My quasi-holiday mood made for a leisurely read of the newspaper today. It resulted in musings of a wide-latitude, random wandering kind. In that frame, the journalistic chatter over Elections 2009, or brouhaha over IPL venues, seemed idle or puerile. Instead, what struck me most was a comedy of vanities over an overhyped 'legacy' of our dear departed Father of the Nation.
In short, the melodramatic medley of emotions and rhetoric over an auction of some of Gandhiji's historically insignificant items, appeared soap opera more than national pride. Hero's mantle for the episode fell on the unlikely shoulders of Shri Vijay Mallya, liquor baron and prominent glitterati specimen. A few of his beer-begot millions and the Mahatma's mundane belongings got added to a collection that boasts of (among other things) racing horses, vintage cars, a plodding airline and two under-performing sports teams. In tune with the self-righteous debate on the auction's immorality and overarching desi claims to items on offer, Mallya ji too made suitable noises on the acquisition being spurred by patriotic fervour, national duty etc. In any case, given that he pays taxes and has somewhat recognized means of earning his bread (unlike some of his peers in the Upper House), we may steer clear of excessively flagellating his spending habits or extant motive.
Our effete government has no such escape hatches though. Paying lip service to the Mahatma being a practice perfected by Congressmen over decades, perhaps their aggressive posturing in days and weeks preceding the auction was only to be expected. Some of us recall a similar episode a couple of years ago when government intervention (taxpayer expense) had 'saved' Gandhiji's heritage from being irretrievably lost. Yet, going so far as to bestow agent status (post facto) on a protesting VJM was surely taking things too far. Ambika ji, who gives the extraordinary Yechury-garu a run for the money in the foot-in-the-mouth Hall of Fame, dramatically proclaimed that Mallya was a front for the government as if no less 007-esque manouevre was needed in a staightforward auction. Minister for Tourism and Culture, anyone?
On cue, this spurred into action the irrepressible Amar Singh who, in true Goebbelsian genius, summoned the press corps to proclaim how he would have been the saviour of the 'legacy' but for his health (a temporary indisposition, since miraculously cured). He has his hands full, in any case, in saving Gandhigiri with the inspired Samajwadi choice for the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat (that counts, amongst others, Smt Sheila Kaul, Smt Vijay Lakshmi Pandit, and a certain AB Vajpayee, as its erstwhile tenants).
Perhaps all this chicanery only epitomizes what has become of Gandhiji's legacy. After all, it 'cost the nation a fortune to keep him in poverty' in his lifetime, as an otherwise loyal Sarojini Naidu pithily observed once. There is also a school of thought that traces our personality dominated polity and marriages of convenience (in guise of highfalutin principles), to some of Bapu's actions in the later years of our independence struggle. Likewise, some of his ideas on education, public health, poverty alleviation etc deserve more critical scrutiny. Regardless, today is not about calling into question any of those facets or inconsistencies in the principles by which he led life. It is about not letting the very mention of his name elevate the object under discussion to demi-god status, beyond rational debate. Failing this, such ammunition of opprobrium and purported sacrilege shall continue to be used by opportunists to hijack our framework for partisan agenda or personal gain.
Even beyond these fault-lines of reverence there is much to introspect in the 'crisis' and our collective national response. For instance, investigate how the items left the family's possession to wind up under the hammer. Another pertinent aspect is whether current policy restrictions on private participation in trade of historical objects are counter-productive (artificially bolstered price attracts the mercenary-minded). Further, what constitutes national heritage needs better delineation (should resources be focused on, say, preservation of national monuments, cleansing holy rivers, or greening our forests). Finally, consider if the government can freely squander taxpayer money dubious concerns. Any or all of these have sharper linkages with culture, or impact on tourism, in a fashion that Ambika ji shall likely never understand.
In short, the melodramatic medley of emotions and rhetoric over an auction of some of Gandhiji's historically insignificant items, appeared soap opera more than national pride. Hero's mantle for the episode fell on the unlikely shoulders of Shri Vijay Mallya, liquor baron and prominent glitterati specimen. A few of his beer-begot millions and the Mahatma's mundane belongings got added to a collection that boasts of (among other things) racing horses, vintage cars, a plodding airline and two under-performing sports teams. In tune with the self-righteous debate on the auction's immorality and overarching desi claims to items on offer, Mallya ji too made suitable noises on the acquisition being spurred by patriotic fervour, national duty etc. In any case, given that he pays taxes and has somewhat recognized means of earning his bread (unlike some of his peers in the Upper House), we may steer clear of excessively flagellating his spending habits or extant motive.
Our effete government has no such escape hatches though. Paying lip service to the Mahatma being a practice perfected by Congressmen over decades, perhaps their aggressive posturing in days and weeks preceding the auction was only to be expected. Some of us recall a similar episode a couple of years ago when government intervention (taxpayer expense) had 'saved' Gandhiji's heritage from being irretrievably lost. Yet, going so far as to bestow agent status (post facto) on a protesting VJM was surely taking things too far. Ambika ji, who gives the extraordinary Yechury-garu a run for the money in the foot-in-the-mouth Hall of Fame, dramatically proclaimed that Mallya was a front for the government as if no less 007-esque manouevre was needed in a staightforward auction. Minister for Tourism and Culture, anyone?
