Bravery

Many military leaders have the quality of bravery.  They know that as they fight battles and engage in skirmishes they are likely to be killed.  They are prepared to fight for a cause, when they take up arms.  Persons like George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Napolean Boneparte are some great leaders we often hear about.  With these great military leaders one thing is certain, they are no lacking in courage.  They have led armies and were quite aware of the risks of being captured, lamed, or killed.

Oratorical Skills

Some leaders may demonstrate courage as individuals fighting against oppression, racism, and exploitation.  They may do so non violently through passive resistance.  They have the ability to exhort people through their speeches to stand up for their rights and march for justice.  We are all familiar with the achievements of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.  These men protested and led non violent revolutions that transformed the countries in which they lived.

Scholarship

Other traits of such persons are that they are thinkers and creators.  They are visionaries that pave the way for our societies to take a new course through their ideas, ideals, and inventions.  Orville and Wilbur Wright are known as the genesis of being the first in flight in the nation.  There was Louis Pasteur, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking and many other scientists recognized for their outstanding accomplishments.

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There are historians, sociologists, fiction and non fiction writers, philosophers, and theologians that have all made contributions to our society.

Leadership

Every society longs for leaders.  They are especially lucky when they are blessed with extraordinary qualities.  A president like Franklin D. Roosevelt is known for successfully guiding Americans through the Great Depression.  A former wartime British leader of international acclaim is Winston Churchill who is acknowledged for his leadership and oratory.  Nelson Mandela has been a liberation leader who lived in apartheid South Africa where he spent 27 years in jail before becoming its president.

- – -

As illustrated great people have some major traits in common.  Through their actions persons the world over are motivated to do what is in the best interest of their country.  These leaders come from every walk of life.  They can be found in every country, race, and set the agenda for other citizens to follow.

They are literary buffs, scientists, historians, and philosophers who vigorously embrace life.  They see their role like  missionaries and work tirelessly to accomplish their goals.  Through their commitments in providing for our social welfare, people around the world benefit.

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Now the question is: how far India has progressed in terms of the changed mindset brought about by the above leaders? Today we have an enlightened society that welcomes foreign direct investment (FDI), modern technology in science and medicine, western outfits, music, pizzas, and internet connectivity. In other words, we live in a globalised world where caste, race, religion, and gender are no longer the hot topics of discussion in our daily life. In this scenario, let us take note of what happened at Kukke Subrahmanya on 28th, 29th and 30th of November 2011.

Kukke Subrahmanya Temple: Karnataka.

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Kukke Subrahmanya temple at Subrahmanya is one of the famous temples of Karnataka, being run by the state government. The temple is visited by devotees from all parts of India including presidents, prime ministers, chief ministers, cricketers, actors, and business tycoons. Unfortunately, no eminent persons had ever visited the temple during the annual festival called Champa Shasthi held in November/December every year, who could have been witness to a strange ritual called ‘Made Snana’ undertaken by a large number of devotees (around 6,000 this year). If they were witness to this event, perhaps they would have felt deep anguish, agony, disgust or mere shock at the nasty ritual undertaken here with the support of local swamiji and the Minister of Endowment.

Now let me tell you what this ‘made snana’ ritual is all about. ‘Made snana’ ritual has been in practice at the temple for about 400 years or more. People (mostly being dalits and backward classes) who take a vow on their own to get rid of their skin ailments go to the temple during the Champa Shashti fair (also called jathre in Kannada) and roll over the left-overs of food (lunch) served to Brahmins (who claim to belong to the superior caste) on banana leaves, around the precincts of the temple (see the picture elsewhere and also the links to videos on YouTube).

Made snana in progress at Kukke Subrahmanya temple.

