Forgetting Gandhi

One has always regarded the print media as a constant sentry over the extravaganza of the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature...

One has always regarded the print media as a constant sentry over the extravaganza of the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature. But we all need to be reminded that above all these estates is the real sovereign 8212; the masses
including readers. This reminder is necessitated because of the unforgivable lapse by the national papers, including Express. None of them carried on the front page a photograph of Gandhi and reminded the nation of his birthday. I know nothing of journalistic priorities. But to my mean intelligence an Indian who was born in a slave country but now has his children born into a free country owe a debt of gratitude and reverence to Gandhiji that has no parallel 8212; and there can be no priority greater than remembering that.
8212; Rajinder Sachar, Delhi

We were horrified to see the ad issued by the Department of I038;B on Gandhi Jayanti, quoting Gandhi on the need to take up arms rather than suffer dishonour 8216;I038;B ad murdered Bapu, he8217;ll survive8217;, IE, October 6. The mischievous intent of the ad is obvious. Given its preoccupation with reinventing histories to suit its agendas, and the discomfort of living with the internationally-famed Gandhian legacy of non-violence, it is no surprise that the present government would choose to select a line from Gandhi8217;s writings, totally removed from its context. The quote used in the ad is a line from Gandhi8217;s article in Young India dated August 11, 1920, titled 8216;The Doctrine of the Sword8217;. It was written by Gandhi in the wake of country-wide violence following the passing of the Rowlatt Bills and the Jallianwallah Baug massacre in 1919, and centred on the call for non-cooperation from August 1, 1920. It sought to explain his concept of non-violent non-cooperation, and the spirit of non-violence.

The article is devoted to the real possibility of non-violence as a political strategy, and its moral significance. The opening sentence of the article reads: 8220;In this age of the rule of brute force, it is almost impossible for anyone to believe that anyone else could possibly reject the law of the final supremacy of brute force.8221; Gandhi goes on to explain how violence can be resorted to 8220;where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence8221;. However, the real intent of the article is made clear in the sections following the line quoted in the advertisement issued by the Government on Gandhi Jayanti: 8220;But I believe that non-violence is infinitely superior to violence8221;.

Perhaps the most apt quotation that could have been used to honour Gandhi in these conflict-ridden times would have been one of the closing lines from the same article: 8216;India8217;s acceptance of the doctrine of the sword will be the hour of my trial.8217; More than 80 years later, this is precisely what is coming about: we seem to be accepting the doctrine of the sword, subverting Gandhi8217;s ideals to legitimate an agenda of violence. That this is now being done even through an official agency of the government is a shame.
8212; Rohit Prajapati, and others, On e-mail

Congress8217;s choice

If Karunakaran maintains that the Antony ministry is a failure, it is he who betrayed the party guidelines. It8217;s high time for the Congress high command to decide who is important: party or the 8216;Holy Family8217; of Karunakaran.
8212; Suresh Nellikode, On e-mail