Societies - "A functioning society does not go about vacillating between various options for each and every material issue…it is convinced of one method and pursues it to its end." This was in reference to the Indian habit of trying various medicinal systems as alternative methods available and the accepted norm that if one is not good enough then people can shift to another and so on; people “without paying enough attention or pursuing with vigour any single system, keep vacillating between various systems of medicine. We as a nation had a philosophical dilemma, we had to solve this philosophical dilemma for certain purposes. But, we do not have to bring these and apply it to every material aspect of our day to day living…this is what we have done and hence our problem of hesitancy in doing anything and not being sure about any of our traditional ways in the process.”
Petitioning - During the British era, the acceptance of a petition which sounds hostile or challenging was considered as legitimising the claims of the Indians. Hence the British would reject the document - which means in the officials such a document would not appear anywhere or would not get listed in any proceedings or transactions. The petition would have to be re-written for it to be accepted and acknowledged in a much more digestible form and then the government of the day would consider the request that has been made. The attitude was that, "you cannot challenge and pressurise us to accept your request, we do it out of our own benevolence and greatness…". This attitude of refusal to grant legitimacy for some one's right to protest is followed till date as the withdrawal of a strike as a pre-condition to negotiations by government and other powerful agencies.
Corruption in Congress during the pre-independence era - During the 1940s, the Sarva Seva Sangh had quiet a few meetings regularly. During some of these it was mentioned, that some of the provincial governments that were headed by the Congress were highly corrupt. The Sarva Seva Sangh even came out with the names of those who were corrupt. However, the leaders put down these by saying such things cannot be made public without due verification.
Diversity as against factionalism - We in India are a socially diverse people and many of these diverse cultures are quiet assertive and perhaps certain amount of pride in the uniqueness of the individual culture…but, this does not mean that we work in factions, it is the sense of defeated-ness that has been brought about by the 200 years of imperialistic rule that has resulted in us developing this sense of factionalism. Gandhi was successful because he would appeal to the something that was common (perhaps) among all the diverse cultures that are part of this country…he gave a purpose that was far above the factionalism and there was also a sense of achievement (victory) which he could infuse in the way things were executed…this gave the diverse cultures too a purpose towards which they could converge and work together. This is perhaps the real success of Gandhi.
The bhramin-bhikku attitude in foreign affairs - The Brahmin bhikku mentality is to always depend on the largest society for their survival, a survival based on the begging bowl patronage from the larger society. Ever since the country gained independence, it is the Brahmin who has been ruling the country, even today probably 40% of the ruling ministry should be Brahmins. The administrative body and all the other academic and institutional set-up which has a say in the policy making of the country also is mostly headed by the Brahmin community. Hence, their attitude of the begging bowl has been extended to the entire world as a larger society. The foreign policy trying to live by the patronage of the big powers, earlier the USSR and now trying the same with the US. Unfortunately, the state of international affairs states that this will not hold good. Each nation has to make its own mark based on its uniqueness and importance in the international fora.
Disclaimer: These are based on personal notes made during the several rounds of talks that we have had with him during the years 1999-2006. These were impromptu discussions over chai, coffee and sometimes a rare ice cream in Sevagram. We have also had the privilege to be with him in long conversations in Mussoorie, Benaras, Chennai among other places of travelling with him during these years. The notes were compiled most times immediately after each long winding discussion and typed in at a later date. There could be some errors that crept in about details mentioned, though the words and essence are definitely clear and with a message.
No comments:
Post a Comment