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Video on made snana: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U6QmeSnYLY

This is one of the most demeaning, humiliating, shocking and shameful religious practices undertaken in India, especially in Karnataka, year after year. It may be noted here that last year (2010) there was a hue and cry about this obnoxious and degrading ritual as a result of which the local authorities had issued a notification in the local newspapers banning Made Snana, citing objections to the inhuman practice from the public earlier. However, when the festivities began, a few people belonging to a particular community insisted that the ritual should continue this year as well, and the local authorities permitted the ritual to go on due to the intervention of the Minister of Endowment. As a result, the ritual went on for three days to the dismay of the general public who had opposed this practice tooth-and-nail last year. What is distressing to note is that the Minister concerned was himself a practising doctor earlier whose medical practice prohibits him to prescribe made snana to his patients for skin-ailments, which is against the medical ethics.

What shocked the nation most was the argument put forth by the local swamiji who declared that made snana was an age-old practice undertaken by devotees on their own and that the practice should continue. (Wasn’t he aware that the Master-Saint Swami Vivekananda had advocated a scientific outlook and dynamic spirituality to the masses over a century ago?) It is strange that even when dharma and religious practices have undergone numerous changes in all parts of India over the years, this swamiji still advocated the obnoxious practice citing the sanctity of individual beliefs.

Worst of all, the incident that took place on the 30th of November 2011 served as a climax to the ritual of made snana. A group of activists from Mysore who had visited Kukke Subrahmanya to study the ritual of made snana and convince the devotees practising the ritual, not to undertake such demeaning rituals in this modern age, was assaulted temple staff in the presence of police who were mute spectators. It is pertinent to note here that the leader of the group, Mr  K S Shivaram, who is the  State President of  Karnataka Rajyada Hindulida Vargagala Jagrutha Vedike – Karnataka State Backward Classes Awareness Forum- ((KRHVJV) had taken permission from the local authorities previously to visit the temple and also to collect details of made snana from the devotees concerned. In spite of it, the local police did not provide the required security to the group.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx8TAYac4M4

Fact-finding team on made snana being attacked outside the Kukke Subrahmanya temple.

Kukke Subrahmanya temple, as mentioned earlier, is run by the Muzrai department of the Government of Karnataka and there are many kinds of sevas (kinds of pujas) available to the devotees for a certain fee. It may be noted that these sevas take care of all the needs of the devotees including relief from their skin-related problems, fertility-related problems of couples and the like. When this is the case, devotees should have been educated by the temple authorities not to undertake made snana as the same benefits of made snana are said to accrue to the devotees by performing these sevas. Moreover, the moot question is why the Brahmins alone should be served food exclusively in the precincts of the temple, which means giving them exclusive rights over other backward communities, thereby violating the principle of equality guaranteed under the Constitution. In India, Constitution is supreme and discrimination on the basis of caste, race, or colour is prohibited. Needless to say that if backward classes could get rid of their ailments by rolling over the left-overs of food served on plantain leaves to Brahmins, the opposite of it, i.e. Brahmins rolling over the left-overs of food served to the backward class people should also give them the same benefits. However, the Brahmins, on their part, are not inclined to undertake such a ritual.

Time will only tell when India would come out of the shackles of blind beliefs and exploitation of ignorant and vulnerable sections of society in the name of religion. 

14. He was educated at London University and became an attorney.

13. Mahatma Gandhi experimented with diets to see how cheaply he could live and remain healthy.

12. Mahatma Gandhi never visited the US, but he had many American fans and followers.

11. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement.

10. Gandhi is officially honoured in India as the Father of the Nation; his birthday, 2 October, is a national holiday, and worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence.

9. Time Magazine named Mahatma Gandhi the Man of the Year in 1930.

8. On 30 January 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was shot and killed in New Delhi.

7. In 1930 he led Dandi March to collect salt in protest of the British salt tax.

6. He worked as an editor for several English, Hindi and Gujarati newspapers in India as well as South Africa.

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5. Mahatma Gandhi was chosen for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1948, but he was assassinated before it was conferred to him.

