“I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Non-violence are as old as the hills.” – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Well, what do I tell you Bapu ji?
These ‘old as the hills’ values have sadly been forgotten long ago.
You had to be here to see and believe it.
There’s a mockery of “Satyamev Jayate” (truth alone triumphs).
Non-violence is a joke!
You will be happy to know though, that there are still a few, who believe in these values and they fight their daily battles with the world to hold on to them, to promote them.
Dear Father of the nation, the daughters of this great nation have to fight each day to protect their dignity, their modesty from the toxic masculinity. From patriarchal barriers to gruesome crimes, they have to fight it all.
Those children of the nation whom you call Harijan continue bear the brunt of casteism in our country, even today. They are subjected to unspeakable horrors and crimes just because of the strata of this ‘society’ that they are born into. Is it their fault that they are born into a community that people from your generation and before shunned, based on some old writings? Also, I think you would want to know that there is a section of the privileged countrymen, who use their privileges to bring shame to our nation. The values of truth and non-violence are completely lost on them. They commit gruesome crimes and get away with it, because of their caste and gender. Privilege is the new buzz-word, Bapuji, while non-violence takes a back seat.
If you could read the headlines this week, you would know what I speak about and what I mean.
Don’t watch the news channels though. They’ll drive you crazy with the celebrity car chases; loud, over-the-top debates; wannabe actors turned news anchors and some extremely cringe-worthy, shoddy news taglines.
Dear Mahatma, you probably have a lot to teach to the current population. Don’t know how influential the believers of truth and non-violence are, to do it by themselves. Know that we are optimists and it is this slowly fading, faintly existent optimism, that aides some of us to continue fighting to search, invoke and instill these lost ‘old as the hill’ values in everyone.
Hope we succeed before our faith in the idea of this beautiful, democratic nation completely fades away.
Yours truly,
An overtly optimistic Indian
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It has been a sombre week with the disturbing news coming in from the northern part of the country.
Found this ancient copy in my parents’ treasured collection today. The quote on the back cover (first image) just made my eyes roll at the current state and inapplicability of his quote. 🙄 The paradox of celebrating the Mahatma and his values in the current times cannot be ignored.
Perennial Pearls 
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