Mahatma Gandhi News Digest, Germany : Issue for August 14-20, 2006
Revisiting Satyagraha
The Hindu – India – by Madhur Tankha – August 20, 2006
NEW DELHI: President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam will inaugurate a unique art show, “Satyagraha: Indian and South African Artists’ Tribute to the Spirit of 9-11-1906”, at Travancore Art Gallery here on September 1. The Indo-South African art show to mark the centenary of the first Satyagraha will be a special homage by artists from the two countries where Mahatma Gandhi lived and worked. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma and a host of dignitaries from India and South Africa are expected to take part in the inaugural ceremony.
On September 11, 1906, South Africa witnessed the launch of a passive resistance by Indians against the racist policies of the Government. There, under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi, the Natal Indian Congress launched an unprecedented strategy of agitation – “passive resistance”. Later this strategy of agitation was called Satyagraha and the Indian Independence movement was soon synonymous with this method of non-violent resistance to atrocities of all kinds.
Great-grandson of the Mahatma and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the show Tushar Gandhi says: “This is our humble tribute to the spirit of Satyagraha that led to the end of colonialism from the face of the earth through peaceful means. Through the group exhibition of specially created commemorative works in New Delhi and Durban, where Gandhi first practised the Satyagraha, we are remembering the great spirit of the previous Century at a time when the world is threatened by violence and terrorism.”
Gandhian films to be screened in Mumbai, New York on Sept 11
NewKerala.com – India – August 19, 2006
Mumbai, Aug 18: To mark the 100th anniversary of the modern non-violent movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi, one film each will be screened on September 11 in Mumbai and New York.
A Force More Powerful, a film based on non-violence conflicts, will be screened here by Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal and Gandhian organisations.
The film focusses on popular movements fighting regimes or military forces with weapons different from guns and bullets such as strikes, boycotts, petitions, walkouts and parades, according to a release here.
In New York City Theatre, near the place where the World Trade Centre had once existed, the 1982 movie `Gandhi’ will be screened on the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 .
Veteran freedom fighter Saraswathi Gora dies
Deccan Herald – India – August 19, 2006
Vijayawada, UNI: Veteran freedom fighter Saraswathi Gora, 94, died here today after a lung infection. She is survived by nine children.
Ms Gora was a social revolutionary. A veteran freedom fighter, crusader against untouchability and the caste system, she championed inter-caste and inter-religion marriages.
She was imprisoned for her involvement in the Quit India movement and her commitment to the cause of Independence was so strong that she went to jailwith her two-and-half-year old son, Niyanta.
Ms Gora was arrested in 1953 in the Karivena Eenam Satyagraha in Kurnool District for championing the cause of land reforms.
Born on September 28, 1912 at Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh, she got married at the young age of ten. Her eldest daughter Manorama’s wedding with Arjun Rao was scheduled in Mahatma Gandhi’s presence and the first country’s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and others blessed the couple in 1960.
She headed the activities of the Atheist Centre here from 1975 and within two decades expanded its activities.
She actively participated in the Sarvodaya movement and joined Vinoba Bhave’s Bhoodan Padayatra in Andhra Pradesh.
Among the national and international recognition she received was the G D Birla International Award for Humanism, 2000, which was given to her in New Delhi by Vice-President Krishna Kant on July 21, 2001.
The first Basava National Award 2000 of the Karnataka Government was presented to her in Bangalore on July 26, 2001. She was also awarded the Jamnalal Bajaj National Award in 1999 in Mumbai for her outstanding contribution to women’s welfare and rural development.
Earlier, the Janki Devi Bajaj National Award was bestowed on her by the Indian Merchants Chamber Ladies Wing in Mumbai in 1997.
Other awards were Challagalla Award, Potti Sriramulu Telugu University Award for promotion of rationalism, Malladi Subbamma award and Viswadata Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao award.
Her autobiography ‘Gora to naa jivitham’ (My Life With Gora), a 250-page work in Telugu was published in 1992 coinciding with her 80th birth anniversary.
The cremation would take place tomorrow, family sources told UNI.
Her eyes were donated to the Swetcha Gora eye-bank.
