According to Arun Gandhi, ( Mahatma's grandson) “Although both [Gandhi and King] lived at different times, there was a spiritual bond between the two and we must honour that spiritual bond. Both shared the same dream that people would live in peace and harmony without looking at each other’s differences.” Today humanity is witnessing every form of cruelty and violence. There is no dignity even in death.The world is so full of daily violence in one form or another that steps should be taken to make sure that we understand the situation and take note of this war and crime torn world's sufferings. To mark Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday on the October 2nd, 114 UN member countries have joined hands to support India’s resolution to declare Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday as the ‘International Day of Non-Violence’ as a tribute to the Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology of peace and non violence, which he practiced all his life without failure.This declaration would not have come at a better time as it is nearly more than hundred years back( 11'th sepember 1906) Mahatma launched his Satyagraha movement in South Africa. His faith in Ahimsa was unshakable. He wrote, " Ahimsa is a science. The word 'failure' has no place in the vocabulary of science. Failure to obtain the expected result is often the precursor to further discoveries. Violence like water, when it has an outlet, rushes forward furiously with an overwhelming force. Non-violence cannot act madly. It is the essence of discipline. But, when it is set going, no amount of violence can crush it. For full play, it requires unsullied purity and an unquenchable faith...
Non-violence of the strong is any day stronger than that of the bravest soldier fully armed or a whole host."
A lot has been written about this great advocate of peace and non-violence; for whom suffering and pain in the cause of 'dalits' or unprotected, was an every day occurance. Every year on his birthday some kind of events do take place all over India to mark the occasion. Nothing else is done throughout the year. Violence continues unabated everywhere; only lip service is paid to the memory of mahatma. But his love for mankind was not so momentary. One of the last notes left behind by him in 1948, expresses his deepest social thought:
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he [she] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [her] to a control over his [her] own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
By honouring such a caring and thoughtful soul, world has honoured humanity
If you can keep your head when all about you Are loosing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream---and not make dreams your master; If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Truimph and Disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stop and build'em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And loose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the will which says to them: 'Hold on!'
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings---not loose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty second's worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!
* * *
Ferry Boat
: by Ravindra Nath Tagore.
When my footsteps will no longer Be printed round here My ferryboat no longer ply at this station, When all buying and selling are over All borrowing and lending; Finished all comings and goings to the mrket, It does not matter if you do not remember me, Do not call out for me, As you look at the stars. The flute will then play in this corner of the earth As it does today. The day will go on, just the same, As it does today. The day will go on , jut the same, As it does now.
The ferryboat will be filled at each station. The cow will graze , the cowheard boy play in the meadow, It does not then matter if you do not remember me Do not call out for me, As you look at the stars. But who says that in that morning I will not be there? In all this play this very me will be playing. I shall be called by a new name,
Embraced by a fresh pairs of arms. But I shall come and go, the eternal me. It does not matter if you do not remember me, Do not call out for me, As you look at the stars.
Like a heron on the pond Half submerged bridge stood dead silent Hidden behind its own shadow
Watching a burning pyre That beam of light A passport to a journey beyond
Heaving and frothing Muddy waves danced all night With each and every sacred chant
Some bright yellow marigolds Floating out of a leafy boat in that moon-lit night Paid their last tribute.
They swirreled and swayed With a broken earthy vessel Beside a half exhumed pyre
Bent and broken crumbling on his knees He tried to hold his head high Picking up whatever was left of his father
Handful of burning memories Exhausted and knotted Now in a red little cloth
Perched high on a rocking boat Like the hermits descending from a hill top All privilleged and bemused
Some Japanese tourists Decked with their expensive gismos Shoot a black video
Suddenly that shaven lonely figure Turns and smiles for the shoot His only big day in focus !
-Shail Agrawal
*
The Puppet Song
All this would have happened without him pulling Any strings and telling the tale The puppets would have danced Against the pointed lights of the Kerosene lamps anyway The light and shadow Are the dertermining factors The galvanising spirits In the valley They make people rise They put them to sleep The toil the sweat the blood Are the visible by-products Of their endeavour to keep things going The huge temple behind the stage And the resounding hymns- The scented mantras Are irrelevant points in their moves Here people believe And often argue Against the presence of Any hidden fingers claiming The exaggerated contributions Of countless middle men Who have been at it Since man's history began Here day after day And night after night The liberated and the opressed The traders and the vanquished all alik Know a simple palatable fact The shine that floats And darkness that covers Are the musts of the Life cycle- the chakras of being here it is moving because Their springs are working Once that they wear out Everything will wear out Everything will stop But this is beyond the point The point is that the dance of puppets The light and shadow Are of our own making Let no one else take the credit for it And become smug The show will go on Without any help Thank you
The matron had given her leave to go out as soon as the women's tea was over and Maria looked forward to her evening out. The kitchen was spick and span: the cook said you could see yourself in the big copper boilers. The fire was nice and bright and on one of the side-tables were four very big barmbracks. These barmbracks seemed uncut; but if you went closer you would see that they had been cut into long thick even slices and were ready to be handed round at tea. Maria had cut them herself.
Maria was a very, very small person indeed but she had a very long nose and a very long chin. She talked a little through her nose, always soothingly: "Yes, my dear," and "No, my dear." She was always sent for when the women quarrelled over their tubs and always succeeded in making peace. One day the matron had said to her:
"Maria, you are a veritable peace-maker!"
And the sub-matron and two of the Board ladies had heard the compliment. And Ginger Mooney was always saying what she wouldn't do to the dummy who had charge of the irons if it wasn't for Maria. Everyone was so fond of Maria.
The women would have their tea at six o'clock and she would be able to get away before seven. From Ballsbridge to the Pillar, twenty minutes; from the Pillar to Drumcondra, twenty minutes; and twenty minutes to buy the things. She would be there before eight. She took out her purse with the silver clasps and read again the words A Present from Belfast. She was very fond of that purse because Joe had brought it to her five years before when he and Alphy had gone to Belfast on a Whit-Monday trip. In the purse were two half-crowns and some coppers. She would have five shillings clear after paying tram fare. What a nice evening they would have, all the children singing! Only she hoped that Joe wouldn't come in drunk. He was so different when he took any drink.