4. He was married at the age of 13 to 14-year old Kasturbai Makhanji andhad four sons.

3. Gandhi was afraid of public speaking. Later on, in South Africa Mahatma Gandhi was able to overcome his shyness.

2. He was given expensive gifts including gold watch and necklace but Gandhi returned all those gifts because he believed in living life simply.

1. Gandhi was also a prolific writer.

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Let them, the grammarians, forgive me for the topic, but if most of them would not forgive me, then I bet to differ, and proclaim that on a very light note I am serious about it. It should always be their job as faithful as they are to proof-read scripts, to ensure correctness, acceptable and allowable, well formed language; only to turn and be stripped of their hard-earn possession, or have their girl child badly defiled or raped. Have you for once thought about how society can curb these menaces other than having these criminals put into the non-reformatory prisons just to suspend their bad deeds?

I am not an expert in virtues and vices but a concerned citizen of society who wish that the cheapest cause of a serious effect is given the due attention.

I believe the roots of all crimes are the recycling vices that hover around human society. Show me a crime and I would be eager to know the vices from which the crime evolved. Lysander Spooner, in his Vices Are Not Crimes: A Vindication Of Moral Liberty, says of vices as the errors which people make in the search after their own happiness. Of the lot, the ‘Great Soul’ Mahatma Gandhi, says of the roots of violence as “…pleasure without conscience; knowledge without character…”. Now, then, the reservation about where we first acquire pleasure and knowledge, and the corresponding character and conscience? In other words, who are the first stakeholders to blame for the ill development in individual’s id, superego and ego? Which would be your choice of answer, parents or teachers? To me both answers are correct. Wondering why?

For the sake of this article, let us allow those professional classroom teachers rest as they muse over their low remuneration in the country and the supposed better one in Heaven. Even though classroom teachers play important role in the total development of an individual, their duty lays under the school as a major stakeholder. Charity would always begin at home, so it is imperative to deal with the basic stakeholder.

I think it is about time we gave the distinction between couples and parents (fathers and mothers) with the criterion, teaching. In my candid view couples or partners, or even lovers, should not be considered as parents for the mere fact they have children or wards but the fact that they are teachers; teachers of values and virtues in a positive and sound atmosphere. The common and true adage goes like “we have 18 years to TEACH our children independence…” There are a number of texts in the Holy Bible which cite parents as teachers or trainers, and I believe other religious or holy books do the same. The ‘rites de passage’ of the African traditional religion also stress on parents and the community at large as the main teachers of society. So it is very clear the major role as parents is to teach; but many couples or people enter into the institution of parenthood without prior knowledge of this important duty, not to even talk about the content of this duty. So, with lack of knowledge, society would always perish. Society always bears the brunt of more serious crimes mostly because some so-called parents failed to act as teachers.

The human nature is such that it is continuously learning; from the foetus to the foot of life. Children would therefore learn from the pre-formative stage through the formative period, through to adulthood. By the time a person reaches adulthood the subconscious mind is already made up with whatever good or bad  it has passed through. So the adult human becomes giant in what virtue or vice, or most of the time the mixed, ingrained in them. The vicious mother would pass nothing but a pile of vices to the foetus. Sometimes the male couple causes the expectant female to be vicious; hence the male too becomes vicious inducing vices in the female to the unborn child. These couples would be doing anything but failing to be parents.

Direct transmission of vices occurs during the formative period where the children can feel their environment with their senses; in this case the couples, but not parents, display vicious character in the presence of the children. The worst happens during the weaning period where most women for varied reasons can just cut the nursing period. This act has been shown to be the cause of many psychological complications such as negativism, aggression, fretfulness, stereotyped activities and complete disregard of the mother. Even at this point a good-positive-minded and loving parent can manage the situation to nib in the bud any serious future development.

It is my utmost hope that couples who wish to raise children learn to be teachers, not just that but with love, good and positive minds so that they become the mothers, the fathers or the parents they already claim they are. Remember the adage that “we (as parents or as teachers) have 18 years to teach our children independence, why try to do it all in the first years?” I believe there would surely be a good turn for society, especially my happy home Ghana, if this piece is carefully considered in order to curb the crime against you and me, and the grammarian who is solely engaged in correction of grammatical errors.