Mohan to Mahatma
Indian Express – India – by Parul – August 19, 2006
Chandigargh: Sammy traces the incredible journey of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, from a naive lawyer to a Mahatma. Its the human face of Gandhi that the play reveals effortlessly & dramatically. We get to know Sammy better
THE mind of Gandhi, his persona, weaknesses, temper…Sammy probed it all. The human face of Gandhi, is what the audience viewed in this play, produced and directed by Lillete Dubey and written by Pratap Sharma. Sammy traces the transformation of the young Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi into a Mahatma. The plays a winner of four National Theatre Awards for best director, actor, original script and costume design. It was an inspiring and exciting production for me, for Gandhi had been relegated to the textbooks and musty museums for long and this production aims to give the youngsters a clear picture of Gandhi, explains Lillete. And not just the Mahatma, the play explores the many facets of the man, which not many of us know or have read about, one of the most interesting aspects the relationship with his wife Kasturba Gandhi (played by Neha Dubey). Yes, you can connect with him instantly, because its his human face that we strived to show and transcend many boundaries. And in the process you learn about his confrontations with himself and how this frail man dealt with so much. Whats best, its an out-of-box approach, adds Dubey.
Joy Sen Gupta plays Gandhi to perfection and his conversations with his alter ego bring to light the process of his transformation, from a tongue-tied lawyer into a politician and finally, a Mahatma. Yes, whats going on in his mind is perhaps one of the most interesting aspects for me as a director and also, as someone who got to know Gandhi more closely after the play. Without facts going wrong, his misgivings, humour, philosophy, strengths, have been theatrically displayed so well on stage and only theatre could do justice to the play, informs Dubey. The director and actors did a lot of research to get into the skins of the multiple characters and complimenting the effort were the amazing costumes, music and play of lights. Its a three-and-a-half play, and I have tightened the script to engage and absorb the audience and draw them to truth and the charisma of the man, gushes Dubey who is now set to take the play to Malaysia, Belgium and the US, later this year.
The play was staged on Thursday evening at the Taj as part of the launch ceremony of The Indian Express Groups Imprinting Empowerment Series in the city.
Read more about Sammy
Sometimes a Poetaster – Henry David Thoreau
BellaOnline.com – USA – by Linda Sue Grimes – August 18, 2006
The self-effacing remark that he was sometimes a Poetaster no doubt sheds some light on Thoreaus reputation as a poetthat attitude coupled with the fact that he did write fewer poems than essays. But on the other hand, Thoreau probably considered all of writing poetry in the larger sense of the word, that is, maker. He described himself in a questionnaire from the secretary of his Harvard graduating class this way: I am a Schoolmastera Private Tutor, a Surveyora Gardener, a Farmera Painter, I mean a House Painter, a Carpenter, a Mason, a Day-Laborer, a Pencil-Maker, a Glass-paper Maker, a Writer, and sometimes a Poetaster.
Born July 12, 1817, in Concord, Massachusetts, as David Henry Thoreau, he learned to love nature at an early age. He later reversed the order of his first and middle names after the death of his uncle David after whom he had been named. Despite his familys poverty, Thoreau managed to acquire a Harvard education, graduating in 1837. After college, he worked in his familys pencil-making business, but maintained his reputation as a radical individualist.
In 1845 he built his famous cabin on a parcel of land owned by Ralph Waldo Emerson, at whose home he had been residing since 1841. While residing on the Emerson compound, he began writing essays and poems for the transcendentalist journal called The Dial. He also attended meetings with a small literary group composed of A. Bronson Alcott, Margaret Fuller, George Ripley, and Emerson. That group later became known as the hub of Transcendentalist movement in literature.
At Walden Pond, Thoreau wrote two of his critically acclaimed books for which he is best known today: of course, his major opus Walden, and A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. While he spent only two years in his self-built cabin at Walden Pond, he felt that his experiment was successful, because he was able to live deliberately sucking the marrow out of life. His experiment also taught him the vitues of self-sufficiency and simplicity.