Often he had wanted her to go and live with them;-but she would have felt herself in the way (though Joe's wife was ever so nice with her) and she had become accustomed to the life of the laundry. Joe was a good fellow. She had nursed him and Alphy too; and Joe used often say:
"Mamma is mamma but Maria is my proper mother."
After the break-up at home the boys had got her that position in the Dublin by Lamplight laundry, and she liked it. She used to have such a bad opinion of Protestants but now she thought they were very nice people, a little quiet and serious, but still very nice people to live with. Then she had her plants in the conservatory and she liked looking after them. She had lovely ferns and wax-plants and, whenever anyone came to visit her, she always gave the visitor one or two slips from her conservatory. There was one thing she didn't like and that was the tracts on the walks; but the matron was such a nice person to deal with, so genteel.
When the cook told her everything was ready she went into the women's room and began to pull the big bell. In a few minutes the women began to come in by twos and threes, wiping their steaming hands in their petticoats and pulling down the sleeves of their blouses over their red steaming arms. They settled down before their huge mugs which the cook and the dummy filled up with hot tea, already mixed with milk and sugar in huge tin cans. Maria superintended the distribution of the barmbrack and saw that every woman got her four slices. There was a great deal of laughing and joking during the meal. Lizzie Fleming said Maria was sure to get the ring and, though Fleming had said that for so many Hallow Eves, Maria had to laugh and say she didn't want any ring or man either; and when she laughed her grey-green eyes sparkled with disappointed shyness and the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her chin. Then Ginger Mooney lifted her mug of tea and proposed Maria's health while all the other women clattered with their mugs on the table, and said she was sorry she hadn't a sup of porter to drink it in. And Maria laughed again till the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her chin and till her minute body nearly shook itself asunder because she knew that Mooney meant well though, of course, she had the notions of a common woman.
But wasn't Maria glad when the women had finished their tea and the cook and the dummy had begun to clear away the tea- things! She went into her little bedroom and, remembering that the next morning was a mass morning, changed the hand of the alarm from seven to six. Then she took off her working skirt and her house-boots and laid her best skirt out on the bed and her tiny dress-boots beside the foot of the bed. She changed her blouse too and, as she stood before the mirror, she thought of how she used to dress for mass on Sunday morning when she was a young girl; and she looked with quaint affection at the diminutive body which she had so often adorned, In spite of its years she found it a nice tidy little body.
When she got outside the streets were shining with rain and she was glad of her old brown waterproof. The tram was full and she had to sit on the little stool at the end of the car, facing all the people, with her toes barely touching the floor. She arranged in her mind all she was going to do and thought how much better it was to be independent and to have your own money in your pocket. She hoped they would have a nice evening. She was sure they would but she could not help thinking what a pity it was Alphy and Joe were not speaking. They were always falling out now but when they were boys together they used to be the best of friends: but such was life.
She got out of her tram at the Pillar and ferreted her way quickly among the crowds. She went into Downes's cake-shop but the shop was so full of people that it was a long time before she could get herself attended to. She bought a dozen of mixed penny cakes, and at last came out of the shop laden with a big bag. Then she thought what else would she buy: she wanted to buy something really nice. They would be sure to have plenty of apples and nuts. It was hard to know what to buy and all she could think of was cake. She decided to buy some plumcake but Downes's plumcake had not enough almond icing on top of it so she went over to a shop in Henry Street. Here she was a long time in suiting herself and the stylish young lady behind the counter, who was evidently a little annoyed by her, asked her was it wedding-cake she wanted to buy. That made Maria blush and smile at the young lady; but the young lady took it all very seriously and finally cut a thick slice of plumcake, parcelled it up and said:
"Two-and-four, please."
She thought she would have to stand in the Drumcondra tram because none of the young men seemed to notice her but an elderly gentleman made room for her. He was a stout gentleman and he wore a brown hard hat; he had a square red face and a greyish moustache. Maria thought he was a colonel-looking gentleman and she reflected how much more polite he was than the young men who simply stared straight before them. The gentleman began to chat with her about Hallow Eve and the rainy weather. He supposed the bag was full of good things for the little ones and said it was only right that the youngsters should enjoy themselves while they were young. Maria agreed with him and favoured him with demure nods and hems. He was very nice with her, and when she was getting out at the Canal Bridge she thanked him and bowed, and he bowed to her and raised his hat and smiled agreeably, and while she was going up along the terrace, bending her tiny head under the rain, she thought how easy it was to know a gentleman even when he has a drop taken.
Everybody said: "0, here's Maria!" when she came to Joe's house. Joe was there, having come home from business, and all the children had their Sunday dresses on. There were two big girls in from next door and games were going on. Maria gave the bag of cakes to the eldest boy, Alphy, to divide and Mrs. Donnelly said it was too good of her to bring such a big bag of cakes and made all the children say:
"Thanks, Maria."
But Maria said she had brought something special for papa and mamma, something they would be sure to like, and she began to look for her plumcake. She tried in Downes's bag and then in the pockets of her waterproof and then on the hallstand but nowhere could she find it. Then she asked all the children had any of them eaten it -- by mistake, of course -- but the children all said no and looked as if they did not like to eat cakes if they were to be accused of stealing. Everybody had a solution for the mystery and Mrs. Donnelly said it was plain that Maria had left it behind her in the tram. Maria, remembering how confused the gentleman with the greyish moustache had made her, coloured with shame and vexation and disappointment. At the thought of the failure of her little surprise and of the two and fourpence she had thrown away for nothing she nearly cried outright.