On cue, this spurred into action the irrepressible Amar Singh who, in true Goebbelsian genius, summoned the press corps to proclaim how he would have been the saviour of the 'legacy' but for his health (a temporary indisposition, since miraculously cured). He has his hands full, in any case, in saving Gandhigiri with the inspired Samajwadi choice for the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat (that counts, amongst others, Smt Sheila Kaul, Smt Vijay Lakshmi Pandit, and a certain AB Vajpayee, as its erstwhile tenants).
Perhaps all this chicanery only epitomizes what has become of Gandhiji's legacy. After all, it 'cost the nation a fortune to keep him in poverty' in his lifetime, as an otherwise loyal Sarojini Naidu pithily observed once. There is also a school of thought that traces our personality dominated polity and marriages of convenience (in guise of highfalutin principles), to some of Bapu's actions in the later years of our independence struggle. Likewise, some of his ideas on education, public health, poverty alleviation etc deserve more critical scrutiny. Regardless, today is not about calling into question any of those facets or inconsistencies in the principles by which he led life. It is about not letting the very mention of his name elevate the object under discussion to demi-god status, beyond rational debate. Failing this, such ammunition of opprobrium and purported sacrilege shall continue to be used by opportunists to hijack our framework for partisan agenda or personal gain.
Even beyond these fault-lines of reverence there is much to introspect in the 'crisis' and our collective national response. For instance, investigate how the items left the family's possession to wind up under the hammer. Another pertinent aspect is whether current policy restrictions on private participation in trade of historical objects are counter-productive (artificially bolstered price attracts the mercenary-minded). Further, what constitutes national heritage needs better delineation (should resources be focused on, say, preservation of national monuments, cleansing holy rivers, or greening our forests). Finally, consider if the government can freely squander taxpayer money dubious concerns. Any or all of these have sharper linkages with culture, or impact on tourism, in a fashion that Ambika ji shall likely never understand.
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5 comments:
My friend it's all about Money.. A Royally Challanged team worth some 400 - 450 cr., a string of Islands, and resorts running on them worth some Rs.500 cr., Monte Carlo island worth Rs.750 cr., plus a gigantic Airline, plus the company who's beer we all drink every weekend, plus bla bla bla which adds up to some Billion US$.... no matter what this toad whacks from these big bucks, he still remains to be a part of a country where an 11 year old Girl is beaten up to death by her Teacher, where a 17 year old goes to the school but never comes back because the school couldn't arrange for a doctor when this young Girl was choked to death by an Asthama attack, where a 21 year old is killed in a ragging orgy, where women are shot on road, where on an average 2-3young bikers loose their lives on a jinxed flyover... Pal, next time when you come across a gllitery news in any of our brave newspapers, please do drop in a note. I'm longing to read some dreamlike material, as of late whenever I have attempted to open those sheets all I could find was Blood!
Gandhi ji still lives for us and he only got our independence. How people like you can dare to not respect his things. You are nothing but a BJP propoganda as your original link anyways showed. At least Mr. Rahul Gandhi is willing to travel and meet downtroddens and be their voice. Only a few days more and he will be the PM being true owner of Mahatma Gandhi legacy and you will eat your words.
"BJP Propaganda"... hallelujah!!! Tried really hard but couldn't smell the "Kamal" anywhere in your write up... people traveling overseas from motherland are getting checked for the "Election Flu" as it’s deadlier than the mighty 'Swine Flu'... wish! we had a vaccine for this too...
Truly in agreement with you.The so called "great"tycoon was simply being an oppurtunist who encashed the whole situation to make a crass display of materialistic power ,it had nothing to do with the finer feelings of patriotism or real respect for the Mahatma because his personal life is colourful enough to negate the complete set of Gandhian ethics.It is obvious that Gandhiji's spectacles and chappals are not worth spending so much,it is better if people follow his ideals!
It should have naturally gone to the national museum and not to Mr. James Witt but due to blundering of the Indian govt.the whole thing became a cheap circus. If gandhi ji has watched the whole show from somewhere,he must have got the jitters ,i'm sure!
It is interesting that you derive this heading from Christianity... to talk of one that was immersed hopefully in a secular existence - often categorised as more 'Hindu' by many.
The Mahatma may actually be disturbed to see his meager possessions and his ideals reduced in this manner by the State and its citizens.
Similar examples of Che and others who fought for non-franchisement of material goods - have seen the same reduced to huge franchises around the world - by their followers and others who did not truly understand their practices.
A film: "Father, Son and the Holy War" comes to mind where Anand Patwardhan has tried to explain this phenomenon via the connection of masculinity and the misinterpretation of the male testosterone to seek, achieve and give rise to national pride amongst the youth.
It is a shame that we have ended up 'branding' the likes of Che Guevera, Gandhi and now Obama. We continue to miss the point... only to once again conclude that one can still not 'brand' the philosophy only meager possessions!
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