artifacts. it could not be explained better by the big hoopla created over the auction of some his personal items. it was as if the whole idea of Gandhi was contained in those 5 pieces of historical artifacts. only a few days ago was it discovered that wooden desks someone found from the governments store houses and cleaned and exported to some foreign nation were priceless pieces of history. not a big thing for we Indians, huh? we through away these items as junk and when some foreigner understands its value then suddenly we want it back. if it was not for the tourism dollars that our "crap" bought from these foreigners would we ever had maintained these things as we see today?
there was a lot of pep talk and requests and even diplomatic relations used to cancel the auction of Gandhi memorabilia. but the collector and the auction house went ahead and there was no return. whole political leadership and the middle class was in tantrums. gandhi was up for sale. how unthinkable. why dont we see the paradox. we had already ditched him in the ugliest and filthiest of sewers and his own land had set the precedence when thousands were massacred in the Gujarat riots. oh dont think that i'm a Gandhian. i am way below his perceptions of a free Indian. but what prompts mee to write this is the hypocrisy that surounds India and which has engulfed its people.
to get back to the story, finally salvation came to India when Vijay Mallya the liquor baron bought them for $1.8 million. the same kind of people who Gandhi despised. an Indian made rich by selling the very item Gandhi always wanted to ban. the man who lives in extreme luxury amidst the millions of poor, who brings out special swim suit issues of his calender, who owns yachts and even a cricket team (no problems for me, but again I dont think Gandhi will appprove) and the whole of India was praise for Mr Mallya. even the Navjivan trust who Gandhi himself established declared "Mallya made India proud". the whole of Gujarat was announced celebrating; celebrating the great Indian hypocrisy. the politicians were not left behind. cultural minister was speaking as if she instructed Mallya to bid for Gandhi even when Mallya was refusing this claim by saying he acted on his own.
Good thing the Mahatma was cremated otherwise he would have been twisting and turning in his grave.
mera bharat mahaan!!!
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