But Joe said it didn't matter and made her sit down by the fire. He was very nice with her. He told her all that went on in his office, repeating for her a smart answer which he had made to the manager. Maria did not understand why Joe laughed so much over the answer he had made but she said that the manager must have been a very overbearing person to deal with. Joe said he wasn't so bad when you knew how to take him, that he was a decent sort so long as you didn't rub him the wrong way. Mrs. Donnelly played the piano for the children and they danced and sang. Then the two next-door girls handed round the nuts. Nobody could find the nutcrackers and Joe was nearly getting cross over it and asked how did they expect Maria to crack nuts without a nutcracker. But Maria said she didn't like nuts and that they weren't to bother about her. Then Joe asked would she take a bottle of stout and Mrs. Donnelly said there was port wine too in the house if she would prefer that. Maria said she would rather they didn't ask her to take anything: but Joe insisted.
So Maria let him have his way and they sat by the fire talking over old times and Maria thought she would put in a good word for Alphy. But Joe cried that God might strike him stone dead if ever he spoke a word to his brother again and Maria said she was sorry she had mentioned the matter. Mrs. Donnelly told her husband it was a great shame for him to speak that way of his own flesh and blood but Joe said that Alphy was no brother of his and there was nearly being a row on the head of it. But Joe said he would not lose his temper on account of the night it was and asked his wife to open some more stout. The two next-door girls had arranged some Hallow Eve games and soon everything was merry again. Maria was delighted to see the children so merry and Joe and his wife in such good spirits. The next-door girls put some saucers on the table and then led the children up to the table, blindfold. One got the prayer-book and the other three got the water; and when one of the next-door girls got the ring Mrs. Donnelly shook her finger at the blushing girl as much as to say: 0, I know all about it! They insisted then on blindfolding Maria and leading her up to the table to see what she would get; and, while they were putting on the bandage, Maria laughed and laughed again till the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her chin.
They led her up to the table amid laughing and joking and she put her hand out in the air as she was told to do. She moved her hand about here and there in the air and descended on one of the saucers. She felt a soft wet substance with her fingers and was surprised that nobody spoke or took off her bandage. There was a pause for a few seconds; and then a great deal of scuffling and whispering. Somebody said something about the garden, and at last Mrs. Donnelly said something very cross to one of the next-door girls and told her to throw it out at once: that was no play. Maria understood that it was wrong that time and so she had to do it over again: and this time she got the prayer-book.
After that Mrs. Donnelly played Miss McCloud's Reel for the children and Joe made Maria take a glass of wine. Soon they were all quite merry again and Mrs. Donnelly said Maria would enter a convent before the year was out because she had got the prayer-book. Maria had never seen Joe so nice to her as he was that night, so full of pleasant talk and reminiscences. She said they were all very good to her.
At last the children grew tired and sleepy and Joe asked Maria would she not sing some little song before she went, one of the old songs. Mrs. Donnelly said "Do, please, Maria!" and so Maria had to get up and stand beside the piano. Mrs. Donnelly bade the children be quiet and listen to Maria's song. Then she played the prelude and said "Now, Maria!" and Maria, blushing very much began to sing in a tiny quavering voice. She sang I Dreamt that I Dwelt, and when she came to the second verse she sang again:
I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls With vassals and serfs at my side, And of all who assembled within those walls That I was the hope and the pride.
I had riches too great to count; could boast Of a high ancestral name, But I also dreamt, which pleased me most, That you loved me still the same.
But no one tried to show her her mistake; and when she had ended her song Joe was very much moved. He said that there was no time like the long ago and no music for him like poor old Balfe, whatever other people might say; and his eyes filled up so much with tears that he could not find what he was looking for and in the end he had to ask his wife to tell him where the corkscrew was.
(For Gandhi religion wasn't something buried in its lofty scriptures, but " a living faith speaking like a mother to her aching children." In his interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita, one of the two religious books of the Hindus that he always kept with him,( the other one was the Ramayan of Tulsidas) he explained further his central idea of nonviolence, though he admits that the Gita apparently approves of war. His explanation to it was that the great stories of Hinduism are allegories, not historical accounts, and that each age must read them in the light of their own spiritual knowledge and social needs. He saw Gita as a book of ethics, emphasizing selfless devotion in the cause of human brotherhood.)
Krishna of the Gita is perfection and right knowledge personified; but the picture is imaginary. That does not mean that Krishna, the adored of his people, never lived. But perfection is imagined. The idea of a perfect incarnation is an after growth.
In Hinduism, 'incarnation' is ascribed to one who has performed some extraordinary service of mankind. All embodied life is in reality an incarnation of God, but it is not usual to consider every living being an incarnation. Future generations pay this homage to one who, in his own generation, has been extraordinarily religious in his conduct. I can see nothing wrong in this procedure. It takes nothing from God's greatness, and there is no violence done to the Truth. There is an Urdu saying which means "Adam is not God but he is a spark of the Divine." And therefore he who is the most religiously behaved has most of the divine spark in him. It is in accordance with this train of thought that Krishna enjoys, in Hinduism, the status of the most perfect incarnation.
This belief in incarnation is a testimony of man's lofty spiritual ambition. Man is not at piece with himself till he has become like unto God. The endeavor to reach this state is the supreme, the only ambition worth having. And this is self-realization. This self-realization is the subject of the Gita, as it is of all scriptures. But its author surely did not write it to establish that doctrine. The object of the Gita appears to me to be that of showing the most excellent way to attain self-realization. That which is to be found, more or less clearly, spread out here and there in Hindu religious books, has been brought out in the clearest possible language in the Gita even at the risk of repetition.
That matchless remedy is renunciation of fruits of action. This is the center around which the Gita is woven. This renunciation is the central sun, around which devotion, knowledge and the rest revolve like planets. The body has been likened to a prison. There must be action where there is body. Not one embodied being is exempted from labor. And yet all religions proclaim that it is possible for man, by treating the body as the temple of God, to attain freedom. Every action is tainted, be it ever so trivial. How can the body be made the temple of God? In other words, how can one be free from action, i.e. from the taint of sin? The Gita has answered the question in decisive language:
"By desireless action; by renouncing fruits of action; by dedicating all activities to God, i.e., by surrendering oneself to Him body and soul."
Desirelessness or renunciation does not come for the mere talking about it. It is not attained by an intellectual feat. It is attainable only by a constant heart-churn.