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Anna Hazare:

This social activist is better known for his connection with several Rural Development NGOs of Maharashtra rather than anything remotely political. Suddenly he is in the limelight, foisted by right wing opposition parties, fundamentalists, middleclass teenagers and somewhat moneyed people who feast well before going on a fast! His fight against corruption has catapaulted him on to the centre-stage of Indian Politics, minus the Parliamentary and/or Political connection. True, corruption in India, particularly in high Public Offices, has reached an alltime high. The 2-G Scam of A.Raja and DMK-Ministers, The Commonwealth Games Scam of Suresh Kalmadi, The Yeduriyappa Mining Scam of Karnataka, The Mayawati mother-of-all scams in Uttar Pradesh and so on are truly grave. Anna Hazare and his rag-tag team of resigned IAS-officers, social activists and foot-soldiers in the form of spoilt brats from rich families are making a mockery of Mahatma Gandhi’s fasting methods on the plea of bulldozing a legally elected UPA-Government. Their bone of contention is a Draft Bill for creating an Ombudsman with over-riding powers to check corruption amongst Ministers, Government Officials and the Judiciary. The government has accepted some of the suggestions and prepared a draft of their own to be debated in Parliament, before being passed or rejected as a Bill. Nothing wrong there. India is a free Democratic Republic with soveriegn powers and an elected Parliamentary Government. Indian government is certainly not a Club or NGO where an Anna Hazare or Kiran Bedi or Megha Patkar can force something to be accepted in Parliament. A few TV-Channels are giving non-stop coverage to these school kid antics, to increase their TRPs. For the spoilt brats and teenagers this is a nice alternative to being on Reality-TV.

Social Dangers:

India is not Tunisia where a Faida Hamdy slap triggered a revolution in almost all Dictator-ruled Middle East Muslim Petrol Republics. In fact some of these jeans-clad youngsters with Facebook and Twitter Accounts may be harbouring megalomaniac illusions of President Obama stepping in and flagging down Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s limousine. Mob hysteria, afterall, can’t be the sole monopoly of Birmingham? Social scientists used to define mob hysteria as lumpen elements’ mass unrest, taking cover behind the anonymity of a city. But these days it is a different story. Mobs don’t get anonymity. Rather, they seek publicity! They get ample exposure and are on  a social high with CCTV, News Channels, Handycams, Mobile Phone Cameras etc. Now, is it a case of playing Hero and Heroine before the rolling cameras, that is egging on Anna activists?

Conclusion:

Like most Asian democracies, corruption is so deep-rooted in India that even a Hundred Ombudsmen will not be able to root out corruption in India, leave alone a single Lokepal now called the Jokepal. Therefore all these puerile attempts at getting popular before the TV-cameras is not going to help India’s fight against corruption. If Anna Hazare is serious let him or his activists contest the elections and take the fight into Parliament as elected representatives of The People. For a change, instead of taunting the Prime Minister and his cabinet ministers in their residences, why doesn’t Anna try his antics against Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh? or Yeduriyappa in Bengaluru?

Today’s world has been very competitive as the students have been eying for ranks to acquire a good job in order to make their future as secure and as bright as possible! Not only limited to academics, the students also like to widen their field and excel in other areas such as music, dance & sports too.

Independence Day has been a day when Our Father of The Nation, Mahatma Gandhi had liberated India from the British rule. But is there anyone today, who could liberate us from evils like corruption, scams? And from other umpteen problems like water shortage, power shortage, unemployment crisis, food scarcity, spiral increase in the prices of various commodities, etc. Though some have been ready to do it, this has been only for their own gain rather than for the public welfare. As of today, we are in the search of a good leader who could take our Motherland India to great heights and this is only possible when all the citizens in India are educated as we had no other great leader after Rajiv Gandhi!! Rajiv Gandhi had indeed been a ‘gem’ as he had looked into the welfare of the poor as well as that of the middle class. Moreover, regarding the Right to vote for all Indian citizens he had reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years.