In July of 1846 Thoreau was placed in jail for not paying his poll tax. He intentionally left the tax unpaid, complaining that the money was used to support war with Mexico and slavery, two issues against which Thoreau bitterly railed. He was outraged when he learned that someone (either Emerson or his aunt) had paid the tax, and he was released from jail. Out of this experience came his widely-noted political essay, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. This essay has influenced such luminaries as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Though Thoreaus reputation does not center squarely on poetry, it does demonstrate that the literary life he chose was one that has been well admired. D. J. Johnson, childrens book illustrator, chose a chapter from Walden and illustrated it for his picture book, titled Henry Builds a Cabin. It is a delightful book, showing children a new way of looking at a home, and a new way of thinking creatively and originally.
In his poem titled Conscience, Thoreau wrote the line, I love a life whose plot is simple. His philosophy of life disdained the materialistic and overly complex ways that he observed in contemporary society. His ideas are those on which revolutions are based.
On May 6, 1862, Thoreau succumbed to tuberculosis, which had weakened his health for most of his adult life.
Mahatma in Movies
IndiaFM.com – India – by Gaurav Malani – August 15, 2006
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, more popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, is undoubtedly one of the most eminent freedom fighters any Indian will recognize with. From early days every child must have acquainted himself with this political figure through the curriculum history textbooks that has liberal footage of Gandhiji.
The father of the nation has also had a strong association with the movie world. From textual depiction in curriculum chapters to the live portrayal on the Bollywood big screen, Gandhiji has been a source of inspiration for many filmmakers not just in India but also across the globe.
It would be as good to say that any movie on the Indian independence theme or any biography on a real life historical character around the independence era is incomplete without the mention of Gandhiji. So integral was Mahatma Gandhi to Indian independence and thereby to the films on related themes!
Today on Independence Day, Gaurav Malani takes you to a trip articulating all those Bollywood actors who portrayed the character of Gandhiji on the silver screen over the years.
Ben Kingsley in Gandhi (1982)
Ironically, one of the first films on the father of Indian nation was made by a foreign filmmaker. From this very fact one can imagine how intriguing was the story of Gandhiji that a prolific filmmaker as big as Richard Attenborough was fascinated to make a film on his life history. (For the uninitiated, Attenborough is the same man who played John Hammond in Jurassic Park, the brainchild behind the park).
Ben Kingsley who was a TV star till 1982, made his big screen debut with Gandhi and put in a spell-binding performance in the title role. Despite being of British origin his portrayal of Gandhi fighting against the Britishers in India was so impressive that Kingsley even won the Best Actor Oscar award for the film. His face was an apt choice to remind you of Gandhi.
“It took one remarkable man to defeat the British Empire and free a nation of 350 million people. His goal was freedom for India. His strategy was peace. His weakness was his humanity. Gandhi His triumph changed the world forever.”
This was in short, the theme or in long, the tagline of the film.
The film begins with the assassination of Gandhi and then his huge funeral procession. The movie then flashes back to the young Gandhi (played by Ben Kingsley) in South Africa where he fights against the injustice on the Indians and subsequently turns to the non-violent fight against Britishers in India.
The film also starred notable Indian names like Roshan Seth (as Nehru), Saeed Jaffery (as Sardar Patel), Alyque Padamsee (as Mohammed Ali Jinnah), Rohini Hattangadi (as Kasturba Gandhi), Virendra Razdan (as Maulana Azad) and Om Puri, Amrish Puri, Alok Nath and Neena Gupta among others.
Annu Kapoor in Sardar (1993)
Though this film was a historical biography on the life of Sardar Vallahbhai Patel, Gandhiji too was an integral part of the film. As they say the history of Indian independence is incomplete without the mention of Gandhi.
The much-underrated actor Annu Kapoor (popular as the host of the television game show Antakshari) played Gandhi in the film and with remarkable élan. In fact Gandhiji influenced Sardar Patel so much that he gave up his practice to join Gandhiji’s civil disobedience and non-cooperative movements and functioned as his able lieutenant all through the Independence movement.
The current comedy-king Paresh Rawal played the title role of Sardar, which is one of his career best performances. The film also starred Benjamin Gilani (as Jawaharlal Nehru), Sri Vallabh Vyas (as Mohamad Ali Jinnah) and Tom Alter (as Lord Mountbatten). Ketan Mehta who is now more known as the director of Aamir Khans Mangal Pandey, directed this film.