Right knowledge is necessary for attaining renunciation. Learned men possess a knowledge of a kind. They may recite the Vedas from memory, yet they may be steeped in self indulgence. In order that knowledge may not run riot, the author of the Gita has insisted on devotion accompanying it and has given it the first place. Knowledge without devotion will be like a misfire.
Therefore, says the Gita: "Have devotion, and knowledge will follow."
This devotion is not mere lip worship, it is wrestling with death. Hence the Gita's assessment of the devotee's qualities is similar to that of sage's.
Thus the devotion required by the Gita is no softhearted effusiveness. It certainly is not blind faith. The devotion of the Gita has the least to do with the externals. A devotee may use, if he likes, rosaries, forehead marks, make offerings, but these things are no test of his devotion. He is the devotee who is jealous of none, who is a fount of mercy, who is without egotism, who is selfless, who treats alike cold and heat, happiness and misery, who is ever forgiving, who is always contented, whose resolutions are firm, who has dedicated mind and soul to God, who causes no dread, who is not afraid of others, who is free from exultation, sorrow and fear, who is pure, who is versed in action and yet remains unaffected by it, who renounces all fruit, good or bad, who treats friend and foe alike, who is untouched by respect or disrespect, who is not puffed by praise, who does not go under when people speak ill of him, who loves silence and solitude, who has a disciplined reason. Such devotion is inconsistent with the existence at the same time of strong attachments...
While on the one hand it is beyond dispute that all action binds, on the other hand it is equally true that all living beings have to do some work, whether they will or no. Here all activity, whether mental or physical, is to be included in the term of action. Then how is one to be free from the bondage of action, even though he may be acting? The manner in which the Gita has solved the problem is to my knowledge unique.
The Gita says: "Do your allotted work but renounce its fruit. Be detached and work. Have no desire for reward and work."
This is the unmistakable teaching of the Gita. He who gives up action falls. He who gives up only the reward rises. But renunciation of fruit in no way means indifference to the result. In regard to every action one must know the result that is expected to follow, the means thereto, and the capacity for it. He, who, being thus equipped is, without desire for the result and yet wholly is engrossed in the due fulfillment of the task before him is said to have renounced the fruits of his action.
Again let no one consider renunciation to mean want of fruit for the renouncer. The Gita reading does not warrant such a meaning. Renunciation means absence of hankering after fruit. As a matter of fact, he who renounces reaps a thousandfold. The renunciation of the Gita is the acid test of faith. He who is ever brooding over result often loses nerve in the performance of his duty. He becomes impatient and then gives vent to anger and begins to do unworthy things; he jumps from action to action never remaining faithful to any. He who broods over results is like a man given to objects of senses; he is ever distracted, he says goodbye to all scruples, everything is right in his estimation and he therefore resorts to means fair and foul to attain his end.
From the bitter experiences of desire for fruit the author of the Gita discovered the path of renunciation of fruit and put it before the world in a most convincing manner. The common belief is that religion is always opposed to material good. "One cannot act religiously in mercantile and such other matters. There is no place for religion in such pursuits; religion is only for attainment of salvation," we hear many worldly-wise people say. In my opinion the author of the Gita has dispelled this delusion. He has drawn no line of demarcation between salvation and worldly pursuits. On the contrary he has shown that religion must rule even our worldly pursuits. I have felt that the Gita teaches us that what cannot be followed out in the day-to-day practice cannot be called religion. Thus, according to the Gita, all acts that are incapable of being performed without attachment are taboo. This golden rule saves mankind from many a pitfall. According to this interpretation murder, lying, dissoluteness and the like must be regarded as sinful and therefore a taboo. Man's life then becomes simple, and from that simpleness springs piece.
Thinking along these lines, I have felt that in trying to enforce in one's life the central teaching of the Gita, one is bound to follow Truth and ahimsa. When there is no desire for fruit, there is no temptation for untruth or himsa.
UN declares 2 October, Gandhi’s birthday, as International Day of Non-Violence15 June 2007 – The United Nations General Assembly today decided to observe the International Day of Non-Violence each year on 2 October – the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who helped lead India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.
Introducing the resolution adopted by the 192-member body, Anand Sharma, India’s Minister of State for External Relations, said the idea originated at an international conference on “Peace, Non-Violence and Empowerment – Gandhian Philosophy in the 21st Century” convened in New Delhi in January this year.
The late leader’s “novel mode of mass mobilization and non-violent action” brought down colonialism, strengthened the roots of popular sovereignty, of civil, political and economic rights, and greatly influenced many a freedom struggle and inspired leaders like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr., Mr. Sharma stated.
The Assembly, “desiring to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence,” invited States, UN bodies, regional and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and individuals to commemorate the Day, including through education and public awareness.
Taking a Lead
It is energizing that the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of peace, on Oct. 2 has been declared as “Nonviolence Day” by the United Nations in recognition of his role in promoting peace.
May I urge that:
a) The “nonviolence Day (Oct. 2) should also be celebrated as a cease-fire day. Thus on this day all battles, across the world, whether in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Korea, etc, should be suspended. In many wars, Christmas day is used a cease-fire day. Similarly Oct. 2 should be a day of complete nonviolence on all fronts;
b) Mahatma Gandhi was an ideal candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. This honor eluded him in his lifetime. Though, he was a man who did not care for worldly honors, it is time for the world to honor his contributions, by awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously;
c) Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of simplicity and nonviolence could offer solution to many parts of the world embroiled in battle, e.g. Iraq, Lebanon, etc.
As a starting point, could some Arab writer or journalist undertake the translation of his autobiography, “My Experiments With Truth”, into Arabic? When I was living in Africa, a prominent journalist had undertaken to translate a chapter of Mahatma Gandhi’s book, every week, into Swahili and publish it, so that over a period of time, the entire book would have been translated into Swahili and then published as a book.
When Mahatma Gandhi passed away, Albert Einstein had said “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as [Gandhi] ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.” Richard Attenborough’s movie “Gandhi”, along with “Munnabhai”, by Sanjay Dutt, brought alive the peace activist to the youth of the world.
