Waiting for the Mahatma

It's been a long time since i blogged about Gandhiji. Guess it's on account of someone who told me that i'm overdoing the 'gandhi bit'. But he has never been absent from my thoughts. He intrudes everytime i pick up a newspaper or watch news. When violence rocks tiruvalla and kannur and karnataka and tamilnadu and kashmir and Iraq and the world-- I think of that messanger of peace who showed that non violence is a more powerful weapon than violence. Non violence is control. Control is power. Strength. He taught us truth is God, that truth will set us free - free from fear. Truth therefore is the source of strength.

He made it all look so simple. He translated these ideals into mass action. He proved it could be done. But why is it that we, as a nation in the grip of violence, corruption and fear, have ceased to look up to Gandhi?

My theory is that this is because we have driven Gandhi out of schools. He should not have been sidelined by syllabus setters. He should figure in a major way right from KG to the University level. Someone might argue that this would amount to indoctrination. So what? If indoctrination can bring about peace on earth and goodwill among men, why not?

Commenting on the success of Lage Raho Munnabhai, my daughter wrote "Maybe in all our hearts ,there is much more of the Mahatma than we think there is!"

What a wonderful thought! The more i think of it, the more i feel she is right. But then, why is this Gandhigiri hiding itself? Why this dormant existence for so long? 'Cos it is struggling to find its way out of the darkness of ignorance. Introduce Gandhiji into the schools with a vengeance and Gandhigiri will see the light of day.

Let's hope someday it'll surface and become a collective force once again .