It would have been unimaginable a few years ago that 150th anniversary of the man considered Father of the Nation will also be almost the last nail in his coffin.
By 1947, Gandhi was the biggest symbol of communal harmony. On question of caste his position was contested, but he was the undisputed leader of Hindu–Muslim unity.
When a bullet from a misguided fanatic’s gun felled the frail mahatma, the nation consoled itself by saying that his ideas would outlive him and would be a “kindly light” for the newly formed country.
However, in 2014, the “government of Hindus was made after 800 years”. We stopped talking about Hindu–Muslim unity. But what do we do with Gandhi?
We emptied him out of any meaning he may have had for our times. Non-violence and Truth were outdated ideas in the era of mob lynching and fake news.
The only way to keep the Gandhi brand available for political gain was to make him a mascot of a national cleanliness drive—Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Campaign)!
Gandhi for cleanliness drive? Sure!
Gandhi for communal harmony? No way!
Gandhian ideal of Hindu–Muslim unity was made irrelevant because we want to build a Hindu Rashtra. Gandhian idea of non-violence was abandoned because it was drawn from the Christian Bible (Sermon on the Mount). Gandhian idea of Truth was given up because power must be grabbed at any cost, even falsehood.
All that was left of Gandhi was photo ops for politicians sweeping the already swept streets. Or killing little children relieving themselves in the open.
A great man dies not when he stops breathing but when his memory is manipulated to suit our convenience. This is what is being done to Gandhi. Our current generation is growing up with Gandhi being a man who inspires us to pick up the broom—and not as someone who urges us to arm ourselves with weapons like truth and non-violence.
Gandhi has been like a proverbial snake that was killed while the stick remained intact.
Godse did not kill Gandhi. The current dispensation has killed him!
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