Rajit Kapoor in The Making of the Mahatma (1996)
Shyam Benegals take on Gandhiji was different from Richard Attenboroughs Gandhi in the sense that while the latter dealt with Gandhijis freedom struggle, the former highlighted the process of transformation of Gandhi from the man to the Mahatma. The Making of Mahatma was about Gandhi’s early experiments with truth.
Another underrated actor Rajit Kapoor played the title role of Mahatma Gandhi in this film and his brilliant performance won him the National Award. The film was made in two versions (English and Hindi) and shot in India and South Africa.
Shyam Benegal had earlier made a documentary film on Jawaharlal Nehru and more recently made another biopic Netaji: The Last Hero on the life and times of Subhash Chandra Bose.
Mohan Gokhale in Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (2000)
This was one of the first films to show Gandhiji in a not very positive light. Basically a biography on Babasaheb Ambedkar, the film carried a complete different outlook on Gandhiji.
The late Mohan Gokhale played Gandhiji in this film, which represented Gandhiji more as a member of the Indian constitution than a freedom fighter. The verbal conflicts between Gandhiji and Ambedkar were very deftly portrayed in the film. The two had opposing viewpoints on reservation of seats in the assembly. Ambedkar wanted that the scheduled caste be given separate reservation of seats while Gandhiji opined that they should be considered as a part of Hindus.
Director Jabbar Patel had also directed a Marathi film on Babasaheb Ambedkar earlier in 1991. The English version released in 2000, fetched Mamooty the National Award for his title role of Ambedkar.
Naseeruddin Shah in Hey Ram (2000)
This was the only fictional story among all the films made on Gandhiji. And though Gandhi made a late appearance in the film, the movie theme essentially was based around Gandhi. Even the title of the film Hey Ram was derived from the last words that Gandhiji uttered before dying.
Naseeruddin Shah was superlative in his portrayal of Gandhi and was arguably the only one to get the Gujarati accent and body language of Gandhiji correctly, among all other portrayals of Gandhi onscreen. Initially Mohan Gokhale was to play Gandhi in this film (after Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar) but unfortunately for his untimely demise while shooting for this film in Chennai, the role went over to Naseer.
The film narrated the story of a Hindu man Saket Ram (Kamal Hassan) who develops this belief that Gandhiji is the man responsible for the communal disharmony in the country (in the 1940s) and his ideologies and actions are responsible for the brutal murder of his beloved wife (Rani Mukherjee). This leads him into conspiring the assassination of Gandhiji but subsequently his thought-process changes. The climax of the film was a highpoint where Saket wants to make his confession to Gandhiji but before that Gandhi is actually assassinated by Nathuram Godse.
The film also starred Gandhijis real-life grandson Tushar Gandhi (playing himself) apart from Shahrukh Khan, Atul Kulkarni, Vasundhara Das, Vikram Gokhale and Saurabh Shukla.
Sam Dastor
Sam Dastor, a small time actor who appeared quite often in offbeat crossover films in the 70s and 80s played Gandhi twice in his acting career. He first played Gandhi in Tom Cleggs British television series Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy in 1986. The film was a biography on Lord Louis Mountbatten of Burma who was later selected as the last viceroy of British India. AK Hangal was the only other Indian actor in the cast of the film who played Sardar Patel in the series. Even the characters of Nehru and Jinnah were played by Englishmen.
The second time Dastoor played Gandhi was in Jamil Dehlavis film Jinnah. Jinnah was based on the life of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. This 1998 film was well received and also had Shashi Kapoor doing the narration.
Surendra Rajan
Small-time stage actor Surendra Rajan can be credited as the artiste who got to play the role of Gandhiji maximum number of times, onscreen. He played Gandhi in Ved Rahis Veer Savarkar (2001), Rajkumar Santoshis The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002) and Shyam Benegals Netaji: The Last Hero (2005).
In Veer Savarkar, Rajan turned only in the final few reels of the film. Again the film showed contrasting views between Gandhiji and Savarkar. However the portions of Gandhijis meeting with Savarkar in Ratnagiri in the film turned out to be unintentionally funny.
