Might be the title could make some feel provocative; to some others, more of a caption too...
But, it's not given by me... It's by the real film makers of India - our media! Hope, you've got what this blog is going to be all about. Yeah! the auction at Antiquorum of Gandhi's glasses and footwear; the being bid by an Indian industrialist more famous with his liquor brands; the kind of media and government reaction.
The kind of media hype is always understandable - they sell anything to get the common man's attention. Even now, the same has happened. But, the Government is at its worst - couldn't decide on what to do... couldn't give up... and finally, at its best, started owning something bought by someone else.
First of all, we must all remember, Gandhi did not ask us to take ownership of his glasses. He asked us to take ownership of truth, ourselves, our country, our people, belief in conversational solution to disputes, etc., - as taught by my curriculum. But, these have all been evaded out of us; greed and politics have started playing their games. So, what are we going to do with or without his personal belongings! They matter, in simple words, Nothing. Be it, owned by an Indian, or an alien - be it he is from Mars, we're still going to be the same Indian,
- who doesn't wants the traffic cop to fine him/her, and instead take a bribe;
- who doesn't wants to wait in order to get his/her government related stuffs cleared, and instead want the government servant to take a bribe.
- and this can go on for volumes.
So, how relevant are the teachings of this old man to us? Yes, an old man, as you see in the streets, as you see in the guise of professors, etc., to whom we very often show only our deaf ears, and a rock heart.
The highlight of this auction is that these quite old glasses and footwear, whose use, I could hardly understand as anything but nothing, are now worth $1.8M which is going to fill the pockets of an American individual, for he can anymore by an SUV from a winding up auto-major like Ford, and can take rest in a villa of his choice. For the only reason, he preserved it for all these years, or he plundered it from some one who preserved it till it was plundered.
What an exceptional Gandhi-ism it is...
- This is what our Bapu asked for right?
- This is for what, he lived with goats milk and peanuts all his life...
- This is for what, he got called as 'Half naked fakir' by a Brit PM.
- This is for what, he waited outside the conference he was to attend, being barred entry into it, for the kind of his attire raised suspicions to the security there.
Fantastic Gandhi-ism, which Gandhi himself should be taught of!
The highlight number 2 is even more fantastic! The highest bid in that made was by a liquor barren - Mr. Mallya. Wow, Gandhi's favorite drink should've been Kalyani... We must all remember, the $1.8M that Mr. Mallya is going to give is from the money which is out of burning so many livers with the drink he sold... being caused to so many poor countrymen who skipped away from what Gandhi asked us all to do... this is what is the real identity of Gandhi-ism. I really feel bad for the kind of education system I went through, for not teaching me these features of Gandhi-ism; too bad, they are...
You might ask, hey! let him sell liquor or tobacco; let him sell automobile or farm products, that's his business... True! I never deny that! It's his business... Let him do that... Let him also buy or sell these kind of antiques... But, what made you and me celebrate or feel lost in doing so... If these glasses aren't brought to India, that doesn't mean, we've all forgotten Gandhi; Or even after bringing them back, it needn't mean, we remember Gandhi - mind it, this is not the parameter for it. The parameter, is Truth - Satyam (don't confuse with the name today for the biggest scandal), which has been shooed away.
It is not because Mr. Mallya bought it, or Mr. Narayamurthy bought it... These doesn't matter to what the great soul has done and asked us to do with. Those bidders are antique maniacs. They know the value of something which is old, precious because of someone's usage, etc. Who know, there could be an antique collector, who could have even preserved the first ever tooth brush of Kind George, etc., But, these don't transcend any values of the user of such antique products.
What common man must be aware is, let these products be collected or sold by anyone to anyone. But, if its user has a value, and his/her preaching and practice has a value, let's take them.
No one has what was used by Lord Rama that day.
No one has what Jesus used that day.
No one has what Prophet Mohammed used that day.
Still, their ways and words have a value. These values/virtues are non-erasable. Instead, if we keep hunting for their belongings, it could result in the negative effect from what they directed us.
We already know, in a country of billion people, with at least a million users, the media has to be responsible; and we also know, it is not! So, get away, and let's start doing our job, instead of seeing who's owning who's what...
Thanks for your time in reading this! Bye...
Posts
