Wednesday, April 05, 2006

When did I first meet Gandhi??


It just suddenly struck me, while I was compiling notes for history. Gandhi as a journlaist.....

"When was it that I first met Mahatma?" Was it at a school function? A history lesson in class? A passing mention in a politicians campaign speech? Or did I question the identity of the bald man present on every currency I used to buy my chocolates? My memory fails me and like many others I don't remember my first meeting with Mahatma.

But whichever way I met him; this man left a lasting impression. In my quest to know him better I found out that clad in a dhoti, with the support of a lathi and armed with truth and non-violence my Mahatma, 'Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi'; for official records had led our way through the dark forests of slavery.

During my many more meetings with this man through 'his experiments with truth' and his journey 'from Gandhi to Mahatma', I realized that he was an apostle of truth, peace and non-violence.

Today this most celebrated citizen of India suffers from an identity crisis. Do we remember the freedom fighter... the lawyer... Bapu... the nanga fakir... the mahatma...the philanthropist... the father of the nation? How do we recognize him? Or do we recognize him at all?

While writing about Gandhi, I hate to lie. I have forgotten my Mahatma and his teachings. I vote for caste, kill for religion and worship fanatism. I create truths; structure lies and believes that the only way of survival is "an eye for an eye". I'm helpless. I can only silently watch my Mahatma die.

Its not just his ways, I fear soon Gandhi will be ousted. Sponged off our present! What'll remain may be is his feeble presence in history.

Gandhi's Gujarat burns in a communal fury, Jessica cries for justice, diplomats chalk out war plans, and soldier kills his fellowman. Morality is publicly raped and my nation weeps Gandhi's death in as many different ways.
A candlelight protest to throw light on injustice... a hunger strike to save hundreds of lives ... I resurrect from my Mahatma's ashes... the phoenix of a nation on the rise!

2 comments:

Pallav said...

Zed·e·ki·ah (zd-k) KEY , Sixth century b.c.


The last king of Judah (597-586 b.c.). He revolted unsuccessfully (588-586) against Nebuchadnezzar II and was sent to captivity in Babylon, where he died.

ok i am kind of confused zedekiah was a he, a king...can u enlighten me...with the meaning behind your choice of name?

Zedekiah said...

besides being the last of the Judah's, Zedekiah is often cited in the Biblical text in the New Book of Genesis. The jewish king was the first to rise a crusade against the powerful Muslim ruler. He did what centuries of rulers never dared to do, to revolt and dare, causing a chain reaction for further crusades.

So was the power of his name, that it now has been added in the Biblical dictionary of names as one with Might and strength. Hebrews later went on to use the word in their common use to describe strenth, power, zeal and mostly MIGHT.

thats for history, as for as yours truly history goes............Papa named me zedekiah, before he changed it to what you know me as, simply because its hard to pronounce.....Ironic, though coz nothing has changed. Im still mispronunced...hehe... But i still like my original name, Nottingham....now tell me your story....

and hey, the names now actaully sex-no-bar....