The Legend of Bhagat Singh showed Gandhi in a way responsible for the hanging of Bhagat Singh as he signed a pact which otherwise would have saved the life of the martyr. There was controversy too over this negative depiction of Gandhiji.
And for his final Gandhi portrayal, Rajan had a fall out with Shyam Benegal who paid him a meager amount of Rs 3000 as remuneration for playing Gandhi in his film Netaji.
Dilip Prabhavalkar in Lagey Raho Munnabhai (2006)
The tagline of Rajkumar Hiranis Lagey Raho Munnabhai, the second installment of the Munnabhai series, reads
Munnabhai and Circuit are back – And they are not alone. – So whos giving them company?
Theres this one more important character in this film, who in fact, happens to be the central theme of the movie. But every member from the films cast and crew arent willing to divulge any details about this character and are keeping this characters idea and identity under wraps. But we have some dope on it.
This character is none other than Mahatma Gandhi. And the actor who plays this character is Dilip Prabhavalkar. Prabhavalkar has been a popular personality in Marathi cinema and has played small roles in Hindi films too. He was last seen in Shahrukh Khans Paheli where he played Anupam Khers younger brother, Kanwarlal.
It would be interesting to see Prabhavalkar play Gandhiji in the film since Lagey Raho Munnabhai happens to be the first film to showcase Gandhiji in a contemporary setting. But how is the character of Gandhiji used in a modern day setting? He is just being called to kind of take stock of the present situation. I believe he still exists today by way of his ideologies, reveals music director Shantanu Moitra. So it is kind of a fictional character who takes the story forward. The film is about Gandhijis principles holding relevance even in todays times.
The movie also has a song on Gandhiji where Munna and Circuit go about singing, Bande Mein Tha Dum Vande Mataram. In fact when the film was first launched, it was titled as Munnabhai meets Mahatma Gandhi.
More Gandhi connections in Bollywood
Anupam Kher came up with a superlative performance in Jahnu Baruas Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara that released last year. The film didnt have anyone playing the character of Gandhi. However Mahatma Gandhi still had a strong significance in the script. Kher played a retired teacher in the film who suffers from partial amnesia and psychological problems. It is later revealed that his character is under the false impression that he is responsible for the death of Mahatma Gandhi.
We know so much about Gandhi. But how much do we know about his son? The long in making film Gandhi My Father explores this side of Gandhi. This film is a cinematic adaptation of the popular stage show Gandhi v/s Gandhi directed by Feroz Khan (not father of Fardeen Khan). Anil Kapoor was so inspired by the play that he is producing the film on it which is being directed by Feroz, himself. The film supposedly talks about Gandhis relationship with his son which has never been talked about so far in any film made on Gandhi. Akshaye Khanna plays Gandhis eldest son, Harilal Gandhi who adopted Islam in the 1930s and renamed himself as Abdullah, deeply offending his father, who disowned him. He later converted back to Hinduism. Shefali Shah plays Gandhis wife, Kasturba while Bhoomika Chawla plays Harilals wife, Gulab in the film.
Finally there was Sunny Deols film Gandhi. The film was not based on Mahatma Gandhi but had Sunny playing the character of Deodhar Gandhi who follows Gandhism in todays times. The film was supposed to be Priyanka Chopras debut vehicle. The title of the film was soon rechristened to Deodhar Gandhi to avoid any political controversies. The film is now shelved.
Where Gandhi became a Mahatma
IBNIndia.com – India – by Prabhakar Kumar – August 15, 2006
Champaran: Mahatma Gandhi’s unique idea of Satyagraha that kick started the national movement began in Bihar with the Champaran Neel Satyagraha.
Champaran was a district in north Bihar during the British rule where poor farmers were forced to grow indigo and other cash crops instead of the food crops necessary for their survival.
Suppressed by the ruthless militias of the landlords — mostly British — they lived in extreme poverty.
Raj Kumar Shukla drew the attention of Mahatma Gandhi towards the plight of the poor farmers. And in the fields where indigo was cultivated the first seeds of protest against the British were sown.
Those who participated in the Champaran Satyagraha have fond memories.