LONDON, October 18, 1931 DEAR FRIEND, I was delighted to have your beautiful letter sent through Sundaram. It is a great consolation to me that the work I am doing finds favour in your sight. I do indeed wish that we could meet face to face and that too in India at my Ashram.
Yours sincerely, M. K. GANDHI
Notes by Einstein on Gandhi - Source: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
बोमांट 1947 में ब्रिटिश न्यायाधीश सर सिरिल रेडक्लिफ़ के निजी सचिव थे। भारत-पाकिस्तान के बँटवारे के गवाह रहे एक ब्रिटिश नौकरशाह के अप्रकाशित दस्तावेजों के मुताबिक़ सिर्फ़ दो लोगों ने भारत के बँटवारे और दो मुल्क़ों की तक़दीर को तय किया था।
नौकरशाह क्रिस्टोफ़र बोमांट 1947 में ब्रिटिश न्यायाधीश सर सिरिल रेडक्लिफ़ के निजी सचिव थे. रेडक्लिफ़ भारत-पाकिस्तान के बीच सीमा निर्धारण आयोग के अध्यक्ष थे और सचिव होने के नाते बोमांट इस विभाजन का अहम हिस्सा रहे।
क्रिस्टोफ़र के पुत्र राबर्ट बोमांट ने अपने पिता के दस्तावेजों के आधार पर दावा किया कि लार्ड माउंटबेटन के निजी सचिव सर जार्ज एबेल की 1989 में मृत्यु के बाद अब सिर्फ़ वह ही दोनों देशों के विभाजन का सच जानते हैं। क्रिस्टोफ़र बोमांट की मृत्यु 2002 में हो गई थी।
'ज़ल्दबाज़ी में बँटवारा'
दस्तावेज़ों के मुताबिक़ हिन्दुस्तान के तत्कालीन वायरसराय लार्ड माउंटबेटेन और रेडक्लिफ़ ने ही मिलकर दोनों देशों के बंटवारे का खाक़ा खीच दिया था।
विभाजन के दौरान हिंसा में लगभग 1.45 करोड़ लोग मारे गए।
एक अनुमान के अनुसार बँटवारे में दोनों ओर से लगभग 1.45 करोड़ लोग पलायन करने को मज़बूर हुए थे। धार्मिक आधार पर हुए इस बँटवारे में चालीस करोड़ लोगों की तकदीर तय की गई।
इन दस्तावेज़ों में ब्रिटिश भारत के आख़िरी दिनों की स्थिति का विश्लेषण किया गया है। इसमें कहा गया कि बँटवारे के काम को बेहद जल्दबाज़ी में अंज़ाम दिया गया था।
बोमांट ने दस्तावेज़ों में लिखा है कि वायसराय माउंटबेटन को पंजाब में हुए भीषण नरसंहार का ज़िम्मेदार ठहराया जाना चाहिए जिसमें महिलाओँ, बच्चों समेत लगभग पाँच लाख लोग मारे गए थे।
पक्षपात के आरोप
इन दस्तावेजों में कहा गया 'माउंटबेटन ने न केवल नियमों को भारत के पक्ष में झुकाया बल्कि सीमा निर्धारण में उन्होंने रेडक्लिफ़ पर कई इलाकों को भारतीय सीमा में शामिल करने का दबाव डाला।
'माउंटबेटन ने न केवल नियमों को भारत के पक्ष में झुकाया बल्कि सीमा निर्धारण में उन्होंने रेडक्लिफ़ पर कई इलाकों को भारतीय सीमा में शामिल करने का दबाव डाला
दस्तावेज़ों के मुताबिक़ माउंटबेटन और रेडक्लिफ़ के बीच एक दोपहर खाने के समय एक मुस्लिम बहुल इलाके के मामले में बातचीत हो रही थी लेकिन उन्हें उस दौरान बाहर जाने को कह दिया गया था. बाद में यह इलाक़ा भारत को दे दिया गया।
उनके अनुसार माउंटबेटन ने रेडक्लिफ़ को सीमा निर्धारण के लिए सिर्फ़ छह हफ़्तों का समय दिया था और कई मामलों में माउंटबेटन और रेडक्लिफ़ के बीच सहमति नहीं हुआ करती थी।
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एके-47 को भी हुए साठ साल
मिखाइल कलाशनिकोव ने द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध के दौरान एके-47 का डिजाइन बनाया थाभारत और पाकिस्तान की आज़ादी को को साठ साल हो रहे हैं लेकिन इसके साथ ही दुनिया की एक प्रसिद्ध चीज़ के भी साठ साल हुए हैं और वो है एके 47 राइफल।यह वही बंदूक है जिसका इस्तेमाल रुस से लेकर अमरीका तक और दक्षिण एशिया से लेकर अफ्रीका तक सैनिक, स्वतंत्रता सेनानी और विद्रोही करते रहे हैं।
कलाशनिकोव राइफ़लों का उत्पादन 1947 में शुरु हुआ था और अब इसके 60 वर्ष के अवसर पर रुस में समारोहों का आयोजन किया जा रहा है।
दुनिया की इस सबसे मशहूर बंदूक के निर्माता मिखाइल कलाशनिकोव को रुस में उनके गृह प्रदेश इज़ेवस्क में सम्मानित किया गया है।
87 वर्षीय कलाशनिकोव ने इस राइफल का डिजाइन द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध के दौरान उस समय बनाया था जब वो दुश्मन की गोलियों का शिकार होने के बाद अस्पताल में इलाज करवा रहे थे।
अब तक दस करोड़ से अधिक एके 47 राइफलों का उत्पादन हो चुका है और कितने ही देशों की सेनाएं इन राइफलों का इस्तेमाल कर रही हैं लेकिन इन राइफलों को प्रसिद्धि पर पहुंचाने में माफिया गिरोहों और चरमपंथियों का बड़ा हाथ रहा है।
कलाशनिकोव का कहना है कि उन्हें इस तथ्य से काफी दुख पहुंचता है कि उनकी बंदूक गैंगस्टरों और माफिया के बीच काफी लोकप्रिय है। हालांकि उन्होंने कहा कि इसके निर्माण का उन्हें क्रेडिट भी मिला है।
कलाशनिकोव कहते हैं 'मुझे अच्छा लगता है जब मेरी बंदूक का इस्तेमाल अच्छे कामों के लिए होता है। मोज़ाम्बिक में स्वतंत्रता सेनानियों ने जब इस बंदूक की मदद से आज़ादी ली थी तो उन्होंने अपने बच्चों का नाम क्लास रखा था। यह जानकर अच्छा लगता है कि वहां के गांवों में कई बच्चों के नाम क्लास हैं। '
