10-27-2006, 09:14 PM
Captain, my real fear is that the lack of understanding of Gandhi by the new generations in India will result in the loss of Gandhi to movements and institutions out side India and that will be a great loss.
The linking of Hindu Mahasabha though unproven, to his assasination has removed a vital link between Gandhi and activist Hindus. This has left the space for pseudo-seculars and commies to appropriate Gandhi for propogating their own brand of Gandhigiri or more accurately gundagiri.
If the new ones are alienated from Gandhi, he will be appropriated by the West and used against India. Already since teh Attenborough film there is an undercurrent to study Gandhi inlight of the US Civil Rights and South African anti-aparthied movements.
This is why I try to read his works and try to interpet Hind Swaraj for my times for every generation has to do that in order to retain the swaraj for which our forefathers have strugled so hard against colonialism.
The linking of Hindu Mahasabha though unproven, to his assasination has removed a vital link between Gandhi and activist Hindus. This has left the space for pseudo-seculars and commies to appropriate Gandhi for propogating their own brand of Gandhigiri or more accurately gundagiri.
If the new ones are alienated from Gandhi, he will be appropriated by the West and used against India. Already since teh Attenborough film there is an undercurrent to study Gandhi inlight of the US Civil Rights and South African anti-aparthied movements.
This is why I try to read his works and try to interpet Hind Swaraj for my times for every generation has to do that in order to retain the swaraj for which our forefathers have strugled so hard against colonialism.