“Kahlan ki bataiye. Goan wale aur kishan ka kya dukh hai. Gaon wale kahe ki angrez saab aise aise karta hai. Bada hum log ko dukh hai tab kuch log kaha. Yaha baithiye, hum ko jane dijiye police hamare piche pada hai, humko giraftaar kaar lega. Yaha ate ate police pakad liya. Yahe se gadi se laad kaar jail le gaya (What can I tell about the suffering of the villegers and the farmers. They told us about the atrocities of the Britishers. Police was after me and as soon as I came here I was arrested and taken to the prison),” a villager Gopal Bhagat says.
But that was then and the farms have now become grazing grounds for cattle.
The British planters used to cultivate indigo in the fields where paddy and sugarcane fields now grow.
It was the exploitation, which brought Gandhi to Champaran. It was in Chandrahia village, where Mahatma Gandhi was served the notice to leave the district.
The Gandhi Memorial was built at the place only to be neglected later.
“Yahan kuchh log safai ke badle tande me mawashi bandhta he. Safai ke badle aur ganda ho jata he, aur idher mitti kaat ke leghaya aur isko bhar ne me 50 trailer mitti lage ga, yahan ki sampathi jo is ko sharm daan se bharna chahiye to aur 50 trailer mitti nikal le gaye,” Ram Babu Yadav says.
The Sub Divisional Magistrate court of the British Empire, the court that passed the orders to convict Gandhi, for the first time in India stood where the memorial now stands.
“Yahan ka is asthan ka importance yahi he ki yahan history of court tha aur yahi court se faishla hua tha (This is a historic place as it was here that the court that sentenced Gandhiji stood),” secretary of Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Motihari Brajkishore Singh says.
There is a popular saying in Champaran: “Gandhi came here fully dressed and left in a loin cloth which was the face of Champaran impoverish peasantry and in the process he also gave voice to million of farmers being exploited by the indigo planters. The rest is history as Champaran become the turning point in India freedom struggle and Gandhi became Mahatma here”.
One of Gandhi’s first trysts with rural India was Champaran. It was here that the urban freedom fighter came face to face with the destitute peasant, with what he would later on call the real India.
Sen recalls role played by Gandhi as journalist
The Hindu – India – August 15, 2006
Washington, Aug. 15 (PTI): The Indian Ambassador to the United States, Ronen Sen, has hailed the role of journalists in both countries in safeguarding democracy and recalled the role played by the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, as a journalist.
Mahatma Gandhi was not only an apostle of peace and non-violence and the leader of India’s freedom struggle, but also an active journalist associated with six journals, Sen told nearly 300 members of the prestigious National Press Club yesterday.
Gandhi, the Ambassador pointed out, had founded and edited his first journal in South Africa in 1903, and continued its publication for over a decade, except for what he described were “intervals of enforced rest in prison”.
The Father of the Nation saw his role as a journalist as a proponent of independent thinking, without fear or malice, and as a seeker of truth and justice, he said.
Sen, who hosted a party at his residence for the scribes, said that India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had promoted freedom of the press as an essential aspect of democracy.
Nehru held long and inter-active press conferences every month, with the agenda for each conference determined by journalists present, the ambassador said.
Myron Belkind, Chairman of the International Correspondents Committee of the National Press Club, pointed out how things had changed since he went to India in 1966 on his first assignment as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press.
Foreign correspondents in India during that era wrote about food shortages, economic stagnation and deteriorating relations between India and the US.
But foreign correspondents (now) write about the agricultural self-sufficiency of a population of 1.1 billion people, the second fastest growing economy in the world and the closest-ever relations between US and India in many areas, including economic, defence and nuclear cooperation, he said.
Belkind said the common threads that knit together the themes of foreign correspondents based in India over the last six decades are its rich diversity, its free and active press as well as the fact that it is the world’s largest democracy.
Chikki Ajja Familiarizes Young Minds with Gandhi Cap
Daijiworld.com – India – by Viju Mangalore – August 15, 2006
Once touched by Gandhiji, the father of the nation, 60-year-old Mallappa has been a staunch Gandhian for life.