चरमपंथियों की बीच इसकी लोकप्रियता के बारे में वो कहते हैं 'कोई भी हथियार ग़लत हाथों में पड़ता है तो उसका दुरुपयोग होता है। ऐसे हथियार सेना के पास रहने चाहिए और ध्यान देना चाहिए कि ये ग़लत हाथों में न पड़ें। '
कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी के पावन अवसर पर डॉ. कोहली के नवीन उपन्यास 'वसुदेव' का विमोचन 4 सितम्बर 2007 को शंखनाद एवं पुष्प-वर्षा के साथ एक भव्य समारोह में किया गया, जिसमें कोटा नगर के सभी प्रमुख साहित्यकार, कवि एवं सैंकड़ों श्रोता उपस्थित थे। 'इनसाइट संस्थान', 'पुरी पीठ के शंकराचार्य द्वारा स्थापित अ.भा.पीठ परिषद्' की राजस्थान शाखा, 'अखिल भारतीय साहित्य परिषद्' की कोटा शाखा, 'भारतेन्दु समिति', 'संस्कार भारती', 'स्वरांजलि संस्थान' इत्यादि द्वारा डा. कोहली का नागरिक अभिनन्दन किया गया।
कोटा के ''बिनानी सभागार'' में आयोजित इस कार्यक्रम में नगर के साहित्यकारों एवं प्रबुद्ध नागरिकों ने भारी संख्या में उपस्थित होकर अपनी जिज्ञासा को शांत किया। प्रांरभ में 'इनसाइट' के निदेशक श्री. शिशिर मित्तल ने डा. नरेन्द्र कोहली तथा उन की धर्मपत्नी डा. मधुरिमा कोहली का स्वागत किया। उन्होंने अतिथियों का परिचय देते हुए कहा कि वे डॉ. कोहली की तुलना केवल रूस के लेव तोलस्तोय से ही कर सकते हैं। हिन्दी साहित्य में उनका योगदान अद्भुत एवं अप्रतिम है। उनके द्वारा लिखी गई वृहद् उपन्यास शृंखलायें हिन्दी साहित्य की एक नवीन विधा हैं, जो संस्कृत साहित्य के महाकाव्य के समकक्ष हैं। प्रेमचन्द के बाद पहली बार हिन्दी साहित्य में किसी ऐसी प्रतिभा का उदय हुआ है जिसने साहित्य में एक नवीन युग का प्रारम्भ किया है।
प्रख्यात् कवि श्री बशीर अहमद 'मयूख' समारोह के मुख्य अतिथि थे। लब्ध प्रतिष्ठित साहित्यकार डा. शांतिलाल भारद्वाज तथा डॉ. दयाकृष्ण 'विजय' विशिष्ट अतिथि थे। श्री मयूख द्वारा डा. कोहली के उपन्यास 'वसुदेव' का विमोचन किया गया।
पत्र् वाचन की शृंखला में प्रथम पत्र् डा. (श्रीमती) प्रेम जैन द्वारा प्रस्तुत किया गया। उन्होंने कृष्ण-बलराम के निर्माण में यशोदा एवं रोहिणी की भूमिका एवं 'वसुदेव' के अन्य नारी पात्रों का समग्र विवेचन प्रस्तुत किया। डा. जैन ने कहा कि रोहिणी इस तथ्य से अवगत थी कि कि उनके गर्भ में वस्तुत: देवकी के गर्भ का संकर्षण किया गया था। इसके उपरांत भी वे अपने वात्सल्य एवं ममत्व में कोई कमी नहीं रखतीं। वे जानती थीं कि उन्होंने जिस पुत्र् को जन्म दिया है उसके जन्म का लक्ष्य असुर-संहार है। उन्होंने इसी लक्ष्य से राम को संस्कारित कर उन्हें बलराम बनाया। डा. जैन ने कहा कि यशोदा यह नहीं जानती थीं कि कृष्ण उनके पुत्र् नहीं थे। उन्होंने अपने अनाविल ममत्व से कृष्ण को आकंठ निमज्जित किया। उन्होंने मातृत्व का आदर्श प्रस्तुत किया तथा कृष्ण को वे संस्कार दिये कि वे भविष्य में असाधारण कर्म कर सकें। उन्होंने कहा कि 'वसुदेव' के नारी पात्र् मानव मूल्यों के प्रति पूर्णत: समर्पित हैं। देवकी ममत्व के कारण, रोहिणी परदु:ख कातरता के कारण, कष्ट सहिष्णुता की भूमिका का निर्वाह करने के कारण तथा यशोदा संभावित मांगलिक भविष्य की निश्चिंतता के कारण अपने दायित्व के प्रति जागरूक ही नहीं अपितु सचेष्ट एवं सन्नद्ध हैं।
श्रीयुत श्रीनन्दन चतुर्वेदी ने कहा कि 'वसुदेव' लेखक की उपन्यास-कला तथा चिन्तन शैली का सहारा पाकर एक स्पृहणीय व्यक्तित्व के रूप में उभर कर आये है। वे भारतीयता के आख्याता हैं तथा कष्ट सहने में चट्टान के समान वज्र-कठोर हैं। वे गंभीर हैं, वीर हैं, शस्त्र् तथा शास्त्र् के ज्ञाता हैं। नीतिनिपुण हैं और समायानुकूल आचरण करने वाले है। विषम से विषम परिस्थिति भी उन्हें तोड़ नहीं पाती। वे आस्तिक हैं तथा प्रभु की सामर्थ्य में उनका अटूट विश्वास है। स्वभाव से धैर्यवान होने के साथ साथ वे उद्घत है। क्षत्रियोचित स्वाभिमान उनमें कूट-कूट कर भरा है। शास्त्रीय दृष्टि से वे धीरोद्धत नायक हैं उन्होंने कहा कि वसुदेव नीतिनिपूण हैं तथा व्यवहारिक हैं। तत्कालिक संकट से मुक्ति पाने के लिए दिये गये वचन की पालना करना वे आवश्यक नहीं समझते इसीलिए अपने पुत्रों को कंस से बचाने की योजना बनाते हैं; तथा सातवें तथा आठवे पुत्रों की रक्षा करने में सफल रहते हैं। उन्होंने कहा कि वसुदेव का व्यक्तित्व श्रद्धास्पद है। वे विकट योद्धा हैं तथा मथुरा के समाज में उनके प्रति अटूट श्रद्धा है।
श्री. अरविन्द सोरल ने अपने पत्र् में एक सामान्य से अधिक जागरूक पाठक की प्रतिक्रिया व्यक्त करते हुये कहा कि 'वसुदेव' लेखक के आक्रोश की पटकथा है। उन्होंने कहा कि भारत पर विदेशी आक्रमण स्थायी हो चुका है। हमारी संस्कृति आक्रान्त है। बहुमत ने इस आक्रमण के सामने घुटने टेक दिये हैं। आत्म-कृतघ्नतावाद का दर्शन विकसित किया जा चुका है। किन्तु नरेन्द्र कोहली उन लोगों में से हैं, जो इस आक्रमण के समझ, घुटने टेकने से इंकार करते हैं। वे इस आक्रमण के विरूद्ध युद्ध की प्रेरणा के लिए 'वसुदेव' में उस चरित्र् को खोज लेते हैं जो नेतृत्व के लिए आदर्श है। उन्होंने कहा कि यह उपन्यास एक और नागयज्ञ का मंगलाचरण है तथा समस्त भारतवासियों को इसमें आहुति देने का खुला निमंत्रण भी इसी में है। उन्होंने कहा कि वर्तमान युग कंस के युग का ही अनुवाद है। इस युग में भी वसुदेव अनिवार्य हैं। जो कृष्ण को अपने रक्त में धारण कर सकें। तभी अधर्म का नाश और धर्म की रक्षा संभव है। इसी हेतु वसुदेव की रचना अत्यंत प्रासंगिक है।
