GANDHIGIRI

I have still not watched the film that has created the atmosphere of
debate or controversy about the word : GANDHIGIRI but since the
use of this word has induced turbulance in Indian politics and among
some followers of MAHATMA GANDHI I cannot help myself...I must
say what I think about the so-called Gandhigiri.

Gandhiji had died about 11 years before my birth.So, I did not have
chance to see him alive.The impressions I have in my mind and my
heart are reflections of what I heard or read about the man whose
name was:MOHANLAL KARAMCHAND GANDHI.

The word Gandhigiri is for me the Indian edition of the word...
Gandhi-ism.I do not understand why some people have objection to
the use of the word: Gandhigiri.Perhaps because in general, the words
ending with -giri in Hindi are those words which have hateful meanings
we tend to feel that the word Gandhigiri may reduce the effectiveness
of Mahatma Gandhi.But I don't think Mahatma's image in the minds
of people is so superficial that words like Gandhigiri could erase it
from the brains of a large mass.

Albert Einstein once told about Gandhiji : "The Posterity would
hardly believe that such a man of flesh and blood had lived in this
world."This is what Gandhiji's credibility was and will be in future-
for generations to come.The young generation of India might not
have a true image of the great man because they are living in a
world which has turned more materialistic during the years that
followed Gandhiji's death.What they study in schools is more a
burden to them because they have a mindset that they are studying
it for marks and not for knowledge.Our syllabuses are so heavy with
some unnecessarily included subjects that important facts lose
their relevance and students always remain in a state of confusion
so they react very aggressively to the characters of history or science
and forget them as time passes by.

Then there are people in this country who publicly criticise Gandhiji
for the Partition of India at the time of Independence.Some scold him
for giving more than necessary impetus to the cause of backward
class.The modern generation is then misguided and the young of
this country have a blurred image of the great man in their minds.

I think people in other countries have more respect for Gandhiji
than we the people in India have.You find people from France and
Sydney coming to Sabarmati Ashram to study and understand
Gandhiji.You also find people residing in the neighbourhood of the
same Sabarmati Ashram for more than a decade and they have
never thought of visiting it.This is the respect we Indians have for
the Father of Nation.On the other hand Gandhiji is the only
personality to have statues in most of the countries of the world.

Coming back to the word GANDHIGIRI :Is it relevant in today's
world?This is the central question asked by or debated by all.
As far as I am concerned Gandhigiri has to some extent lost its
significance if what we are referring to is Gandhi-ism of Mahatma.
The reason is not that Gandhi-ism of Mahatma has its weaknesses
but that we have been weakened by our systems, our political
as well as social parameters have forced us to become victims of
wrong notions prevailing about Gandhiji and his philosophy.

So far as GANDHIGIRI is concerned I would like to refer to the
Late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi who enjoyed a distinct
place in Indian politics.Her Gandhigiri was quite different from that
of Mahatma Gandhi but in today's world her Gandhigiri is or at
least it appears to be more relevant.Mahatma's Gandhigiri is more
a spiritual approach and it may work on individual level but when
it comes to an aggregative approach his 'giri' may not work. The
'giri' of Indira Gandhi is more a practical way of life where people
are driven by the criterion of 'the survival of the fittest' and
therefore, it works at all levels.

What we need is a proper blend of both the types of GANDHIGIRI !

( This is my post no. 25. Click on blog archive to see my other posts.)