The Khadi cap (locally called Gandhi Toppi) is his hallmark and his cotton dhoti is his identification. Following the teachings and life of Mahatma Gandhi, 60-year old Mallappa is famous on the Light House Hill in the city as Chikki Ajja
He carries calmness on his countenance and a never-fading smile amidst the wrinkles given by old age. To the drained children after a 45-minute long physical training session at Patala ground, Ajja would offer snacks. He is famous for the Chikki he sells, describes Shanavaz who passed out of St Aloysius High School nine years ago.
Today placed as a sales manager in a reputed company in Bangalore, the interaction with Ajja remains fresh in his mind.
Thousands of young minds have met Mallappa in the St Aloysius College campus where he has been selling eats over the past 30 years. Hailing from Badami near Hubli, Mallappa came to Mangalore after his nephew got a job in NMPT. The family made Mangalore its home and thus began the three decade-long service of Ajja in St Aloysius campus.
I was just 14 years old when I had the privilege of seeing Mahatma Gandhiji on his visit to Bagalkot. I was thrilled by his looks and inspired by his words. From then on he became my lifes role model,” narrates Mallappa, who never forgets to wear the Khadi cap and proudly makes it stand straight when asked why he wears it.
He is our dear Ajja, who sells us snacks at a very low price. On our way back to the classroom from the playground we buy eatables for Rs 2 or Rs 5 and munch them all the way to the classroom, said Bhargav of Std 9.
Apart from offering Chikki, Ajjas cotton rectangular bag contains homemade Rava Laddoos, mini Samosas, Jenu Goodu (a homemade sweet with jelly in it) and occasionally Phedas.
When asked why he follows Gandhiji, Mallappa instantly replies, He is the Father of the Nation…….he brought us freedom……he is a Mahatma……a great man……..and he told the world Vande Mataram.
Chikki Ajja has made the school campus his second home. Without fail he is seen at certain vending points in the campus and is always in tune with the school timetable. Ajja sells eats not only to the schoolboys, but also to the hostel inmates and the staff of the school.
The relationship with this Gandhian that Suraj developed when in school continues even now when he is in his final year B Sc. I still buy samosas from Ajja on my way back home. They are very tasty. I appreciate that man whom I have seen for the past seven years from the time, I was in Std 8.
The reaction of the newcomers who would casually mock him, as Gandhi Ajja would never offend Mallappa. Having learnt by experience the psychology of students, Ajja introduces them to the Gandhi Toppi.
His firm conviction in non-violence has made him develop amicable relationship with the staff and management of the St Aloysius institutes.
The sight of children getting into a physical fight would impel Ajja to intervene and settle it amicably.
A fond member of the St Aloysius College family, Chikki Ajja, who lives a life on the principles of Gandhiji has truly inspired thousands of students to develop respect towards Gandhiji, the Father of the Nation, through his Khadi cap.
Hats off to this earnest Gandhian!
Nonviolence can calm the flames
Science & Technology News – USA – by Arun Gandhi – August 15, 2006
Since Sept. 11, people across the globe have been wondering whether nonviolence can be employed against terrorism or against those who advocate genocide. This recent curiosity exposes our ignorance of the philosophy of nonviolence. Nonviolence has become another mere tactic in the varied arsenal of conflict resolution. Therefore we have not made a concerted effort to learn about it.
To prevent the smoldering ashes of past acts of violence from breaking out into huge fires or avert those fires as-yet unlit we need to become educated in nonviolence.
My grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi, was the first practitioner of large-scale nonviolence, which he identified as not simply the absence of violence, but rather the presence of intentionally constructive attitudes, relationships, thoughts and actions.
Nonviolence is not a coat you can wear today and take off tomorrow, he said. But, for a number of reasons, not many people have heard this message. Humanitys negligent attitude toward resolving conflicts nonviolently raises a pertinent question: Can we, as members of the one human race, be so steeped in the culture of violence that it is impossible to use nonviolence effectively?
Mahatma Gandhi said the only hope for humanity is to rip out the deep roots of the culture of violence and plant a new culture of nonviolence. This means we must learn to think, behave and act nonviolently at all times.
The quixotic quest against bad people
The conventional belief that crime, terrorism, genocide and all such acts of violence against humanity are only committed by bad people is absurd. Good people also have done these things in the name of preserving their own, in the name of casting out evil. This has been used as justification for all sorts of horrific acts in Nazi Germany, Serbia, Rwanda and the Darfur region of Sudan.
