Indians Are Walking in Gandhi’s Footsteps... or Are We?
Hindi satirist Sharad Joshi says, ‘Just by naming roads after Mahatma Gandhi, India can’t walk in his footsteps.’
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Graphics: Aroop Mishra
Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
Producer: Maushmee Singh
Translations: Jaspreet Singh
Here's a famous satire by renowned Hindi satirist Sharad Joshi, it's called – 'Desh Gandhi Marg Par Chal Raha Hai' or the nation is walking on Gandhi’s path. Poet Sampat Saral is reciting it. Here's how it goes:
Every Municipality and Municipal Corporation in the country has named one street after Mahatma Gandhi.
So, whenever a politician says in his speech, ‘the nation is treading on Gandhi's path’, they are not wrong. It indeed is!
If you want, you can also add up the lengths of all the Gandhi Margs, to calculate how much do we walk on ‘Gandhi's Path’ every day.
The government should rename the Bombay-Agra Road and the Grand Trunk Road as Mahatma Gandhi Road, then we can tell the world, that not just our citizens but our trucks and autos, too, are treading on Mahatma Gandhi's path.
The hotel where I have my tea, its owner believes in the nationalistic ideology. He has framed Gandhi's words. I read those words and contemplated upon them. I'm not sure whether our country is walking on it or not, but it's definitely standing on Gandhi’s path.
Gandhi once said, “Eating all the food at once is harmful for the body. Similarly, doing a lot of work at once is harmful for the soul.”
The politicians of our country believe in this. They never hurt their souls by doing too much work at once. Here by work, Gandhi means ‘hard work’.
To keep their souls happy, our politicians never do any hard work, except during elections. And our politicians never eat everything at once. Be it taking donations, bribe, commissions, or embezzlement in cooperatives, they do this slowly, over time, and with love. This doesn't cause them any harm or difficulty.
Gandhi said, “If God puts us in greed. He also shows us a way to escape it.”
So, when our politicians get greedy and ask God for guidance.
Even their god replies in their tone, “form a Special Investigation Team and erase all records.” They do exactly this to escape this greed.
All our politicians who tread on Gandhi's path don't care about their opponents.
Gandhi said, “Be patient, have trust, and don't allow your heart to be sad.”
Our politicians never get sad. No matter how much their opponents unmask them, they don't quit. They keep playing tricks and contest the elections.
Gandhi said, “Grieving about what is necessary is vain.”
Our politicians don't even grieve when they are beaten in election. They contest again. If they are MLAs, they aspire to become MP. If they are MP, their goal is to be the Chief Minister.
Gandhi said, “Keep searching within and keep thinking about how far you have to go.”
Our politicians think daily, how far they must go to become Chief Minister.
Elections are on. Politicians are rushing from one place to another to deliver speeches. After elections, they will forget everyone and will be holed up in their bungalows.
Gandhi had said, “There is a time for speaking and working, while at other times it is better to be quiet and inactive.”
The moment elections get over, these politicians will become inactive.
This is how we misunderstand the meanings in this country.
Even in the misunderstanding, we understand only this - 'wherever the country goes, we will say, we are on the Gandhi's path.'
The citizens of this country have seen Gandhi. Those who haven't, have seen films made on him.
For people, the one who played Gandhi might be an actor, but is no less than Gandhi himself.
So, citizens send selected actors to the Lok Sabha in the next elections, so that the country could tread on Gandhi's path.
Ben Kingsley come and be our Gandhi!
This country doesn't need politicians, but someone who can act like one.
This country doesn't need Gandhi's ideology, but his dialogues.
Come and be our politician.
Just keep delivering the dialogues and we shall keep doing whatever we feel like.
Gandhi had said, “I have no interest in knowing the future. If our present is beautiful enough, then our future won't be much different.”
O Ben Kingsley, the present of this country is very beautiful! And I speak the truth, if we continue like this, the future won't be much different.
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