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Sunday, January 29, 2012

With Father at Birla House (my tribute to Mahatma Gandhi)



"Why was Bapuji killed?”
asked a little boy to his father, among the many on their visit to Birla House at Tees Janvari Marg. The vast stretch of experiences, ideologies and fragmented perspectives lay dry.
“Because Bapuji was a mirror. Haven’t we broken all those mirrors turned towards us?”
The father turned emotional.
" poor Bapuji, he didn’t have any weapons with him, right papa?”
He asked again with a frown holding the toy gun close to his chest.
"no, son. Bapuji also had weapons with him. May be, they were more powerful than guns or swords. Unseen weapons are more powerful. Non-violence and satyagraha were no less weapons.But they are not the weapons for destruction. We feel they are destructive because of our polluted mind. That’s why we get provoked and keep shooting Bapuji. When you grow up, you may also be provoked and may kill Bapuji. Infact, we are not growing up we are getting more and more polluted.”


“Who killed Bapuji, papa?”

“Let it be anyone. Our own ego has killed Bapuji. Bapuji doesn’t die. This is not a memorial for Bapuji. But it is our own memorial. We are shooting ourselves, we don’t grow up at all, so, we are dead monuments. Bapuji lives on.”

The cemented footprints of the father can be seen from his room to his death. 30th January evening wouldn’t have been so melodramatic as shown in   “Nine hours to Rama”. A great feeling or revelation to know that the father’s death was a simple event!!!!!

The breeze of his abstract presence blew over the pine and ashoka at Birla House.

 The little boy jumped on the concrete footsteps unable to follow the words of his father.
                                                   -Santhosh Kana
read the Malayalam version here:
https://somatmika.blogspot.in/2013/04/blog-post_6.html





11 comments:

Dr.SUJITH KUMAR KARIMBIL said...

bohyrosoh ! Sandhu amazing write up yaar!
your thought process is amazing!
thought provoking write up!
keep it up Sandhu.
I am again at loss of words!

Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar said...

Fine article but couldn't you have developed it a little...as in wasn't it ended too abruptly? It was a little short for such a wonderful topic. Hopefully you take my comment in the right spirit. Look forward to other articles of yours. :)

Hardik Bothra said...

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”- Gandhi,
My interpretation of this "If it is to be, it's up to me".

If i want to comment on this article- All i would say is "With Father at my own house", this article totally gave the Gandhian feeling to me. :)

Unknown said...

there r vry few people who actually feel for BAPU ... he s almost lost,which thrills me ..but its nice to see someone write about him even after a decade with a different prospective. good job sir .

Unknown said...

Truth never dies. His presence is still felt but only during testing times.

June Singh said...

i kinda had guessed that it must have been written by you when you mentioned this in class...
n i was glad i read this...
it really makes u think about the gandhain ideology in a different way....:)

pratyush said...

Hatred can be overcome only by love.
Mahatma Gandhi
the lessons which u taught in class changed my complete perception toward gandhi!!!

yEldtho said...

Vow!!!What a powerful portrayal.

SANTHOSH KANA said...

thank you so much

SANTHOSH KANA said...

read the Malayalam version here:
https://somatmika.blogspot.in/2013/04/blog-post_6.html

JYOTHI KADHIRAVAN said...

Santosh sir, I wonder who presented the toy gun to the curious little fellow! The conversation between the father and son is allegorical! Though circumscribed with unrest and discontent culminating in hasty actions, sense can still be brought in our lives through Gandhian principles.