Whereas the other famous Indian intellectuals in India do not want to take the plunge into politics and they are happy to keep rather away from this field.

Should Independence Day be a day of celebrations in India in the Schools and Colleges or should it be declared as a holiday for these academic institutions has been the main debate recently ranging from people to people in India!!

History lessons are taught in school and in the college too. Thus, every school and college going student would have at least a basic knowledge of the Freedom Struggle which had been taken for our own Motherland India. Therefore we need it to leave it for the schools and the colleges to decide about the Independence Day celebrations.

Besides, Independence Day should not only be about ‘Flag hosting’ and a number of ‘speeches’ but should also be accompanied by a number of competitions for the students which could also include sports activities and cultural programs where they could exhibit their talents.

Introduction

Throughout history there have been many civil and international wars that have included brutal violence with many casualties. Although racial, political and cultural differences between peoples will always exist, non-violent methods are better ways to resolve these problems which will ultimately pave the way to world-wide peace. The twentieth century was filled with injustices and crucial wars leaving millions dead, injured, and emotionally hurt. Mahatma Gandhi was known as India=s revolutionary saviour because his methods of fighting back against British law were applied without physical violence to gain the country=s independence. The main non-violent and peaceful methods Gandhi used were: non-cooperation, protests, and compromise.

I. Non-cooperation

Non-cooperation discourages gang violence because of its direct and peaceful message to authority and opposing laws; violence wouldn’t necessarily solve people’s= problems because it would send a different, more aggressive message to authority: like threats and revenge that would simply encourage violence. Gandhi=s first act of non-cooperation was against the South African law in 1906 which stated that all Indian immigrants must carry an identification card and be finger printed (AFacts About Mahatma Gandhi@). Not only did Gandhi not comply to this law, he went a step further and protested it as he also burnt these cards saying that he would refuse any anti-Asian law applied on him and he would die before following any of them (Shandilya). This was a peaceful, but still very affirmative way of not cooperating with the British Empire; he made sure the British received his message. Gandhi quoted a statement  that he based his life on, a quote of what he wanted everyone to follow: AWhen I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it – always@ (Gannon). Because of his constant non-cooperation, he was sent to jail many times.

Secondly, Gandhi created a non-cooperation movement in India and it opposed the British rule in 1921 (Shandilya). Indian lawyers gave up their job, many students left their schools, and many Indians gave up their titles hoping that it would hit the British Empire in India. It did, but Gandhi had to end the movement because of mob violence in Chauri Chaura in 1922 (Shandilya). He evidently did not want this, but he was still found guilty and was sentenced to six years in prison for starting a violent movement. Even though he was only imprisoned for two years due to medical problems, Gandhi did not deserve to be sentenced. Because of all the violence that broke out in India that Gandhi did not want, and that most riots were blamed on him, he did not come out and actively take part in politics (Shandilya).

Thirdly, Gandhi emphasized his non-violence to Indians when he taught them to keep their heads high and refuse British commands without physically fighting back authority, even at the cost of death. At first, it wasn=t too convincing for the Indians, but it was really successful at the salt march when not one single Indian fought back to the British police (Adams 56). Gandhi declared: AIt is good courage to be prepared to die for this, but there is no cause of which I am prepared to kill@(Attenborough). The British in India recognized this and knew that Gandhi helped to this peaceful way of not cooperating to the salt law that Indians do not have the right to make their own salt, so Gandhi was sentenced to prison (Shandilya). He knew that the British Empire was politically jealous of his unique, effective, and peaceful Indian leadership. Even though the British seemed invincible, Gandhi knew that they would regret sentencing him to prison after several years.