डा. नरेन्द्र कोहली ने अपने उद्बोधन में स्पष्ट किया कि 'वसुदेव' उपन्यास में उन्होंने कंस के शिक्षा मंत्री का नाम जानबूझ कर अर्जुन सिंह दिया है; क्योंकि कंस राज में ही यह संभव हो सकता है कि योग का विरोध हो और कामसूत्र् को पाठ्यक्रम में शामिल करने की योजना बने।
उन्होंने कहा कि 'वसुदेव' मनुष्य की सतत् जिजीविषा की कथा है। जूझते रहने की इच्छा की तथा क्रांति में अपने हर संभव योगदान की कथा है। इसी हेतु इस उपन्यास का एक पात्र् वीरभद्र एक स्थान पर कहता है, ''यदि हो सके तो घास बन कर उग आ, यमुना में जल बनकर बह जा।''
डा. कोहली ने कहा कि कृष्ण निश्चित ही अवतार थे। कोई भी अवतार बिना र्पूव घोषणा के नहीं आता। कृष्ण के आने की घोषणा नारद द्वारा कंस के समक्ष इसी हेतु कर दी गयी थी। उन्होंने कहा कि जब अवतार आता है तो उसके पार्षद भी साथ आते हैं। शेषनाग तथा क्षीर सागर दोनों कृष्ण के गोकुल गमन में सहयोग करते हैं। शेषनाग छाया करते हैं तथा क्षीर सागर यमुना की बाढ़ हैं, जो वसुदेव की यात्रा को सुगम बनाती है। श्री कोहली ने वेदान्त दर्शन की व्याख्या करते हुए कहा कि एक ही मूल तत्व है - ब्रह्म। वही सिद्ध तथा प्रामाणिक है। अन्य जो भी है उसका ही रूप है तथा उसकी ही शक्ति है। हम विभिन्न रूपों अथवा शक्तियों की पूजा के माध्यम से, उस ब्रह्म की ही पूजा करते हैं। डा. कोहली ने कहा कि ईश्वरीय तत्व हम सब में है; किन्तु हमें उसका न बोध है, न स्मृति है; क्योंकि हम संसार में कोई असाधारण लक्ष्य लेकर नहीं आये। हम अपने कर्मों के भोग हेतु आये हैं। जो किसी उद्देश्य विशेष से आता है उसे सभी कुछ स्मरण रहता है। कृष्ण लक्ष्य लेकर आये थे, अत: उन्हें सभी कुछ स्मरण था। कृष्ण ने अपनी लीलाओं के माध्यम से घोषणा की थी कि वे आ चुके हैं; और अपने लक्ष्य की पूर्ति वे अवश्य करेंगे। उनका लक्ष्य अधर्म का विनाश तथा धर्म की स्थापना था। डा. कोहली ने कहा कि हम कृष्ण का तात्विक चिंतन करते हैं तो ऊपरी परतें स्वत: छंट जाती हैं। कृष्ण ने अपनी इच्छा से देह धारण की, जो माया से परे थी। हम भी अपनी कामना से देह धारण करते हैं, किंतु कामना से मुक्त नहीं हो पाते। जब आत्मसाक्षात्कार हो जाता है, तभी मुक्ति का प्रयास प्रारंभ होता है।
डा. कोहली ने कहा कि कृष्ण की समस्त लीलाओं के प्रतीकात्मक अर्थ हैं। चाहे वह चीरहरण की लीला हो या कालियमर्दन हो अथवा रासलीला हो। उन्होंने कहा कि कुछ ही सौभाग्यशाली लोग होते हैं जो ईश्वरीय विधान के अर्न्तगत आते हैं। वे अपने कर्म से परिचित होते हैं। वे अपने स्वभावानुसार कर्म करते हैं। हमारा स्वभाव ही हमें ईश्वरीय आदेश है। कृष्ण स्वयं घोषणा करते हैं कि जो अपने स्वभावनुसार कर्म करते हुए धर्म पर चलते हैं, वे मेरी पूजा करते हैं। अत: स्वभावानुसार कर्म ही धर्म है और ईश्वर की उपासना है। डा. कोहली ने कहा कि कृष्ण का लक्ष्य धर्म की स्थापना था। अत: वे राजा बनना स्वीकार नहीं करते। वे समयानुसार नीति को धर्म बताते हैं इसीलिये मथुरा छोड़कर द्वारिका प्रस्थान कर जाते हैं। वे स्त्री की मर्यादा के रक्षक हैं। रुक्मिणी और द्रौपदी की रक्षा करते हैं। भौमासुर के यहां बंदी सोलह सहस्र स्त्रियों का कलंक अपने सिर लेते हैं और उन्हें अपनी पत्नी का दर्जा देते हैं। ऐसा साहस ईश्वर ही कर सकता है, जो कृष्ण थे।
आयोजन के मुख्य अतिथि श्री बशीर अहमद मयूख ने कहा कि भारत की संस्कृति उत्सवधर्मा है तथा कृष्ण का जीवन एक उत्सव है। डा. भारद्वाज तथा दयाकृष्ण 'विजय' ने 'वसुदेव' उपन्यास को कालजयी असाधारण महाकाव्यात्मक उपन्यास बताया।
कार्यक्रम का अत्यंत रुचिकर एवं सफल संचालन 'हाड़ौती' के कवि श्री रामेश्वर शर्मा ('रामू भैया') ने किया।
डॉ. नरेन्द्र कोहली कोटा प्रवास के उपलक्ष्य में 'इनसाइट' संस्थान द्वारा कोटा नगर के सभी विद्यालयों एवं महाविद्यालयों में डॉ. कोहली के उपन्यास 'वसुदेव' पर आधारित निबन्ध प्रतियोगिता भी आयोजित की, जिसमें छात्रों ने बड़े उत्साह से भाग लिया। कई विद्यालयों में 'वसुदेव' के अनेक अंशों का वाचन भी किया गया, जिससे अधिकाधिक संख्या में छात्र एवं अध्यापक उसका लाभ उठा सकें। विजेताओं को डॉ. कोहली के ही हाथों पुरस्कार दिलवाए गये।
प्रतिभाएं शहरों की पहचान बदल देती हैं। तीन साल पहले तक झारखंड की राजधानी राची की पहचान एचईसी और आरोग्यशाला के तौर पर थी।
