Friday, October 02, 2009

Mahatma Gandhi

Another oct-2 passes by, a reminder of a soul who lived in a way that is unimaginable in this modern world. Every oct-2 reminds me of an indifferent world of today that is apathetic to the suffering of people, non-violent protests of any kind having no way to break through the cycle of violence, whether it be Darfur or Iraq or Palestine or Iran - despair is the only world that comes to mind.

Mahatma Gandhi too lived in tumultuous times, unprecedented violence like holocaust, world war, nuclear annhiliation, but he wasn't conflicted by the idealogies, his steadfast conviction in non-violence as a tool of protest never gave way based on the parties involved in it. But i often wonder, for all of good words by the world leaders, how many of them truly believe in the words of Mahatma Gandhi? Is he just an ideal of bygone times, much like the teachings of Jesus - turn the other cheek? How many christians believe in the puritanical view of non-violence that Jesus preached?

Yet, in today's times, if Mahatma Gandhi lived today, I am afraid if he would have been considered a peacenik oblivious to the real practical politics, pushed to the sidelines and forgotten!