The justice systems in the majority of the worlds societies are based on the concept of punishment. Building prisons has become one of the most lucrative propositions in the United States politicians tell us not to worry, that they will lock up the criminals and throw away the keys.
Because of this mindset of casting out the bad, we choose to ignore the reasons that people are driven to lives of crime and violence. We do this because the truth that every person perpetuates pain consciously or unconsciously is unpleasant and unpalatable.
From the good of many to the good of all
The triumph of capitalism and materialism has convinced many that it is the best system for society to progress economically, irrespective of what one-sided development does to the human psyche. It is the American dream to work hard and speed toward financial success. But there is no explanation why millions work their fingers to the bone and only a sliver of the population achieves luxury.
Capitalism and materialism thrive on selfishness and greed, and success from this perspective only comes to those who can exploit their fellow human beings be it through passively violent methods of globalization, environmental racism and economic disenfranchisement, or through physically violent methods of genocide, war and slavery.
It is this attitude, we must realize, that is the root of the culture of violence. Colonialism, the longest-standing form of widespread exploitation, has made it possible for a fraction of the world to become affluent and advanced, to exploit and to preserve their ill-gotten gains.
When my grandfather witnessed the evils of this system, he decided the only way humanity could be saved was to live simply, so that others may simply live. He created the word sarvodaya, which means the good of all, to serve against the prevailing concept of the good of the majority. It is no democracy if 51 percent are allowed to lord power and resources over 49 percent of the people.
Like a house on fire
Like Plato, my grandfather believed that society was similar to the human body, where the pain in one part is felt by the whole body. Unless we build the same sensitivity toward all people, we cannot create a system wherein good of any kind can prevail. When we lack sensitivity, the neglected part of our societal body deteriorates into crime and hatred, which affects all people, no matter how isolated.
Let us take the recent case of genocide in Rwanda. During the colonial rule, Belgium played the Hutus against the Tutsis so a small group of foreigners could gain control over the entire country. The Hutus represent more than 70 percent of the population, while the Tutsis and others made up the rest. The divisions between these two particular groups were not genetic or specifically political the ruling force of the Belgian government created the separation based solely on skin tint, nose breadth and other insignificant features.
The world is like a house on fire. The fire department is summoned, but they come with two tanks one filled with water and the other with gas. They use the water compassion, truth, love to put out the fire, and the gas fear, punishment, resentment to divert the flames. The fire will continue to spread, and the end result will be that while some of the house may remain standing, all of it will feel the fires heat, and most of it will be reduced to ashes.
Numbness toward suffering
We are becoming more and more unresponsive to the pain we see around us. The African continent, the most exploited and oppressed of all, is effectively written off by most of the developed world as incorrigible. We sat and watched when Rwandans were being hacked with machetes, and now we sit and watch as the people of Darfur are heaped upon bonfires.
As a consequence of the selfishness bred within us by the culture of violence, it has become acceptable for us to preserve our lush lifestyles while those who live at a different pace perish. We ignore the reality that if part of the world catches fire, the rest of the world goes with it. The best of military institutions and the worst weapons of mass destruction will not ensure our security. What will preserve humanity is not the military strength that we are capable of deploying but the moral strength that we are too ready to suppress in the name of personal comfort.
By bettering relationships with the rest of the world based on what is good for everyone, not just what is good for the United States we can avoid future genocides and holocausts. We can curb the hatred of others toward us before it springs up in an angrier conflagration that burns the face of the Earth.
Do we wish to accept nonviolence wholly as a way cof life or do we choose to use it as just another meaningless tactic? The culture of violence, as we have seen, thrives on hate, force and greed, whereas the culture of non-violence brings forth the most sacred of principles compassion, love, respect, understanding and acceptance. Will we choose to feed the flames?
The choice is difficult, but it is the most necessary decision any individual can make.
Arun Gandhi the fifth grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, is founder and president of the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in Memphis, Tenn., which promotes conflict resolution and peace initiatives through its public outreach, education, research and publications.
The articles of the Mahatma Gandhi News Digest originate from external sources.
They do not represent the views of GandhiServe Foundation.
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