आज रांची को लोग धोनी के शहर के नाम से जानते हैं। हरियाणा का रोहतक चौधरी देवीदयाल के चुनाव क्षेत्र के रूप में जाना जाता था। लेकिन अब यहां के जोगेन्दर शर्मा ने टवेन्टी-20 विश्व कप में करिश्मा करके रोहतक के साथ अपना नाम जोड़ लिया है। मुंबई के क्रिकेटर ज्यादातर बांद्रा और वर्ली के ही होते थे। अब रोहित शर्मा के रूप में बोरीवाला को भी क्रिकेट से पहचान मिली है...
*
In the end Lekhni would like to salute the enthusiasm and love with which Indians welcomed their world champions & congratulations to our young and brilliant captain Mahendra Singh Dhondhi !
To conclude on a lighter note and something to take home with us:
ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE 1940's, 50's, and 60's n also the 70's
First, we survived being born to mothers who had no full time maids (hey, that holds good for my kids too !!), who cooked our meals and cleaned the house while they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate cheese , sweet dishes and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a local bus/train was a special treat.
We drank water from the tap and NOT from a bottle.
We would spend hours on the terrace under bright sunlight flying our kites, without worrying about the UV effect which never ever affected us.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate pastries, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because...
WEWERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, so long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day 'cause we had no cell phones. And, we were O.K.
We would spend hours repairing our outdated bicycles and scooters out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, nopersonal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms!
WE HAD FRIENDS.
We went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We sometimes ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were never given BB guns for our 10th birthdays.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Not everyone made it to the Cricket team . Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.
Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have seen an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned
According to Arun Gandhi, ( Mahatma's grandson) “Although both [Gandhi and King] lived at different times, there was a spiritual bond between the two and we must honour that spiritual bond. Both shared the same dream that people would live in peace and harmony without looking at each other’s differences.” Today humanity is witnessing every form of cruelty and violence. There is no dignity even in death.The world is so full of daily violence in one form or another that steps should be taken to make sure that we understand the situation and take note of this war and crime torn world's sufferings. To mark Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday on the October 2nd, 114 UN member countries have joined hands to support India’s resolution to declare Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday as the ‘International Day of Non-Violence’ as a tribute to the Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology of peace and non violence, which he practiced all his life without failure.This declaration would not have come at a better time as it is nearly more than hundred years back( 11'th sepember 1906) Mahatma launched his Satyagraha movement in South Africa. His faith in Ahimsa was unshakable. He wrote, " Ahimsa is a science. The word 'failure' has no place in the vocabulary of science. Failure to obtain the expected result is often the precursor to further discoveries.
Clay
Krishna of the Gita is perfection and right knowledge personified; but the picture is imaginary. That does not mean that Krishna, the adored of his people, never lived. But perfection is imagined. The idea of a perfect incarnation is an after growth. 
IN FOCUS विविधा
'मात्र दो लोगों ने तय किया था विभाजन' 
नौकरशाह क्रिस्टोफ़र बोमांट 1947 में ब्रिटिश न्यायाधीश सर सिरिल रेडक्लिफ़ के निजी सचिव थे. रेडक्लिफ़ भारत-पाकिस्तान के बीच सीमा निर्धारण आयोग के अध्यक्ष थे और सचिव होने के नाते बोमांट इस विभाजन का अहम हिस्सा रहे। 
विभाजन के दौरान हिंसा में लगभग 1.45 करोड़ लोग मारे गए। 
एके-47 को भी हुए साठ साल 
(annonymous)