II. Protests

  Non-violent protests that Gandhi made against the British would show the controlling empire how powerful India=s independence really was. First, Gandhi=s initial protest was his campaigning in South Africa (Adams 17). He was there as an attorney (very few Indians were at the time), with other Indians who were sent from India to work in the African mines and the sugar plantations (Adams 15). All Indian immigrants had few rights and were forced to carry identification cards under British law (Shandilya). To protest against the law, he founded the Satyagraha in South Africa (Shandilya). Gandhi heard of many brawls between Indians and the British police and sought a non-violent way to fight this injustice against Indian people. Mohandas Gandhi invited many Indians to his first protest. He started with a speech, then burned his Indian identification card then invited other Indians to do the same (Attenborough). As a result, he was physically beaten by British police, without once fighting back. Gandhi continued to give speeches to Indian immigrants not to fight back to British authority (Adams 26). Burning these identification cards was the start of his non-violent protests. During his Satyagraha campaigning in South Africa, he said: AVictory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary@ (Gannon). Gandhi knew that violence begets violence and wanted Indians to fight in a peaceful, and non-violent way. During one of his speeches, Gandhi said: AI ask you to fight against their anger, not provoke it@ (Attenborough).

Next, the speeches he gave to his people taught them about non-violence and made them think twice about brawls and riots. His speeches were so effective that they taught not only Indians, but the British empire everyday. This taught illusion (being ruled and invaded by a faraway European country) vs. reality (India=s need for dignity and independence). He once said in one of his speeches: ANon-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man@ (Adams 96).

Finally, another form of protest were his marches in South Africa and India. He did this to make the British empire aware of the injustice. His longest march was the Indian Salt March in India where they walked 368 Km to the Indian Ocean where thousands who followed made salt from the shore (Adams 56). Gandhi declared: AThis is India=s salt, not the British=s@ (Attenborough). The same day of the Indian arrival to the sandy shore, the British police brutally stopped the Indians by beating them with wooden batons (Adams 62). However, not one single Indian fought back against their authority and took the assault. The salt march, the salt making and the response from the British police reached many nations causing England embarrassment and shame (Adams 63). Gandhi was then invited to London, England for political talks to perhaps reach a compromise (Shandilya).

III. Compromise

Settling political problems through compromise with discussions and open communication  is the best way to resolve problems on both sides without violence. First, South African prisons were  filled with Gandhi=s rebellious Indians who were arrested because of the march from Mata to Transvaal which Gandhi led (Shandilya). Keeping Indians imprisoned did not settle each side. General Smutts, the British General in charge of the African prison of the region, and Gandhi discussed the situation politely and consequently he and the prisoners were all released by Smutts (Adams 27). These formal enemies became friends with time. This was Gandhi=s first successful compromise. Without this, riots would break out and violence would overcome the Indians and would leave many injured by British authority. One of Gandhi=s most famous quotes is: AAn eye for an eye makes the whole world blind@ (Gannon).              

Secondly, another compromise Gandhi wanted to make, but was unsuccessful was when the Second World War broke out. The British Empire in India wanted India=s help, but they only agreed if they received independence in return (Shandilya). Unfortunately, the British Government refused to this compromise and Gandhi created the >Quit India= movement. Again, he did not want any gang violence, but many riots broke out in India and Gandhi was arrested for starting a violent movement (Shandilya). If the British would have agreed, the amount of violence would have greatly diminished in the upcoming years. Gandhi stated to the British: AIt is time you left. There is no people on Earth who would not want their own bad government, to a good alien one@ (Attenborough).

Finally, the last conference he went to was in London England to settle with India=s independence. This peaceful way to resolve differences was his life=s success and the British empire was finally exiled out of the country (Shandilya). Once the British rule was terminated there remained two different religious groups in the India: the Hindus and the Muslims. There were numerous riots of jealousy and revenge between the two religions at the borders of Pakistan; a new country settled because of the different religions. Gandhi was fasting his way through this difficult time to show Indians that it wasn=t the answer he was looking for (AFacts About Mahatma Gandhi@). During this crucial time for Gandhi, he stated: AIt is better to be violent, if the is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence@ (Gannon).

