WHEN I look around me I see a country lying helpless in the pool of grievances and sorrows caused by insidious terrorist attacks, rampant corruption, ever increasing poverty, regular communal riots, miseries caused by severe floods worsened by bad administration and many other such things. It seems to be straight from the Pandora’s Box. The magnitude and severity of these problems is such that it seems we are heading towards some dystopia. The most striking thing is that such is the state of a nation, which considers Mahatma Gandhi, an epitome of virtues like
non violence and truthfulness, as Father of the nation!
Let’s have a look on how much his own countrymen have followed his ideals. As we all fondly remember that Gandhiji had only two weapons - satya (truth) and ahimsa (
non violence). Gandhiji believed that truthfulness is the mother of all virtues and that it’s a must for everyone. But today the very fabric of truth seems to be tainted to an extent that the very definition of the term is lost. I understand that there will be always be things which will face contradiction but these days every fact or news seems to be defied the next day or sometime later. Here are some examples:
While Noida police and CBI tried hard to solve the mystery of widely publicized Aarushi-Hemraj murder case myriads of stories kept coming up. The media tried all its might to solve the case too. But even after months of investigations the real truth is not out yet.
It leaves me astounded when I realise that we are living in times when police encounters and investigations are mostly fake. Recently Delhi police conducted n raid in Jamia Nagar in search of terrorists and the police force also lost one of its most able officers. But now both afore-mentioned facts are under scanner. While people have come up with theories that challenge the entire encounter and the credibility of the police officer is also being questioned. He was previously being tagged as a martyr. Amidst all this, no one knows the truth.
There are scores of other examples too which adequately prove that the truth is almost at the verge of extinction. There are scores of rumors doing rounds in all sectors. Techniques like brain mapping and narco-analysis tests are being used to find the truth. All I can say is that in present age there is my truth, there is your truth, but no one knows the address of the real truth!
Now let’s see how much we have imbibed the notion of
non violence with which Gandhiji won the fierce battle of independence for his people. The law and order situation is worsening with bomb blasts happening almost every other day. These so called terrorists are not any aliens. Many of them are our own people who have vouched to brutally kill innocent people in the name of religion, region, etc.
The recent horrific attacks on the Christian community in Orissa following the murder of some Hindu leader are pathetic. Some people have been on rampage since August. Rampant communal riots seem to have placed India at the doorstep of a civil war. All this compels me to say that Gandhiji should not be called the Father of nation anymore because his children are no more brothers and sisters.
Several schemes were introduced in Gandhiji’s name but hardly any of these have been religiously implemented due to lackadaisical administration and rampant corruption. It seems that since the problems are so many, no single person can do anything. But, an honest attempt from each one of us to be always right can do the trick. I know it sounds ultimately utopian but Gandhi, not as man but as thought, is the need of the hour. It’s time to do something, which all of us never even tried to do. Let’s all of us walk a mile into our own moccasins and try to think like our Father of the nation and imbibe his immense strengths!
