[Reader-list] Gandhi

[taraprakash]

Hi all and Rakesh. Thanks for posting this link. I am not planning to read this article right now due to time constraint. But yes, a lot of people have written a lot about gandhi, the man. What perhaps I should have said is that Gandhi is important to us not because of his body but because of the principles he preached. If you smoke and tell someone else not to, your message doesn't lose its significance as long as you yourself have known the dangers of smoking. Yes, I thinkGandhi, the man, was an opportunist, selfish and what not, but these are not things he is known for in the world. That is why the poet I quoted focuses not on Gandhi, the man, but Gandhi the principle. 

Regards
TaraPrakash

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Rakesh Iyer 
  To: taraprakash 
  Cc: Aditya Raj Kaul ; sarai list 
  Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 1:08 PM
  Subject: Re: Gandhi


  Dear TaraPrakash (and all)

  I agree with Gandhi laying some principles. However the fact that he himself was principled or not, is something I can't say surely. One of the reasons for this is that I have read from an article in Tehelka, where it's said that Gandhi didn't support the struggle by the workers against the Birlas (their employers), as Gandhi had taken economic support from them. He also mentions that it took a lot of money to keep Gandhi poor.

  http://www.tehelka.com/story_main41.asp?filename=Op310109misleading_gandhigiri.asp

  The above is the link of the article in Tehelka. By the way, it was posted on this very reader list, in an earlier mail. And I mention this with respect to the first line of the poem written in honour of Gandhi, telling him to be an 'usool' or principle. In other words, he is considered according to me as a man who completely followed his principles. 

  Please let me make it clear once again. I am not saying he is principled or unprincipled man, I just say I am not sure. Please do clear this point and this particular incident, if you can. I would be thankful for that.

  Regards

  Rakesh