Conclusion

Gandhi was a successful Twentieth-Century History Maker that people world-wide will always recognize. His effective and non-violent ways of non-cooperation, protests and compromise transformed the way politicians think from when he lived and died, to even today. Gandhi=s non-violent approach was revolutionary, not only in attaining India=s independence, but affected the entire world, and as a result, the world will remember him for centuries.

Works Cited List

Adams, Simon. Mahatma Gandhi The Father of Modern India. Austin, New York: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, 2002.Print.

Shandilya, Ranjan. AFacts About Gandhi.@ buzzle.com. Buzzle.com, 6 Feb. 2008. Web. 11 Nov. 2009.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/facts‑about‑gandhi.html

AFacts About Mahatma Gandhi.@ iloveindia.com. Iloveindia.com. Web. 29 Nov. 2009.

http://www.iloveindia.com/indian‑heroes/mahatma‑gandhi/facts.html

Gannon, Donald R. AQuotations by Author Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948).@ QuotationsPage.com and Michael Moncur. Quotationspage.com, 1994 – 2007. Web. 29 Nov. 2009.

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Mahatma_Gandhi/

Attenborough, Richard. AGandhi (film).@ Columbia Pictures. 8 Dec. 1982.

Mahatma Gandhi was an extremely influential man. He influenced all of India with his non-violent ideas towards the freedom of India. Gandhi received his education in London, where he studied to become a lawyer. Gandhi spent twenty years in South Africa where he first started his crusade against the injustice of Indians in South Africa. Gandhi’s education and experiences with injustice later made him a man with great power and influence that led to India’s independence from the British.

Unlike many revolutions such as; the American Revolution, French Revolution, and    Latin American revolutions which used violence and fighting to gain independence, Gandhi purposed a new plan to gain India’s independence. Gandhi wished to gain independence by non-violent actions and civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain laws and demands of a government, or an international power. Gandhi used this method because he despised violence which was a sign of hate. He did not want to gain India’s independence if it were by violence. The idea of civil obedience also justifies Gandhi’s quote the “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”  Civil obedience was practiced during protests such as the salt march, worker strikes, and in salt factories. Indians were taxed highly by the British for salt and it was a crime to pick your own salt. During the salt march and other protest, the Indian people would face violence from the British, but they would not retaliate or defend themselves. These acts made Britain look cruel and ruthless and brought sympathy from the rest of the world. Gandhi has been arrested many times during his reign of influence. Gandhi never reacted in violence for the arrest and this quote resembles him as a strong leader “You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.”

Mahatma Gandhi made the symbol of the spinning wheel important. The spinning wheel symbolized the ability of India people to survive on their own. It told people that they did not need the British government. Clothing was produced and sold by the British under their rule, but Gandhi strongly recommended Indians to burn British clothing and to spin their own clothing. This is the showing that India is strong enough to fend for herself, thus deserving independence.

Gandhi used fasting to stop violence and to influence of people’s opinions. During the protest some violence would erupt in both sides, thus going against Gandhi’s entire philosophy. Gandhi would fast and would continue to fast unless the violence was stopped. Gandhi has so much power that fasting risked his health and well being, it made people stop the violence in order to prevent Gandhi’s death. Gandhi used fasting in more than one occasion. He used it during the Muslim Hindu conflict after India received its independence. He also used fasting in prison, which scared the British guards into releasing him. Gandhi also fasted when protest led to death of British officers.

After India gained independence India was to be divided. India was being divided due to religious purposes. Jinah the representative of the Muslim minority in India feared that Muslims would be enslaved and mistreated by the Hindu majority. Mahatma Gandhi urged the importance of a unified India and was displeased of the Muslim Hindu conflict. Violence erupted; therefore Gandhi fasted and successfully ended the violence. Even though Gandhi ended the violence, there was still hate and Jinah purposed to develop a Muslim country in Pakistan as well as Bangladesh. This was the Partition of India.

Gandhi was such an influential figure in India as well as the rest of the world. Gandhi’s ideas and philosophies influenced many of the people we admire today. Gandhi has influenced people such as Martin Luther King Jr. and President Obama. His ideas of non-violence and civil disobedience were also used by Nelson Mandela in his efforts against South African apartheid. Mahatma Gandhi was truly a man with ideas and philosophies that shaped a better world that we have today. He is surely an important man in history.

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A new biography on the much respected founder of the Indian nation Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi seems to suggest that he was bisexual. State governments are up in arms and want the biography banned while parliament wants to enact a law that will make it a criminal offence for anyone to insult the revered Gandhi who led the fight against British colonial rule.

Was Mahatma Gandhi both homosexual and heterosexual?

Was Mahatma Gandhi bisexual? Was he homosexual and heterosexual at one time? Asking these questions is like pondering whether or not Jesus was married. In some quarters it is devoid of any intellectual significance, it is an insult to even imagine leave alone suggest or write about it.

Mahatma Gandhi was more than a politician

To many Indians, Gandhi wasn’t a mere mortal. Forget Sachin Tendulkar and any of the other living legends, Mahatma Gandhi was a god to many Indians even though he didn’t think of himself as such and that is why a few people may be stoned over the new biography.

Law minister wants insulting Gandhi to be made a criminal offence

Law Minister Veerappa Moily thinks enough is enough and the founding father can not be insulted or be denigrated by anybody as the government rests on its bums, pretending that everyone is fine. I am not an Indian and don’t intend to be, I am not Hindu and will never be, but Gandhi was more than an Indian statesman, Gandhi was much more than an ordinary politician, he was something greater than any one of us wish to attain.

Should we ignore the insults?

Should we ignore claims of his bisexuality or homosexuality? I think we should. Why? Because there is freedom of speech and everyone should be allowed to read and believe what they want to, and again because banning the autobiography and threatening people against such will only make it more popular. Is anyone listening?

brotee mukhopadhyay

Joseph Lelyveld is one of the Pulitzer Prize winners and he has been editor of New York Times for a period. Some persons in India are at present greatly disturbed learning that Joseph Lelyveld’s book named ‘Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and his struggle with India’ contains certain materials which point that Mahatma Gandhi was bisexual. They have been raising voice of protest, because they consider that the sensitive material present in the book has dishonored the Indian ‘father of the nation’. Gujarat has already banned this book, and other states of India would follow the same program sooner or later.

Two kinds of limitation have occupied the crowd that is hell-bent to proscribe this book:

1) This section of the Indian people is not aware of the truth that banning a book would not yield the result it is looking for. The book will be read by more people. It is sure that the readers would not reach to the right conclusion.

2) It should be humbly said that people who are opposing the content have myopic notion towards sex. Sexual orientation differs from individual to individual. One must not be condemned if he holds homosexual or bisexual orientation. Decency of an individual is not tarnished if he has any of the naturally developed sexual orientations. A person is as good as any gentleman of the society till he is not forcing others to have sex against his/her natural will. Is it obscene to possess any kind of sexual orientation without disturbing other humans in the environment? Does it really matter if one is bisexual, even if one is none other than Mahatma Gandhi?

It is a fact that sex is a tabooed thing in the society of India. Sex is left hidden, and open discourse on sex and sexual exercises are not just allowed. It has been so for centuries. Nevertheless, one is sure to be surprised if one goes through the ancient Indian literature. The great bards of the Indian epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata by name) were not under any such social restriction. Several great poets Sanskrit literature, from Vasa to Joydeba, were also desperate to vent out their emotional experiences, however erotic those might have been seemed to the readers. It is a question how the Indian people have been forced to suppress sexual impulses and forced to oblige such unhealthy prescription.